Journey to Busan: beautiful views, cultural villages, and making new friends!

I'm sure when many people think of popular media from Korea, they think of titles like ‘Parasite’, ‘Squid Games’, or even ‘Train to Busan’. Well, during my time in Korea, I wanted to have that "Train to Busan" experience. Well… not exactly. But I definitely wanted to see and explore the city of Busan— hopefully taking the train to get there— as it's one of the largest cities in South Korea. During my time in Busan, I got to try different foods, make new international friends, and visit many beautiful sights!

Trip Planning + Prep

For more context, I went to Busan during Chuseok weekend (Korean Thanksgiving or Mid-Autum Harvest Festival): September 26 to 28. My friends and I planned on taking the train (KTX), but it did not appear that there were many options for trains available since tickets to Busan for Chuseok weekend were selling out very quickly.

However, I was able to secure tickets to Busan to leave Seoul on Thursday, September 26, during the evening and was going to arrive at our Airbnb around evening time. I took a bus from Seoul Express Bus Terminal to Busan Bus Terminal, which was roughly 4 to 5 hours of travel time. We booked our Airbnb in the Chinatown area of Busan, which was about an hour by subway away from the Busan Bus Terminal. I actually took an Uber (about 20 minutes) since the subway was no longer running when I arrived in Busan.

NOTE: Ubers in Korea are generally much cheaper compared to those within the United States.

TIP: book tickets for travel farther out in advance to get better arrival and departure times for bus and train tickets (especially during holidays) and do some research on the location of the hotel/airbnb/hostel of your choosing in order to book somewhere closer to locations on your itinerary!

Day 1

The first full day in Busan, my friends and I visited the Oryukdo Skywalk and got to take in the beautiful views and took lots of photos by the water! After that, we visited the cafe of Jin’s (from BTS) parents and I had chocolate cake with a Blackberry Lemon Ade (not to be confused with lemonade). Then we visited the Hwangnyeong Observatory Landscape, which was quite the hike to reach, but the view was definitely worth it! We ended the night with Korean food near our Airbnb!

Day 2

The next day, I decided to do a bit of solo traveling and started off the day getting some lunch at an Indian/Nepalese restaurant near our Airbnb. I ordered mutton biryani, which was really good and my first time trying mutton!! I also ordered some masala chai— also my first time trying this— and it was very delicious!

Then I went to the Dakbatgol Mural Village and got to see different murals on the way up to the next destination: the Somang Stairs Monorail. On the way to the next destination, I popped into a small bookshop and picked up a few souvenirs for my sister. Then headed to the Gamcheon Culture Village!! The colors of the houses were so beautiful and made me really happy. I took lots of photos and navigated through different paths within the village. I popped into a few other souvenir shops within the village to get some more gifts for my family and I!! I also stopped by a local small business and ordered a Yuja tea. It was my first time trying this type of tea, and the flavor of the tea was really interesting. I could also taste the actual bits of the Yuja fruit itself, which was a nice touch to the tea. Would definitely buy it again!

Next, I headed to the Huinnyeoul Culture Village, also known as the “Santorini” of Busan. It’s a very artsy seaside neighborhood featuring tons of alleys, street murals, cafes, and small businesses. Lastly, I ended off the night by heading to Gwangalli Beach with a new friend (from Shenzhen, China!) I met at the Huinnyeoul Culture Village and another person we met on the way there (from Estonia!) to view a drone show! Afterwards, I ate Korean bbq with my new friend from China, as we struggled to communicate with one another (my Chinese isn’t so great :/), but I still had an amazing time with her and have since kept in touch!

Bye, Bye Busan - Back to Seoul!

The next day, I stopped at Haeundae Beach for a nice refreshing beach walk, popped into a ceramics store and street market, and ate some lunch before heading back to Seoul!!

Reflections

I really appreciated my time in Busan and learned that it is very possible to make international friends, if you just put yourself out there and don’t be too afraid of talking to strangers! Sometimes those little moments with a kind person could transform into a friendship! Being cautious anywhere is normal, but there are people figuring the whole traveling thing out, just like you are! Also, if you plan to travel during Chuseok weekend, plan ahead on what meals you might want since most restaurants might be closed. Busan has such a different vibe from Seoul that I greatly enjoyed and wish I could visit there again! Maybe next time, it’ll be by train!! :)