Choose from 17 Fun Things to Do in Busan
ShowingFilter 1-17 of 17 listings.
Gamcheon Culture Village
Gamcheon Culture Village spills down a hillside just outside of Busan in a riot of colors. The village, with nicknames like “Santorini on the South Sea” and the “Lego Village,” started off as a relatively poor area until the Korean War, when refugees began setting up homes here. Many of these refugees were members of the Taegeukdo religious movement, a religion at the forefront of the Korean independence movement.
Today, few of the 10,000 residents are still believers, but it remains a popular destination for visitors who come to see the multicolored cubicle houses stacked one on top of the other up the hill. Wander through the narrow alleys and streets, and you’ll stumble across murals, art installations and old houses converted into galleries or cafes.
Practical Info
You can reach Gamcheon Culture Village by taking either Bus 2 or 2-2 from the stop in front of the hospital outside Toseong Station.
Address: Gamcheon-dong, Saha-gu, Busan, South Korea
From $ 36
Seokguram Grotto
Known for being home to one of the finest Buddha shrines in the Asia, South Korea’s Seokguram Grotto looks out to the East Sea from Mount Tohamsan near Gyeongju. Commissioned in 742 AD by the Silla Kingdom’s chief minister, Kim Daeseong, it was built in honor of Daeseong’s parents from a past life.
If you’re feeling fit, one of the best ways to get to the UNESCO World Heritage Site is by hiking under the canopy of trees from Bulguksa Temple, past tumbling waterfalls and wildflowers, to the top of the mountain where Seokguram Grotto sits.
Pay the small entry fee and head inside, where the 3.5-meter tall granite Buddha sits on his lotus throne. Surrounded by panels of bodhisattvas and guardians, Buddha peacefully sits with his legs crossed in the bhumisparsha mudra position. The only structure to survive fully intact from the Silla era, look up at the ceiling -- it’s beautifully decorated with half moons and a lotus flower. For a truly special experience, come at dawn to see the sunrise over the East Sea in the distance.
Practical Info
Admission to Seokguram Grotto is 4,000 W for adults, and the site is open from November - January from 7am - 5pm, and from March - September from 6.30am - 6pm. From February - March, and in October, the shrine is open from 7am - 5.30pm. From Gyeongju, take bus 10 or 11 from either the bus terminals or the train station, and get off at Bulguksa. If you’d prefer not to hike from Bulguksa to Seokguram, hop on bus 12, which leaves at 40 minutes past every hour from the parking lot, then heads back to Bulguksa every hour on the hour from Seokguram’s parking lot. As protection, the grotto can only be viewed through a glass wall, and photography is not allowed at this sacred site.
Address: 999 Jinhyeon-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
Hours: Nov - Jan 7am-5pm, Mar - Sep 6:30am-6pm
Admission: Adults 4,000 W
From $ 120
Haeinsa Temple
Founded in 802, UNESCO-listed Haeinsa Temple famously houses the Tripitaka Koreana, one of the world’s most complete collections of Buddhist texts and a Korean national treasure. These 81,000 sacred religious works were engraved on wooden blocks between 1237 and 1248.
The buildings designed to house the Tripitaka Koreana date back to the 15th century and are considered themselves a work of art, and the temple ranks among Korea’s most beautiful. Located within the forests of Gayasan National Park, the Haeinsa grounds harmonize with the natural surroundings to create a serene temple experience.
Like many of South Korea’s temples, Haeinsa Temple welcomes visitors to its stay program – a two-day, one-night glimpse into what life is like for monks at the temple. A typical itinerary includes meditation sessions, lectures on temple etiquette and a chance to chat with the monks over tea or while strolling the grounds.
Practical Info
The Haeinsa Temple overnight program usually takes place on Saturday nights. It’s a good idea to reserve your spot ahead of time.
Address: 416-3, Sirang-ri, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, South Korea
Hours: Daily
From $ 130
Haeundae Beach
A majority of the visitors to Busan come for its proximity to the sea, and the city’s stretch of sand known as Haeundae Beach is perhaps the most famous beach in South Korea. Nearly a mile long (1.5 km), the beach is made up of rough sand from shells eroded by the Chuncheon Stream.
Visitors looking to laze in the sand or partake in water sports can rent umbrellas, yellow inner tubes, surf boards and jet skis all along the beachfront. Besides the beach itself, this stretch of coastline is lined with some of Busan’s best international hotels, as well as an assortment of restaurants, shops and the Busan Aquarium.
Practical Info
Haeundae Beach is especially popular and crowded from late July to early August, when tourists from throughout Korea visit Busan for vacation.
Address: Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea
From $ 11
Beomeosa Temple
Beomeosa Temple has a history that dates back to its founding in 678 CE by Buddhist monk Ui Sang, long before the original temple was destroyed during a Japanese invasion in the late 16th century. Perched on Geumjeongsan Mountain, the current temple complex was built in 1713 and includes a pagoda, several pavilions, three ornate gates and 11 hermitages.
While many visitors to the temple come to enjoy the verdant grounds for only a few hours, Beomeosa Temple is one of several in Korea that allows temple stays, where visitors both foreign and Korean can experience firsthand Korean Buddhist monastic life. The main temple stay program here includes meditation sessions, tea ceremonies, traditional monastic meals and several hands-on cultural clinics.
Practical Info
If possible, plan your visit to Beomeosa Temple during the month of May, when the wisteria surrounding the grounds are usually in full bloom.
Address: 546 Cheongnyong-dong, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, South Korea
Hours: Daily 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
From $ 100
Gyeongju National Museum
Travelers can gain incredible insight into the history of this ancient city on a visit to Gyeongiu National Museum—one of Korea’s top attractions. Well-curated displays showcase Buddhist artwork, artifacts uncovered at Anpji Pond and items unearthed during incredible archeological digs. Visitors can wander halls full of ceremonial items from long lost dynasties, golden crowns, pottery and hand-made bells.
Most of the displays are well-marked with English descriptions and audio tours are available for visitors who prefer even more information. After learning about the rich history and traditions of Gyeongiu and the Shilla Kingdom, visitors can explore the outdoor gardens and relax in the shade of towering trees before making their way back into the city streets.
Practical Info
The museum is located at 186 Iljeong-ro in Gyeongju-si, near the east side of Wolseong-gongwon. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. ad Sundays from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. It is closed on Mondays. It is accessible via the 10 or 11 bus from the town Centre.
Address: 186 Iljeong-ro, Gyeongju-si, South Korea
Hours: Open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. ad Sundays from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. It is closed on Mondays.
From $ 120
Busan Tower
Busan Tower stands 120 m tall from the center of the city’s Yongdusan Park. Built in 1973 and modelled on Bulguksa Temple’s Dabotap Pagoda, the tower is a popular visit day and night. Head to the viewing deck via high-speed elevator, and enjoy panoramic views of Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city. Come at sunset to see the city lights start to twinkle under the night sky. On the lower deck of Busan Tower, there’s a souvenir shop and a cafe where you can while away the hours and enjoy the views of busy Busan port.
All loved up? Do as thousands of young Korean couples do, and tie a padlock with a note of your everlasting love to one of the fences by the tower. The mountain’s feng shui is said to bring you good luck.
Korean for Dragon Head Mountain because of its shape, Yongdusan Park hosts lots of lively cultural performances in summer and on weekends, and on Buddha’s Birthday, paper lamps shaped like tigers and dragons float throughout the park.
Practical Info
Busan Tower is open all year round, from 9am - 10pm. Entry costs 4,000 W for adults. Inside there is a World Musical Instruments Museum (10 - 6pm), which is open Tuesday - Sunday. To get to the park, take the subway to Nampo station (Exit 7). 20 meters away is the escalator that’ll take you up to the park. Tour buses can park right at the entrance to Busan Tower.
Address: Busan, South Korea
Admission: 4,000 W
From $ 100
Andong Hahoe Folk Village
Hahoe means “enveloped by water,” the name given Andong Hahoe Folk
Village due to its position at the bend of the Nakdong River in the
foothills of the Hwasan Mountains. Far from the modern skyscrapers of
Seoul or Busan, the village offers visitors a glimpse at a Korea of old.
The
village, one of several that comprise the UNESCO-listed Historic
Villages of Korea, dates back to the 10th century, when members of the
Ryu clan began settling there; descendants of the clan still live in the
historic homes today. The village is unique in that commoners and the
upperclass coexisted there, and you’ll notice that the tile-roofed
houses of the elite toward the village center gradually give way to
thatched homes toward the outskirts.
Practical Info
To experience the village at its best, plan your visit for a weekday morning. On weekends, the village gets overrun with visitors and loses a bit of its charm.
Address: Andong Hahoe Folk Village, South Korea
Hours: Daily
From $ 130
Yongdusan Park
Yongdusan Park, a mountainous park in the center of Busan, is one of the city’s most popular green spaces. Its name translates to “dragon’s head mountain,” as it’s thought to resemble a dragon poking its head above the surface of the sea.
The park is dotted with various monuments to battles and Korean heroes, including Joseon naval commander Admiral Yi Sun-shin. The Busan Tower rises from the heart of the park, and while climbing the tower requires an admission fee, it’s worth it to see the view from the top. The park is also home to a cafe and a few restaurants, an aquarium, a temple and exhibition spaces that frequently host cultural performances on the weekends.
Practical Info
Explore the free park by day, but come back at night to enjoy the views of Busan from the top of the Busan Tower after sunset.
Address: 1-2 Gwangbok-dong 2-ga, Jung-gu, Busan, South Korea
Hours: Daily
From $ 100
UN Memorial Cemetery
The 35-acre UN Memorial Cemetery is one of Busan’s most peaceful spots. Established in early 1951, the quiet park and cemetery honors a total of 2,300 United Nations soldiers representing 16 countries who were killed during the Korean War between 1950 and 1953.
At the heart of the park lies the Main Cemetery Area, where soldiers from Australia, France, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Turkey and the USA are interred. Besides headstones, the lines of graves on the green expanse are marked with manicured hedges and flower bushes, creating a beautiful and somber sight.
Visitors to the cemetery will also find the Memorial Service Hall, a small multi-faiths chapel where you can watch a short documentary on the Korean War, as well as the Memorabilia Hall, where photos and artifacts from the war stand on display.
Practical Info
The UN Memorial Cemetery is open daily throughout the year, and admission is free.
Address: 779-1 Daeyeon 4(sa)-dong, Nam-gu, Busan, South Korea
Hours: Oct-April 9am-5pm;
May-Sept 9am-6pm
From $ 150
Cheonmachong
Capital of the Silla Dynasty for nearly a thousand years, one of Gyeongju’s most impressive remnants from the Silla Kingdom is its otherwordly royal burial grounds that are scattered around Daereungwon Tumuli Park in the historic center. The manicured park contains 23 grassy mounds where Silla royalty were buried over a millennium ago, along with all their earthly treasures.
Cheonmachong tumuli is the only royal burial ground in South Korea that is open to the public. Built in honor of an unknown king from the 5th century, head inside to see some of the 11,000 treasures which were discovered when the mound was excavated in 1974. Cheonmachong is Korean for Heavenly Horse, and the tomb gets its name from the first pre-Silla painting to be found in Korea -- a galloping white horse with wings on its feet, found in Cheonmachong during excavations.
Inside the tomb, you can see many of the ancient king’s treasures, from his gold crown, now a national treasure, to girdles decorated with jade, lavish swords, pottery, and gold rings for every one of the king’s fingers.
How were these surreal tumuli made? Servants of the Silla Dynasty would pile stones and dirt atop the king’s wooden coffin until a huge grass mound was created, over which grass would grow. A peaceful park to wander through, in the early evening, classical music plays from speakers dotted around the park.
Practical Info
Admission to Daereungwon Tumuli Park costs 1,500 W for adults. There is no extra fee to enter Cheonmachong tomb. The park is open in summer daily 9am - 6pm, and in winter daily from 9am - 5pm. Local buses 10, 11 or 70 will bring you to the park’s front entrance. No photos are allowed inside Cheonmachong tomb. Even though it may be tempting, it’s disrespectful to climb the tumuli.
Address: 53 Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
Hours: Summer 9am-6pm, Winter 9am-5pm
Admission: 1,500 W Park Entrance Fee
From $ 120
Andong Folk Museum
Andong Folk Museum is the perfect place to get acquainted with Andong’s ancient culture and traditions. Next door to Andong Folk Village, the museum contains over 3,700 artifacts. From traditional clothing to pottery dating back to the Joseon Dynasty (1392 - 1897), as you wander two floors of exhibits you’ll get to learn the traditions that Koreans go through from birth to childhood, in adulthood, and in death. From Korean child rearing to ancient cooking methods, wedding ceremonies to spiritual practices, there are lots of interesting facts to learn about. Did you know that, in the past, when pregnant Korean women wanted a boy they would pray to phallic rocks?
After seeing the indoor exhibits, head to the outdoor park to see the thatched-roof houses that were saved when nearby Andong Dam was erected in 1976. In the garden you’ll also get to see and learn about Korea’s giant totems, traditionally built with fierce faces to ward away evil spirits.
Practical Info
Admission to Andong Folk Museum is W 1,000. It is open from 9am to 6pm in March through October, and until 5pm from November to February. Signs are in English, as well as Korean, Japanese, and Chinese, and there’s an onsite snack bar, restaurant, and souvenir shop. To get to the museum from Andong Bus Terminal, take Bus 3, which runs every 20 minutes.
Address: 13, Minsokchon-gil, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do 760-360, South Korea
Hours: Nov-Feb 9am-5pm; March-Oct 9am-6pm
Admission: W 1,000
From $ 130
Taejongdae Park
Located on the southernmost tip of Yeongdo Island in Busan, Taejongdae Park is one of the city’s most stunning natural spots. The area, named after King Taejong of the Silla Dynasty (who once practiced archery here), offers access to a rock beach, a lighthouse, a few temples, an observatory and plenty of natural trails to explore.
Park admission is free, but visitors can purchase an inexpensive ticket for a small train that stops at various points of interest throughout the park. For a view of the island’s coastal scenery from the water, the park also has a small dock where passengers can embark on short boat tours.
Practical Info
If you get hungry while exploring Taejongdae Park, you’ll find several restaurants serving fresh seafood with magnificent views over the ocean. On a clear day, you can see the Japanese island of Tsushima in the distance.
Address: Busan, South Korea
Hours: 4 a.m.-midnight
From $ 41
SEA LIFE Busan Aquarium
The SEA LIFE Busan Aquarium is located in the Haeundae Beach area of Busan. With its variety of marine life and state-of-the-art facilities, it’s one of the top aquariums in the country, and a popular attraction among families. The aquarium is spread across three underground levels and also features an outdoor park, with a gift shop and several places to eat on its first level.
The SEA LIFE Busan Aquarium features more than 35,000 fish, algae, reptiles, and other marine animals. You can view the sea creatures in the building's main tank either through giant windows or from an 80-meter underwater tunnel – an incredibly popular area of the aquarium. Elsewhere, there are 40 exhibits to enjoy, featuring animals such as penguins, otters, and piranhas, plus there’s a touch tank for a close-up viewing of various species under the guidance of trained staff.
A trip to the SEA LIFE Busan Aquarium can be combined with visiting Busan’s other key attractions, including the Beomeosa Temple and Haeundae Beach. Most full-day tours will include lunch, entrance fees, and round-trip transportation.
Practical Info
If not arriving as part of an organized tour, you can reach The SEA LIFE Busan Aquarium via taxi, or by taking bus number 139 from Haeundae Station.
Did You Know? The aquarium offers a 4D movie theater experience, glass-bottom boat rides, and even shark diving. (These activities are all charged separately to the entrance fee.)
Address: 266 Haeundaehaebyeon-ro, Busan, South Korea
Hours: 9am-9pm
Admission: Adult: 26,000 KRW / Child: 20,000 KRW
From $ 16
Junam Wetlands Park
Two hours west of Busan near Changwon City lies 705 acres (285 hectares) of natural habitat known as Junam Wetlands Park. Bird watchers from around the globe visit the park, Korea’s largest migratory bird habitat, to witness the spectacle of anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 winter birds – white-naped crane, spoonbill, swans, geese and mallards among them – who fly into the park daily. In the summer some 5,000 migratory egrets, herons, orioles and warblers join the park’s permanent residents, including ducks, pheasants and skylarks.
Much of the park is accessible via a series of elevated wooden boardwalks with pullouts for scenic views and bird blinds where you can observe the birds more easily without startling them. While October to April is prime birdwatching season, there’s something to see no matter the season.
Practical Info
If your time in Busan is limited, it’s possible to combine your visits to the Junam Wetlands Park and Haeinsa Temple into a single day trip.
Address: Junam Wetlands Park, Changwon, South Korea
Hours: Daily
From $ 130
Gwangan Bridge
The cover star of just about every city tourism poster since it opened in 2003, Gwangan Bridge is the Golden Gate of Busan. Beautiful day or night, Gwangan Bridge is best viewed from popular Gwangalli Beach, where lots of families and couples come to enjoy the sea air and to watch Gwangan Bridge’s nightly light show, when colorful lights are set to the tune of famous songs like Offenbach’s Can-Can, or K-pop girl group Crayon Pop’s Pa Pa Pa.
South Korea’s second-longest suspension bridge, Gwangan Bridge links the ritzy Haeundae district with Suyeong. Also known as Diamond Bridge, another good spot to see the bridge’s pretty lights is from the astronomical observatory on Geumnyeonsan Mountain, and on the popular coastal walk around Dongbaek Island. This route will take you to ritzy Marine City, where you can see the bridge shimmer on the Pacific while enjoying a drink at one of the restaurants lining the water.
Come in October to see Busan International Fireworks Festival make full use of Gwangan Bridge as a backdrop.
Practical Info
Gwangan Bridge’s light shows run for five minutes, at 8 and 10 pm from Sunday to Thursday, and at 8, 9 and 10 pm from Friday to Saturday. To get to Gwangalli Beach, take subway line 2 to Gwangan Station (exit 3 or 5) and walk for 5 minutes. Dongbaek Island begins on the Westin Chosun end of Haeundae Beach, while a short taxi ride from Geumnyeonsan subway station will take you to the mountain of the same name.
Address: Busan, South Korea
From $ 65
Dongbaek Island (Dongbaekseom)
Deongbeak Island (Dongbaekseom), considered one of Busan’s most scenic places, isn’t really an island at all. The former island, now connected to the Korean mainland by a land bridge made up of accumulated sediment, gets its name from the abundant dongbaek trees that live there.
Located within an easy walking distance of Haeundae Beach, the island park is crisscrossed by a series of boardwalks and trails, some winding along the rocky shore and others climbing through the verdant interior, perfect for a fresh air escape from the nearby city. Follow the boardwalk along the shore, and eventually you’ll come upon one of the island’s most famous landmarks, a statue of a mermaid sitting on a rock amid the crashing waves.
Practical Info
To get to Deongbaek Island, take the subway to Dongbaek Station and leave through exit 1. Admission to the island is free.
Address: Deongbaek Island, Busan, South Korea
Hours: Daily
From $ 90