[KOREA] Busan Itinerary & Top Things To Do & Eat

If you have three days in Busan (South Korea), what do you want to do? When traveling to Korea, people usually visit Seoul as their destination, but we chose Busan as inbound and decided Seoul as the outbound to return to Jakarta. There are actually many good places to visit in Busan, but to minimize your headaches, especially for you; solo or couple traveler or backpacker, we’ve collected everything for you – here’s the 3 Days Itinerary Trip to Busan, include with Top Things To Do and Eat in Busan, South Korea.

How to rent Unlimited 4G Portable WI-FI in KOREA?

Based on our experience, Sim Card for data in Korea is very expensive, ranging from 25,000 Won (equal to IDR 325K) for a limited amount of data and only for five days in Korea. After conducting a survey, we finally decided to rent a WIFI Egg from Jakarta and booked for it via Kkday. We opted for the South Korea Unlimited 4G Portable Wi-Fi rental for 15 days. After we settle the payment, they sent a confirmation letter to our email so we could pick up the wifi egg on arrival at Gimhae International Airport in Busan.

NOTE: Remember to print out the confirmation letter before leaving Jakarta, and prepare to pay 200,000 Won for the deposit when you pick up the Wi-Fi. Deposit will be refunded at the time of return.

Day 1: 25 Oct 2017
Breakfast with Korean Odeng, Tteokbokki & Twigim, 1500 Won (equal to IDR 20K)

I’m happy to stay in Seomyeon area in Busan because this area is pretty crowded and lively with people selling all the street food and shopping around! If you have not been to Busan, I would highly recommend booking your accommodation in Seomyeon area! We felt very sleepy that morning but quickly forgot about it when we found the Korean Odeng seller, selling Tteokbokki 떡볶이 (spicy rice cakes) and Twigim 튀김 (the fried snack) as well which is nearby to our accommodation.

TIPS: You can choose what you want, and pay later after you finish eating. Sellers who are usually Korean women (Ahjumma) will count the number of sticks that you eat, and tell you the amount that you have to pay in the Korean language. For fried snacks, best to enjoy them with spicy tteokbokki sauce. The price of this food varies, ranging from 500 Won (equal to IDR 6.5K) per stick or snack.

Hwan Gong Fishcake Bakery, total 9200 Won (equal to IDR 118K)

When you’re in Busan, don’t forget to visit Hwan Gong Fish Bakery. Located on the 2nd floor of Busan Station, the famous Hwan Gong Fish Bakery is apparently celebrating their 77th anniversary. Hwan Gong serves a wide variety of Busan-style fishcakes that make you want to try them all. Prices for fishcake vary, ranging from 500 Won to 3000 Won (equal to IDR 6.5K to IDR 38K).

Food Cafe, total 8000 Won (equal to IDR 103K)

Just across Busan Station Plaza (exit gate 7), there’s a restaurant called Food Café (located next to KB Kookmin Bank), which has several locations in and around Busan. There are many good reviews for this restaurant, so we came here and tried it. All the food on the menu are not expensive, and most of them are Korean classic comfort foods, with prices ranging from 2000 Won (equal to IDR 26K) for Gimbap, 3000 Won (equal to IDR 38K) for Ramen, and 5000 Won (equal to IDR 65K) for Bibimbap.

Recommended items: Sundubu Jjigae (5000 Won) served piping hot when it arrived on the table, and the soup tasted quite spicy. If you like dumplings, don’t forget to try Gogi Mandu (3000 Won), classic Korean dumplings stuffed with meat and vegetables. To enjoy it, dip some soy sauce over them, so yummy!

OPS Patisserie Boulangerie, total 4500 Won (equal to IDR 58K)

We stumbled upon the famous bakery in Busan, OPS Patisserie Boulangerie located on the lower ground floor of Lotte Mall Gwang Bok. OPS Patisserie is very popular among the locals and already has more than eight branches in Busan, and I heard that this bakery is now also available in Seoul. That afternoon, this bakery was packed with people hunting for fresh bakery product, and I was surprised to see a wide selection of cakes and pastries. Everything you want is available at OPS Patisserie at a moderate price from Apple Pie, Ham Cheese Danish, Raspberry Danish, Castella, Matcha Roll Cake, etc.

Notes: Cheese Manju is very popular, you should try it! We also tried Orange Danish (2000 Won, equal to IDR 25K) and long bread with sweet cream filling inside (2500 Won, equal to IDR 32K).

Observation Deck 12F at Lotte Department Store Aquamall, Gwangbok, Busan

If you still have time, don’t forget to visit Lotte Department Store Aquamall in Busan, Korea. They have lots of stores all around Korea, but the Gwangbok Branch is the first one that was built by the sea-side. We took the elevator to the Skypark, an observatory deck located on the 13th floor of Lotte Mall and the view from up here was fantastic! We ended up spent 3 hours up there and when we explored the observatory deck, we found a replica of the Yeongdodaegyo Bridge. Go there before it’s getting dark, so you won’t miss the show when they block the road and the bridge lift up for a while.

ARTBOX and LINE FRIENDS Store, Gwangbok, Busan

There’s a very popular chain of shops that specialize in adorable goodies called ARTBOX located on the 5th floor of Lotte Department Store Aquamall, and they have become Korea’s leading stationary gift shop chain. Everything is reasonably priced here; you can find lots of cute things for work, school, photo props, souvenirs, etc. We also found the Line Friends store in this mall; a must visit for all LINE Friends fans!

Day 2: 26 Oct 2017

Oryukdo Skywalk

Do you know what it’s like to walk in the sky? We know that! It feels amazing to be at the top of Oryukdo Skywalk in Busan, Korea. The entry fee is FREE, and since the walkway is made of transparent glass, visitors are required to wear cloth booties overshoes to protect the glass. Click here to read more about Oryukdo Skywalk.

Snacking at BIFF SQUARE

BIFF Square gets its name from the Busan International Film Festival, and is located near to Jagalchi Market. This area is dedicated to the film veterans of Korea, celebrating their achievements in the film industry. In my opinion, BIFF Square in Busan is more fun than Myeongdong area in Seoul, because the variety of stores in BIFF Square is much more interesting, ranging from branded clothes, bags, accessories, shoes, etc. While in Myeongdong area, 80% of the stores are cosmetics stores. Click here to find out more about Food you should try at BIFF Square.

Day 3: 27 Oct 2017

Gamcheon Culture Village

After visiting BIFF Square on our second day in Korea, Gamcheon Culture Village is another famous tourist destination that you should visit while in Busan. So, as requested by most of you via Direct Message on my Instagram, here are the things to do in Gamcheon Culture Village for your reference. Click the image below to read more of Things to Do in Gamcheon Culture Village, or click here to visit the page.

Day 4: 28 Oct 2017

Haeundae Beach + Best Dwaeji-Gukbap (Pork Rice Soup)
Our trip to Haeundae Beach the next day was also unforgettable for us. There’s BOF (Busan One Asia Festival) event along the road so we took lots of photos before finally reaching our lunch place. The weather was very cold during the fall, but the queue was still long outside the restaurant as this place is one of the best Dwaeji-Gukbap you can find! The pork soup tasted really delicious, especially after we mixed the rice and sliced pork with saeujeot (Salted fermented shrimp) and chopped leek which available on the table to suit our liking. It’s very popular among Koreans too, so get there before the lunch/dinner rush!

Fireworks Festival at Gwangalli Beach (광안리해수욕장)

Besides Haeundae Beach, Busan Gwangalli Beach is also popular among locals Korean for its fine sand<, and over the weekend you can find various cultural and music events held on the beach. We’re so lucky because there’s an annual fireworks festival in Busan, and the 13th Busan Fireworks Festival which takes place on Saturday, October 28th attracts roughly 1 million Korean and overseas spectators. Wow! We came here early (1 hour before the show) and amazed by the fireworks show. This is one of the best fall festivals in Korea, do not miss!

Click here to get more information for the NEXT Busan Fireworks Festival next year.

Gamjatang (감자탕) Pork Spine Soup

The fireworks ended at 9 pm and because we’re so starving, Anton and his wife, my Instagram followers who live in Korea for so long and accompanied us during the fireworks, invited us to have dinner at this restaurant; Nuri Gamjatang. Gamjatang is also a must try when you go to Korea because Gamjatang (감자탕) – Pork Spine soup or literally means potato soup is a favorite among locals! The spicy soup made of pork spine, veggies and hot peppers, very comforting and great for the cold weather! The soup was more flavorful than Dwaeji Gukbap that we had for lunch that day. However, they are different dishes. The pork stew came in huge portions, so it’s great for sharing up to 4 pax. We also found a generous tender pork meat easily fall off from the pork ribs; we simply enjoyed it!

Nuri Gamjatang 누리마을감자탕남천점
Namcheon 1(il)-dong, 부산광역시 Busan, South Korea
+82 51-612-7997

Day 5: 29 Oct 2017

Jagalchi Market
One of the best places to experience the local market in Busan is to visit Jagalchi Market which is known as Korea’s largest seafood market, selling both live and dried fish. It’s pretty much similar with Tsukiji Fish Market in Japan. But instead of finding clothes, snacks, seafood, or souvenirs, our big interest was trying the live octopus inside the wet market. Have you tried this? There are many shops offering this but we decided to try one shop which is closer to the entrance. Besides, this seller sells live octopus at a reasonable price (10,000 Won, equal to IDR 127K) and we saw many locals eating there as well. The fresh live Octopus sashimi tasted really good!! We finally finished them all! Yes! If you haven’t tried this before, make sure you come here during your visit to Busan and try this at least once in your life!

Photo Spots at Rooftop observation deck (get there from the 7th floor)

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Author: myfunfoodiary

Myfunfoodiary as Indonesian Food and Travel Blog was born in July 2012 and has become one of the valuable online source for locals, tourists, food enthusiasts and industry professionals. It is a Jakarta based Food and Travel Blog managed by Mullie Marlina, a young, lovely, cheerful and blessed wife who loves to share her culinary and travel experiences through her writing. You’ll find her honest reviews, valuable suggestions, objective ratings and recommendation of eateries in Jakarta and selected cities in Indonesia and abroad. Her curated restaurant reviews are based on her meticulous inquiries and her rich dining experience in various restaurants in Jakarta. She has also traveled to different cities and countries where she finds interesting and inspiring dishes, cuisines and excellent dining ambience which she also included in the list. From recommendations, restaurant experiences, events, travel destinations, and recipes, readers will find anything food related in this website. She would really appreciate your feedback, and would love to hear about any suggestions, events regarding food, or just to drop in to say "Hi". Again, thank you so much for dropping by, and she hopes you enjoy reading her journal. Thank you so much for all your supports! God bless you! ^_^

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