Busan is the second largest City in South Korea and it's considered the best summer location in the nation where beaches are quite a few. As part of our 10 days trip to Korea, we took 2 days and 1 night to go to Busan and see for ourselves what all the hype was about.
Here's my guide if you're visiting Busan for the first time:
Beomeosa Temple
How to get there?
Ride subway and alight at Beomeosa Line 1 Exit 5. Look for uphill street in the right and walk 3 mins towards a small bus station. From Samsin Bus Stop, take No. 90 Bus going up to the temple which will take 10 mins travel time. Then walk uphill again for 10 mins going up to the temple.
Verdict:
The temple has beautiful scenery and you can take a lot of pictures and videos going to the temple and also inside temple. Although if you're not fond of temples and don't like to take a lot of pictures, you can skip this. But it's worthwhile to visit this place and you only need to stay for a short time as the temple is very small.
Haedong Yonggungsa
How to get there?
Ride subway and alight at Haeundae Line 2 Exit 7. Walk a few steps in front towards the bus stop and ride Bus 181 going to Yonggunsa Temple. Note that there is only 1 bus going to the temple and each buses comes only once every 30 minutes. You need to tell the bus driver that you'll go down at the temple as there is no sign on where you'll get off. The landmark nearest the temple is a big restaurant with a lot of pictures. Once alighting, go uphill and walk towards the temple which will take you around 20 minutes. Once you're near, you will see a lot of artifacts and food stalls near the entrance of the temple.
Verdict:
This is definitely one of the most beautiful scenery in Busan. If I were to choose among the two temples, I would choose this one as Yonggunsa temple is located on top of the sea which makes it more beautiful. Same with Beomeosa, you will only stay there for a few minutes but you'll be able to take a lot of good pictures. However, going here will take you several hours due to the lack of transportation but since this opens at 4am, you can take the early morning bus at around 5am and go here so you can get back to the city by around 7-8am.
Haeundae Beach
How to get there?
Ride subway and alight at Haeundae Line 2 Exit 5. Walk straight for about 10 mins until you reach the end of the road and you'll see the beach.
Verdict:
Haeundae Beach is the most famous beach in Korea and it is comparable to Philippine's Boracay by popularity, but it's not as nice as Boracay. You can try visiting the beach during the summer (July to August) in Korea and you'll see literally hundreds of thousand people laying by the sand or swimming by the beach because it's FREE! But if you want peace and quiet and just relax in the beach, you need to go there during off-peak season which is during colder days. For me, this is a must visit only because of reputation but expect to see just a regular beach with nothing else to do aside from just swim or play in the sand. It's not like in the Philippines where there is so much you can do in the beaches (night life, snorkeling, banana boat, cliff diving, island hoping, etc...).
Gwangalli Beach
How to get there?
Ride subway and alight at Gwangan Line 2 Exit 5. Upon exiting, you need to walk to the left side towards the beach but might be difficult to locate as there no signs so you need to ask people there on how to get to the beach. It's about 10 mins walk similar to Haeundae from the station to the Beach.
Verdict:
Gwangalli is very much similar to Haeundae in terms of quality of beach, the only difference is that there are fewer people and a sight of a bridge with lights at night. Aside from the beach, Gwangalli is known for it's several seafood restaurants where you can buy live seafood and eat it in the restaurant (aka "dampa" style). Again, not much you can do here but it's worth a visit as it's really one of only few famous beaches in Korea.
Gamcheon Culture Village
How to get there?
Ride subway and alight at Toseong Line 1 Exit 6. Upon alighting, go to the intersection and turn right at the corner. Walk straight for about 5 mins until you reach the hospital on your right. There will be a bus stop located and take bus 2 or 2-2 until you reach the village. The bus ride will take 15-20 mins and it will be very uphill ride as you'll go up until the top of the mountain.
Verdict:
A must visit for photographers and also for the average traveler. The colorful scenery of houses reminds you of Santorini in Greece! We went there and spend the most time as we went around literally the whole village as there are a lot of photo zones (such as the little prince) which you can visit. Just a watchout though that you'll be extremely tired from all the walking especially going up and down the hill and you'll get lost going back as you need to take a different bus going back to the city (look for bus station). But definitely a must visit for you if you visit Busan.
Disclaimer: This is an old post from my Blogspot account dated July 4, 2014.
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