How to Make the Most of a Weekend in Busan!

When preparing for your time in South Korea you may find yourself looking for places to explore outside of the city. One of my bucket list items for my semester in Korea was to visit Busan. One of my beige flags is when I travel, I must have a fully fleshed out itinerary of every day, every hour, and every minute of a trip, taking into account every possible hiccup or last minute change in plans. So in true Drea fashion, after only two weeks in Seoul, I had my weekend Busan trip itinerary beautifully crafted and ready to go for the following weekend. To my surprise, the trip went extremely smooth and was such an unforgettable experience. Hence, I decided to share with you my comprehensive guide to making the most of a weekend in Busan.

Transportation and Accommodations

The cheapest and most common method of transportation you could take to Busan will be the KTX train. Tickets to Busan are as low as ₩60,000 ($45 USD) and the train ride is just over 2 hours long. When booking your train tickets make sure to book them ASAP as tickets will sell out for the more convenient travel times. I recommend using the official letskorail.com website as other websites could overcharge for tickets. However, I used Klook, a website that provides discounted group KTX passes for destinations all over Korea. This could be a great money saving option if you plan to travel with a larger group. In terms of accommodations, I used Booking.com to book a hotel in Seomyeon because of its convenient location and equal distance from the main attractions I wanted to see. This could differ based on your preferences just keep in mind hotels near the beaches will be a lot more pricey!

What to See

There is obviously so much to see and experience in Busan but here are the main three things I could recommend for first timers:

1. Sea Life Busan

Sea Life Busan is an aquarium located right on Haeundae Beach, one of Busan’s most popular beaches and walking distance from many other popular attractions. Sea Life has over 250 species and over 30,000 marine animals on display including otters, jellyfish, piranhas, and penguins. Growing up going to Monterey Bay Aquarium, Sea Life exceeded my expectations and was an amazing experience filled with excitement and nostalgia. Don’t forget to take home a souvenir portrait to commemorate your visit!

2. Haeundae Sky Capsule

Taking a ride on the Haeundae sky capsule is a very common tourist activity, but it is definitely a Busan must! I decided to take the capsule from Mipo station to Cheongsapo station. You can book tickets the day of, but they can sell out so I recommend getting them online at bluelinepark.com. (Also make sure to book round trip tickets!) The retro capsule seats up to 4 people and takes 30 minutes to get to Cheongsapo. After arriving in the charming seaside town of Cheongsapo, you can explore the shops or cafe hop until your ticket return time! I recommend booking your return ticket around sunset to catch the perfect sunset photo op!

3. Visit Gamcheon Culture Village

When in Busan you MUST visit Gamcheon Culture Village to catch the sight of the colorful homes and murals that paint this beautiful village. The village is filled with a plethora of murals, shops, and cafes to see and explore. I recommend stopping by Ceramic Magnet to buy a postcard to send to your family free of postage charge. While people line up to take pictures at the main outlook of the village, I recommend going right next door to Popo’s Cafe and buying a refreshing ade to gain access to their rooftop (with an arguably better view)!

What to Eat

There are many unique and delicious foods to explore in Seoul. However, here are few culinary recommendations that are unique to Busan:

1. Mipo Jip

Mipo Jip is a very popular seafood restaurant in Busan. You may be thinking, “But Drea, I could get seafood in Seoul!” However, the seafood in Busan is another level of freshness and flavor. I recommend getting this AMAZING fresh raw seafood platter. While it looks humongous (and expensive), it is the perfect sharing size in portion and price. The platter includes an assortment of raw seafood including shrimp, crab, and even snails. The flavor of this dish is unmatched, the crab and fish melt in your mouth, and the squid has the most perfect chewy texture. Overall a must try for seafood lovers or others looking to try something new!

2. Miffy Cafe

While you may be doing a lot of cafe hopping already in Busan, this adorable Miffy Cafe in Yeongdo-gu is a must visit. Not only do they have the most adorable Miffy themed pastries, but the cafe is decorated with Miffy themed decor. I recommend trying the strawberry tiramisu and the signature Miffy Latte that features a refreshing mint cream topped with a MIffy shortbread cookie. After enjoying your sweet treats you can visit the Miffy gift shop right outside of the cafe that has a ton of Miffy themed goods like plushies, stationary, t-shirts, and homegoods.

I hope this guide gave some insight on how to plan and what to see on your own weekend trip to Busan! I look forward to seeing what you get up to! Wishing you safe and fun travels to Busan!