2-3 Days in Busan Itinerary + Things To Do: Coastal Walks, Trains & Best Brunches!

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The Busan I had in mind and the Busan I saw was different. I wasn’t expecting to love the city completely.

It had stunning skyscrapers that go beyond the madness of Seoul. It is a city of 3.8 million inhabitants (though that figure is rapidly declining due to low birth rates and super aging population).

But in terms of hecticness and busyness, it was a far cry from Seoul. The people on the other hand are not the most friendliest and there is a certain brashness where the “hurry up” culture still persists.

You’ll see more of this behavior when you try hiking one of their coastal trails (which you absolutely should!)

As a traveller, if you’re visiting Busan on 2-3 days, spending time in Haeundae beach, their colourful streets and cafe scenes.

Honestly, I had the best brunch here in Busan. There’s more of a brunch culture happening compared to Seoul.

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Also read: 10 Days to 2 Weeks South Korea Itinerary That's Offbeat: Seoul, Busan & Gyeongju

Where Should You Stay in Busan?

here’s my best 2-3 days busan itinerary & things to do. Shot here on the igidae coastal trail walk!

The best place to stay in Busan is near Haeundae Beach. There’s the street market, easy access to gorgeous cafes and you have all the best reasons to go to the beach everyday!

My recommended places to stay are:

🔖 p/s make sure to book your train tickets from Seoul to Busan here. If you’re taking the bus, book it here

Some of The Best Experiences & Tours in Busan I did

some of the best tours I did include visiting the gamcheon culture village

Here are some of the best tours I did in Busan that you should explore.

  • The Haeundae Sky capsule (ofcourse!): It is super competitive to get it and the best way is to merge it with a tour like a scenic yacht tour.

  • Spa Land Busan Centum City: I loved my experience in the spa land and you should absolutely do it!

  • One day hiking & food tour: If you want a cool experience, you have to do this amazing tour that takes you to an off the beaten path trail plus food tour!

My 2-3 Days Busan Itinerary

Day 1: Busan’s traditional street market, beach life & coastal walking trail

Walking the Haeundae Beach

the gorgeous haeundae beach. who knew korea had beaches like this?

If you’re just getting into Busan, you’ll want to soak in the beaches of Busan because of how gorgeous it looks. It is also the perfect place to people watch and get to know the local life.

The beach is 1.5km long and sometimes there are festivals happening on the beach. The most notable ones are Haeundae Sand Festival, Busan Sea Festival, and Haeundae Lights Festival.

Visit the Haeundae Traditional Market

cute touristy things at haeundae traditional market

Yes, it is touristy but I found there were a lot of quirky shops, the famous kimchi and shrimp dumplings here.

If you like Korean style pancakes and all things Korean random stuff, you’ll love this market.

It is also really close to most hotels.

You should also get your caricatures drawn out. It is such a Korean thing to do but I loved that we could get our drawings done in less than 10 minutes!

Head over to the Oryukdo Skywalk and do the Igidae Coastal Trail

the gorgeous igidae coastal trail - you’ve to do this walk!

In the afternoon towards, do the Igidae Coastal Trail. It was my favourite part of Busan simply because of how blue the ocean looked!

The Igidae Trail is a 4.7km wooden boardwalk path that hugs the coastline, taking around 2–3 hours to complete.

It starts at the Oryukdo Skywalk, and the best route is to go from south to north. In summer, the skies were brilliantly blue, and we often had long stretches of the trail all to ourselves.

On a clear day, you can even spot Tsushima Island in Japan in the distance!

Watch sunset at Huinnyeoul Culture Village & head to footbath cafe

visiting the huinnyeoul culture village during sunsets

I chose a completely off beaten path of Busan that not many people go to. I really love the chill and relax vibe here of Huiinyeol Culture Village.

It was orignally a tight-knit fishing village and Korean War refugee settlement, but this spot was revitalized in 2011 by local artists who painted murals, restored houses, and transformed it into a creative community space.

The name refers to the frothy white waves rushing down from Mount Bongnaesan into the sea, hence why it is called “White Waves Village”

I recommend walking rom the bus stop all the way down to the sea side shop houses first, then check out all the different local products there.

enjoying my footbath with sunset views at the footbath cafe view

Once you walk to the end, stop for a drink and an open sandwich at Ridgeside cafe. Their shrimp sandwich is so good.

After this head over to the Footbath Cafe View to have the best sundown views of Busan while having a massage! For $12, you get a 30 min nice foot bath with your choice of salts and a cafe style drink.

Have dinner at Busan’s Fashion Street, Gwanbok-ro

visit the fashion street of busan

The fashion street of Busan is likened to be the Hongdae of Busan — you’ll find K-beauty products, trendy clothes, or a steaming hot tteokbokki snack.

It’s also just steps away from attractions like BIFF Square and Jagalchi Market. We had dinner at Sulgodang — an awesome vegan restaurant in this part of Busan.

The japchae, tofu, ramen and tteokbokki here was amazing!

Day 2: A Tour to Gamcheon Culture Village, Haeundae Blueline park & Busan Spa Land

Gamcheon Culture Village

the gamcheon culture village - a hillside neighbourhood in busan

I started the morning exploring Gamcheon Culture Village, a hillside neighborhood that was once a post-war settlement for refugees.

Over the years, it’s been transformed into pastel homes, murals, and art installations which looks like “little Santorini”. I loved spotting the K-pop murals tucked into random corners and there were even long lines of people lining up to take pictures of their favourite idol!

One of the most random but fun moments is this quirky fortune-teller box. You basically slip in 1,000 won, ask a question, and out pops a message from your “prophet” which tells you about your future!

🚆You can book a day tour for this day here that combines this and the blueline sky capsule!

Haeundae Blueline Park

the Haeundae blueline sky capsule - an absolute must do!

This is perhaps the highlight for a lot of people as these cute little capsules are almost everywhere on instagram

The Blueline Park runs along a disused coastal railway track, stretching 4.8 km from Mipo Station (near Haeundae Beach) to Cheongsapo and Songjeong.

If you’re not able to get the morning views, I think opting for the Haeundae blueline sky capsule and night view tour here may be a better option. The morning slots are often taken up and I think the golden hues during sunset make it far more iconic!

Soak, Steam & Recharge at Busan Spa Land

spa land at busan

After a full day of walking, this treat felt so luxurious. You need to go to Spa Land in Shinsegae Centum City, one of Korea’s most luxurious jjimjilbangs (Korean spas). The best way is to book your tickets here (it is so cheap!)

We spent a few hours here, ordered food like ramen and had an awesome dinner!

With 18 themed saunas, outdoor foot baths, and gender-separated hot spring pools, it was honestly the perfect spot to relax and rejuvenate.

There are also heated stone rooms and reclining massage chairs.

Day 3: Take in one last views of the sky capsule & head to Gyeongju or Seoul

On my last day, we headed to a cute cafe called Dongbaek dessert cafe to have a view of the Busan Sky Capsules!

Because we missed some of the good weather and views, we wanted to be here in the morning before catching a bus or train back to Seoul or Gyeongju.

This café is conveniently located next to the terminal station, and from the second floor, you can clearly see the capsules going back and forth.

From Busan, head to Gyeongju

do head over to gyeongju, one of the best places to visit after busan!

Instead of heading back to Seoul, I highly recommend heading to Gyeongju on a day tour.

There’s an awesome day trip tour that even takes you to all the main spots like the Korean traditional houses without having to worry about transport.

If you’re adventurous or looking for something different, also try out a temple stay experience in Gyeongju. Read all about it here: Why You Should Try A Temple Stay at Golgulsa in Gyeongju, Korea

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