SherryStay Destination Guide
Busan
Korea's beach-and-seafood second city — Haeundae sand, hillside villages and Jagalchi market.
About Busan
Busan is a city born of a beautiful struggle between water and land: it stretches along an endless coastline where futuristic glass-and-steel skyscrapers climb straight out of the sand, while dramatic cliffs cloaked in dense pine forest plunge into the ocean waves. In Busan you cannot escape the sound of water — it is everywhere: echoing beneath vast suspension bridges lit up at night, rising from the dense, humming fish markets where time has stood still, and breaking gently in front of ancient Buddhist temples perched on the edge of the abyss above the waterline. Your holiday in Busan is a constant play between the rhythmic social buzz and the quiet refuge of nature. On one side you can choose the cosmopolitan, mesmerising version of the sea: waking in the glittering Haeundae district, in a tall glass tower overlooking a long strip of golden sand, opening the morning to the sun rising over the ocean, taking a relaxed walk beside luxury yachts, and ending the day at a modern Korean gourmet restaurant or a designed cocktail bar, with the dynamic, illuminated skyline of one of the world’s most advanced cities stretched out beneath you. On the other side you can withdraw into the city’s more authentic, rugged and ancient aesthetic: waking in a hidden boutique hotel cut into the hillsides, a short walk from the colourful lanes of Gamcheon Culture Village — a stunning artists’ quarter of pastel-painted houses climbing the mountainside like coloured steps, where the morning quiet is broken only by the cries of gulls and the warm sea wind, and the experience is intimate, artistic and full of deep local character. At SherryStay we are drawn to Busan’s powerful physical contrasts: we have sifted out the grey, industrial choices of the port city and picked only the places to stay that offer the highest service standard, in the exact locations that let you experience the magic of the sea and the mountain — at precisely your own pace.
Stay in Haeundae for the beach and nightlife or Seomyeon for central transport and food. See the colourful Gamcheon Culture Village by day, eat at Jagalchi fish market, and catch the seaside Haedong Yonggungsa temple at sunrise.
Best For
Where to Stay
Haeundae
Main beach, high-rise hotels, nightlife
Seomyeon
Central shopping/food hub, great transit
Gwangalli
Beach with bridge views, cafés, bars
Nampo / Jagalchi
Old downtown, fish market, street food
Money-Saving Tips
- 1Eat at Jagalchi and Gukje market stalls (eomuk, ssiat hotteok) for cheap local food.
- 2A T-money card on the metro is the fastest, cheapest way around.
- 3Many of the best sights — Gamcheon, temples, beaches — are free.
Getting Around
- 1Gimhae (PUS) airport links to the city by light rail + metro, or a short taxi.
- 2The clean metro covers Haeundae, Seomyeon, Nampo and Gwangalli.
- 3KTX trains reach Seoul in ~2h40 from Busan Station.
Most Common Mistake
Staying only in Haeundae and missing old Busan — Gamcheon, Jagalchi and Nampo are the soul of the city, a short metro ride away.
3–5 nights
- • Gyeongju (1h)
- • Tongyeong (1h30)
- • Seoul (2h40 KTX)
Useful Local Hotel Phrases
Korean- Hello안녕하세요an-nyong-ha-SE-yo
- Thank you감사합니다kam-sa-HAM-ni-da
- Please주세요JU-se-yo
- Check-in체크인che-keu-IN
- Check-out체크아웃che-keu-A-ut
- Hotel호텔ho-TEL
- Reception프런트peu-RON-teu
- Breakfast아침 식사a-chim-SIK-sa
- Wi-Fi와이파이wai-fai
- Taxi택시TAEK-shi
- Airport공항KONG-hang
- Train station기차역gi-cha-YOK
- Help도와주세요do-wa-JU-se-yo
- How much?얼마예요?OL-ma-ye-yo
- Where is...?어디예요?O-di-ye-yo
Busan at a glance
- Busan is in South Korea.
- The nearest airport to Busan is Gimhae International (PUS).
- Getting in from the airport takes 40–60 min to Haeundae.
- The best way in is BGL light rail + metro, or an airport taxi/limousine bus.
- A day in Busan costs roughly $45–80 per person on a budget, $110–220 mid-range and $350+ at the luxury end.
- Sherry suggests 3–5 nights in Busan.
- December is usually the cheapest month to visit Busan, August is the busiest, and October offers the best value.
Common questions
- Where should I stay in Busan?
- Haeundae for the beach and nightlife, Seomyeon for central transit and food, Gwangalli for bridge views, Nampo for old-town markets.
- Do I need a car in Busan?
- No — the metro plus buses cover the city well; use a T-money card. Some coastal temples need a short bus/taxi.
- How many days for Busan?
- 3–4 nights for beaches, Gamcheon, the markets and a seaside temple.
- When is the best time to visit?
- April–June and September–October. July–August is hot, humid and crowded; bonus: spring cherry blossoms.
- Is English spoken in Busan?
- Less than Seoul — signs/menus often have English, but a translation app helps a lot.
Where to stay in Busan
Looking for hotels in Busan? It helps to decide on an area first — our guide to where to stay in Busan sets out which neighbourhoods suit which kind of trip.
Around Choeup the options include Busan Choeup Yuna Hotel, NO 25 Choeup, Busan Choeup No 25 and Busan Choeup Jjang.
Around Motel the options include Propose Motel, Vitamin Motel, Sol Motel and Sol Motel.
Around Vitamin the options include Vitamin Hotel and Vitamin Hotel.
Elsewhere in the city you will also find Haeundae With Guesthouse, Busan City Hotel, Brown Dot Hotel Busan Sajik Stadium, Brown Dot Hotel Busan Sajik Stadium, Doan Kids Pool Villa Hotel, Busan Royal, 釜山温馨美妙酒店(Fantastic Cozy House Busan), YEStay, Busan Choeup Lala Hotel, Busan Choeup Ssol, Busan Choeup Lu, G&G Hotel Yeonsan, Busan Choeup Koreana and Laon Hotel.
