Busan Travel Guide｜8-Day Itinerary with VISIT BUSAN PASS for Seamless Exploration

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[Travelogue] 8 Days 7 Nights Free Travel in Busan, South Korea 2025

From south to north, use the VISIT BUSAN PASS to explore beautiful sights and enjoy delicious food, starting your exclusive Busan journey.

Guang’an Bridge

Background

Last year, during the 2024 “Second Visit to Kyushu 9-Day Free Travel, Entering via Busan→Hakata Cruise”, I entered from Busan, South Korea, then took a ship to Fukuoka, Japan. That time, I only spent a morning in Busan, briefly visiting Haedong Yonggungsa Temple and Haeundae; this July–August, with some free time at work, I set out again to explore Busan more deeply, this time with my equally free-spirited Pinkoi colleague Sean.

Date: 2025/07/29–08/05

TL;DR

Summary first: “Busan, South Korea may lack Japan’s tranquility and order, but it offers a casual vibe and warmth.”

Must-Visit Attractions:

• [North] Skyline Luge

• [North] Busan Yacht Tour Y Holic

• [North] Capsule Train

• [North] Jjimjilbang

• [North] Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

• [North] Shinsegae Department Store

• [South] Yeongdo Bridge

Must Eat:

• [North] Grilled Eel — PUNGCHEONMAN

• [North] Salt Bread — Jayeondo saltbread

• [South] Throat Pot Lid BBQ — Moggumung Nampo Branch

• [South] Milgot Red Bean Cream Mugwort Glutinous Rice Cake

Required:

• Korea Busan Pass VISIT BUSAN PASS (A must-have, saves you a lot of money)

Things I didn’t get to eat this time: seafood pancake (missed it), pork soup rice (had it last time), raw octopus (don’t eat raw; saw many got food poisoning on IG), marinated crab (don’t eat raw)

Preparation Before Travel

Transportation

Air Tickets

Busan Air (including 15KG checked baggage).

Price: NT$6,728 / person.

• Departure: 07/29 (Tue) Taipei Taoyuan (TPE) 16:25 -> Busan Gimhae (PUS) 19:55

• Return: 08/05 (Tue) Busan Gimhae (PUS) 10:50 -> Taipei Taoyuan (TPE) 12:35

Total days: 8 days, actual days: 6 days (the first and last days are basically just for flying).

Transportation Card

KKday Physical Transportation Card

This year, iPhone can use Tmoney directly from the Apple Wallet transit card, allowing easy top-ups and usage; however, I have already topped up a physical card purchased last year, so I haven’t used it.

Starting this year, you can also top up your transportation card directly through the Wowpass App. The process involves first loading funds onto Wowpass with a credit card, then transferring money from Wowpass to Tmoney. This method has more steps and requires paying a handling fee.

For any type, it is recommended to preload value using a credit card in Taiwan (since some cards may only support specific issuers) or bring some cash to Korea to add value at the machines. Naver Map

Must use Naver Map in Korea.

Must use Naver Map in South Korea.

Must use Naver Map in Korea.

Bus Regulations

• Bus Regulations in Busan: Carry-on luggage larger than 20 inches and handheld tumblers are prohibited (holding them without drinking is also not allowed; you will be stopped).

• Buses always board through the front door and exit through the rear door; the card reader at the front door is usually located behind the driver’s seat.

• Additionally, stores do not accept outside trash, so if you bring your own iced drink, it’s best to finish it at the attraction or mall and dispose of it before leaving to avoid trouble.

• If there are two or more people, you can just take a taxi comfortably. Busan has many taxis that are cheap, new, and very convenient.

• Please confirm the direction before entering the subway station.

Korea Busan Pass VISIT BUSAN PASS

Busan Pass is available in two types: unlimited use for a limited time (24/48 HR) and limited use within 180 days.

KKday 2025/08 Busan Pass Information

• Because the itinerary spans these 8 days and the attractions we want to visit are limited, we chose to buy two BIG5 tickets.

• Price: NT$1,380 * 2 tickets = NT$2,760

• Show the order QR code directly on the electronic version for use

Actual usage status is as follows:

KKday 2025/08 Busan Pass Information

• One less blue (didn’t visit Taizongdae)

• I took the Haeundae Coastal Train once each day for two days.

Busan Yacht Tour Y Holic Reservation ⚠️

To use the Busan Pass for the Busan yacht tour, you need to book with the boat operator in advance. We chose Y Holic as an example.

After purchasing the Pass, contact the boat operator through the following channels:

IG: @yachtholic_info (We communicate via Line)
LINE: @yachtholic
Email: yh@yachtholic.com
WeChat: yachtholic

Provide the number of people, date, time slot, email or contact information, and the Busan Pass QR code.

Waiting for confirmation. If there are no issues, the reservation will be successful!

• Night sessions (18:00) require an additional fee of 5,000 KRW per person, payable on-site or via advance transfer.

• Arrive 30 minutes early to line up for identity verification

• We watched the sunset at around 18:30.

If you don’t want to buy a Pass, you can directly book the yacht tour.

Busan, South Korea｜Haeundae Blueline Park Coastal Train & Sky Capsule Train Ticket

Please note: The Coastal Train and the Capsule Train are different. Do not buy the wrong ticket. The beautiful Capsule Train is not included in the Busan Pass and requires a separate ticket purchase; it is also very popular, so be sure to buy and reserve your ticket before departure.

• Sky Capsule Departure from Weipo

• 2-seater (1 unit for 2 people)

• Price: NT$861

Korea SIM Card｜Korea High-Speed Unlimited Data eSIM

• 7-Day Unlimited Data Plan (Didn’t buy it since I went to the airport early on the last day)

Naver Map

Naver Map is a must-use in South Korea.

Must use Naver Map in Korea.

Must use Naver Map in Korea.

Interlude — The Day Before Departure, I Tried to Log into Naver Map and Found My Account Locked

https://help.naver.com/service/5640/contents/20783?lang=en&osType=COMMONOS

The reason is suspected to be that logging in from Taiwan was considered suspicious activity, triggering Naver’s account protection mechanism.

You can reactivate your account through identity verification, but I’m not sure if it’s because you forgot what name to enter or because foreigners can’t pass real-name verification. Either way, no matter what you input, it shows an error message, and eventually the account gets locked.

Crawling online data says you can fill out a form to request lifting the protection mechanism “Members residing outside of Korea_Request to lift account protection measures,” but I was unsure about the name issue, so my first application was rejected:

Appeal Failed

For the second email, I directly went to the Help Center to fill out the application form:

Appeal content I entered:

1. Your NAVER ID.
Your Naver account. If you forgot your ID, you can recover it using your email or phone number.

2. The registered name, date of birth, and contact information (mobile phone number or email address) of your NAVER ID.
Date of birth: YYYY/MM/DD The birthdate you registered
Mobile Number: +886XXXXXXXXX The phone number you registered
Email: The email you registered
Registered Name: Sorry, I really forgot which name I entered, it may be one of the following:
Possible name combinations:
XXXXX LI
LI XXXXX
XXX
李XX
but my real first name is XXXX, last name is Li

3. Attach your overseas identification card.
As attached file.

4. The details of your request to the NAVER Help Center.
I forgot the name I entered and want to lift the account protection measures.

The more information you can provide, the better. Finally, attach a file with an image of the passport personal data page.

And then it was successfully unlocked:

You will receive an email with a temporary password. Use this temporary password to log in to Naver Map. Remember to change your password and enable two-factor authentication (because we have disabled Naver’s login protection mechanism).

Naver’s response time is quite fast, usually resolving issues within half a day; if you’re worried about being unexpectedly locked out, you can first apply for “ Members residing outside of Korea_Request to lift account protection measures “ ( Refer to this guide for filling it out _).*

Food

The only place that requires advance reservation is the Korean beef BBQ on the west side, Hwarou Restaurant, Tampo Branch.

CatchTable

The platform Catchtable is quite convenient for booking Korean restaurants in advance.

Joy

• Day 1 07/29 (Tue): Arrive in Busan, Head Straight to Haeundae Hotel

• Day 2 07/30 (Wed): Morning Skyline Luge, Haedong Yonggungsa Temple; Afternoon Coastal Train + Capsule Train, return to Haeundae, Busan X the SKY; Evening Mijeongwang BBQ

• Day 3 07/31 (Thu): Morning Cheongsapo, honey butter toast, coastal train back to Haeundae, afternoon Spa Land, evening Busan yacht tour, grilled eel for dinner

• Day 4 08/01 (Fri): Move to Nampo-dong, Songdo Marine Cable Car, Yonggung Cloud Bridge, Gamcheon Culture Village, dinner at throat pot lid BBQ, Busan Tower night view

• Day 5 08/02 (Sat): Lotte Department Store, Yeongdo Bridge Opening (only on Saturdays)

• Day 6 08/03 (Sun): Lotte Department Store, Bupyeong Canned Food Market, Baekcheon Bay Cultural Village, Fuchuan Temple Night View

• Day 7 08/04 (Mon): Move to the west, have Korean beef for dinner

• Day 8 08/05 (Tue): Gimhae International Airport, Busan, return trip

Accommodation

Benikea Haeundae Koryo Hotel (Day 1 — Day 4, Three Nights) )

The location is fairly convenient, about a 10-minute walk to Haeundae Street. The room has a window but no sea view, with two single beds.

• Price: Actual cost NT$12,032, about NT$2,000 per person per night.

Hotel Noah (Day 4 — Day 7, Three Nights)

About a 5-minute walk from Jagalchi Station on the subway. BIFF Square is right across the street. The room has windows and two double beds.

• Price: Actual payment NT$7,783, about NT$1,298 per person per night.

Air Sky Hotel (Day 7 — Day 8 One Night)

Only one stop away from the airport, the total time for waiting, riding, and walking is about 10 minutes. The room has windows and two twin beds.

• Price: Actual payment NT$2,835, about NT$1,418 per person per night.

Side note: After completing the booking, the hotel will send an automated message requesting a deposit. If you have already paid the full amount at the time of booking, you can ignore this message.

Visa

Visa-free for South Korea: Simply fill out the online entry application form at least three days before departure, and you can complete entry with just your passport upon arrival.

Ready to go, let’s set off!

Day 1 07/29 (Tue) Taiwan to Haeundae

~=13:30 Arrive at Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 2

Around 13:50, check-in counters open; by about 14:10, check-in and baggage drop are completed.

You can first complete online check-in and seat selection (free) on the Busan Air official website here.

14:30 Complete immigration and eat something

Because we need to head straight to the hotel after landing in Busan, we ate well in Taiwan first.

15:00 Start waiting at the gate, activate eSIM

Because I was worried about poor airport Wi-Fi, I activated the eSIM in Taiwan first at 台灣啟用 eSIM.

~=16:40 Plane Takeoff

Slight delay, took off 15 minutes late. The seats are quite small.

~=20:05 Arrive in Busan, South Korea

Busan Airport is a joint military-civilian airport, and photography is prohibited.

~=20:30 Pick up luggage + complete immigration clearance

First, I went to the convenience store at the airport to buy some snacks for energy, exchanged money, and took a short break.

~=21:00 Arrive at Gimhae Light Rail — Airport Station

It takes about a 5-minute walk from the airport.

First, accompany Sean to top up the transportation card. There are two machines here for topping up transportation cards (Self Service Charger), which only accept increments of 1000 KRW.

After tapping your card to enter, please find the platform for Sasang Station. The next stop is “West Busan Distribution Area.”

~=21:15 Arrive at Sha Shang and transfer to the Green Line

Just follow the green signs on the ground to transfer from the light rail to the metro green line, heading towards “Changshan” (the other direction is towards Liangshan, don’t confuse the characters). The next stop is “Gantian.”

~=21:20 Arrived at Green Line Sha Shang Station to wait for the bus

~=22:20 Arrive at Haeundae

When approaching Haeundae Station, the subway announcement includes the sound of seagulls.

~=22:30 Arrive at the hotel

~=22:50 Head out to Haeundae Street for food hunting

The place where I stayed is near Haeundae Traditional Market, which sells a lot of food.

~=23:30 Return to the hotel to start eating

Finally bought BBQ fried chicken in two flavors, traditional market spicy rice cakes, and convenience store alcohol.

One order of fried chicken is enough for two people; two orders are too much (feels like four orders in Taiwan). The actual cost is NT $1,210.

This mango liqueur ( Iced tea highball with mango cubes ) is delicious (5%). It contains canned mango chunks, and I later found out that Taiwan’s FamilyMart also stocks it.

Day 2 07/30 (Wed) Skyline Luge, Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Coastal Train, Capsule Train, Busan X the SKY, Mijeongwang BBQ

09:30 Leaving — Super nice weather

There is a bus directly to Skyline Luge right at the hotel entrance.

10:25 Skyline Luge 👍👍👍

Queueing for ticket exchange started around 10:30 (Busan Pass requires ticket exchange before use). There were quite a few people, and it took about 20 minutes to get the tickets. The Busan Pass allows you to choose either two rides on the luge or one luge ride and one zipline ride. Most people chose to ride the luge twice.

You can also buy tickets on KKday without purchasing a Pass. _(Cheaper than buying on-site, but you still need to exchange the ticket to enter)*

After exchanging the ticket, go next door to choose a helmet that fits your size. Once you put on the helmet, you can take the cable car up.

~=11:00 Take the cable car

People all gather at the ticket exchange and purchase counters, but there is hardly any queue for the cable car and the slide car. On the way up by cable car, you can see the track below. It takes about 5 minutes to reach the starting point.

If you’re afraid of open-air cable cars, I saw another nearby gondola cable car that seems to be opening soon(?).

11:05 Ready to Depart

From above, you can overlook the neighboring Lotte World.

For the first entry, a hand stamp will be given, and staff will provide a brief tutorial.

The operation method is basically:

• Feet Straight

• Move Forward, Brake Ahead

• Do not stop midway, do not stop midway, do not stop midway; stopping completely makes it very hard to keep moving.

• Slow down before turning to avoid tipping over.

• Watch out for overtaking.

• Both hands must be free; holding the phone is not allowed. There may be photo opportunities with cameras along the way, and you can buy souvenirs at the gift shop.

• Be careful not to lose your personal belongings.

It only takes about 6 minutes to scroll from top to bottom.

Next are the souvenir center and the place where you can buy photos taken along the way.

Walk back through the souvenir center to the entrance, then queue again for the cable car up.

This time, line up again at the entrance channel (you can play directly, no staff teaching).

ㄏ Victory.

11:45 Leave and head to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

After exiting Skyline Luge, walk straight across the road to reach Haedong Yonggungsa Temple. It takes about 10 minutes on an uphill path.

11:55 Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

Because I visited last year, this time I just took a quick look around.

Arrived at the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple vendor entrance around 11:55.

This time I realized that you can also enter from the right side of the Haidong Longgong Temple plaque entrance. It’s a gentle downhill path that leads directly to the main hall; the plaque entrance side has very steep stairs and is difficult to walk.

12:45 Wait for the bus to Songjeong Station

Busan has good summer cooling measures. There are sun umbrellas at traffic lights, and most bus stops have fans that can be activated by pressing a button.

The route plan is shown in the image below:

Take the bus and walk from Skyline Luge to Songjeong Station on the Coastal Train, take the Coastal Train to Cheongsapo Station, then transfer to the Capsule Train back to Haeundae.

~=13:15 Arrive at Songjeong Station

It takes about 10 minutes to walk from the bus stop, and it’s very hot and sunny.

ref

The 13:30 slot is full, so I booked the 14:00 slot. ( Schedule )

Side note: The station staff did not allow us to use the Busan Pass PDF file; they insisted we show the voucher through the KKday App.

Busan Pass tickets allow one boarding per station on the same day, so you can visit multiple attractions along the route.

It’s still early, so let’s grab a bite at a convenience store first; right outside Songjeong Station is Songjeong Beach (which seems less crowded), and there’s a convenience store nearby.

~=13:40 Start waiting for the bus

Remember to line up early for the bus, or you’ll end up standing at the very back.

Exit through the station and walk to the platform. After ticket inspection at the platform entrance, you can start waiting for the train.

Around 13:50, the bus will arrive, and the crowd starts to stir and line up.

~=14:00 Departure

Sitting in the second row, the view is quite nice.

~=14:15 Arrive at Cheongsapo

After getting off, you will see the stairs to the 2nd floor on the platform, which lead to the capsule train boarding area.

Open the link in the KKday order voucher to view the ticket voucher; after going upstairs, show the voucher to the staff at the pavilion (we booked the 14:30–15:00 time slot). They will give you a number tag, and the calling will start when it’s your turn. If the calling has already started, you must wait until it finishes.

During the wait, I went to the souvenir shop next door and bought a fan.

The capsule train also provides free fans (see the far right photo).

~=14:30 Capsule Train Boarding Call and Queue

When the time comes, staff will start calling numbers in order for the queue.

There is air conditioning above the queue area. The voucher will be verified only before boarding (remember to have it ready). After boarding, the staff will take a group photo. Then, you can decide whether to buy it from them after getting off.

~=14:40 Capsule Train from Cheongsapo -> Toepo (Haeundae) Departure! 👍👍👍

It looks thrilling but actually moves very slowly; there is no air conditioning inside the carriage, but there are fans and speakers where you can plug in your phone to play music.

Enjoy the scenery along the way and take some trendy photos (?)

~=15:10 Arrive at Uipo (Haeundae)

Head towards the Haeundae direction (tall buildings) and come out to the intersection. On the right across the street is the famous and delicious Salt Bread — Jayeondo saltbread (will come back to buy later). On the left, walk straight down to the seaside entrance, which is the Busan Sky entrance.

~=15:35 Busan BUSAN X the SKY

The glass facing Haeundae Beach is fenced off, so you can’t take photos close to it.

There is a transparent glass floor bridge, but the glass is heavily worn, so the effect is mediocre; there is also a transparent glass restroom.

Walk down to the café and souvenir shop to look back at the route the capsule train just took.

Ate a fish cake sausage to replenish energy (taste was so-so).

Besides cafes and souvenir shops, this floor also has free exhibitions.

~=16:00 Leave and walk back to buy Salt Bread — Jayeondo saltbread 👍👍👍

One pack contains 6 pieces. I bought one to share at the hotel. The combination of fragrance, crispiness, and a slight saltiness enhances the flavor. I think it’s very tasty.

There are many large-scale construction and renovation projects in Haeundae, seemingly preparing for a bid to host the 2030 World Expo (which has already failed).

Return to the hotel to rest, then go to Wei Zan Wang for dinner.

17:50 Arrive at 味贊王海雲台店 — Matchandeul Salted Grill Haeundae Branch

There is a machine at the entrance for waiting. Enter your email to receive a notification. At 17:50, a small queue started to form.

Tap the button to check the current number. You will also receive an entry notification email when it’s your turn, which is very convenient; also, be careful as construction is ongoing in the building opposite and next door.

18:25 Entry and Dining

It took about 30 minutes to get in.

We directly ordered the set meal for two (includes one meat each + soybean paste stew + rice cooked in a pot) and a bottle of Cass beer, with the total bill around NT$1,500.

Will grill it well for you. Reviews say the meat is tasty but the portions are small and you have to wait in line.

~=20:30 Return to Haeundae Street after dinner

Strolled along Haeundae Street to digest a bit and bought ice cream from a matcha specialty shop as a dessert to refresh.

Next door is Olive Young’s newly opened Delight Project store, where I did some shopping; many items have buy two get one free offers, and you can get an instant tax refund on purchases over 15,000 KRW.

Then I took a stroll at Haeundae Beach before heading back to the hotel to rest.

Day 3 07/31 (Thu) Cheongsapo, Spa Land, Coastal Train, Busan Yacht Tour

Because I only transferred at Cheongsap Port yesterday without exploring, I came again today.

11:00 Get on the bus and depart for Cheongsapo

The bus from Haeundae to Cheongsapo is a minibus. Along the way, it passes through communities like Busan Sanso, where the roads are narrow and steep.

11:30 Arrive at Qingshapu

Nearby, I casually found a place to have lunch (Gohyang katsu). I ordered a pork cutlet sandwich; the meat was thick, tender, and reasonably priced.

~=12:30 DIART COFFEE Honey Butter Toast

After lunch, we walked out to the highly recommended Busan Honey Butter Toast at DIART COFFEE. We ordered one toast (₩10,000) and a coffee (₩5,500) to take a break.

For serving instructions, refer to the card. In short, cut the bread into pieces first, then evenly spread butter and honey before eating.

Honey is not too sweet, combined with the creamy butter and crispy bread, delicious without being greasy.

~=13:30 Return to Cheongsapo to catch the coastal train back to Oe-po (Haeundae)

Yesterday’s ticket is no longer valid, so I used the Busan Pass to exchange for a coastal train ticket; since this is a mid-route boarding station, I had to stand in the last row.

There are several viewing platforms along the way, but it was too hot, so we didn’t get off.

~=13:55 Arrive at Uipo (Haeundae)

After returning to Haeundae, I walked and took the bus to Shinsegae Spa Land.

~=14:30 Arrive at SHINSEGAE Department Store

No sightseeing, heading straight to the first floor Spa Land.

14:40 Spa Land

Use Busan Pass to redeem Spa Land.

You can purchase in advance on Kkday even without buying the Pass.

Upon entry, you will receive a sensor wristband. Use the wristband to store your shoes and clothes. Change into the special sauna clothes inside the venue. You can also visit the sauna first (full nudity required) before going to the sauna rooms. The sauna room entrance is in the direction of the women’s changing room.

The first floor has a sunbathing area, nail salon, snack stalls, and various types of sweat steaming rooms (during summer vacation, they are almost all fully packed). The third floor has a restaurant (where you can eat grilled eggs and instant noodles), massage services, massage chairs, and a yoga room.

After the sauna, I went to the sunbathing area to lie down and soak up the sun, and ordered a drink (super sweet).

All purchases inside the venue are made by scanning the wristband, with payment settled upon exit.

Honestly, this time I didn’t get to experience the sweat room at all; it was insanely crowded. Maybe next time.

17:00 Prepare to gather at the yacht pier

For the 18:30 session, please arrive early at the meeting point for roll call.

Before departure, I bought and ate some food at New World Department Store B1 to fill my stomach.

Take the subway to Dongbaek Station

It takes about 15 more minutes on foot to reach the pier after exiting.

The pier only has vending machines and restrooms, which are dirty and crowded with long lines; it is recommended to buy what you need and use the restroom in the city before coming.

~=18:00 Arrive at the yacht pier

After passing through the visitor center, you will arrive at the pier meeting point. Each boat operator has a different pier meeting location.

Around 18:15, the boat operator appeared to start organizing and taking attendance, collecting the nighttime surcharge fee on-site (5,000 KRW per person).

18:30 Yacht Departure 👍👍

Wear a life jacket when boarding the boat and sit in the front seat on the second level.

It drives slowly and smoothly, heading all the way across the Gwangan Bridge.

However, those prone to seasickness are still advised to take motion sickness medicine.

General Route Map:

~=18:50 Arriving at Gwangalli Beach Area

About 20 minutes later, we will arrive at the waters in front of Gwangalli Beach, where many visitors are playing SUP. We will stop here and set off fireworks. The fireworks are lit by the crew members of the yachts that depart during this time, but since it is still bright, they are not very visible.

The staff along the way are also very enthusiastic in helping to take photos.

~=19:00 Return trip

Just happened to see the sunset glow.

~=19:20 Return to land

After returning to the mainland, I took a bus back to Haeundae.

~=19:35 Return to Haeundae

Haeundae Beach has markets and food trucks.

~=19:55 Go to Haeundae for grilled eel PUNGCHEONMAN 👍👍

There are many seats inside the store, so no need to wait in line; we went straight in.

We ordered grilled eel, grilled beef slices, cold noodles *2, and draft beer, totaling NT$2,387.

Grilled eel is crispy, tender, and juicy, very delicious with no fishy smell at all; grilled beef slices are good but ordinary; cold buckwheat noodles resemble brown sugar shaved ice but actually have a soy sauce flavor with crushed ice, making it refreshing and tasty.

After eating, we walked around Haeundae Street, visited the Haeundae Traditional Market (forgot to try the seafood pancake, so frustrating!), and bought some souvenirs. Tomorrow, we will leave Haeundae.

Day 4 08/01 (Fri) Nampo-dong, Songdo Marine Cable Car, Yonggung Cloud Bridge, Gamcheon Culture Village, Busan Tower

09:15 Depart for Nampo-dong

Early in the morning, prepare to leave Haeundae and head to Nampo-dong.

~=10:30 Arrive at Jagalchi Station, Hotel Noah hotel

Luggage Storage.

BIFF Square

The hotel is right across from BIFF Square, which is lively and convenient.

~=11:00 Lunch — Hongkong 0410 Nampo 1st Branch

Near noon, I casually found a restaurant inside BIFF for lunch. This one serves Korean-Chinese cuisine.

Ordered fried dumplings, sweet and sour pork (medium, feels like a small size would be enough), and Korean-style black bean noodles.

Fried dumplings are a bit greasy, but sweet and sour pork is good.

12:15 Take the bus + walk, arrive at Matsushima Ropeway Station

After getting off the bus, I still need to walk about 10 minutes. It’s too hot, so I’ll first go to the convenience store to get a cup of homemade iced latte to cool down.

After entering, go to the counter to exchange for the Busan Pass cable car ticket (Pass is a crystal cabin, round trip, so keep the ticket safe).

After getting the ticket, take the escalator upstairs to line up for the cable car. (They handed out lollipops, but I didn’t take one)

12:25 Board the vehicle

5–6 people per unit.

~=12:35 Arrive at Matsushima

Exit and turn right, then walk straight down.

Go down the stairs, turn right, and walk straight to reach the “Matsushima Ryugu Suspension Bridge.”

~=12:40 Arrive at Matsushima Ryugu Suspension Bridge

The nearby ticket office uses the Busan Pass for ticket exchange and entry.

There is no shade here at all. Under the strong sun, it can get very hot, but you can get a bird’s-eye view of the entire Matsushima Ropeway.

~=13:00 Return to Matsushima Ropeway, queue for the ropeway back

~=13:25 Leave Matsushima and walk back to take the bus

There is also a viewing platform near the cable car, but we didn’t go because it was too hot.

Walk back to the bus stop, return to the city, and then transfer to a minibus to Gamcheon Culture Village.

~=14:20 Gamcheon Culture Village

We didn’t plan to take photos, just visiting the spots; it felt like a rainbow community with some cafes. We strolled through quickly, then went to another bus stop to take the bus back to the hotel.

The bus here is a minibus, similar to the one going up Yangmingshan. The driver drives aggressively, and it is very crowded and packed.

~=15:00 Return to Noah Hotel for rest

Hotel Noah

• View from the room window

• I initially thought there were no coin-operated washing machines, but it turns out free washers are available in the third-floor restroom.

~=17:40 Depart to have dinner

It takes about 10 minutes to walk from the hotel.

~=17:50 Throat Pot Lid Barbecue — Moggumung Nampo Branch 👍👍👍

• The unique feature is that the grill plate doubles as the pot lid.

• Xiaocai includes vitamin C (I checked that taking vitamin C before or after barbecue can reduce free radicals and lower cancer risk).

• At least three portions of meat are required, and the staff will grill each for you.

• Ordered two pork, one beef, two bowls of instant noodles, and Cass beer. Each meat portion is 18,000 KRW. The total was NT$1,060, very affordable, and the meat was delicious!! Highly recommended.

~= 18:30 Walk to Busan Tower

After eating, walk to Busan Tower to digest for about 20 minutes.

The whole way was lively, with many restaurants to eat at.

The navigation should actually be set to — 龍頭山紀念公園入口 Yongdusan Media Park Entrance There is an escalator going up there; from this point, you need to hike uphill for about 5 minutes.

19:00 Arrive at the base of Busan Tower, wait until sunset before going up to see the night view

In the meantime, visit the souvenir shop.

19:30 Go up Busan Tower

Show your Busan Pass at the first-floor counter to exchange for an entrance ticket.

Busan Tower ticket holders can scan the QR code to play a puzzle game. Solving all the codes will earn you a small prize. (I have written the codes below)

Many people were already waiting when I arrived.

19:45 Busan sunset glow.

20:00/20:10… There was a light projection and fireworks show, but the effect was mediocre.

20:00 Busan Night View

~= 20:10 Leave the tower and exit

There are still many photo spots before leaving.

~= 20:15 Redeem Small Souvenirs

Before heading down the mountain, remember to go to the unmanned ticket box machine outside:

• Enter password: 19731121 (Busan Tower construction date)

• You can use the certificate to redeem a small prize at the souvenir center in the blue building outside (not the one on the first floor of Busan Tower).

A small souvenir is a card, available in various styles. I chose a transparent Busan Tower card:

Heading down from Longtou Mountain Park.

There is an escalator here!!! (Going up, none going down the mountain, part of it is under renovation)

20:30 Return to — 龍頭山紀念公園入口 Yongdusan Media Park Entrance

Remember, it’s closer to go to Busan Tower from here.

Strolled around the shopping street and found an HBAF almond specialty store, probably the place with the most complete flavor selection; bought a Yellow combo pack (with small bags inside) and some other special flavors (pop rocks that really pop, spicy stir-fried rice cakes), as well as popular flavors (honey, Oreo, corn) to take home as gifts.

20:45 Return to —BIFF Square to buy late-night snacks

There are many street vendors here, and the floor has handprints of celebrities.

Makgeolli, BHC Fried Chicken — BHC Chicken Busan Nampo Branch (right at BIFF Square) 👍👍

Finally bought it to eat:

• Margli Wine: Similar to millet wine or fermented rice wine, very good.

• BHC Boneless Fried Chicken: The seasoning and the chicken are both tender and delicious.

00:00 Good night, Nampo

Around 00:00, the street vendors clear out.

Day 5 08/02 (Sat) Lotte Department Store, Yeongdo Bridge Opening (Only on Saturday)

10:45 Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch, Lotte Supermarket — Lotte Dept. Store Gwangbok Branch Aqua Mall

Around 10:XX, head out. Rakuten Department Store opens at 10:30, so walk there leisurely.

First, go to the B1 food court café and grab a quick breakfast. (So-so, the coffee is Lungo)

11:30 Start wandering around the department store randomly

• Bought a few clothes at the Kodak store (on average NT$300–$500 cheaper than Taiwan resellers).
  The store offers direct tax refunds.

• Bought a handheld fan
  Use the receipt to find the tax refund machine at the B1 food court to print the tax refund form, then go to the airport to get the cash refund. (You can get about NT$60 back)

• The department store starts a water dance show every hour from 11 o’clock, which is quite impressive.

12:30 B1 Downtown Hamburger

After getting tired from walking, I went to B1 to have a Downtown burger for lunch; I get the logic, but American burgers also come with pickles!

After eating, head to the department store’s rooftop observation deck for a stroll (very sunny and hot).

~=13:30 Exit the department store and wait outside at Yeongdo Bridge for the bridge to open

It’s very sunny outside, and more people gather as it gets closer to 14:00; at this time, an elderly lady came over and told us that from 8/2 to 8/30, due to the heat, the event was moved to 20:00!! Shocking!! Then people started spreading the word that it was changed to 20:00, and everyone began to slowly leave.

Later, I saw the announcement banner on the railing. (The board on the left shows the regular schedule)

13:50 Return to Lotte Department Store and Lotte Mart to continue wandering around

Rakuten Supermarket also sells some souvenirs and skincare products (similar to Carrefour).

B1 Tax Refund Machine

It took a long time to find the tax refund machine, located on the small path next to Din Tai Fung.

• If it’s not an immediate tax refund, you need to scan the receipt barcode here to get the tax refund form, then claim the refund at the airport. (A bit troublesome)

I just found out that Korea has different tax refund agencies: Global Blue, GLOBAL TAX FREE, Easy Tax Refund, CubeRefund, and eTAX FREE. You can only use the corresponding refund machines ; because I saw a cash refund machine at Olive Young for GLOBAL TAX FREE, but my receipt is CubeRefund, so I still have to go to the airport for the refund.

16:35 Return to the hotel to rest

After getting tired from shopping, I went to B1 to buy Korean red bean and peach snacks along with a convenience store hand-shaken drink made with the old recipe (iced cup + banana milk + unsweetened black coffee). Then, I walked back to the hotel through the underground mall to rest.

19:00 Leave the hotel to visit BIFF Olive Young

I didn’t get to explore Haeundae at all, OY. Since I had some time, I decided to check it out first. This store is very large, with many staff who are all very friendly.

Spoils

19:40 Arrive at Kage Island Bridge, wait for the drawbridge to open

There is a booth under the bridge for commemorative photo composites.

Traffic control will start around 19:50.

20:00 Bridge Opening

First, watch from under the bridge. Around 20:05, when it’s almost started, move up.

There was a projection introducing the history of Yeongdo Bridge, but the projector angle on the first day seemed off, making it hard to see clearly.

20:15 The bridge lowers again, traffic resumes

20:30 Dinner — Ton Black & Tempura Nine

• On the way back to the hotel at night, I casually chose a tonkatsu restaurant to eat (the pork cutlet was still tender and delicious).

• An actual transaction of NT$366

~=21:50 Return to the hotel to rest

Day 6 08/03 (Sun) Lotte Department Store, Bupyeong Can Market, Baegseon Bay Cultural Village, Fuguan Temple Night View

Just wandering around today to pass the time, content not recommended for reference, purely for record.

10:00 Head out and eat first — Egg Drop

• Located on the shopping street opposite Rakuten Department Store.

• Order at the machine on the first floor, take a number ticket, then go upstairs to find a seat (make sure to check for available seats first).

• Waited for about 20 minutes.

• Ordered a ham and cheese omelette toast + hash browns + iced coffee: 8,400 KRW.

It’s good, but I think some brunches in Taiwan taste even better.

11:00 Eat well before setting off again

On the way to Lotte Department Store, there is a “Big Shop” Busan souvenir specialty store, offering many Boogi and Busan-themed merchandise.

Lotte Department Store Gwangbok Branch, Lotte Supermarket — Lotte Dept. Store Gwangbok Branch Aqua Mall

Bored, I continued browsing Rakuten Department Store.

11:45 B1 Mukguk Table Steamed Cuisine Lotte Dept. Store Gwangbok Branch

After eating heavy-flavored food for several days, I want a lighter lunch.

• Rice needs to be ordered separately.

• It has little to no flavor.

After eating, I took another walk around.

12:50 Leave Lotte Department Store, head to Sky Eye Observatory — Yeongju Haneul Nun Observatory

Just wandered around nearby and found an observation deck I missed last year. There’s a direct bus (21 minutes), so I went there.

• Almost all buses in Busan are brand new electric buses with very cool air conditioning.

• Passing by Last year’s stop: Busan Station

13:00 Sky Eye Observatory — Yeongju Haneul Nun Observatory

After getting off at the bus stop, walk across the street and look down to see it.

The scenery here is beautiful, offering a panoramic view of Busan’s Nampo area.

Going down to Fuping Canned Food Market — First, buy the recommended The Liter bubble tea by a colleague

• Only recommend: Blueberry Yogurt Smoothie, available in 600ML or 1,000ML sizes; tasty and refreshing without being too sweet or making you thirstier. Price is about 4,300 KRW.

Fuping Canned Food Market

Inside the canned goods market, there are many stalls selling dry food, groceries, and seafood (like a traditional market), covering a large area.

Fuping Canned Market — Milgot Red Bean Butter Mugwort Glutinous Rice Cake 👍

It is probably the most famous shop in the canned market, known for its specialty — red bean cream mugwort glutinous rice cake.

• Because I don’t speak Korean, I just took a photo and showed it to the staff to order this.

• The clerk said to keep it frozen and thaw for half an hour to an hour before eating for the best taste.

• Also bought a savory bread, which was pretty good!

Later, I took it back to the hotel to eat. The mugwort cake has a chewy texture, paired with soybean powder and red bean cream filling. I found it quite unique and slightly sweet. If you pass by, you should give it a try!

Also bought another box of BHC Fried Chicken to have for dinner.

18:30 Depart Again

After resting in the evening, I went out again, mainly to shoot the night view at Fuquan Temple. First, I visited Baixianwan Cultural Village.

18:45 Baishawan Cultural Village

The most famous spot here is — Enjoy the View, Coffee, and Foot Bath — VIEW, FOOT BATH CAFE foot bath cafe.

But since it was late, we only had a brief look around; there are many cafes and small shops along the coast, but maybe because it was late, there weren’t many people. The coastal trail below was under maintenance and inaccessible. The weather was cloudy today, so the scenery was not great.

19:00 Head to 福泉寺 — Bokcheonsa Temple

After leaving Baishan Bay, head uphill towards Fuquan Temple.

Originally, the map showed the bus ride was only one stop, so I thought walking would be fine. After a few steps, I gave up; the map said bus 1 stop (1 minute), but walking actually takes about 20 minutes (all steep, shaky hills).

• Yeongdogu 1 or 5 are both fine

Only take one stop to the next station Sinseon Elementary School, the rest must be on foot:

After getting off, I was stunned; it was still a very steep, shaky mountain path. From here, walk all the way up:

After elementary school, you can see the entrance to Fuquan Temple:

This is just the beginning; you still have to climb a very shaky hillside road all the way up to reach Fuquan Temple:

There will be vehicle traffic here, please be cautious ⚠️

19:25 Arrive at Fuquan Temple

Around 19:25, we finally arrived at Fuquan Temple (almost exhausted). The map said 10 minutes, but with all the uphill walking and breaks, it actually took about 25 minutes.

But the more tragic thing is — he closed down! He closed down! He closed down!

That’s right, Fuchuan Temple is not really a public tourist spot. It’s a quiet temple, and the gates close at a set time. According to colleagues, after around 6:00 PM, you can enter but not exit; they don’t rush people out, but once the gates close, no one is allowed in.

Tragically, we could only view the scenery from the loft outside. Later, some visitors who came because of its reputation also stood there.

However, seeing us sweating heavily, the abbot threw two cans of ice water to us from inside. We were so grateful.

View of the cityscape from here.

Finally, I casually took a photo of the night view before heading down the mountain. I decided to come here after seeing pictures taken by other bloggers:

This is what it should really look like inside

Heading downhill, it’s all dark:

It is a very quiet village. After walking down, I took the bus back to Zaqaqi Station.

Before returning to the hotel, I bought the Seed Sugar Cake at BIFF Square where many people were lining up. I found it oily and too sweet, not very impressive.

Around 22:00, it started raining in Busan! Luckily, our trip is almost over.

Day 7 08/04 (Mon) Busan Seomyeon, Shinsegae Department Store, Korean Beef

In the morning, head out and travel to Ximen Station.

10:45 Arrive at Seomyeon Station

Upon arrival, I thought of storing luggage directly at the subway station; other places like Lotte Department Store also offer luggage storage.

Luggage storage here is expensive: drop off at 10:45 AM, pick up at 8:10 PM.

Charged 6,000 + 7,000 KRW (about NT$280).

There is also an Olive Young in this underground shopping street, so I went to restock again.

11:00 Lunch Korean Style Knife-cut Noodles — Gijang Sonkalguksu

After shopping until nearly noon, head to the nearby market to eat Korean-style knife-cut noodles.

The menu is very simple, offering only knife-cut noodles and seaweed rolls.

We ordered seaweed rolls to share and I had the sliced cold noodles. The noodles were very chewy and refreshing; the downside was the lack of toppings (meat), making it a plain carb-only dish.

After eating, walk back to Lotte Department Store.

The Liter Seo-myeon Medical Street Branch

Then I bought a Liter blueberry smoothie yogurt to refresh my palate.

• The ajumma here is very warm and welcoming.

Lotte Department Store — Busan Main Branch Lotte Dept. Store Busan Main Branch

I find it hard to shop here, or rather, it’s even harder to shop than at Rakuten Department Store - Guangfu Branch yesterday. There are fewer floors and fewer stores; the only advantage is a large public rest area upstairs where you can charge your devices and relax.

There is also a souvenir shop here in Busan, but it has far fewer items than the one in Nampo.

After visiting the LEGO store, not sure where to go next, so I took the bus to explore Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store.

Another NC Department Store on the west side has closed. If you want to shop, you might try Tianpu Coffee Street, which has many small shops (similar to the East District), but it may not be very interesting for men.

Busan is good!

In Busan, you can see the slogan “Busan is good” everywhere. Indeed, from my travel experience, it’s really great—there are many buses, transportation is convenient, buses are new and cool, prices are cheap, and the food is delicious.

Shinsegae Department Store — Shinsegae Centum City 👍👍👍

A few days ago, I only visited Spa Land and didn’t explore the rest. This time, I’m making up for it.

Shinsegae Department Store Super Big (Guinness World Record Largest) has many things to explore.

If you haven’t had enough shopping, next door is also Lotte Dept. Store Centum City Branch.

Consisting of two buildings, each with several floors, and each floor has a large area; I casually recorded the prices of La Lebo in Busan (on the first floor).

This building’s rooftop has ZOORAJI, a free dinosaur park where you can take your kids.

Just wandered around casually; basically, all brands and all types of counters are available.

On the first floor of another building, I found Shake Shack, so I had to eat there:

SHAKE SHACK BUSAN CENTUM

I ordered the crispy chicken meal. Besides their signature dishes, I think Shake Shack’s chicken is also tender and juicy.

The pager seems to have a problem; it was actually ready earlier but didn’t ring.

The nostalgic good taste.

Travelogue: Osaka Shack Shake / Bangkok Shake Shack

~=17:00 Leave Shinsegae Department Store

~=17:45 Return to Tanoura Station (West Side)

Preparing to eat Korean beef tonight.

As soon as you exit Tanoura Station, you can see the sign pointing to Tanoura Coffee Street. There is a standalone Olive Young right outside.

Tanoura has many coffee shops and small stores, somewhat like the vibe of the East District.

Hanaro Meat Shop Tanoura Branch — flowerbeefhouse

It feels a bit like a trendy East District café. Luckily, I made a reservation in advance on CatchTable, or there would have been no seats available on site.

Ordered a Korean beef set + jjajangmyeon + Cass beer. The Korean beef was tender but lacked beef flavor, I found it average; plus, the price was a real NT$2,458, not very cost-effective, not as good as the throat pot lid barbecue I had a few days ago.

The advantages are mainly beautiful photos, friendly staff, and they speak Chinese.

19:15 Walk back to Ximen Station after eating

There are really many small shops, cafes, and even a ZARA from Tianpu to the west side.

After returning to Seomyeon Station, go to Lotte Department Store B1 Food Court to buy food, then prepare to go to the airport hotel

There is also a supermarket here. I ended up buying these takoyaki to eat back at the hotel, choosing the Korean flavor on the far right.

~=20:30 Head to the airport hotel

This time, heading in the opposite direction toward Gaya University, also on a Tuesday, it felt like seeing myself who had just arrived in Busan last Tuesday.

~=21:00 Arrive at AIR SKY HOTEL

The hotel is located at the previous stop before the airport — Seomyeon West Busan Distribution Area Station, with CU and GS25 convenience stores directly across the street.

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This room and bathroom are the largest and best-equipped for three days, but we are only staying as guests for one night.

You can see planes taking off and landing directly outside the room window.

I bought peach wine at the convenience store to go with the takoyaki I just bought. I think this takoyaki is great. Although it got soft by the time I brought it back, it’s made with black squid ink as the base, has the crispiness of Taiwanese takoyaki, and is paired with Korean spicy sauce. Very delicious. 😋

Day 8 08/05 (Tue) Busan Gimhae International Airport, Return Trip

Time flies, and the eight-day trip to Busan is coming to an end. On the last day, the only plan is to go to the airport.

From the hotel, take one stop to reach the airport (about 10 minutes).

After arriving at the airport, go directly to the second floor for international departures.

Still sleepy in the morning, forgot to apply for SES to speed up the next entry clearance.

Tax Refund

If you have a tax refund form to claim, remember to follow this article to process it.
I lost my tax refund form…

There are many self-check-in machines along the edge of the second floor. You can check in and select seats right here. You can also see that the third floor has many food options and shops.

The counter was assigned to D at the far edge.

• Busan Air’s free baggage allowance is only: 15 KG

• Check if the portable power bank is placed inside a ziplock bag.

• After checking in your luggage, be sure to wait in that area for 5 minutes to see if there are any issues
  Someone was repeatedly announced over the PA system that day because they couldn’t be found…

~= 09:30 Departure Immigration and Waiting for Boarding

The departure hall is small, with only one row; there are a few duty-free shops, a convenience store, and a café offering limited food. (If you’re very hungry, remember to eat outside before passing through departure.)

Because it is a joint military-civilian airport, photographing the planes outside is not allowed.

Not sure what to buy, I went to the convenience store and bought two cans of GD liquor to bring back to Taiwan.

Delay 11:07 Departure, Early 11:58 Arrival

Busan Trip a Great Success!

Loot

Didn’t buy much.

Thank you for reading

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