If you’re visiting Korea for the first time, here are the top things to do in Busan — shared by a Busan local who grew up by the sea.
(Written by a Busan local who actually grew up here.)
When you grow up by the sea, the sound of waves becomes your heartbeat.
That’s what Busan feels like to me — familiar, warm, and a little stubborn.
Most travel guides will tell you to visit Haeundae, Gamcheon, or Jagalchi.
And yes, they’re beautiful.
But as someone born and raised here,
I want to show you what Busan really feels like — the details locals quietly love.
If you were my friend visiting Busan for the first time,
here’s exactly what I’d tell you to do.
🏖️ 1️⃣ Best things to do in Busan: Haeundae Beach Sunrise
https://maps.app.goo.gl/nCdEk8fwFnzMtzsV7
(How locals actually start their morning by the ocean)
If you wake up early in Busan, go straight to Haeundae Beach.
Not at 10 a.m. with the crowds — but around 6:30 to 7:00 a.m.,
when the sky turns gold and locals walk their dogs along the sand.
That’s when the city still feels half-asleep.
You’ll hear only the waves, the soft chatter of morning joggers,
and the distant sound of someone selling sweet potatoes from a cart.
That’s how my mornings looked growing up —
my mom used to buy me warm “hodugwaja” (walnut cakes) and say,
“Let’s walk until the city wakes up.”
🚶♀️ How to Get There (Easiest Local Route)
- Subway Line 2 → Haeundae Station (Exit 5 or 7)
Walk straight for 7–8 minutes toward the beach. - Or take Bus No. 1003 (the coastal express line).
It stops right at Haeundae Beach Entrance, and the view along the way is stunning. - From Busan Station, taxi fare is about ₩14,000–₩16,000 (20 minutes) early morning.
💡 Local tip:
If you arrive before 8 a.m., parking near the beach is still free and cafés are quiet.
☕ Where I’d Actually Eat Breakfast (Real Local Picks)
Here are three places that both locals and Google love, all within a 5-minute walk from the beach:
- Waveon Coffee (웨이브온커피) — 🌅
Minimalist ocean-view café, known for its architecture and sunrise view.
Try their flat white and basil sandwich.
📍 33 Dalmaji-gil 62beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan - OPS Bakery (옵스 해운대점) — 🥐
A Busan-born bakery chain, loved by locals for 30 years.
Their croissant and milk cream bun are classics.
📍 20 Jungdong 1-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan - The Pancake Epidemic — 🍯
A brunch café with chill surfer vibes and strong coffee.
Try the lemon ricotta pancakes and sit by the window facing the sea.
📍 24 Gunam-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan
💬 From a local’s heart:
After breakfast, walk toward Dalmaji Hill, just 10 minutes from the beach.
That curve of the coastline — lined with pine trees and ocean wind —
is where Busan quietly shows off its beauty.
No crowds, no noise, just the rhythm of the sea and your footsteps.
🌉 2️⃣ Gwangalli Beach – Things to do in Busan at Night
If Haeundae is the morning heart of Busan,
then Gwangalli is its soul after dark.
This is where locals go when they want to think, laugh, or just breathe.
When I was in college, my friends and I used to buy two beers from the convenience store,
kick off our shoes, and sit right on the sand.
The sound of waves mixed with music from a street guitarist —
that’s still my favorite kind of nightlife.
At 8 p.m., the Gwangandaegyo Bridge lights up —
changing colors every few minutes, reflecting across the ocean like a moving painting.
You don’t need a rooftop bar; the beach itself is the best seat in the city.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ymPmLocinSMc58xS8
🚇 How to Get There (Easiest Way for Visitors)
- Subway Line 2 → Gwangan Station (Exit 3 or 5)
Walk straight for 7 minutes to reach Gwangalli Beach. - From Haeundae: take Bus No. 141 or 40, about 15–20 minutes.
- From Busan Station: Subway Line 1 → transfer to Line 2 at Seomyeon → get off at Gwangan.
(About 35 minutes total) - Taxi from Busan Station costs around ₩13,000–₩15,000 at night.
💡 Local tip:
Bring a small picnic mat.
Convenience stores (GS25, CU) along the beach rent mats and sell beer & snacks —
it’s what locals do instead of going to clubs.
🍽️ Local-Approved Restaurants with Ocean Views
- FUSION TABLE — “F House” (에프하우스) 🍝
Italian restaurant with panoramic bridge view.
Try the seafood pasta and truffle risotto.
📍 198 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan - Millak Raw Fish Center (민락회센터) 🐟
A huge multi-story seafood market just 5 minutes from Gwangalli.
Buy sashimi downstairs, eat upstairs by the window with a bridge view.
📍 43 Millaksubyeon-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan - The Bay 101 🍸
Not just a photo spot — locals actually come here for drinks with a view.
Order grilled shrimp and Busan Pale Ale at the outdoor bar.
📍 52 Dongbaek-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan
💬 From a local’s heart:
If you walk all the way to the east end of the beach after 10 p.m.,
you’ll find quiet benches facing the bridge — no tourists, just locals winding down.
Sometimes, an old man sells roasted chestnuts there in winter.
That smell, mixed with sea salt and wind — that’s the scent of home for me.
🐟 3️⃣ Eat at Jagalchi Market — and Talk to the Ajummas
Every city has a market, but Busan’s Jagalchi isn’t just a market —
it’s a living heartbeat.
Here, you’ll hear vendors shouting in dialect that sounds like the ocean itself:
“와라~ 싱싱하다 아이가!” (“Come on, it’s super fresh!”).
When I was little, my grandmother used to take me here on weekends.
She never needed a shopping list — just a good haggle and a smile.
That’s how you survive in Jagalchi.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/AAhfregEg29u3euK7
🚇 How to Get There
- Subway Line 1 → Jagalchi Station (Exit 10)
Walk straight for 3 minutes, and you’ll smell the ocean before you see it. - From Busan Station, taxi is around ₩5,000 (10 minutes).
- Best visiting time: 9 a.m.–11 a.m. (fishermen just arrived, freshest catches).
💡 Local tip:
Inside the market, go upstairs to the “restaurant floor.”
You can choose your fish downstairs and ask them to cook it right away —
grilled, spicy stew (maeuntang), or sashimi (hoe).
🍴 What to Eat (and Where Locals Go)
- Jagalchi Restaurant 88 (자갈치식당88)
Classic seafood restaurant inside the main market building.
Try the grilled mackerel or spicy rockfish stew.
📍 52 Jagalchihaean-ro, Jung-gu, Busan - Halmae Godeungeo (할매고등어구이)
Small, old-style diner run by a grandmother for over 30 years.
No menu, just point to the fish.
📍 Near Exit 10, Jagalchi Station, across from the market entrance. - Bada Sikdang (바다식당)
Popular among locals for abalone porridge and seafood pancake.
📍 58 Jagalchihaean-ro, Jung-gu, Busan
💬 From a local’s heart:
If an ajumma gives you an extra side dish, don’t just say “thank you.”
Smile and say, “감사합니다, 아주머니~” (Thank you, ma’am).
You’ll probably hear her laugh and reply, “이쁘다, 또 와라~” (You’re cute, come again).
That’s Busan — loud, warm, and full of heart.
🎨 4️⃣ Get Lost in Gamcheon Culture Village — and Walk, Don’t Chase Photos
Gamcheon is often called “Korea’s Santorini”,
but for us locals, it’s a neighborhood built on memories, not just color.
My grandmother lived here right after the Korean War.
When she told me stories, she said:
“We painted the houses bright so we could forget the gray days.”
When you visit, walk slowly.
You’ll hear the sound of old radios playing trot music,
kids chasing each other through narrow alleys,
and the wind carrying the smell of laundry soap and sea salt.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/N4VmtcrDNaaCx44B8
🚶 How to Get There
- Subway Line 1 → Toseong Station (Exit 6)
Walk 5 minutes to the Gamcheon Culture Village Shuttle Bus Stop
→ Take Bus No. Saha-gu 2 or Seogu 2 (only ₩1,200).
It goes right up the hill to the main entrance. - Taxi from Busan Station: ₩7,000–₩8,000, about 15 minutes.
💡 Best time to visit: 4–6 p.m. — golden sunlight hits the pastel houses perfectly.
☕ Where to Stop for Coffee or Views
- Mom’s Coffee (맘스커피)
Hidden rooftop café with panoramic ocean view.
Try their strawberry latte or hand-drip coffee.
📍 203-5 Gamcheon-dong, Saha-gu, Busan - Vinyl & Coffee (바이닐앤커피)
Small vintage café filled with old LPs and jazz.
Perfect for resting after climbing the stairs.
📍 209 Gamnae 2-ro, Saha-gu, Busan - Gamnae Café (감내카페)
Known for the Gamcheon view terrace.
They serve green tea cake that’s famous among locals.
📍 93-5 Gamnae 2-ro, Saha-gu, Busan
💬 From a local’s heart:
Please don’t just take selfies and leave.
Talk to the shop owners.
Many of them used to live here before the village became famous —
they’ll tell you how this place survived through hardship and art.
That’s the real story you can’t find on Instagram.
🛕 5️⃣ Stand Still at Haedong Yonggungsa Temple — Where the Sea Meets Faith
If Seoul has temples in mountains,
Busan has one that sits right on the rocks above the ocean.
That’s Haedong Yonggungsa, and it’s one of the most spiritual places in Korea —
not because it’s religious, but because of how it breathes with the sea.
When I was in high school, I came here before every big exam.
My mom told me,
“Pray to the waves — they’ll wash your worries away.”
And somehow, it always worked.
🚌 How to Get There
- Subway Line 2 → Haeundae Station → Exit 7
Take Bus No. 181 from the stop right outside →
Get off at Yonggungsa Temple Entrance (용궁사입구) → 10-minute walk downhill. - From Haeundae Beach, taxi takes 15–20 minutes (₩9,000–₩11,000).
💡 Best time:
Sunrise or early morning (6–8 a.m.), before tour buses arrive.
You’ll hear monks chanting, waves crashing, and seagulls echoing like bells.
🍵 Cafés & Spots Nearby (Where Locals Go After Visiting)
- Dalmaji Café Street (10 min away) ☕
After visiting, head toward Dalmaji Hill —
the road between the temple and Haeundae is full of sea-view cafés. - Bluesky Café (블루스카이카페)
Overlooking the ocean from a cliff — famous for citron ade and croffles.
📍 127 Cheongsapo-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan - Cheongsapo Ttangttang Chicken (청사포 땅땅치킨) 🍗
Yes, fried chicken by the sea.
Locals love grabbing a beer here after temple visits.
📍 139 Cheongsapo-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan
💬 From a local’s heart:
If you stand at the temple’s edge and look out to the ocean,
you’ll feel something rare — peace that doesn’t need silence.
Even if you’re not Buddhist,
the sound of the waves here feels like a blessing whispered in a language you don’t need to understand.
🚋 6️⃣ Take the Blueline Train — and Forget Your Phone
When you live in Busan long enough,
you learn one thing: the ocean is always near, but never the same.
The best way to see that is on the Blueline Park Coastal Train,
a slow ride hugging the cliffs between Haeundae → Cheongsapo → Songjeong.
The train moves gently, as if it knows you came to breathe.
Windows stretch from floor to ceiling,
and the sea feels close enough to touch.
Put your phone down —
this is the Busan version of meditation.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yNzc5gNgjvm2VKjL6
🚆 How to Ride
- Start at Mipo Station (at the end of Haeundae Beach).
- Stops: Mipo → Cheongsapo → Daritdol Skywalk → Songjeong.
- Runs every 30 minutes from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Fare: ₩7,000 one-way / ₩12,000 round trip.
🎫 Book online or at kiosks (Google Maps: Blueline Park Mipo Station).
💡 Local tip:
Sit on the left side (facing the ocean) for the best view —
especially during golden hour (around 5:30 p.m.).
☕ Where to Stop
- Cheongsapo Daritdol Skywalk Café (청사포 다릿돌카페)
Glass-floor skywalk + espresso view combo.
📍 167-2 Cheongsapo-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan - Waveon Coffee (웨이브온 송정)
The most famous ocean café —
minimalist concrete design, huge windows, and a view that never ends.
📍 286 Haemaji-gil, Songjeong-dong - Sonmok Coffee (손목커피)
Small local café hidden behind Songjeong Station.
Try their cold drip and sea-salt brownie.
📍 19 Songjeongjungang-ro, Haeundae-gu
💬 From a local’s heart:
You’ll pass fishermen mending nets, grandmas drying seaweed,
and children waving at the train.
Wave back — they always do.
That’s the unspoken rule here.
🍢 7️⃣ Eat Street Food in Nampo Like a Local
https://maps.app.goo.gl/kHyovYWS6WSEbPGHA
When people think of Busan food, they picture fancy seafood.
But for locals, Busan tastes like oil, sugar, and noise.
And there’s no better place for that than Nampo-dong & BIFF Square.
This is where Busan’s movie culture, old markets, and street snacks collide.
Evenings smell like frying sugar and spicy tteokbokki steam.
If you leave without sticky fingers, you didn’t do it right.
🚇 How to Get There
- Subway Line 1 → Nampo Station (Exit 7)
Walk 3 minutes to BIFF Square. - From Busan Station: ₩4,000 taxi / 10 minutes.
- Best time: 5–9 p.m. when food stalls open fully.
🍜 Must-Try Street Foods
- Busan Hotteok (부산 씨앗호떡) 🌰
The original stall (BIFF Square Hotteok) has a line all day —
crispy outside, full of brown sugar, honey, and sunflower seeds. - Eomuk Soup (어묵국물) 🍢
Try Samjin Eomuk Main Store (삼진어묵 본점).
3 floors of fishcake heaven + small tasting corner.
📍 36 BIFF-gwangjang-ro, Jung-gu, Busan - Tteokbokki & Twigim Combo 🌶️
At Nampo Street Snack Alley, old ladies fry everything fresh —
sweet potato, squid, dumplings —
and pour spicy sauce on top like art.
💬 From a local’s heart:
Order with one hand, eat with the other,
and don’t worry if sauce drips — it’s part of the experience.
We Busan folks believe messy food tastes better.
🧖 8️⃣ Go to Shinsegae Centum City — but Not Just for Shopping
https://maps.app.goo.gl/YHgXwC1BQS16yPiY7
Yes, this is the world’s largest department store —
but for Busan locals, Shinsegae Centum City is more than retail.
It’s where we go to reset.
Inside is Spa Land, Busan’s most loved jjimjilbang (Korean bathhouse).
There’s nothing quite like soaking in hot mineral pools
after a long day of travel —
and watching people fall asleep on warm stone floors.
It’s social, clean, and deeply local.
🚇 How to Get There
- Subway Line 2 → Centum City Station (Exit 10)
Spa Land entrance is inside the Shinsegae mall (B1). - Operating hours: 9 a.m.–10 p.m.
- Entry fee: ₩20,000 weekday / ₩25,000 weekend (4-hour limit).
💡 Local tip:
Don’t bring shampoo — everything’s provided.
After your soak, drink sikhye (sweet rice punch) and take a nap in the salt room.
🍽️ Where to Eat Nearby
- The Party Centum City (더파티 센텀시티점) 🍱
Premium Korean buffet with fresh sashimi and bulgogi.
📍 15 Centum 4-ro, Haeundae-gu - Sulbing Centum City (설빙) 🍧
Busan’s own dessert café chain — try the Injeolmi shaved ice. - Seorae Galmaegi (서래갈매기) 🥩
Casual local BBQ spot right outside Exit 12 —
packed with office workers after 7 p.m.
💬 From a local’s heart:
If you want to see how Busan people rest —
it’s not beaches or bars.
It’s Spa Land on Sunday afternoon,
half the city asleep on warm floors, dreaming by the steam.
🌅 9️⃣ Watch the Sunset at Cheongsapo Lighthouse
Two lighthouses stand quietly on the edge of the sea —
one red, one white —
guarding the fishermen and lovers who come to watch the day end.
This is Cheongsapo, a small coastal village between Haeundae and Songjeong,
and one of Busan’s best-kept secrets.
When the sun drops behind the horizon,
the water glows orange, and locals line the breakwater holding coffee cups.
If you’re lucky, you’ll hear a train whistle passing nearby —
the sound of Busan breathing.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gVHojf3FtTTQnzSM7
🚶 How to Get There
- From Haeundae: Bus No. 100, 139, or 181 → Cheongsapo Entrance (청사포입구).
Walk 10 minutes downhill toward the lighthouse. - From Songjeong: Walk along the Blueline coastal path (about 25 minutes).
💡 Best time: 5:30–6:30 p.m. (sunset hour)
Bring a jacket — the wind from the sea gets cold fast.
☕ Best Cafés with Sunset Views
- Blue Line Sky Café ☕
Perched right above the railway — panoramic sea view.
📍 150 Cheongsapo-ro, Haeundae-gu - Cheongsapo 298 (청사포298)
Trendy café loved by locals — ocean terrace + handmade cookies.
📍 298 Cheongsapo-ro, Haeundae-gu - Gorae Café (고래카페)
Family-run café on the cliff, quiet and cozy.
📍 152-2 Cheongsapo-ro, Haeundae-gu
💬 From a local’s heart:
If you stay until the sky turns violet,
you’ll see fishermen lighting their boats like tiny stars.
That’s the moment every Busan local secretly waits for.
🗼 🔟 End at Busan Tower — and See the Whole City Breathe
Every Busan story ends here — Yongdusan Park.
When you stand at the top of Busan Tower,
you can see everything: the sea, the mountains, the bridges,
and all the neighborhoods stitched together by light.
It’s not just a view — it’s perspective.
Busan feels big when you live in it,
but from here, you realize it’s a small city full of warmth and voices.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Y48nmXtQLvDgWczy6
🚇 How to Get There
- Subway Line 1 → Nampo Station (Exit 1)
Follow signs to Yongdusan Park, climb the stairs (5 minutes). - Open daily 10 a.m.–10 p.m.
- Admission: ₩8,000
🍵 Café & Night View Spots Nearby
- Tower Café ☕ (inside Busan Tower, 1F)
Simple drinks, but great view windows. - Jungangdong Alley Dessert Shop (중앙동 디저트거리) 🍰
Locals grab late-night tiramisu or coffee here after the view. - Gukje Market Night Street (국제시장 야시장) 🍢
7-minute walk down from the tower —
late-night food stalls selling dumplings, skewers, and rice wine.
💬 From a local’s heart:
Every time I look down from here, I see my city —
the fishing boats near Jagalchi,
the lights of Gwangalli Bridge,
and somewhere beyond, the people who came to make Busan their home.
Maybe you’ll be one of them someday. 🌊
💬 Final Words — From a Local Who Grew Up Here
If you follow these 10 steps, you won’t just “visit Busan.”
You’ll live it — one wave, one street, one smile at a time.
Because Busan isn’t a destination;
it’s a feeling that stays with you long after you leave.
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