Busan is South Korea’s second largest city and also its southernmost on the Korean mainland. It is known as a summer city because it is located on the coast and has some fabulous beaches. But there are plenty of things to do in Busan in winter and many of the tourist attractions will be less crowded. Although the temperature can get pretty cold, the weather is often sunny, so we have both indoor and outdoor activities on offer here. So wrap up warm, here’s our guide.
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Getting to Busan
South Korea’s rail network is fast and efficient and a good way to get around the country. If you are planning to travel by train through South Korea you might want to consider buying a KoRail Pass. These are passes that allow foreign visitors unlimited journeys on the rail network on particular days, either consecutive days or individual days within a defined time period.
If you’re into zombie movies, you’ll know the film Train to Busan. It gave us great joy to catch a train to Busan but we can confirm that no zombies were encountered along the way.
Where to Stay in Busan
The main station is central to the city. In the summertime many people will head to the resorts to stay in lovely hotels overlooking the beach. We chose to stay in a hotel near the station. It wasn’t the best area and didn’t have the greatest view but at less than $50 a night for large room with kitchen facilities, it was amazing value. And… who wants to spend all their time in their hotel when there’s a large and exciting city to explore? But, if you still want a winter sea view, the seaside hotels will still be open. There are plenty of accommodation options in the city.
Getting Around Busan
Busan is a large city and many of the attractions are located several kilometres from each other. Busan has an integrated transport system and we recommend using the metro or buses. For some of the locations further out of the city you will almost certainly need to use buses. If you are spending time in a particular part of the city you can walk between attractions.
We have given directions from Busan station for all the attractions we mention here.
We recommend getting a T-money card when you arrive in Korea. This link is for a T-money card which you can buy in advance means that you don’t have to queue. It means you can tap in and out of all public transport and also use it at convenience stores. There are machines available to charge up your card and you can also do this at convenience stores. Note you will need to use cash to charge your card.
If you don’t wish to use public transport you could hire a car. This would give you flexibility to travel between the various attractions more easily. However, we recommend checking parking availability.
Attractions to Visit in Busan in Winter
Nampo-dong Area
The Nampo-dong area is very central and has many things to see. We have a combination of indoor and outdoor activities.
Busan Museum of Movies
We love Korean cinema and adored the Busan Museum of Movies. We had so much fun in what is probably the most interactive museum we have ever visited. You don’t have to be a fan of Korean films but, if you are, it truly is a place of joy.
There are various types of ticket – you can get one that includes the optical illusions exhibition (fun if you have kids) or a ticket simply for the main movie museum.
The exhibits are largely in Korean but are highly visual. There is a history of the national cinema as well as the movie making process.
On entry you are given a plastic card which you can scan at various locations throughout the museum. This means that you can get involved in the filmmaking process yourself: want to fight a monster against a green screen? Knock yourself out! (Or, if you’re really good, you could try knocking the monster out!) Appear in a movie poster? Or maybe dub your own dialogue onto a classic movie scene and then add your own sound effects? Don’t worry if you can’t speak Korean – we created some very silly dubs in English. All your efforts will be recorded onto the card and at the end of your visit you can download them onto a memory stick.
You can reach the museum Exit 5 of Jungang Station Metro Line 1. Or, if you like walking, it’s only a 2km walk from Busan station which is perfectly doable, if a bit hilly.
Yongdusan Park and Busan Tower
You can reach the tower using Line 1 to Nampo Station, Exit 7 and then it’s a short walk to the pretty garden and tower.
There is a fee to climb the tower, just buy a ticket at the machines outside the entrance. The tower visit is highly interactive and you can download an app: if you solve all the clues in a quiz, you can win a prize. And even if not, the views from the top are spectacular.
Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) BIFF Square
If you are a movie fan, you can walk the street to see the handprints and footprints of many Korean and international directors and actors.
And if you’re not a movie fan, there are some fantastic street food stalls in the area. Make sure you try hottoek – a sweet pancake with azuki beans and seeds. Perfect for a cold winter’s day.
And if there’s any reason to return to Busan in the summertime, it’s the Busan Film and Food Festival. It’s like someone designed a festival especially for us!
Gwangbok-ro, or Fashion Street, is a pedestrianised street where you can explore a variety of establishments and shop till you drop.
Jalgachi Fish Market
The largest fish market in South Korea this is the place to discover the fruits of the ocean.
The ground (first) floor houses the extensive market, which is chock full of fishy goodies. Upstairs you can find restaurants which cook the seafood.
Special foodie tip: Don’t forget to check out the nearby fisheries street, where you can also pick up other foodie souvenirs such as gim (seaweed, like Japanese nori) and lots of dried seafood.
Lotte Department Store
If you like shopping, this department store has a huge variety of products from clothing to kitchenware to toys. You might not find a bargain but there is plenty of browsing to be had. You can go out onto the roof for views across the city. There’s no charge for this. And, if you’re feeling like your talents need to shine in the world of K-pop you can also sign up for audition training. We were tempted to pop our heads round the door – there’s definitely an untapped market for a couple of oldies becoming K-pop superstars, right?
And the Nampo Winter Lights festival runs from mid-December to mid-January where the Gwangbok-ro and Gwangbokjungang-ro streets are lit up with festive lighting.
Western Busan Attractions
Gamcheon Culture Village
This is becoming one of Busan’s major tourist attractions largely because it is delightful. Originally this was a part of the city where the local authority located working class people following the Korean War. It became a deprived area where poverty was rife. However, in 2009 it was revived as a cultural centre when the department of culture invited artists and residents to spruce up the area.
Nowadays you can visit this colourful town, with the buildings nestled into the mountainside. It’s a place of discovery where you can spend hours exploring to seek out artworks.
If you like collecting stamps (and who doesn’t?) you can get a map and find particular artworks and get a stamp to prove you found them.
Some of the artworks are really admired and you may have to queue to have your photo taken. The Little Prince and the Fox are particularly popular – with many young ladies sitting demurely alongside the prince and gazing at him adoringly.
And fans of K-Pop legends BTS will also enjoy murals of their favourite local lads.
From Busan Station take Line 1 in the direction of Dadaepo Beach to Toseong Station. Use exit 6. The village is around 1km away. You can either walk up a steep hill to the entrance or take a bus: , Seogu 2 or Seogu 2-2 will get you there.
Taejongdae Park
This delightful coastal route is named for King Taejong Muyeol of the Silla people who loved visiting the area.
You can buy a ticket to ride the cute hop-on, hop-off Danubi Train which makes several stops for you to admire views of the magnificent rocky seaside cliffs.
Or, if you just fancy walking, that’s fine too and the area is free to visit. The train stops at various locations including the Observatory Rest Area where you can view as far as Oryukdo Islets and Tsushima Island on a clear day.
Yeongdo Lighthouse is one of the most popular views. This lighthouse has been in service since 1906. There are some exhibits to visit here.
Bus 88 or 101 from Busan Station will take you to the Taejongdae Cliff bus stop. There are a whole bunch of restaurants close by where you can get a delicious and cheap meal.
Songdo Skywalk and Cable Car
As the winter evenings draw in and the sun sets earlier in the day, grab a ride on the Songdo Cable car and enjoy the breathtaking views of the city and coastline at sunset.
The other station is on an island with a park, which has some fun and eclectic sculptures – a great place to visit for kids and big kids.
There is a fee to ride the cable car. It costs a little more if you choose a car with a glass-bottomed floor.
If you don’t fancy taking the cable car, there is a skywalk that extends out to the sea and affords lovely views of the beach. This is free to use. It’s beautifully lit at night.
Take bus 27 from Busan station or Buses 6, 26, 30 or 71 from Nampo station (Line 1).
Further Out
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
Located in the northeast of the city, this 14th century temple, located on the coast, is a must-see. Most temples are located in the mountains so the seaside setting of this gorgeous temple is not only beautiful, it’s very rare within South Korea.
The original temple was apparently built in 1376 by the Buddhist teacher Naong Hyegeun, but was sadly destroyed following the Japanese invasion of Korea in the 16th century. The temple is dedicated to the Sea Goddess Buddha of Mercy, Haesu Gwaneum Daebul.
On arrival you pass by statues representing signs of the zodiac until you reach a pagoda.
Then you descend 108 steps, passing by stone sculptures and lanterns to view the temple itself.
You may have seen this temple in Korean movies or dramas.
Because it is so famous and beautiful it is quite touristy, even out of season, so there are lots of stalls selling souvenirs and street food by the car park.
While you’re in the area, you could also visit the National Fisheries Science Museum or the Lotte World theme park, which is open all year round.
And if you are around in the evening during December and January you’ll be able to enjoy the Haeundae winter lights festival from Haeundae Beach to Gunam-ro main road.
It’s a bit of an effort to reach the temple: To get there from Busan Station, take Line 1 to Busan National University Education, change for Line 4 to Bexco, then take Line 2 to Haeundae. At exit 7 find the bus stop for Bus 181.
It’s about three quarters of an hour to get to the Haedong Yonggungsa stop on the bus – and the temple is a short walk away. Alternatively you could get a taxi from Haeundae which will be more expensive.
Indoor Activities in Busan
There are loads of other museums and art galleries to explore in Busan. Note that most of these are closed on Mondays.
Museum of Contemporary Art Busan (Metro Line 1, BEXCO) offers a large number of exhibits spread across multiple floors. If you’re interested in modern art from both Korean and international artists, this will definitely keep you occupied. It’s located next to the Busan Exhibition & Convention Centre.
Busan Museum (Metro Line 2, Daeyon) offers a history of the city and local area.
MUSEUM 1 (Metro Line 2, Centum City) is a digital contemporary art museum, a place where you will get fully immersed within the art.
Busan National Maritime Museum (Metro Line 1, Nampo ) Busan is a major port and it truly feels as though the ocean is a fundamental part of the city itself. This museum offers a highly interactive exploration of all elements of the ocean.
Day Trips
Because Busan is very large, and many of the sights so far away from each other, there are a number of companies that offer tours to the city’s main attractions. You will join a bunch of friendly people on a coach and be driven to many of the locations we’ve mentioned here, which is a great option if you are short on time.
Day Trip to Gyeongju
It is possible to visit the delightful city of Gyeongju from Busan. Although we recommend spending at least a couple of days in this fabulous historic city, if you are short on time, a day trip from Busan will ensure you see the main sites.
Busan For Foodies
Jalgachi Fish Market If you’re feeling brave you can buy live fish from the first floor (ground) of the market and then take it upstairs where one of the many restaurants can cook it for you. Alternatively, the restaurants have a menu (they are all the same) and you can order a meal from there.
We enjoyed blue crab spicy stew and grilled rock fish which was utterly delicious – it had such a sweet flavour. Saengseonhoe is sliced raw wild fish. The saengseonhoe was incredibly fresh but it had surprisingly firm flesh which gave an unexpected texture in the mouth. It didn’t have the melt-in-the-mouth softness that you would expect from sashimi.
Samjin Eomuk Busan Station Square Eomuk are fish cakes and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and flavours. One of the oldest and most famous fish cake restaurants is Samjin Eomuk, located just outside the main station.
Just grab a tray and fill it with all sorts of fishy goodness. Pay at the counter. There is seating upstairs so you can eat in and they also provide microwaves for heating up the fish cakes. We don’t own a microwave at home so using one in Korean was a bit much for us!
Chickmaek What could be more comforting on a cold winter’s evening than fried chicken and beer? Chikmaek is a popular chicken and beer combo – hearty, filling, naughty and, of course, utterly scrumptious!
Dwaeji gukbap is another comfort food, perfect for colder days. It’s a pork and rice stew – the name translates as ‘pork, soup, rice’ – it does exactly as the name suggests. Another winter warmer, this is a popular Busan dish.
We loved our time in Busan and very much recommend it as a place to visit in all seasons. But, even though it’s ostensibly a summer city there are plenty of things to do in Busan in winter. We can’t wait to return!
Resources To Help You Plan Your Trip
Accommodation Options In Busan
Travel by train using a KoRail Pass
Transportation using a T-money card, which also comes with a SIM
Tours Available in Busan
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Busan looks like a delightful place and you’ve given us a great look at the highlights. I would love to wander around Gamcheon Village and admire the street art. The cable car ride at sunset is also high on my list!
The bus and pass information is incredibly valuable for those of us exploring using public transportation.
I always love reading your foodie recommendations. I would definitely enjoy selecting my dinner in the market and getting a restaurant to cook it up for me (however making my choices would be a long process full of internal debate!)
Lyn | http://www.ramblynjazz.com
This is such a lovely post, so detailed and well written about Busan. This post made me excited about possibly visiting Busan someday. The foods look delicious, maybe I’ll also try to find them somewhere in Germany to try something new.
This is a fantastic guide to a city that I had not heard of! I’m usually adverse to using public transportation very much when I travel, but it sounds like this particular city (and country) has been built in a way where you can easily connect from one spot to another. As a movie buff myself, I would definitely check out the Busan Museum of Movies, i’m always interested in how movies are made, so I could easily connect to this. Makes me wonder if any Hollywood or movies I would know were shot there? The Busan Museum and Busan Maritime Museum also look interesting, especially if I was a first time visitor. Good to see that there’s a lot of activities and options for tours, but I really enjoyed the pictures you had of the Songdo Skywalk and Cable Car – though I would probably opt for the glass floor! Great job on this!!
Red Solo Traveler (www.redsolotraveler.com)
Your love for the movies shines through in this post and I love that you sought out the attractions in Busan with a reference to cinema and the big screen. I can imagine the museum was a lot of fun and I am dying to see your versions of your movie posters. I would have loved doing this! Even though Busan may have been quieter in winter, it strikes me as a quaint place with its urban and coastal landscape providing a cinematic backdrop.
Carolin | Solo Travel Story
Your love for the movies shines through in this post and I love that you sought out the attractions in Busan with a reference to cinema and the big screen. I can imagine the museum was a lot of fun and I am dying to see your versions of your movie posters. I would have loved doing this! Even though Busan may have been quieter in winter, it strikes me as a quaint place with its urban and coastal landscape providing a cinematic backdrop.
Carolin | Solo Travel Story
I haven’t been to South Korea and knew nothing about Busan before reading this.
It sounds as if the train network is as efficient as it is in Japan, so I know I would love that.
As a cinema lover, the Museum of Movies really appeals to me. The interactive portions sounds a very novel way to learn about the movie making process. I always climb a tower when I visit a city as I love to see a panoramic view. I also enjoyed seeing your photographs of their ‘Walk of Fame’ ! I probably would have a go at a K-Pop audition.
The photographs of the culture village are beautiful. It looks similar to ones in South America and Europe. I’d really love to take that cable car and see a sunrise or sunset.
Thanks for sharing this great post. While South Korea wasn’t on my travel list, this post has made me consider adding it now.
South Korea is on my husbands short list of places to go, and I don’t mind traveling in the cold as it usually means less people visiting! (and cheaper accommodation). The only Korean food I’ve had though is BBQ so I’d be interested in having other food as I’m definitely a foodie traveler. I didn’t realize Korea had a train system like Japan but that’s awesome and something I wish USA had.
I knew nothing about Busan so this is really interesting. I’m here for all the street food, and the views. The tower looks like it would be good but some of those day trips look fabulous. Very pretty area. I actually really liked all the street art, the Little Prince especially. So nice when literature is appreciated in different places around the world like this
Busan has a lot to see and do, that’s for sure, and this post provides a very informative summary of the main attractions.
I must confess that, for different reasons, Gamcheon Village and Gyeongju have stuck in my mind, and I would like to visit both. The coastal landscapes, the mountain slopes colored by the brightly colored houses, the serenity of the temple, all together make me want to visit the Busan region one day.
Thank you for the guide! Busan in winter sounds surprisingly lively, from BIFF Square to the Movie Museum. Loved the tips on getting around and the foodie spots—definitely inspiring a visit!
Such a fantastic and detailed guide, thank you for putting this together! I really appreciate how you showed that Busan isn’t just a summer destination but actually has so much charm and variety in winter too, especially with the mix of cultural spots, coastal views, and interactive attractions. Your practical tips on transport, timing, and what to prioritize make it incredibly helpful for travelers planning a visit, and it honestly makes me want to experience Busan in the colder season just to see that quieter, more atmospheric side of the city.