South Korea
Where to stay in Busan
Busan is a city in South Korea, home to about 3,453,000 people. This guide covers 4 hotels in Busan.
- Places to stay in this guide
- 4
- Best months
- October
- Nearest airport
- PUS13 km · Gimhae International Airport
- Currency
- KRWwon
- Time zone
- Asia/Seoul
- Language
- Korean, Korean Sign Language
About
About Busan
Busan, officially Busan Metropolitan City, is the second most populous city in South Korea, after Seoul; it has a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. It is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, with its port being South Korea's busiest and the sixth-busiest in the world.
Located at the southern tip of the Korean peninsula and with over 3.6 million people, Busan is South Korea's second largest city. It is known for its beaches, seafood, and events such as the city's international film festival and the yearly polar bear festival. It appeals to those seeking a more laid-back atmosphere than Seoul. It has an international flair, with sailors from around the world trooping through, and a growing number of tourists. The Haeundae area of Busan that contains a large amount of the city's attractions is described in a separate article.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Busan
Do
See the Districts articles for more listings. As Korea's second largest city, there are a large number of events.
- Polar Bear Swim
- Busan International Rock Festival
- Sea Art Festival 2013
- Busan Sailing
- Chicago Fitness Club
- Busan Bandits Rugby Football Club
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Places to stay in Busan
4 places to stay from the chains this guide covers, each linked to its own website.
| Place to stay |
|---|
| Toyoko Inn Busan Haeundae No.2 hotel |
| Toyoko Inn Busan Jungang Station hotel |
| Toyoko Inn Busan Seomyeon hotel |
| Toyoko Inn Busan Station No.1 hotel |
When to go
The best time to visit Busan
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Busan are October. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; July is the wettest, with about 277 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Busan: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Gimhae International Airport (PUS), about 13 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ulsan Airport (USN, 52 km) and Daegu International Airport (TAE, 88 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
Busan's International Gimhae Airport (PUS) lies outside Busan, offering flights to many international destinations, as well as domestic routes to Jeju island, Seoul Incheon International Airport and Seoul Gimpo. The KTX and SRT high speed train services are a better alternative to flying from Seoul. There are many options getting from Gimhae airport to Busan, including Metro train, Limousine bus, local buses and taxis. Korean Air and Asiana offer international connecting flights to Gimhae via Incheon, if purchased with another international flight with these carriers.
Getting around
You can buy Cashbee card at subway stations and convenience stores. Other cards like T-money, and Railplus are also accepted in the city. Using the transportation card will save you money compared to paying cash. See the sections below for the exact fares. When leaving a bus you can 'scan out' in order to have a discounted fare when you board another bus if within 30 min. Furthermore, when you "scan out" from a metro and "scan in" to a bus within 30 min then the bus fare is reduced to ₩250. Otherwise, a new fare will be deducted each time you board a service. There is no daily cap on fares.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
PUS · Gimhae International Airport
USN · Ulsan Airport
TAE · Daegu International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Busan
Eat
See the Districts articles for more listings. Korea is justly renowned for its great seafood tradition, and Busan as Korea's main coastal city provides possibly the best opportunity to try fresh seafood caught locally. Jagalchi fish market where most of the seafood is landed. You can turn up at 07:00 for delicious grilled fish and a variation of Korean 'hangover soup', although many experiences at both the high and low end are available to you throughout the day. International market where everything is available at very cheap prices. You can eat Spicy Glass Noodles, Chungmu-style Gimbap and Ssiat hotteok(sweet Korean pancake stuffed with seeds).
Drink
See the Districts articles for more listings. Busan has thousands if not tens of thousands of drinking places scattered throughout the city and popular spots include Nampodong and the area around Pusan National University. Just look around, and look up, on most streets if you are looking for a bar. Any tall commercial building is likely to have a few inside, usually with English words displayed and often the German word 'Hof' that indicated a place for eating and drinking. The Kyeongseong University area has many selections in terms of density and sheer number of drinking establishments in Busan. Also, Kyeongseong University is located nearby Gwangalli Beach.
Stay safe
Generally speaking Busan is as safe as most places in South Korea, which is to say very safe. Busan is very safe to roam around freely at night. Be a little bit cautious when most bars close at around 03:00. Some bars stay open until the business dies down and in many cases this may not be until sunrise. Also take care in the area around Busan Station. If any place could be deemed seedy in Busan (which would be a stretch) this area could be considered so. On the metro late at night, you may encounter elderly men who are rather vocal, and under the influence of alcohol, who may be unpleasant towards you. This is however unlikely to be dangerous, and you should just move to another metro car.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Busan: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Busan?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Busan are October. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; July is the wettest, with about 277 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Busan?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Gimhae International Airport (PUS), about 13 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ulsan Airport (USN, 52 km) and Daegu International Airport (TAE, 88 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Busan?
won (KRW).
Nearby
Destinations near Busan
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.