Busan for first-timers: Haeundae, Gamcheon, and the KTX from Seoul
Korea's second city is a beach town, a port and a hillside of painted houses, two and a half hours from Seoul. What to pick for one or two days, and how the train works.
Busan is the easiest second city to add to a Korea trip. The KTX from Seoul Station takes about two and a half hours, the subway reaches the main sights, and the city has a slower, saltier mood than the capital.
The KTX
Trains leave Seoul Station several times an hour. Book on the Korail app or site with a foreign card; seats sell out on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, so book those a week ahead. Standard class is comfortable; first class buys a wider seat, not much else. Sit on the right side heading south for the river views after Daejeon.
Busan Station is in the old center. Haeundae is 40 minutes away by subway (Line 1 to Seomyeon, transfer to Line 2), or 25 minutes by taxi outside rush hour.
Pick your base
- Haeundae for the beach, the long promenade, and the most hotels. Lively at night, busy on summer weekends.
- Gwangalli for the bridge view and quieter sand, ten minutes from Haeundae. Cafés face the water; evening drone shows run on weekends in season.
- Nampo-dong / Jagalchi in the old center for the fish market, the hillside streets and the cheapest beds. Best if you have only one night and arrive by train.
Gamcheon Culture Village
The painted hillside above the port. Take the bus from Toseong station (Line 1) rather than walking up; the hill is steep. Buy the map at the entrance for a stamp trail that pulls you through the lanes instead of along the crowded main route. It is a residential area like Bukchon in Seoul: keep voices down and stay out of doorways.
Eat
Dwaeji gukbap (pork and rice soup) is the city dish, best at the clusters near Seomyeon and Busan Station. Ssiat hotteok (seed-stuffed pancake) from the Nampo-dong stalls. Raw fish at Jagalchi is sold by weight on the ground floor and prepared upstairs for a small fee.
One day or two?
One full day covers Gamcheon in the morning, Jagalchi for lunch, and Haeundae or Gwangalli for the evening. A second day opens Haedong Yonggungsa temple on the coast and the coastal train east of Haeundae. If you have only one night, arrive on a morning train and leave on an evening one the next day.
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