3 Day Busan Itinerary: Highlights, Hidden Gems & More

Ready to explore the best of Busan? This 3-day itinerary covers all the must-sees with a well-rounded mix of activities that everyone will enjoy.

The truth is, we almost decided to skip Busan after our 5 day trip to Seoul, but I’m so glad we didn’t. After spending three days in Busan, this city surprised me in so many ways, and it was a lovely add-on to our bustling time in South Korea’s capital.

There’s a reason why Busan is the go-to local vacation destination for Koreans!

Despite it being the second largest city in South Korea, Busan has many coastal walks, beaches and temples surrounded by nature that help you forget you’re in the middle of a metropolis. It’s a lovely change of pace after you’ve been exploring the concrete jungle of Seoul for days, and we truly loved the city’s beautiful blend of nature and culture.

We spent three days in the city exploring as much as humanly possible, and in this post I’m sharing all my favorite spots and top tips so you can plan your Busan itinerary with ease.

This itinerary has a really well-rounded mix of the city’s most popular sites including temples, markets, culture villages and beaches, along with some hidden gems and foodie spots you’re going to absolutely love.

Planning a larger South Korea trip? Don’t miss these helpful guides:

• Best things to do in Busan
• Busan Sky Capsules: Everything You Need to Know
• Best things to do in Seoul
• Best cafes in Seoul

Short on time? Here’s my 3 day Busan itinerary at a glance:

Want a quick look at what you’ll be exploring in this itinerary? The guide below covers three exciting days exploring all the highlights of South Korea’s second largest city, basing yourself in one spot the entire stay.

Where to Stay:

1. Asti Hotel, for amazing convenience directly across from Busan Station (great if you’re taking the train in).
2. The Westin Josun Busan, for epic views overlooking Haeundae Beach (and close to the Sky Capsule).
3. L7 HAEUNDAE by LOTTE, for an affordable stay at Haeundae Beach.

Busan Itinerary Day to Day Breakdown:

Day 1: Arrive in Busan and Explore Local Sites

• Arrive into Busan by flight or high speed train in the morning and drop bags at your hotel
• Start the day at Gamcheon Culture Village, followed by lunch at 비비빔 BIBIBIM Restaurant, and pop into Avant Garde Cafe for a coffee and the best views overlooking the colorful village
• In the evening, explore the local markets and shopping areas (these are all close together): Gukje Market, Bupyeong Kkangtong Market, BIFF Square, Bosu Book Street, and Jagalchi Fish Market. Grab a quick bite here for dinner. Option to book a guided tour.

Day 2: Full Day Guided Tour and the Busan Sky Capsules at Haeundae Blueline Park

• Start your full-day guided tour at 7 AM: This customizable tour including private transport is a great opportunity to see places in Busan that are a bit harder to get to. Start the morning with a visit to the coastal Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, then add on a temple or two of your choice. I recommend Seokbulsa Temple which features stone Buddha carvings or Samgwangsa Temple which has thousands of lanterns.
• For lunch, head to a local favorite for pork rice soup (교통부돼지국밥), explore Huinnyeoul Culture Village and don’t miss Having Moment cafe for a coffee, pastry and coastal views.
• Have the tour drop you off at the Oryukdo Skywalk viewpoint, then head to Mipo Station at Haeundae Blueline Park for sunset to ride the sky capsule train. Walk from the train to Simmian cafe for a tea and matcha dessert, then head back towards your hotel for dinner (Born and Bred and Haemok Haeundae are two great options).

Day 3: Relaxing Day at Haeundae Beach and Gwangalli Beach

• Start the morning with a coffee in Gwangalli Beach area at design forward cafe Picosten and stroll the beach with views of the Diamond Bridge.
• Head to Dongbaekseom Island Coastal Promenade to walk the full coastal trail and get views of the Dongbaekseom Lighthouse and Haeundae Beach.
• Grab lunch in Haeundae Beach and enjoy a relaxing beach day if weather permits. If you’re in the mood for an afternoon snack, check out Rendeja-Vous cafe or Horanji Jella Tteok Rice Cake for their famous mochi ice cream.
• In the evening, head back to Gwangalli Beach for dinner at night (if it’s a Saturday night, you’ll be able to catch the drone show over the Diamond Bridge). I recommend having your final dinner at Michelin recommended Eonyang Bulgogi Busanjip for amazing Korean BBQ.

Additional add-ons if you’re staying longer: Arte Museum (great for a rainy day), Songdo Cable Car, Somang Stairs Monorail, and Grazie Restaurant.

3 Day Busan Itinerary

Quick Tips for Traveling in Busan

Setting yourself up for success before you get to Busan can make or break your trip, as it’s a very spread out city with things like language barriers and completely different customs to navigate. Read on for important travel tips to consider before you arrive.

How to Get to Busan

If you’re traveling to Busan, you’re likely either coming in by flight or by train and very likely from Seoul. We spent five days in Seoul and then ended our trip in Busan, taking the train in which was pretty straightforward. The travel time was a little over 2 hours via the KTX train on the route from Seoul Station to Busan Station.

The best way to book train tickets to Busan is by booking directly on the KORAIL website, and there are options of economy or first class. Busan Station is quite central in the middle of the city and just across the street from the Asti Hotel, which is where we opted to stay for ultimate convenience. It’s clean and well priced, and it was extremely helpful to be able to arrive in Busan, walk across the street and drop our bag at the hotel within minutes.

Alternatively, if you’re flying into Busan you will be arriving into Gimhae International Airport which is a bit further outside the city. From the airport, it will take you a minimum of 20 minutes by taxi to get into the main area of the city where you’ll be staying.

How to Navigate and Get Around Busan

The first thing you need to know about Busan is that it is massive. Sites are extremely spread out and it’s not walkable whatsoever. For this reason, you’ll need to rely on public transport, Ubers or tour guides (which I’ll get into more later) to get around. It’s not necessary to rent a car as Ubers are quite cheap and efficient for getting around.

If you’re only visiting for a few days, I would honestly recommend skipping public transport altogether which is more limited and just relying on hired guides and Ubers for transport as you’ll get to see much more in the time you have.

You can also book a full-day customizable tour that will not only save you on transport, but get you around the city with ease. This is the private tour we booked for a full-day of exploring, which was one of the best things we did, but more on that later!

You also may notice that Google Maps doesn’t work in Busan. You can’t rely on the typical navigation tools you use back home (if you’re from the US), so you’ll want to download apps like Naver maps BEFORE you go in order to orient yourself.

Lastly, I cannot recommend buying an eSim like Airalo enough for this trip so that you can navigate while on the ground and call Ubers easily without having to rely on WIFI. I’ve used Airalo in many countries around the world and it’s the best in my opinion, with super easy setup.

When is the Best Time to Visit Busan?

Summer is the most popular time to visit, especially for Koreans as Busan is considered a beach destination in South Korea. If you want to take advantage of the beach time, you’ll want to come during the sunny summer weather, but late Spring and Fall are also beautiful times to visit.

I was in Busan in mid-March and it was a little too cold and gray still at that point (as you’ll see in some of our pics), but we were still able to enjoy the many temples, markets, and observation decks. It really just depends on what kind of holiday you want.

How to Stay Connected in Busan

As I mentioned briefly above, getting an eSim prior to arrival is really the best way to ensure you stay connected which is massively helpful in navigating, calling Ubers, etc. Trust me, it will make your life a lot easier. Airalo is affordable and has good coverage in South Korea.

Having connectivity is also helpful for language translation apps as many people in Busan do not speak English. Naver Papago is a good app option for language translations on the go.

How Many Days in Busan is Enough?

I think three days (the length of this itinerary!) is the perfect amount of time to spend in Busan. It ensures you’ll see most of the highlights without having to kill yourself running around the city. With less than three days, you’ll really have to pick and choose what is a priority for your itinerary, but it is possible.

Where to Stay in Busan

For this trip, we decided to stay at the Asti Hotel which is located just across from Busan Station. It’s a clean and affordable hotel, but our main reason for booking was convenience. Within minutes of arriving in Busan Station via train from Seoul in the morning, we were walking across the street to our hotel and handing off our luggage to the front desk before setting off for the day.

Below I’ll share more info about the Asti Hotel and a couple of other options I would recommend for your stay in Busan.

Near Busan Station

Asti Hotel:

While nothing super luxurious, Asti Hotel wins on convenience being right next to Busan Station, and it was perfectly comfortable and clean for our stay. While there isn’t a ton to see right near the hotel, it’s in a good central location of the city so that you can easily pop around to various sites of interest.

They also offer a large breakfast buffet at their penthouse restaurant in the mornings and there’s a Starbucks on the bottom floor for easy grab-and-go snacks before exploring.

Haeundae Beach

This is the ultimate beach destination in Busan with white sand beaches backdropped by skyscrapers. This area is a bit more upscale compared to other parts of Busan. If you’re visiting in the height of summer, this would be an ideal place to stay for easy beach access.

Best Hotels in Haeundae Beach:

• The Westin Josun – Just to the Southwest side of Haeundae Beach is the Westin, which has beautiful beach views and is located right at the start of the Dongbaekseom Island coastal walk, which makes for a perfect morning stroll.
• Park Hyatt Busan – For the ultimate luxury stay, book yourself a room at the Park Hyatt which has incredible views of Diamond Bridge and is just a short drive from Haeundae Beach.
• L7 HAEUNDAE by LOTTE, for an affordable stay at Haeundae Beach.

Gwangalli Beach

Another popular beach community in Busan, this is a more upscale part of the city with nice hotels, design-centric coffee shops and nice restaurants. This area is probably most famous for the Diamond Bridge which is the iconic view from the beach.

Every Saturday night, the area puts on a drone show over the bridge that’s a must-do if you’re visiting Busan over a weekend.

Best Hotels in Gwangalli Beach:

• After Chapter Hotel Gwanganri – A convenient stay just steps from the beach with really unique design.
• AG405 Hotel – An affordable stay within walking distance to the beach, with nice design and sea views.
• B’AMU Hotel & Spa – A minimalist, aesthetic wellness stay with beach views.

What to Do in Busan

Day 1: Arrival to Busan, Explore Local Sites

The first day in Busan, you’ll be arriving into the city via train or flight ideally in the morning, so you can drop your luggage at your hotel and then have a big chunk of day to explore.

To give you an idea, we were able to depart from Seoul early in the morning via train and arrived in the city before 10 AM.

If you’re arriving in at night, I’d recommend starting this itinerary on your first full day in Busan. If you need more information about how to get to Busan, make sure to go back and read the section above on the best ways to get here via train or flight.

Morning: Gamcheon Culture Village

Once you’ve dropped your bags, you’ll be setting off for your first stop: Gamcheon Culture Village. This is one of the most iconic parts of the city, and you’ve likely seen photos of the colorful homes crammed together on a hill.

This mountainside community was originally built as a settlement for Korean War refugees in the 1950s. In 2009, the area underwent an artistic community project that transformed the village into a colorful open-air gallery of sorts featuring murals and homes in every color of the rainbow.

When you arrive there, you’ll get dropped at the top viewpoint that overlooks the entire village. Don’t miss the chance to walk down the hill though and explore through some of the winding alleyways of the village.

If you want an even more sweeping view of Gamcheon Culture Village (and a better vantage point for photos in my opinion), head into Avant Garde Cafe for a coffee and walk out to their outdoor patio that overlooks the village.

Afternoon: Grab a Local Lunch of Dumplings and Kimchi Pancakes

We decided to pop in for lunch to the modest restaurant next door to Gamcheon Culture Village, 비비빔 BIBIBIM Restaurant, and were pleasantly surprised by their dumplings and kimchi pancakes. It’s a great spot for those with dietary restrictions as they offer a vegetarian menu.

If this spot doesn’t interest you, another good option is to grab a seafood lunch at Jagalchi Fish Market, which you’ll be heading to next, so keep reading.

Evening: Explore Busan’s Most Famous Markets For Shopping and Dining

A very short drive from Gamcheon Culture Village, you’ll find a cluster of Busan’s most iconic markets and shopping squares that are all within walking distance to one another.

You don’t have to explore all of them, but it’s worth it to walk around several to get a feel for local life in Busan and to try some local dishes that are unique to South Korea. These markets are also great places to find trinkets to bring home as souvenirs or gifts. This area is particularly exciting at night as the bright lights, sounds and energy of the markets really come alive after the sun goes down.

I’d recommend walking around, popping into shops that pique your interest, tasting street food, and finally grabbing a casual dinner at one of the street food vendors before turning in for the night.

Below, I’ll give a brief breakdown of each market, so you can get a feel for each and decide which interests you most. If you prefer to hire a tour guide to help you navigate the food markets, this evening tour is a great option.

Best Outdoor Markets to Visit in Busan

• Jagalchi Market: This is a world famous fish market where you can find vendors selling every kind of fish you can imagine—many things I did not even recognize! The vendors are all downstairs, where guests can purchase fresh seafood. Then, you can take your fish upstairs to the second level restaurant to have your fish cooked for you. (Tip: My friend and I felt quite overwhelmed here and decided to just browse rather than eat from the market. If I were to actually dine here, I would definitely hire a guide to help navigate the market and decide the best vendors/options to have cooked. I’ll share more about the best tours and guides to hire later on in the post.)
• Gukje Market: Founded in the 1950s during the Korean War, Gukje Market is a popular one amongst locals and visitors and sells a wide array of goods—everything from street food and vintage wares to electronics.
• BIFF Square: As you’ll see on the main entrance sign to BIFF Square, it was the former location of the Busan International Film Festival. Now, it’s just a popular shopping area where you’ll find loads of street food and popular shops like Olive Young. You’ll even see handprints along the walkway of famous Korean actors (similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame).
• Bupyeong Kkangtong Market: This market has a lively night market atmosphere and is focused on food. It’s the one I would choose if you want to do a casual street food dinner for your first night in Busan. It’s right next to Gukje Market, and you can find tons of local Korean dishes here along with international cuisine as well. If you’re looking to try some traditional Korean items, get the tteokbokki or fish cakes, and make sure to go after 7 pm for the full night market effect!
• Bosu Book Street: Exactly like it sounds, this is an outdoor market solely for books! This area is a book lover’s dream and is definitely worth a stop if you adore visiting book stores in other countries like me.

Day 2: Full Day Tour of Busan and Haeundae Blueline Park

On your first full day in Busan, you’ll be spending most of the day on a private guided tour where you can completely customize your itinerary. Below I’ll share my top recommendations for tours to book, what to see on your full-day guided tour, and why this is the best way to get around the city.

So why book a guided tour in the first place? As I mentioned earlier, Busan is super spread out and public transportation is not the most efficient if you’re trying to see as much as possible in a short timeframe. With a private tour, you get the benefit of maximizing your time, comfortable and flexible transportation for the day, along with the bonus of local knowledge which is really valuable in a city like Busan.

Booking this customizable private tour was honestly the best decision we made on the trip and our guide was wonderful. We got to see SO much more in a day than we would have attempting to get around with Ubers or trains.

Here’s the tour we booked that I recommend which included hotel pickup in the morning, and we were able to get dropped at the end of the tour wherever we wanted to in the city. Below, I’ll share everything we did on the tour, but you could certainly add or subtract depending on your interests.

Our tour itinerary included:

• Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
• Seokbulsa Temple
• Samgwangsa Temple 
• Pork rice soup lunch at 교통부돼지국밥 
• Huinyeoul Culture Village and Having Moment Cafe
• Oryukdo Skywalk

Here are some other tour options to book that include similar stops:

• This customizable private tour is very similar to the one we booked, with the option to book for 4-8 hours.
• This private guided tour allows you to cater the day to your interests and offers guides in English, Korean or Chinese.
• Alternatively if you prefer a small group tour, this one goes to a number of the top spots in this itinerary.

Morning: Begin Your Guided Tour of Busan with Three Unique Temples

We started our tour at the stunning coastal Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, which is the most famous temple in the city and is absolutely stunning overlooking the sea with waves crashing along the rocks below. The Buddhist temple is one of the most visited sites in Busan, so I highly recommend making this your first stop of the day to beat the crowds.

Next, we drove to the more remote Seokbulsa Temple, which means “Stone Buddha Temple” and is a hidden gem in Busan. We were two of just a handful of other visitors but mostly had it to ourselves. This place is quite far to get to if you don’t have a tour guide, which is another reason I really recommend booking the tour we did.

One you park at the parking area, you’ll need to take a fairly easy 20-30 minute hike to get to the temple.

The magic of Seokbulsa are the giant stone buddha carvings that line either side of the temple—and if you walk up the stone steps to the higher levels at the back of the temple you can see skyline views of Busan on a clear day.

For our final visit of the morning, we went to a third temple: Samgwangsa Temple, which is located along the hillside of Baegyangsan Mountain.

This temple is known for its thousands upon thousands of vibrant lanterns that decorate the entire grounds. During the Lantern Festival each spring, the lanterns get lit up in all their glory, transforming the temple into a magical nighttime scene. It’s unlike anything else I’ve ever seen and is quite a large complex to walk around.

Note: It’s not very common for visitors to see three temples in one day. There are many more you could visit in Busan but during our research these three seemed to be the most interesting and picturesque and all had something completely different to offer. With that said, you could absolutely plan into your itinerary with the guide just one or two temples if that’s enough for you!

Afternoon: Local Lunch, Huinnyeoul Culture Village and Oryukdo Skywalk

For lunch, our guide took us to this wonderful local spot for Busan’s beloved pork rice soup (교통부돼지국밥) which was delicious, then we drove over to Huinnyeoul Culture Village, which unlike Gamcheon Culture Village is on the coast and is full of buildings painted in hues of white and blue.

It’s often referenced as being “the Santorini of Busan,” which I feel is a bit of a stretch, but it’s a nice coastal walk to take with awesome views of the Southwestern side of the city.

If you only wish to visit one culture village during your time in Busan, definitely pick the Gamcheon Culture Village over Huinnyeoul—it’s more visually and historically interesting in my opinion.

While in the Huinyeoul Culture Village, don’t miss popping into Having Moment cafe for a coffee or pastry while you take in the views. They have a sweet little patio with views as well as an upper deck with additional seating.

For the final stop of our guided tour, our guide took us to the Oryukdo Skywalk which hangs out over the coast. There are many coastal observation decks throughout Busan, but this was the one that was highest on our list due to the unique rocky islets beyond the observation deck.

The name Oryukdo actually means “five or six islands,” as the number of islets that can be viewed at at time changes here with the tides.

On the Skywalk itself, you’re required to put booties over your shoes, and then you can walk out onto the glass bottomed structure to view the crashing waves below. It’s a short experience but can make for a nice photo opp.

However, much more than the actual Skywalk, I just enjoyed strolling the wooden path below with the coastal view of the islands, which would be especially lovely at sunset if you choose to visit on a different day.

Evening: Sunset Busan Sky Capsule Ride and Michelin-Rated Dinner

From the observation deck, you’ll want to catch an Uber over to Mipo Station at Haeundae Blueline Park to ride the city’s famous Sky Capsules. This experience is one of the most popular in Busan and entails riding in charming mini train cars along a raised coastal track for about 30 minutes one way.

The absolute best time to ride the Busan Sky Capsule is at sunset, when you’ll get a warm glow over the city skyline views. You can ride them from both Cheongsapo Station or Mipo Station, but Mipo Station is definitely the more popular choice and what I would recommend.

Make sure to check out my detailed blog post on riding the Busan Sky Capsules for all the details on how to book and everything else you need to know.

After you’ve departed the sky capsule train at Cheongsapo Station, walk over to Simmian Cafe for a tea and matcha flavored dessert. This Japanese inspired cafe is incredibly zen and was one of our favorite stops of the entire trip—it’s absolutely beautiful inside and a hidden gem.

Finally for dinner, stay local in Haeundae Beach for something easy to get to from the Cheongsapo Station area. Two of my recommendations would be either Born and Bred (steak house featuring Korean style omakase) or Haemok Haeundae (a more affordable Unagi restaurant), which are both Michelin recommended. Make sure to book reservations ahead of time.

Day 3: Gwangalli Beach and Haeundae Beach

Your final day in Busan is all about enjoying the outdoors and lovely beach culture of Busan in the summertime. Of course, if you’re visiting Busan in the colder months you can skip the beach time and swap with some of the other activities I’ve mentioned in this post, but both these beach areas have plenty to do other than laying in the sand.

Morning: Slow Morning and Cafe Hopping in Gwangalli Beach

When you wake up, head to Gwangalli Beach to stroll the beach and boardwalk with a coffee in hand. There are a number of cute and design-forward cafes in the area. Our favorites were Picosten and Little Aus.

Once you’ve fully caffeinated and wandered the beach area of Gwangalli with iconic views of the Diamond Bridge, grab a quick taxi or Uber to the Dongbaekseom Island Coastal Promenade.

This is a beautiful coastal area featuring two different coastal trails, a lighthouse, a park and scenic views looking out towards Haeundae Beach.

Have the car drop you at the Westin Josun which is where you’ll begin one of two coastal trails (one is along the raised wooden dock right on the coast, or you can walk the circular inner trail around the island). In total, the trail takes about 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much you stop for photos.

Afternoon: Lunch and Beach Time in Haeundae Beach

If you’re visiting Busan in the warmer months, then a beach day at Haeundae Beach is definitely in order. This beach is known for its golden sand and bustling beach vibes juxtaposed against skyscrapers. There are umbrellas and mats for rent on the beach and there’s also a nice paved walkway to stroll along the beach if that’s preferred.

For lunch, some highly-rated options nearby include:

• Born and Bred
• Haemok Haeundae
• Show Me the Gogi Haeundae
• 기요항 해운대점

You could also stroll over to Rendeja-Vous cafe for an afternoon pick-me-up, which is a popular local cafe with ocean views. Or if you’re more into a sweet treat, check out Horanji Jella Tteok Rice Cake for their famous mochi ice cream. Don’t be surprised if you have to wait in line to get in.

Evening: Gwangalli Beach for Dinner

In the evening, head back towards Gwangalli Beach for dinner. While Gwangalli Beach is beautiful during a sunny day, it also comes alive at night as the bridge lights up across the harbor.

If you’re lucky enough to time your trip with a Saturday night, you can catch an evening drone show here as well which goes off each week during two designated times. In winter, the drone show happens at 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM, and in summer that shifts to 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM.

Enjoy a final dinner in Busan at the lively Korean BBQ spot Eonyang Bulgogi Busanjip, which is Michelin recommended but still quite affordable. We had a blast cooking our own meats on the grill, but were very thankful for the kind staff who helped us with everything and created the most delicious combos of flavors from the plentiful dishes we were served.

PS—If you haven’t picked up any iconic Korean skincare products to take home with you from South Korea yet, this is the perfect time to do it as there’s an Olive Young just a few blocks away from Eonyang Bulgogi Busanjip, right along the beach.

Depart Busan

On Day 4 is when you’ll depart Busan, as this itinerary takes into account having three full days in the city. If you only have two nights, then you’ll want to cut out some things I’ve included here to accommodate for your departure.

I’m also including some other great places you could visit during your trip below that you could swap in and out depending on your interests.

Other Things to do in Busan if You Have More Time:

Want more ideas for the best things to do in Busan? I’ve included a short list below of even more fun things you can add to your itinerary.

• Arte Museum – If you’re traveling with kids or encounter rainy weather on your trip to Busan, this is a great place to spend a couple hours in the city. It’s filled with really unique interactive art installations that are entertaining for kids and adults of all ages.
• Songdo Cable Car – We opted to do the Busan Sky Capsules instead of this cable car, but this is another great option for getting the same kind of scenic vibe over the city.
• Somang Stairs Monorail and Dakbatgol Mural Village – This is a sweet and quick stop in Busan if you’re interested in some street art and getting a peek into local life, as you can witness this cute monorail that was built for locals to be able to get up and down the steep neighborhood hill. I wouldn’t necessarily prioritize this one, but it could be nice if you have extra time or have kids.
• Grazie Restaurant – When you’re officially sick of Korean fare, head to Grazie Restaurant which cooks up delicious Italian. We loved this place, though it’s a bit out of the way on Yeongdo Island, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it unless you’re already out there.
• Busan Tower at Yongdusan Park – Busan Tower sits on one of the most famous mountains in Busan and offers great views overlooking the city and coastline.

Did this post help you plan a trip to Busan? Let me know in the comments below!

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