Combine beaches, Buddhist Shrines, markets and noodles in South Korea’s second largest city.
I’ve been to South Korea on two trips to experience a variety of adventures in Seoul, stay in a temple by a national park, visit Jeju Island and more. On my most recent trip, I ventured to Busan, the second most populated city in Seoul and South Korea’s largest port. Known for its seafood, shipping and beach-style, Busan is a stand-out destination for foodies and those seeking a combination of ocean and urban vibes.
I wanted to visit Busan because I heard that the food was stellar and I was not disappointed. On my trip, I enlisted locals that I know to share the top places to eat, drink and stay and now share that intel with you! You can also watch it in my “Travels with Darley: Korea for Foodies” episode on PBS and Tubi.
Busan, South Korea Travel Tips
How to Get There:
You can drive or take a less than three hour train to Busan. If you decide to drive the roads are good and you can then make stops at famous Korean rest stops along your route. The rest stops of Korea combine convenience stores with great fast casual food stops and offer a fair-like setting. You’ll find common food items like tornado potatoes and more at these little wonderlands.
Food and Fun:
It doesn’t get much fresher than the largest fish market in South Korea, where locals and travelers alike can go to pick out fresh fish, filleted or cooked up right onsite. This market also offers up abundant dried seafood. Located at Nampo Port, you can walk through a variety of colorful outdoor stalls or head inside various warehouse-like buildings filled with fish. There’s a whole complex selling live fish, where travelers can pick what they want downstairs and head upstairs to have it served up for a meal. Indulge in lobster, crab and more and have it sashimi-style or in a stew!
Haeundae Gaya Milmyeon
This no-frills restaurant has a must-try noodle dish when in Busan, milmyeon, which is a variant North Korean noodle dish naengmyeon. It consists of wheat noodles in a cold meat broth or a spicy sauce, and topped with vegetables and garnish. Locals have been coming to Haeundae Gaya Milmyeon since 1995 to slurp up this dish.
Head just outside of Busan to a small village to try Korea’s traditional folk wine at Geumjeongsanseong Makgeolli, where Chung Kil Yoo is the 15th generation of his family to make this traditional rice wine. You can even take part in the fermentation process in the village. I felt like I Love Lucy was getting channeled with pizza dough instead of grapes, as I kneaded with my feet to help with the rice wine-making process in Geumjeongsanseong Village. The process includes a natural yeast and bedrock water from the mountains and turns out a milky white drink that packs a punch.
Gamcheon Cultural Village
This colorful village is the main image meny people associate with Busan. Those houses on the mountainside are absolutely stunning as the sun sets, best seen from Haneul Maru, the highest point in the village. For those who seek out street art, there’s an “I Love Gamcheon” mural andstatues of The Little Prince and the Fennec Fox. This is also a popular place to stay for those seeking a more authentic guesthouse experience. Not far from the village, make a stop for a pastry at Bread Meet Paris 브레드 밋 파리. This Parisian-themed cafe in Busan has tasty croissants for a bit of Parisian flair during your time in Busan.
Accomodations:
Grand Josun Busan is a modern, chic hotel located by popular Haeundae Beach and many great restaurants, shops and a fabulous promenade along the ocean that leads to Geumjeong Mountain, which has hiking trails and Buddhist Shrines. This hotel is really well located. There’s a Starbucks inside the hotel, a swanky bar with beach views downstairs and on the 4th floor a convenience stored run by robots. Anyone who has visited South Korea knows that convenience stores are an experience in themselves, so stop in whether you stay here or not!
