3 Days Road Trip in Busan
This 3 days road trip covers most of the popular attractions in Busan. Busan is a large port city in South Korea, is famous for its beaches, mountains and temples. It is also well-known due to the proximity to Jeju Island and the “Train to Busan” movie.
Summary of this itinerary:
A. Day 1 – Busan City Centre
B. Day 2 – Busan East
C. Day 3 – Taejongdae Resort Park
About South Korea
South Korea is an East Asian country on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. The country is land bordered by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) to the north. As the border between North Korea and South Korea is heavily guarded and not accessible to the public, traveling to South Korea is strictly restricted to air and sea passage.
The currency of South Korea is Korean Republic Won (KRW).
Day 1 – Busan City Centre
Start your day by visiting the famous Busan Gamcheon Culture Village. The village is often known as the “Machu Picchu of Busan” as the village contains houses that are built in staircase-fashion on the foothills of a coastal mountain. Do not worry that you might get bored in this old village as there are a lot of hidden alleys, interesting cafe, art pieces and murals waiting for you to discover.
After visiting the Gamcheon Culture Village, go to the Yeongdodaegyo Bridge, the first and only drawbridge in South Korea. The original name of the bridge was Busan Bridge, but it was renamed in February 1982 as Yeongdodaegyo Bridge. The drawbridge draws once a day from 12:00 pm to 12:15 pm and this is the only time that you can see the bridge rise with the impressive bird flying murals.
Afterwards, visit the BIFF Square which stands for Busan International Film Festival Square, a movie district in Busan. It is used to be home to the famed film festival before it was transferred to Busan Cinema Center. The street spans 428 meters with restaurants and shops. It has a lot to offer ranging from branded clothes, bags, accessories, shoes to visitors and tourists.
Day 2 – Busan East
For day 2, it is time to visit the temple by the sea, Haedong Yonggungsa. This temple is one of the most unique temples in Korea as the temple complex is actually facing the sea. Hence, the temple attracts a lot of visitors with different agendas such as praying and sightseeing. Over here, you will definitely find your oasis of serenity amidst the bustling city as if the Buddha could not help you to find your own inner peace, the deep sea horizon surely does.
After the temple visit, travel to the nearby Haeundae Beach (the most famous beach in Busan and South Korea) to reconnect to the world. The white sand beach is roughly 1.5 km long, over a 30-50 m wide area and this creates a beautiful coastline right before a shallow bay.
If you have time, watch the impressive Water Fountain Show at Haeundae Square on Gunam-ro (Refer to link).
If you are still craving for more beaches, you might want to visit the Gwangalli Beach. It is one of the best places in Busan to go out at night and experience the nightlife of Busan.
Watch the Spectacular Lighting Show at the Gwangandaegyo Bridge (Refer to link).
Day 3 – Taejongdae Resort Park
Spend your third day in the Taejongdae Resort Park. Taejongdae Resort Park was named after the 29th king of the Silla Kingdom, King Taejong Mu-Yeol as this was the place he enjoyed archery. In the park, there is the Danubi Train that circled along the 4.3 km loop road around the park. In Korean, “Danubi” means “admiring the scenery”. The Danubi train live up to its name as the Taejongdae Park boasts stunning seascapes and landscapes. For better viewing of the scenery, you might want to alight at the scenic stops and explore deeper parts of the park.
Otherwise, you could just take a stroll along the circular road and slowly enjoy the magnificent scenery.
Ending Remarks
Overall, I covered most of the attractions in Busan and I think 3 days is sufficient to spend in Busan. However, I feel that there are a lot of nearby cities that are less famous but still interesting enough for exploration. You might want to add in a few days to cater for day trip to nearby cities such as Geoje, Tongyeong, Daegu and Gyeongju. Otherwise, you might want to extend your trip even longer and spend your time in other big cities of South Korea such as Jeju and Seoul which also have a lot of amazing attractions.