Busan is above all famous for its seven beaches and three hot springs.
Haeundae Beach (해운대), near subway/KNR Haeundae. One of the most popular summer destinations in South Korea. Haeundae attracts tourists from all around the country and is a hotspot for internaional tourists, and gets overcrowded in late July and early August. There are numerous hotels nearby. The Busan Aquarium--South Korea's largest at 13,000 sq m--is beside the beach (₩17,000 for adults). Besides the beach, there are some excellent restaurants, both Korean and non, in the area, and a wide variety of shops, although many are hidden away. Explore the streets behind the beachfront boulevard. Many showings and events for the Pusan International Film Festival (Pusan, not Busan) are in this area which typically runs the first 10 days in Oct. Haeundae Tourist Info. Center is a good place to get a lot of info. about the area. Try your hat at surfing or windsurfing, or just watch some of the locals navigate the tasty waves. If you're interested in sailing , Haeundae has the biggest leisure marina in Korea located about 10 min from the beach walking in the direction of Chosun Beach Hotel.
Songjeong Beach(송정해수욕장) This smaller beach is accessible from Line 2 at Haeundae Station via bus (take bus 100, 100-1, 139, 142, or 181 to Songjeong Station, with 181 taking one directly to the homely main street section and just meters away from the beach) or Jangsan Station via a short cab ride. This beach is also connected to KORAIL at Songjeong Station (not to be confused with Songjeong-ri Station), although this station is very close, it is not visible from the beach or most of the surrounding areas.
At night, Songjeong Beach serves as a date-spot and hangout. Drinking on the beach is legal and fireworks are tolerated.
Songjeong is a sandy cove-beach that is about 1.2 km long. This is a free beach but renting the umbrellas which are already crowded on the sand can run as much as ₩10,000. Songjeong Beach is open during the warmest months. It closes for swimming very early during the day (between 4 and 6 p.m.). There is a several hotels and motels within as easy walk of the beach, some of them right on. Towels, sandals, ATMs and fireworks are between the motel blocks and beach. Beer, soju and food vendors are at the edge of the beach. Korean, foreign and seafood restaurants are abundant. Swimming in street clothes is perfectly normal for men and women here.
Hur Shim Chung Spa (허심청 Heoshimcheong), subway Oncheonjang (exit 1, cross the street and make a beeline for Hotel Nong Shim; it's connected by a walkway), . This massive hot spring complex claims to be the largest in Asia: Noboribetsu might disagree, but it certainly is huge, with hot, tepid, cold and strawberry milk-filled baths, saunas, pools, and an outdoor section. On the 3rd floor is a large jjimjilbang resting area, containing (among other things) a restaurant, a beauty salon, an oxygen room, and three 'igloos' heated to 81�C, 51�C and 0�C. You'll get a key when you come in, use it to open your shoe and clothes lockers and pay for any purchases inside. Men's and women's spas are segregated but the resting area is shared, so pick up a robe before you head downstairs. There's also some signage in English to guide you around. Entry to the spa is ₩7,900, plus ₩1,000 for the jjimjilbang on Sunday/holidays only. You can stay as long as you want, but it gets quite crowded and noisy on weekends. The spa is closed in May for vacation and re-opens in June.
Gwangalli Beach (광안리 Gwangalli), near subway Geumnyeonsan (exit 1). Best experienced at night when the massive Gwangan Grand Bridge behind it is illuminated. Overall, similar to Haeundae but smaller and less upscale. Nevertheless, some interesting restaurants, bars and shops in the area. Also, you should try visiting one of the the tall, newly built hotels on the beach. They have really nice Sauna and Jjim Jil Bangs overlooking the bridge. ₩8000.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Busan
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Busan - updated Apr 2024
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Busan Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
