In this guide
Busan is Korea's second city and its biggest port, and it is an easy place to travel alone: the subway is clearly signed in English, beaches and markets are a short ride apart, and there is always a café to sit down in. This three-day plan keeps each day in one part of the city, so you walk less between sights and have more time to linger.
Before you go: a few basics
- Transit card: a rechargeable transit card (sold at convenience stores and subway stations) works on the subway, buses and most taxis. Tap in and tap out.
- Taxis: plentiful and metered. The Kakao T app lets you call one and shows your destination in Korean, which helps when you don't speak the language.
- Arriving: from Gimhae Airport, the light rail connects to Sasang Station on subway Line 2, which runs straight through Seomyeon, Gwangan and Haeundae. From Seoul, the KTX arrives at Busan Station on Line 1.
- Pace: Busan is hilly. Pack shoes you can walk in all day, and plan one slower afternoon.
Day 1: Haeundae and Gwangalli
Start at Haeundae Beach (Haeundae Station, Line 2). The beach is wide and flat, good for a long morning walk, and the promenade continues west to Dongbaekseom, a small wooded headland with a loop path and views back over the bay.
In the afternoon, Haeundae Blueline Park runs a slow sightseeing train along the old coastal railway from Mipo toward Songjeong, with the sea beside you the whole way. It is popular, so check the official page for how tickets work before you go.
For the evening, take Line 2 a few stops west to Gwangan Station and walk about ten minutes to Gwangalli Beach. This is where you see the Gwangan Bridge lit up across the water; the beach road is lined with cafés and restaurants, many with upper floors facing the bay. We have a separate guide to the bridge at night.
Day 2: The old city: Gamcheon, Jagalchi and Nampo-dong
Take Line 1 to Toseong Station for Gamcheon Culture Village, the hillside neighborhood of pastel houses, murals and small galleries. It is a steep climb from the station; a short local bus or taxi ride up saves your legs for the lanes themselves. Go early if you prefer quieter streets.
Come back down to Jagalchi Station for Jagalchi Market, Korea's best-known fish market. The indoor market building is lively but orderly, and you can see the day's catch even if you don't plan to eat there. Walk on into Nampo-dong: BIFF Square with its street-food stalls, Gukje Market's lanes of small shops, and Bosu-dong Book Street, a narrow street of secondhand bookshops.
If your legs are still willing, Yongdusan Park sits on a hill above Nampo-dong, with Busan Tower on top for a view over the harbor. Escalators from the shopping street take you up most of the way.
Day 3: A temple by the sea, then Seomyeon
Haedong Yonggungsa is one of the few Korean temples built right on the coast, on the rocks above the sea in Gijang, northeast of Haeundae. There is no subway stop nearby, so take a bus or taxi from the Haeundae area, and go in the morning before the tour groups arrive. The steps down to the temple and back up are the main effort of the day.
Spend the afternoon in Seomyeon, the city's transport hub where Lines 1 and 2 cross. Above ground it is a dense grid of shops and restaurants; below, a long underground shopping arcade links to the station. A few minutes' walk east, the Jeonpo café streets are a good place to sit down with a coffee and a dessert. Seomyeon is also where many travelers end their trip, because it is the easiest place to get anywhere from.
Solo tips for women
- Busan is generally considered an easy, safe city for women traveling alone, but the usual habits apply: keep to lit, busy streets late at night and let someone know your plans.
- Convenience stores are everywhere and open late; they sell water, snacks, transit cards and basic toiletries, and most have an ATM.
- Many cafés and restaurants have counter seats or small tables, so eating alone is normal and unremarkable.
- If you would like a quiet evening in, your hotel room is a perfectly good place to rest; see our notes on resting well on a Korea trip.
