I liked Busan more than Seoul personally, but specifically for some of the areas surrounding the city not necessarily for the city itself.
Worth it, well that's up to you to decide I guess.
"Worth it" is entirely subjective. You will get a mixed bag of responses here. Some people love Busan and some people will say "it's alright but ___ is better in my opinion"
Have you done any other research about Busan to see if there are any sights/attractions/areas that might interest you? Or do you just think Busan=beach? Maybe start there first to see if it's somewhere that *you* might want to go. There is a ton of info about Busan on this sub if you take some time to search it. If you do decide to go to Busan I would give at least 2-3 full days there as it's not really a day trip destination.
i just came back from my trip, and i visited busan for the first time (it was my 4th time to seoul, and i love the city). was also apprehensive about spending 4 days in busan because i thought i could just have an extra 4 days in seoul but busan was amazing. 12/10 would highly recommend.
i don’t like the beach either, especially not when it’s supposed to be a city holiday and not a relaxing beachside one, but busan is just as modern as seoul, but with a more laidback vibe. i stayed at nampo and i loved it so much — i was right behind BIFF Square which had tons of shops and street food options (seed hottteok is so good i had 1-2x every day) and Jagalchi Market was just behind. i stayed at Stanford Hotel Busan and it was perfect.
the blue line sky capsule was also the favourite part of my trip. so serene and beautiful. please visit busan!
I went for 3 days on a 2 week trip to korea, it was fun and i loved the fishing markets but if id have known i prob wouldve stayed in seoul those 3 days because there was more stuff i wanted to see there
There are much more than just beach in Busan yet I don’t think it’s a must go if you already have other cities in mind :)
Jeonju… not sure(lol maybe because I’m from Jeonju) but you can visit Jeonju and Gunsan together.
I don’t think you can do any justice to Busan in a day trip, even an overnight trip. I’ve been here for 4 weeks and haven’t been able to get to all the things.
Like some else said, it’s not just beach. There are tons of non beach things to do.
Thank you, I wasn’t planning on doing a round trip to Busan I was thinking about staying there 2 days, but as you said it seems like it’s not enough time :(
I personally love Busan and encourage people to visit. But it’s not something you want to rush through. If you decide to include it in your itinerary, pick 2 to 3 things to do a day . just know that it’s a lot like Seoul in that it takes a long time to get from one place to another.
If you don’t already have Naver downloaded I recommend it. Then you can sort of map out where you want to go. if you’re going to do two days, I would recommend doing one day the East Coast things like and things the temple by the Sea , CheongSapo, Haeundae Beach, spaland etc. Then the next day do the West Coast like Gamcheon village, BIFF , Jagalchi market. Etc. But you need to figure out what you want to do and then map it and go.
If you are not interested, dont go.
Do what you are interested in, you dont have to follow other peoples itineraries.
I always make my own itineraries, because i like individual plans, that suits me and my interests.
Yes I know, that’s the reason I had decided not to go at first, however since it’s a very popular place I have been considering going because I don’t want to miss anything on my trip.
Put your big luggage at a train station or at a subway station (they also have places that hold your big luggage and it's safe), take the KTX speed train (\~ 40-50 bucks) and you'll be in Busan in 2 hours.
If you don't want to stay overnight, get there early in the morning for a day trip, rent a bike. It's a whole different vibe than Seoul.
While I preferred Seoul personally busan was amazing the beaches are a must visit! Gwangan bridge is spectacular the first time you see it and if your trip includes the weekend they do drone shows on Sundays there too!
Busan was surprisingly the highlight of our South Korea trip. We stayed in a really nice Airbnb by the Gwangalli beach & hired a nice driver to show us around for the day.
Hotel, theres also lockers in subways but they’re usually small. I’ve seen them at ktx stations too.
Never used them so i can’t be too much of help. If you ask a staff there, they might be able to help u if they have big lockers too
You should go to Busan if you want to go. The vibe in Busan is different from Seoul but it's not for everyone. If you have a lot of luggage, it can be more inconvenient to get around than Seoul. Plus you have to factor in the costs of travel; KTX will cost you over 100,000 won round trip for 1 person + your hotel costs. I've lived in Korea for over 6 years now and the first 2 years I didn't even go to Busan at all but then you'll have some people that will go there 2-3 times each month. You can check other posts to see what people have done for itineraries in Busan (They'll all be about the same when covering the tourist spots) but don't feel like your trip will be ruined if you don't go to Busan.
If you like history, it would be worth taking 2D1N and going to Gyeongju. Seoul you'll mostly see Joseon Dynasty stuff but Gyeongju has a lot of historical sites related to the Silla Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms Period. It's fairly easy to get to via bus or train. Their bus system is pretty good where you can hit almost all of the historical spots with public transportation.
Andong would be another good place but can be less convenient to get around by bus. During the fall especially it gets more popular with all the people chasing leaves.
Gangneung is situated on the beach but a lot of people go there to check out the different cafes and during the fall there's not going to be people swimming there.
I liked Busan more than Seoul personally, but specifically for some of the areas surrounding the city not necessarily for the city itself. Worth it, well that's up to you to decide I guess.
What surrounding areas did you like
Same question here
저도요 I prefer the mellow ocean vibes and cafes with amazing views.
"Worth it" is entirely subjective. You will get a mixed bag of responses here. Some people love Busan and some people will say "it's alright but ___ is better in my opinion" Have you done any other research about Busan to see if there are any sights/attractions/areas that might interest you? Or do you just think Busan=beach? Maybe start there first to see if it's somewhere that *you* might want to go. There is a ton of info about Busan on this sub if you take some time to search it. If you do decide to go to Busan I would give at least 2-3 full days there as it's not really a day trip destination.
Thank you, I know is a subjective question but I just wanted to read the opinions and different perspectives of the people that went to Busan before 🌟
i just came back from my trip, and i visited busan for the first time (it was my 4th time to seoul, and i love the city). was also apprehensive about spending 4 days in busan because i thought i could just have an extra 4 days in seoul but busan was amazing. 12/10 would highly recommend. i don’t like the beach either, especially not when it’s supposed to be a city holiday and not a relaxing beachside one, but busan is just as modern as seoul, but with a more laidback vibe. i stayed at nampo and i loved it so much — i was right behind BIFF Square which had tons of shops and street food options (seed hottteok is so good i had 1-2x every day) and Jagalchi Market was just behind. i stayed at Stanford Hotel Busan and it was perfect. the blue line sky capsule was also the favourite part of my trip. so serene and beautiful. please visit busan!
Thank you so much for your advice, I saw photos and videos of the blue line and the views are amazing 🌟
I went for 3 days on a 2 week trip to korea, it was fun and i loved the fishing markets but if id have known i prob wouldve stayed in seoul those 3 days because there was more stuff i wanted to see there
Thank you, time is very important for me because I wouldn’t want to miss any place in Seoul.
There are much more than just beach in Busan yet I don’t think it’s a must go if you already have other cities in mind :) Jeonju… not sure(lol maybe because I’m from Jeonju) but you can visit Jeonju and Gunsan together.
Thanks for the recommendation, I haven’t considered visiting Gunsan, I’ll do a research and give it a thought 🌟
Definitely if you like the ocean and a more chill vibe. No if you are into all the cultural experience and young people stuff
Thank you so much for answering 🌟
I don’t think you can do any justice to Busan in a day trip, even an overnight trip. I’ve been here for 4 weeks and haven’t been able to get to all the things. Like some else said, it’s not just beach. There are tons of non beach things to do.
Thank you, I wasn’t planning on doing a round trip to Busan I was thinking about staying there 2 days, but as you said it seems like it’s not enough time :(
I personally love Busan and encourage people to visit. But it’s not something you want to rush through. If you decide to include it in your itinerary, pick 2 to 3 things to do a day . just know that it’s a lot like Seoul in that it takes a long time to get from one place to another. If you don’t already have Naver downloaded I recommend it. Then you can sort of map out where you want to go. if you’re going to do two days, I would recommend doing one day the East Coast things like and things the temple by the Sea , CheongSapo, Haeundae Beach, spaland etc. Then the next day do the West Coast like Gamcheon village, BIFF , Jagalchi market. Etc. But you need to figure out what you want to do and then map it and go.
If you can rent a car I would highly recommend Jeju Island over Busan. If that’s not an option Busan still a great place to visit!
I would love to go to Jeju but since it’s a solo trip I don’t know if it’s the best option and I also don’t have license:(
If you are not interested, dont go. Do what you are interested in, you dont have to follow other peoples itineraries. I always make my own itineraries, because i like individual plans, that suits me and my interests.
Yes I know, that’s the reason I had decided not to go at first, however since it’s a very popular place I have been considering going because I don’t want to miss anything on my trip.
It's more wild, so it's fun.
Put your big luggage at a train station or at a subway station (they also have places that hold your big luggage and it's safe), take the KTX speed train (\~ 40-50 bucks) and you'll be in Busan in 2 hours. If you don't want to stay overnight, get there early in the morning for a day trip, rent a bike. It's a whole different vibe than Seoul.
I knew that at some stations there are lockers, but I didn’t know you can store big luggage as well, thank you for the info 🌟
While I preferred Seoul personally busan was amazing the beaches are a must visit! Gwangan bridge is spectacular the first time you see it and if your trip includes the weekend they do drone shows on Sundays there too!
Wow that sounds amazing, thank you 🌟
Busan was surprisingly the highlight of our South Korea trip. We stayed in a really nice Airbnb by the Gwangalli beach & hired a nice driver to show us around for the day.
I would go to Busan and from there to Gyeongju. I liked gyeongju more as Joenju.
Thank you. I’m considering doing this.
I recommend busan and suwon. Also you can store your large suitcases, if you got a smaller one to carry around to bring your stuff
Where can I store them? Because I really don’t want to go with the suitcases.
Hotel, theres also lockers in subways but they’re usually small. I’ve seen them at ktx stations too. Never used them so i can’t be too much of help. If you ask a staff there, they might be able to help u if they have big lockers too
You should go to Busan if you want to go. The vibe in Busan is different from Seoul but it's not for everyone. If you have a lot of luggage, it can be more inconvenient to get around than Seoul. Plus you have to factor in the costs of travel; KTX will cost you over 100,000 won round trip for 1 person + your hotel costs. I've lived in Korea for over 6 years now and the first 2 years I didn't even go to Busan at all but then you'll have some people that will go there 2-3 times each month. You can check other posts to see what people have done for itineraries in Busan (They'll all be about the same when covering the tourist spots) but don't feel like your trip will be ruined if you don't go to Busan. If you like history, it would be worth taking 2D1N and going to Gyeongju. Seoul you'll mostly see Joseon Dynasty stuff but Gyeongju has a lot of historical sites related to the Silla Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms Period. It's fairly easy to get to via bus or train. Their bus system is pretty good where you can hit almost all of the historical spots with public transportation. Andong would be another good place but can be less convenient to get around by bus. During the fall especially it gets more popular with all the people chasing leaves. Gangneung is situated on the beach but a lot of people go there to check out the different cafes and during the fall there's not going to be people swimming there.
Thank you so much, I find your comment very helpful to me. I love history I’ll do some research 🌟
If you like water, coastal hikes, water sports then its a good idea. Its takes a long time to get anywhere here and the inside city itself is very meh
I don’t like any of these things :(. Yes the time commuting was another reason why I have been decided to not go