Busan is the Rio de Janeiro of South Korea! A costal town with beautifil beaches, lush green hills limiting the cities neighbourhoods and a young vibrant vibe! We stayed for 3 days and almost saw ourselves moving into the city!

What to do in Busan

There is a lot to go around in Busan, however, the city is very spread-out so accommodate time for the 1h public transportation rides. Here are our top favourite things to do in Busan:

• Sunset at Gwangalli beach: watch the bridge light up and the teenagers crack the fireworks
• Hike up Yongdusan or the rooftop of Lotte Department Store Gwangbok park for free views of the city
• Catch a movie at the Busan Cinema Centre
• Have a thrills filled day at Lotte World Adventure – buy the half day pass, it is more than enough time to ride all the rides!
• Trek with beautiful ocean views at Igidae Costal Walk
• If you’re in cherry blossom season, drive or walk through Dalmaji-gil Road
• For park hikes head to the Citizens Park
• Beach day at Haeundae beach – the best one in Busan
• If you feel like shopping, head to Centum City – one of the largest department stores in the world
• For a sea-front temple visit Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

Click here for these and some other tips pinned to your google maps

What to eat in Busan

Apart form all of the traditional Korean foods, Busan holds some local specifics that are worth trying out. Just look for the longest queues:

• Gukbap: slow cooked pork soup with rice. It’s meaty while still being mild. We tried the one from Haeundae Obok and it was delicious
• Hotteok: Fried pancake filled with nuts and honey. This is a super must! Try the one in BIFF square
• Army stew: ok so this is not actually from the Busan area, but we tried it in Busan. Near Gwangalli beach is this unpretentious restaurant 서울부대찌개, with the nicest owners.
• Lotte Department store has delicious food halls – worth a try!
• All the Korean favourites can be found at Bupyeong Kkangtong Market

Click here for these and some other restaurant suggestions pinned to your google maps

Moving around in Busan

Busan is quite a spread-out city, which means that it can take you one hour of public transportation to reach the different neighbourhoods. There is a Subway system – payable only in cash. You can buy a T-Money rechargeable card that can be used also on public buses. Otherwise, you can also pay in cash when boarding the bus. Make sure to have the exact amount or close. to it. A single ride will cost around 1€.

Forget about Google Maps, in Korea Kakao is the app to lean on for orientation and public transportation planning. For ride hailing download Kakao T.