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Busan

Vibrant coastal city of beaches and seafood

Curated by Vinod Kumar Jain & Amit Jain · All Frontier Global · free, no login · reviewed 2026-07-05

The journal

At Jagalchi Market before sunrise, a woman gutted fish with a speed that seemed to defy her small hands, tossing scraps to a cat that clearly knew the schedule. I bought grilled mackerel wrapped in newspaper and ate it on a crate, brine and diesel and coffee steam all mixing in the cold air.

Things to do

Gamcheon Culture Village · Cultural village

Colourful hillside houses, murals, galleries and cafés tumbling toward the sea. Best: Mar–May & Oct–Nov

Haeundae Beach · Beach

Busan's famous crescent of sand backed by high-rises, cafés and summer festivals. Best: Jun–Aug

Jagalchi Fish Market · Market

Korea's largest seafood market with tanks of fresh catch and upstairs eateries. Best: Mar–Apr & Oct–Nov

Beomeosa Temple · Temple

Ancient mountainside Buddhist temple with serene halls and forest trails. Best: Apr–May & Oct–Nov

Beomosa Temple · Temple

Serene mountain temple with autumn foliage and hiking trails. Best: Mar–May & Sep–Nov

Arrival

Airport
Gimhae International Airport (PUS) — Light rail/taxi ~40 min to the city.
SIM / data
SK/KT SIM at Gimhae arrivals or an eSIM.
Money on arrival
Nampo-dong exchanges for won; bank ATMs widely available.

Daily costs

Backpacker/day
$45
Mid/day
$85
Comfort/day
$150
Rent (1BR)
$500–800

Cheaper coastal city

← SeoulGyeongju →

← South Korea profile