5 Ways to See Busan in a Weekend

Small fishing boat dock in Haeundae

11PM Friday-
I didn’t know if I wanted to Busan for the weekend and to do it solo! What did I know about Busan other than it’s on the Korean coast and probably has boats? Solution: Sleep on it and see how I feel in the morning.

9:30 AM Saturday-
I woke up and realized- Ding! Yes, I wanted to go. So, off I went! My travel choices can feel that impulsive and random at times. My sightseeing itinerary however, was a giant question mark.

On the train over, my quick-sketch brain drew 3 main goals for my two-day trip:
a) Experience sleeping at a jjimjilbang
b) Explore the Jalgachi Fish Market
c) Take a walk along Haeundae Beach.

What I experienced within this two day weekend was much much more…

Busan is the second largest city in Korea. It lies approximately 1 hour outside of Daegu and is dubbed Korea’s San Francisco, due to the fact as Korea’s largest port city, it’s home to raw fish markets, bridges and beaches and occasional adorned with hilly and clustered neighborhoods resembling the popular Golden Gate City.

Busan bridges

Arrival into Busan Train Station

Jalgachi Fish Market

Busan is sprawled out and not a naturally intuitive city to travel if you’re a traveler short on time.
Surprisingly, unlike many metropolitan cities, subway lines in Busan don’t always offer door-to-door service to popular tourist attractions. Instead, buses and taxis must be taken, which opens potential loopholes for tourists to get lost. Excursions to well-known temples will cost you a bus trip that could take a little guesswork if you haven’t information prepared in advance. I spent half a day with my all-day metro pass attempting to get to places via metro and bus lines before giving up on it as a time-efficient way to tour the city. Noteworthy attractions off-the-urban-beat such as the Gwangali Live Fish market, Rodeo Street Art Street, literally felt like a mile to a hike away from the subway. Even Haeundae Beach is easy to get to, but suggests a 10-15 walk from the metro station.

5 Interesting Ways to See Busan:
For the short time I was there, I actually explored a lot. Here the highlights of my weekend – these are places I would definitely return to…

1. Take the City Bus Tour:
While Busan doesn’t shout “hard” to a tourist, it also doesn’t  inspire ease; thus, I have one recommendation. Located right outside the Busan train station is the Busan City Bus Tour (website here) . Take it.  It’s a quick, easy, cheap and wonderful way to get an overview of the city highlights as well as, door-to-door access to some of the obvious attractions. Sort of. As I noted, Busan is a big city so the tour offers 2 courses (Haeundae and Taejongdae route and you can transfer from one course to another ) and a night tour. Admission gains you entry aboard a double-decker bus and (I think) a discount on admission costs to museums and memorials, etc… While I visited most of the following places on my own vs the city bus tour, these highlights are on the stops as well. Moreover, the tour helped me realize what I’d want to see on my next visit to Busan.
Admission: 10,000W Adults;  8,000W for KTX ticket holding passengers

2. Jalgachi Fish Market
If there’s a photogenic grit or raw edge to Busan, this wharfish area hits a memorable note. Just say- rubber rain boots! (You’ll see a lot of them here)  While I my love for seafood never hit “Passion”, this is an area I would definitely return to. Ajumma’s and ajosshi’s are a big part of the working population here and you will see fish in a way you’ve never seen them before and in massive quantities. Whether dried and hanging, toothpick splayed, skinned or live, I’m convinced there’s an art and pride to some of the fish sale displays here. You can check out the daily catch of each vendors’ stall and then go into their tented dining area to have them clean, cut or fried. Just take care to where you walk so as not to get splattered on.

How fresh do you like your sushi? If you want to try some of the culinary pleasures here but the grit of the outdoor local stalls are not your thing, just head down to the end of the street to Jalgachi restaurant. It’s a big building which houses two levels of eating and viewing spectacle (the remaining levels are office spaces). The ground floor houses is a warehouse of vendor stalls with tanks and live fish, clams, crustaceans where you can view and pick what will be taken upstairs to be cooked for your plate. The 2nd floor of this building is a large open restaurant populated with drunken groups of Koreans, tables and booths where your fish will be brought and sliced or fried for sushi.  This is a place which prides itself on the “freshness” of its catch and freshness is taken literally. Just make sure the contents or decor on your plate aren’t wiggling before you bite into them. Note: This is a very photogenic spot but Koreans don’t seem to like being photographed. I recommend you ask before shooting.

3. PIFF Square (Gujke Market)
Housing the annual Pusan International Film Festival every October, this area also houses Gujke Market which is aflood with local shoppers and tourists. A giant maze-like shopping and restaurant area reminiscent of Seoul’s Myeongdong shopping area or Daegu’s Banwaldong, PIFF Square is a fun spot to get out to. Local food and product vendors are sprinkled throughout the alleys and streets to add to the flavor aand Youngdusan Park and tower are close neighbors- a stroll to the top can gain you a nice view of the surrounding city.

4. Haeundae Beach
On a nice day, Haeundae Beach strikes a nice balance of casual beach chillaxing and people-watching. Young couples stroll the boardwalk fashioning trendy outfits from the Korean version of couples’ Vogue – heels, man-purses and sports coats- which make you think Boys Before Flowers (a popular K-drama) but ala beach. All around, you see family beach picnics, frisbee playing and beach volleyball. Nearby is the Busan Aquarium for added recreation and a tourist information office for assistance. The few chic hotels which line the main boardwalk- or neighbor it’s backstreets -turn into the nightlife hotspots of the area and possess the impression that you might get from visiting nightlife on the Las Vegas Strip. Restaurants and hotel clubs and bars are a buzz with expats and hip Korean locals.It’s not a very big area but it adds a small glitz to an otherwise dark and quiet town.

Haeundae Beach can also draw a strange crowd

5. Haeundae Spa (Sleeping at a Jjimjilbang)
(You can read about my experience here)

First Look Pictures of my first weekend trip to Busan and reasons why you should visit: