My Short Trip to Busan

I went on a short trip to Busan last weekend! Since it was only a one-day trip, I didn’t get a chance to visit many places.

How to get to Busan?

Take the KTX (High speed rail system)! The Korean government offers a discount ticket (called the KR pass) for foreigners. It’s much cheaper than the regular tickets. You can purchase the “day pass” and travel anywhere in the country using the ticket within the day (depending on if you purchase the 1, 3, 5, 7 or 10 day pass). J Check out the link for more information on how to reserve/purchase your tickets! http://www.letskorail.com/ebizbf/EbizBfKrPassAbout.do

Note: You can take the KTX from the Seoul subway station (blue line). It takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes from Seoul to Busan by KTX.

Once you arrive in Busan, you can take the local subway to different areas in the city. If you’re planning to visit many places in a single day, I suggest purchasing the Busan one-day subway pass to reduce your transportation costs (they don’t have this in Seoul!). You can purchase this from the Busan subway ticket machines.

Note: T-money works in Busan BUT you have to go in the convenience stores to charge your card. The ticket machines don’t provide this service.

BIFF Square/Market

 – Directions: Jagalchi Station (자갈치역) (line 1), exit 7

If you go on a weekend, the square will be crowded with people and a variety of seafood/traditional food stalls. There are a lot of shopping places around the area (including Top Ten, Giordano, etc) and restaurants. If you love seafood, then Busan is likely the place for you!

The food you MUST try in Busan:

Hotteok – a crunchy, fried Korean pancake filled with brown sugar, honey, chopped nuts and cinnamon. It’s the BEST street food. You will immediately see a crowd of people lining up to buy hotteok from a popular food stall.

A great cultural experience and a wonderful place to shop and eat! It reminds me of myeongdong(명동) but much less busy.

Spa Land in Shinsegae (Sauna)

– Directions: Centum City Station (센텀시티역) (line 2)

It’s outrageous! It’s an extremely high quality, affordable Korean sauna. A perfect place to bath and relax your tired muscles after a long trip. It’s really cheap considering its quality.

Note: unlike other saunas, this one closes at 12AM. The entrance fee is cheaper after 8pm.

Dongbaekseom Island (Park) (동백섬)

– Directions: Dongbaek Station (동백역) (exit 1 and walk 700m straight)

Beautiful night view J you can see the ocean waves and the city lights from here at night. There is a building with restaurants close by so you can enjoy the scenery while snacking on delicious food!

My initial impression of Busan: less crowded and slower paced compared to Seoul. The air often smells like the ocean J I would love to live here for some time, just to temporary get away from the busy life in Seoul.

By Sharon from Canada