Looking for a 3 day itinerary for Busan?

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Busan might top Seoul for my favorite city in all of Korea.

It has it all – a large, sprawling, and aesthetic city; mountains offering the most incredible views; and a coastline filled with long beaches and beautiful coastal walks.

This 3-day Busan itinerary prioritizes the beauty of the city, skipping a lot of common tourist traps that most other itineraries fill themselves with, spots that are underwhelming and overcrowded.

What I Skipped (& Why)

If you’ve researched Busan, you’ll notice some big names missing here. That’s on purpose.

Most itineraries funnel you through the same postcard stops – Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, the Blueline Park Sky Capsule, Oryukdo Skywalk, and plenty more. I left them out deliberately. Not because they’re bad, but because I don’t think they’re the best use of three days when spots like Igidae, Bongnaesan, and Namhang exist.

Quick honest take on each:

Haedong Yonggungsa – a temple on the rocks over the sea. Sounds incredible, but it was so crowded and touristy the experience fell flat, and it’s a haul out there. More in my things to do in Busan post.

Blueline Park / Sky Capsule – the Instagram beach capsules. I’m sure it’s scenic, but it’s pricey and not the sort of thing I would prioritize. I can’t speak too much since I didn’t go, but it feels like more of a photo-op than a legitimately amazing experience.

Oryukdo Skywalk – just do the Igidae Coastal Walk. The Skywalk is kind of silly, in my opinion. The idea of a glass platform extending over the water is cool, but the execution not so much.

This itinerary is the local, off-the-beaten-path version. Want the postcard circuit? Plenty of other guides have you covered.

Getting Around Busan

Busan is a sprawling city and it takes time to get around.

I’ve therefore tried to craft this itinerary to make things as convenient for you as possible. This means changing where you’re staying so that you’re more centrally located for the day’s activities. I’ll detail that in the itinerary itself.

As for public transportion, Busan has a great bus and subway system.

Use Naver Maps, an essential tool in South Korea. Works far better than Google or Apple Maps.

Day 1: Haeundae and Igidae Coastal Walk

Haeundae

Day one will start in the Haeundae area of Busan.

Haeundae is the most popular beachfront area in the city. The beach is long and wide, with a boardwalk separating it from the main road with its towering skyscrapers.

It’s quite popular, and the beach can get real crowded in the summer. In the offseason it has a more relaxing vibe.

You can also stroll along the boardwalk, there’s usually something going on. When I was there, they were preparing for the annual Busan Sand Festival and carving insane works of art into massive piles of sand.

After you’ve had enough of the beach, head a couple minutes inland to the Haeundae Traditional Market.

It’s one long and narrow road, offering a lot of traditional Korean street food.

One thing you have to try is a Hotteok, fried dough filled with cinnamon, sugar, and seeds (the seeds are a Busan specialty). You can also get one with cheese.

Get one from the place at corner at the east end of the market (the less busy side). It should be obvious- there’s generally a pretty long line.

Igidae Coastal Walk

From Haeundae, head west to the Igidae Coastal Walk.

Igidae is located about halfway between the Haeundae Beach area and central Busan.

To get here, take the line 2 metro to Namcheon and then walk half an hour or so to the spot I’ve pinned on the map below. You can also ride an extra stop and then hop on the Namgu 2 bus if you want less walking time.

The coastal walk goes around a large outlet into the sea, stretching for nearly five kilometers.

When you begin the walk, you’ll be in the thick of Busan- but a few minutes in, you’ve left the city behind and are surrounded by sea, rock, and greenery.

That’s what makes Busan so special for me- the city itself is great, but it’s places like Igidae providing stunning nature in the middle of a bustling city that bring it to the next level. 

The walk will eventually lead you to the popular Oryukdo Skywalk. By no means would I recommend you come to here for the sake of the Skywalk itself, but if you’re curious to check it out it’s at the end of the walk anyway.

It sucks though.

Where to Stay

As I mentioned up top, it would serve you best to stay in central Busan – even for day 1 in Haeundae and Igidae.

That being said, I don’t want you schlepping your bags around for the 5 kilometer coastal walk.

If it isn’t too inconvenient to drop off your bags before heading to Haeundae, I recommend you stay in central Busan (Nampo-Dong). If it is, stay the night in Haeundae. I can specifically recommend the Kimchee Guesthouse for budget travelers – it’s the cheapest around and more than adequate.

It’s listed on Hostelworld too if that’s your preference.

If you’re bent on staying in central Busan and feel left out, I have some recommendations for you in the next section. Fear not.

Day 2: Busan Centre (Nampo-Dong) and Yeongdo Island

Visit the Markets

If you want the ultimate Busan experience, head to one of the many stands on the first floor and pick your fish or seafood. It’s rather like when you went to the fish store as a kid and picked your little goldfish.

Then you head up to the second floor and sit comfy while they kill and cook it for you.

You’ll never have seafood fresher. That being said, I can see how the experience may not be for everyone.

It’s also a bit pricey- better to go with friends, as most is meant to be shared.

Hike up Bongnaesan

From the markets, you’re going to head to the main road and walk across the bridge onto Yeongdo Island and proceed in the direction of Bongnaesan Mountain. Alternatively, you can take the 82 or 85 bus to Namhang Market or the 6 bus to Namdo Yeojung.

Yeongdo island might be- all in all- my favorite area in Busan.

Bongnaesan is a mountain in the middle of the island, and the top gives maybe the best view from any spot that I’ve seen in Busan.

The hike isn’t too bad. It shouldn’t take more than an hour, even at a slow pace. 

It’s also quite feasible to walk from center city (by that I mean the Nampo-Dong area)- in total it should take under 2 hours. You can take one of the buses I mentioned above.

Download AllTrails which will show you the nearest entrances to the trails up Bongnaesan.

You really get a sense of just how large and sprawling Busan is from the top.

If you want a more in depth guide to Bongnaesan, read the section I wrote about it in my post on the best views in Busan!

Namhang Market

All marketed out for the day?

Too bad. I’ve got one more for you, and you better not skip it.

Namhang market is located near the base of Bongnaesan. It also happens to be my favorite market in the city.

Hot take, I know. A relatively unknown market out of the way. But that may just be what makes it so special.

Namhang just feels more authentic. You can tell it’s a local crowd. You won’t see much about it online, and I suspect this is how the locals want it to be.

It’s also quite large and diverse in product. It offers pretty much everything the famous center city markets offer (aside from more specialty items at Gukje)- but for a fraction of the price.

Pretty much anything you can get in the touristy markets you can get at Namhang for half the price. 

It’s a beautiful thing.

If you want more info, I have a post strictly about Namhang Market.

Note: Both Bongnaesan and Namhang Market are featured on Offpath, an interactive map app I created showing hidden gems all over the world. Download it for your next trip!

Sunset on the Lotte Department Store Roof

At sunset, head up to the roof of the Lotte Department Store (Lotte Mall).

The Department Store is in the city center right by the bridge that took you to Yeongdo Island earlier.

Then head up the elevator. Most will take you to the 11th floor, and you’ll have to walk out onto the terrace and climb a couple more staircases to make it to the top.

It’s the ultimate sunset spot in the city.

The Lotte Department Store Roof is absolutely massive and offers views in every direction. The view isn’t as vast as Bongnaesan, but different as you’re more ingrained into the city.

And I haven’t even mentioned the best part yet- somehow, there’s nobody there. At least in the couple of times that I’ve gone. Granted, I was there in the spring so it’s possible it gets busier later on.

After night has fallen, head back into the busy streets and stroll around until you get tired.

Biff Square is an area that gets particularly bustling at night, with lots of street stands popping up and selling classic Korean street food.

For Squid Game enthusiasts, there are plenty of stands offering dalgona candies (the cookies with the shapes), so you can try it out and see whether or not you would have survived.

I would not have, it seems.

Where to Stay

I promised I would give some advice on where to stay in central Busan (Nampo-Dong), and I’m a man of my word.

There’s two good options I found for budget travelers.

The first is Nol Guesthouse. You can get a room here for $9 USD a night, which is the cheapest I’ve found anywhere in the city, let alone in this area.

It’s not bad either. Simple but good. You’ll probably get a two or four person room. I got a two, and there was nobody else there. So a private room for $9. Score.

The second is the Elephant Guesthouse. At $14 USD a night, it’s still pretty cheap for the city. And it might be worth the extra dollars for some of you, as it’s definitely a more comfortable stay than Nol. The dorms are among the best that I’ve seen in Asia.

If your budget is a bit higher I’d recommend this one. It’s a waterfront hotel and costs around $60 USD for a double room.

Day 3: Gamcheon Culture Village and Seunghaksan

Gamcheon Culture Village

Wake up and head to the Gamcheon Culture Village. Hop on the 87 bus, take it to Kkachi Saegil Entrance and then walk about ten minutes or so to Gamcheon.

I was hesitant about coming here at first- it’s listed as the number one attraction in Busan in many articles, which for me often signals “do not go to this place”.

From what I read, it seemed kitschy and kind of fake. 

But then I went there. And I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.

While Gamcheon Culture Village is touristy, it is very tastefully done and quite charming.

It’s essentially an old impoverished Busan village on a hillside that was gentrified in an effort to make it a tourist attraction.

Nowadays, the structure of the village remains the same- narrow, steep staircases winding through small dwellings- but the village has been transformed by artists, with the buildings painted in bright colors and murals around every corner.

Walk along the main road for a little, but make sure to wander off into the narrow streets and staircases. It doesn’t matter where exactly- just go where your eyes take you.

It’s much quieter away from the main road and you’ll see the locals going about their daily lives.

I wonder if they’re happy or quietly fuming about the touristification of their village.

I’d assume the latter.

Hike Up/in Seunghaksan

Before heading to Seunghaksan, I recommend heading back to Nampo-Dong and having a nice lunch break. You’re going to need some energy. But not too long, or you’ll run out of daylight.

Seunghaksan is another of my favorite hikes, along with Bongnaesan. That being said, it’s quite different.

As I allude to with the heading, there’s no one specific “hike” here. It’s a massive area west of Nampo-Dong with an endless amount of trails and multiple peaks to get to.

But whichever way you go, it’s really wonderful.

To get to Dong-A University from Nampo-Dong, you’re going to take the 1 line (metro) to Hadan. Take Exit 7 and walk to the entrance to Dong-A.

You’ll see a parking lot with buses. Go up this lot and continue until you see a path ascending up to your left.

Again, just download AllTrails. Even Naver Maps will do, it shows you the entrance. Much simpler than trying to follow my vague instructions.

If you start at the entrance near Dong-A University, it generally takes a little over an hour to reach one of the peaks- and the view is absolutely stunning. You’ll see what I mean in the photo below.

Note: If you want more detail about how to get to, and what to do in Seunghaksan, read this post!

Head to Seomyeon at Night

At night, Seomyeon transforms into a buzzing playground of neon lights, nightlife, and late-night eats.

There are many ways you can take to get here from central Busan. Again- just plug it into Naver Maps, but the line 1 metro works just fine.

If you’re into fashion or skin-care you can head to Seomyeon’s underground shopping center, which is one of the largest in the country.

If- like me- you’re not, head to Seomyeon First Street, lined with vibrant bars, cafés, and noraebang (karaoke rooms).

Finally, go ahead and grab some street food at Seomyeon Food Alley.

Additional Night Activities- if You’re Lucky

If you’re fortunate with the day of the week or time of year, there are some more things worth checking out at night.

If you happen to be visiting during April or May, there’s a good chance you’ll be around for the lantern festival. It’s an annual celebration that takes place on and around Buddha’s birthday, with the city lighting up with lanterns.

If you are, the best place to go is the Samgwangsa Temple. You can get here by taking the 54 bus from Bujeon Market Entrance in Seomyeon, then walking ten or so minutes to the temple.

You can also get lucky with the day of the week.

If you’re in town on a Saturday night, pay a visit to Gwangalli Beach for the weekly drone show.

It takes place at 8 PM and 10 PM, or 7 PM and 9PM if you’re visiting between October and February. Each show lasts ten minutes.

Check it out if you’re around on any Saturday night. I promise that no Squid Game guy in a pink suit will come and shoot you dead if you don’t follow my itinerary to a T.

And don’t go if it’s raining. Drones don’t like rain.

There you have it! The perfect 3 day itinerary for Busan. Now get cracking.