Central Busan consists of the districts of Dong-gu, Jung-gu, Seo-gu, Nam-gu and Busanjin-gu. This is the old town of Busan with a lot of post-war buildings, large docks and atmosphere. The place to go see the heritage of the city.
Get in
πBusan Station is the easiest way in from outside of the city, with KTX services to Seoul and connections to other cities as well. Non-KTX trains to Changwon, Ulsan, Jinju depart from πBujeon Station.
The Metro Line 1 runs all the way through the area except Nam-gu. Line 2 serves Nam-gu, and Line 1 and 2 intersects at Seomyeon, a popular city center and shopping area.
πInternational Ferry Terminal(ride Bus 5-1 from Jungang Station, Line 1 or walk 15 min from Busan Station) has five routes to Japan: Fukuoka, Osaka, Shimonoseki, and two ports on Tsushima Island: Kitakatsu and Izuhara.
π40 Steps(40 Gyedan)(Line 1, Jungang station).A few streets of a grubby district have been 'restored' to their condition in the post-Korean War 1960s, with wooden lamppost and bronze figures illustrating scenes of hardscrabble street life. Also easy walking distance to Yongdusan Park.(updated Aug 2024)
Jagalchi fish market
πJagalchi Fish Market(μκ°μΉμμ°μμ₯),Jagalchi(Line 1, Jagalchi station).This is possibly Korea's most famous fish market with a large selection of seafood there. You will have to opportunity to eat squid that is still wriggling when you eat it! Try and come very early to see the activity around the fish being landed. It is walking distance from the Nampo Lotte Department store or the Jagalchi station on the Busan Metro Line 1.
πBusan Modern History Museum(λΆμ°κ·Όλμμ¬κ΄),42-2, 2Ga Daecheong-dong Jung-gu(Line1 - Jungang or Nampo),β +82 51 253-3845.09:00-20:00.This building housing the Busan Modern History Museum was used as the Busan Branch of the Oriental Development Company during the Japanese occupation and as the Busan USIS Cultural Center (a CIA post) following the Korean war. The exhibition consists of the modern history of Busan during the Japanese occupation, Busan's role in the Korean war and the history of the relationship between Korea and the United States. Although not at all impartial, this museum nevertheless provides a fascinating background to modern Busan and you could probably spend two to three hours here.
πChinatown(near Busan Station).Home of Busan's Chinese community with cheap and delicious dumplings, though most of the Chinese have left the area, and it is today mainly home to Russians.
πIbagu-gil and 168 Steps(μ΄λ°κ΅¬κΈΈ, 168κ³λ¨)(at the China Town, go straight up to the hillside; turn right at Choryangsang-ro, and walk to the Choryang Elemntary School).This is an example of old, steep residential area of Busan that was formed after Korean War. Although you can walk the famous 168 steps, there is a free monorail that takes you uphill.(updated Aug 2021)
Yeongdo-gu
πYeongdo Bridge(μλλκ΅)(get off at Nampo Station (Line 1)).This is a famous lifting bridge that was built in 1934. It was a meeting point for missing families during the Korean War. The current bridge was rebuilt in 2013, and the bridge lifts up at 14:00 (as of Aug 2021, it is suspended due to Covid).(updated Aug 2021)
πTaejongdae Park(νμ’ λ곡μ),Yeongdo-gu Dongsam-dong San 29-1(from Busan Station, take city bus number 88 or 101 and get off at Taejongdae Park (10-min interval, 40-min ride)).Named after King Taejong Muyul (654-661) of the Silla Dynasty who practiced archery here after unifying the Three Kingdoms. During the Joseon period, King Taejong (1400-1418) is reputed to have visited here for recreation and pleasure. The magistrate of Dongnae also came here during a major drought to offer prayers for rain. Taejongdae is a famous tourist attraction in Busan, with its white lighthouse overlooking the green sea. Many people enjoy eating fresh raw fish on the rocky shore, taking a boat around the Olyuk ('five or six') Islands, and seeing the famous 'Suicide Rock.' When the weather is nice, the Japanese island of Tsushima can be seen in the distance, 56 km away. The scene from the observation deck is beautiful and the white lighthouse together with the green sea looks very exotic. The walk from the entrance to the lighthouse is quite long, although a shuttle bus runs from the shops. There is no entrance fee, though there is a small paid trolley that circles the park.Free.
Busanjin-gu
πBusan Citizen's Park(λΆμ°μ민곡μ)(get off at Bujeon Station (Line 1 or Donghae Line)).This was a US military base that was turned into a large park in 2014. The parks have large playground for kids and remnants of military base. The park museum has many artifacts about the its history of US military base and the lives around it.(updated Aug 2021)
Nam-gu
πBusan Museum(at Daeyeon Station (Line 2), ride bus 138 or walk 15 min).09:00-20:00.Discover the history of Busan from the Prehistoric period to the present day.Free.
UN Memorial Cemetery
πUnited Nations Memorial Cemetery (UNMCK),93 UN Pyeonghwa-ro, Nam-gu(next to Busan Museum; at Daeyeon Station (Line 2), ride bus 138 or walk 20 min; at Kyungsung University Β· Pukyong National University Station(Line 2), ride Bus 10 or λ¨κ΅¬10),β +82 51-625-0625,fax: +82 51-624-2165,unmck@unmck.or.kr.OctβApr: 09:00β17:00; MayβSep: 09:00β18:00.This is the only United Nations cemetery in the world. Soldiers from many countries who contributed to the United Nations during the Korean War are buried here. Take bus from in front of the Memorial Park after subway exit. Please note that proper attire is required since guards will prohibit entry if you are wearing flip-flops, miniskirts, or shorts.Free.
Do
Busan-port-from-Busan-towerπBusan Port Boat Tour,Jungang(walk to the Busan Port Authority (BPA) from exit number 2 of Jungang subway station (Line 1)),β +82 51-999-3168.If you are interested in the industrial side of Busan then the Port tour is hard to beat. Passengers on board can see the port facilities of Busan Port, including the passenger terminal, general piers, and container terminals. You will learn about the port facilities, and their role as a transshipment hub. Specifically you will see: Coastal Passenger Terminal β International Passenger Terminal β Jasungdae Container Terminal β UamContainer Terminal β New Gamman Container Terminal β Gamman Container Terminal β Shinsundae Container Terminal β Jo Islands β Hanjin Heavy Industry β Coastal Passenger Terminal
πGgangtong market(κΉ‘ν΅μμ₯).09:00-20:00.An old, easily overlooked market near Jagalchi Market in Nampo dong. There is nothing this market doesnβt sell. Since Busan has a big harbor, many foreigners have visited, so that it was quite early when citizens of Busan began to accept exotic culture and products. Ggangtong Market is a kind of evidence of that history. At the end of the Ggangtong market, there is a narrow street called Book Street of Bosudong, which contains a huge variety of secondhand book shops.
πThe markets of Gukje, Gwangbok-dong and Nampo-dong(κ΅μ μμ₯),β +82 51-245-7389.07:00-22:00.Three major shopping districts connected to each other. Very much similar to Seoul's Namdaemun Market and Myeongdong shopping district. Various shops geared towards young and old people with many brand name stores and underground stores. You can bargain with the sellers. It also the setting for the Korean film Ode to My Father (2014).Gukje Market Busan South Korea
πLotte Department Store, Gwangbok Branch(λ‘―λ°λ°±νμ κ΄λ³΅μ ),2 Jungang-daero, Jung-gu(Line 1, Nampo Station).This is a similar Lotte department store, and has an indoor vertical waterfall and rooftop observation deck which has a whole view of the harbor and bridges. With a sales area of 23,097 pyeong, it is the largest store in Busan and the third largest in terms of sales. In terms of overall size, it is a large store that enters the top 10 nationwide, and Lotte Department Store is connected to Lotte Mart and Lotte Cinema Gwangbok, forming a kind of Lotte Mall.
πChoryang Foreigner Shopping Area(opposite Busan station).A strange combination of a Chinatown and a Russian town with ornate Chinese gates and Russian shops selling pickles and vodka. The overall feeling is distinctly downmarket, and if you want to take the name literally there are ladies of many nationalities enticing sailors and other customers in the doorways. You may get more than you bargained for though, as the area is notorious for ripoffs and even the occasional robbery at night.
πAmby's,Texas St(Russia Town).European, North American, Russian, and SE Asian dishes; try the borscht stew. Popular with sailors and their lady companions, the best time to go is after midnight. A small shop offering a limited selection of dust-covered western goods is located in the front.
πShabana Indian Restaurant,56-1 3rd Flr Deyon-dong Namgu(Subway Station no 212 Kyungsung University and from the Century 21 building across from Kyungsung University, either take a left at Pizza Hut, and then your first left, walk to the end of the block it is on the 3rd floor across from the Seven Eleven; or walking from Vinyl to the subway, it is the second street on your right, across from Buy the Way),β +82 51 621-4821.11:00-23:00.Authentic Indian restaurant owned by Indians.US$10-20.
πClub Realize(at Kyungsung station walk straight out of exit 1 for a few meters and take the first right, walk to the end of that block and take the next right at the long tea bar; it's 2 bars over on the right, above Bar King King on the 5th floor).Usually open on Fridays and Saturdays and sometimes throughout the week (although it has been available for rental during the week abd Sundays).It's the only place to see regular metal, punk and rock in Busan. A modest amount of beer and booze at the bar is complemented by a selection of in house cocktails. Good place to go and let it all out, scream shout and get wasted and not care how you look.
πGriffin Bay Hotel(그리νλ² μ΄ νΈν ),6, Jagalchi-ro 59beon-gil, Jung-gu,β +82 0507 1338 2976.Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM.It is located within a 2-minute walk from Exit 10 of Nampo Underground Shopping Center after getting off at Jagalchi Station/Nampo-dong Station on Subway Line 1. It is located adjacent to Nampo-dong, Jagalchi Market, and Gwangbok-dong, making it convenient for tourists to shop and move around. Prices range from \60,000 - \100,000 per night.(updated Oct 2023)
πLotte Hotel.Attached to one of the largest shopping centers in Busan. All of the staff speak very good English, and the rooms are quite large with great views of the city surrounding it. The hotel also offers a casino on the second floor, an Irish pub, and an expensive restaurant. The shopping center has a grocery store and a variety of restaurants at reasonable prices, and a movie theater on the top level. The shopping center is like any typical western-style mall, with name-brand and high-end consumer items and clothing for sale.
πTower Hill Hotel(νμν νΈν ),20, Baeksan-gil, Jung-gu(200 meters from Exit 1 of Busan Subway Line 1 Central Station),β +82 051 250 6100.Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00.Next to Yongdusan Park, Tower Hill Hotel has a fitness center, massage parlour and restaurants. There is also free parking available. There are 116 rooms, all with free Wi-Fi. In-room amenities include a refrigerator, a coffee pot, and a safe. Breakfast is available.(updated Oct 2023)
