Destination:
Busan

Overview

Home to some of South Korea's most popular beaches, hot spring resorts and numerous other historical attractions, Busan is an integral part of any trip to South Korea. Busan, formerly known as Pusan, is the largest port and the second largest city in South Korea and is a quick three hour KTX (bullet train) trip south of Seoul. Busan often goes unnoticed as visitors flock to get a taste of the bright lights and big city feel of Seoul, but Busanites and many other Koreans will tell you that Busan is one of South Korea's friendliest and most relaxed cities.

From beaches to mountains and temples Busan has many attractions on offer. Some of the city's principal attractions include the beautiful Haeundae and Gwangalli Beaches. The Busan Aquarium also features as a fun attraction in Busan. Visitors interested in temples and historical sights can visit the Beomeosa and Yonggungsa temples as well as the Geumjeong Fortress. The markets in Busan are also an attraction in and of themselves. They offer wonderful photographic opportunities and can sometimes be a real eye-opener, particularly Jagalchi Fish Market. Visitors to the city during summer should try and include trip to one of the local baseball games on their Busan itineraries. The local team, the Lotte Giants, is based at Sajik stadium and a baseball game in Korea is a cultural experience in and of itself. Baseball games are held every weekend during summer. Busan also has great shopping, eating and sightseeing opportunities. Visitors to the city will find that this seaside city has a lot of heart and may even prove to be the highlight of a trip to South Korea.

GettingAround

Busan is an extremely accessible city. Visitors can either fly into Busan via Gimhae International Airport or they can arrive by road, rail or ferry. Busan is a mere three hours from Seoul on the KTX (bullet train), while normal and express buses leave every hour between Seoul and Busan. Other options include the slower trains which stop at a number of smaller towns on their way to Busan from Seoul. Busan's harbour is South Korea's largest and the biggest sea port in Asia. The harbour has regular ferries departing for China and faster airfoil ferries transporting passengers between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Busan has an easy to use integrated bus and subway system that connects all parts of the city. Tourists visiting Busan will easily be able to get to all the main tourist sights, beaches and shopping districts via the Busan Subway. Subway tickets generally cost between 1,100 and 1,300 won, or 3,500 won for a one-day pass, further concessions are available for those staying in the city for more than just a weekend. All subway announcements and subway maps are written in Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese. The buses are almost as easy to use as the subway. English maps of the bus routes are sometimes not available and often inaccessible, so busses are only recommended if you know that that particular bus is going where you want to go. There are also a multitude of taxis ready to transport you to most areas of the city. The main areas where you will find taxis are in Seomyeon, Pusan National University, Haeundae, Nampodong and Gwangalli. However, if you get a taxi late at night and wish to go to a particularly remote area many taxi drivers are likely to refuse as they have little chance of picking up a fare for the return journey. Taxis charge 2,200 won for the first 2km and a further 100 won per 143m thereafter. Deluxe taxis are also available at a higher price; these taxis are easily recognisable as they are black and red coloured. Visitors using taxis to get around Busan should always insist on the meter.

Events

Attractions

Dining

Airports