Busan – Located in the South, Busan is South Korea’s second most populous city with over 3.5 million people living there. However, unlike the bustling capital, Busan is a bit more slow-paced and relaxed. Additionally, because it’s such a big city, there’s so much to do.
When making plans to visit Busan, most think of Gamcheon Village. This village, a former slum, is situated in the hills. In 2009, a bunch of students gave the neighborhood a colorful makeup over, turning it into a popular tourist destination. Down the hill to the right from the bus station, there’s an information booth where you can buy a map (₩2000) which has different routes you can take and stamps you can collect from different attractions and shops along the way. All proceeds from the map go to providing services for local residents and preserving the village.
There are lots of cafes, small galleries and artisanal shops as well as lots of murals and statues where you could have photo-ops. Although some places can get a little crowded, there’s plenty of photo opportunities! If you go during the months of March and April, the cherry blossoms lining the road might be in bloom, covering the mountains in a pink color.
The route on the map is well marked with little painted fish boards and other signs that are pretty easy to follow. Once you’ve reached the end, you can take the bus back up the hill and back down to the station.
(Directions to Gamcheon: From Toseong Station exit 6, follow the signs to the bus station and take any of these buses (saha 1, saha 1-1, or seogu 2-2) to Gamcheon Village.)
Another must place to go is the Nampo Area. Located at Nampo Station, it’s a good place to visit, for food and shopping. If you get there early, you can visit the Jalgachi Market that’s close , where you can pick the fish and bring it upstairs to be cooked.
From there, you can visit BIFF square and Nampo street where you can eat from the various food stalls on the street, shop for infamous Korean skincare products at all the cosmetic stores lined up next to each other on the street, buy cute stationary from Artbox or Kakao Friends, stop for a cup of coffee at one of the many cafes there, or get a drink at the end of the day at the various bars.
Gukje market is also near as well as Bosu Book street, which is a few minutes’ walk north, for any book lovers out there (however all the books are in Korean).
Another popular food and shopping area is the Seomyeon Area, located at Seomyeon Station. It’s a commercial center as well as a transportation hub in Busan. In the mornings, it’s quite peaceful; however, at night, it becomes a bustling area for young people to shop, eat, drink and sing at the various noraebangs (private karaoke rooms) that are on every other corner. Here, you’ll also find Lotte Mart, a huge department store, as well as several bakeries, patisseries and good restaurants. In this area, you’ll also find Jeonpo Cafe Street! For café lovers, you can spend an entire café-hopping at all the uniquely designed cafes and café chains.
If you’re not one for shopping, you can check out the various temples Busan has to offer. Just to name a few: Daegaksa Temple, located between Gukje Market and Yongdusan Park; Samgwangsa Temple, one of the largest and most famous in Busan; Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, also called “the temple the sea” and quite remotely located on the northeastern coast of Busan; and Beomeosa Temple, the largest temple in Busan that offers a temple stay.
Besides temples, you can also visit the various parks around Busan such as Oncheon Park, the UN Memorial Cemetery and Park, and the Busan Citizens’ Park to name a few. Some parks will have different facilities like basketball courts and exercise machines that park goers can use.
Lastly, if you’re interested in a beach day, Busan has many due to its location. From north to south along the coast, you can visit Songjeong Beach, Haeundae Beach, Gwangalli Beach, Songdo Beach, Dadaepo Beach, Imnang Beach, or Ilgwang Beach.
Busan is a big city with so many things to see and do, so don’t feel pressured to explore every single temple or attraction if you don’t have enough time. Pick a few and enjoy your time discovering the city like I did!
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Definitely, I’d recommend a week or two so you get enough time explore. It’s a pretty big city!
Yes it’s gorgeous! Hope you get the change to visit after this pandemic is over 🙂