Planning a trip to Busan? South Korea’s second-largest city is still one of my favourite places in the country. I actually lived in Busan for four months during my exchange semester and have returned several times since, most recently in 2026.
And while I love Seoul, I think Busan has the perfect combination of city life, beaches, coastal views and nature. There is so much more to see beyond Haeundae Beach and Gamcheon Culture Village.
I think three days in Busan is a good amount of time for a first visit. You won’t be able to see absolutely everything, but you’ll have enough time to explore different parts of the city without spending your entire trip rushing between attractions.
This 3-day Busan itinerary includes many of my favourite places in the city, including Gamcheon Culture Village, the Busan Air Cruise, Gwangalli Beach, Haeundae and Haedong Yonggungsa Temple.
If you only have 24 hours, have a look at my guide on how to spend one day in Busan instead.
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Before Starting Your 3 Day Busan Itinerary ✨
📱 Need mobile data in South Korea? I used a Nomad eSIM in South Korea on my most recent trip and found it really convenient. You can read my full Nomad South Korea eSIM review here or check the available South Korea eSIM plans here.
🚆 Travelling from Seoul to Busan? You can take the KTX, express bus or fly. I have a full guide to travelling from Seoul to Busan, including the different options and my recommendations.
🏠 Where should you stay in Busan? Busan is very spread out, so choosing the right area can save you quite a bit of travel time. My guide to where to stay in Busan compares the main areas and their pros and cons.
And if this is your first visit, I also recommend reading my Things to Know Before Travelling to Busan guide before you go.
Day 1 in Busan: Nampo, Markets & Gamcheon Culture Village
Start the first day of your Busan itinerary around Nampo, where you can easily visit several attractions within walking distance of each other.
I would start at the Lotte Department Store near Nampo Station. On the 13th floor, you’ll find a free observation deck with some really nice views over Busan, the harbour and the surrounding mountains. It’s completely free to visit, so it’s an easy first stop during your 3 days in Busan.
While you’re here, you can also check out the food court downstairs. There are loads of different options, so it’s a good place to grab something quick before continuing with your day.
From here, walk towards Jagalchi Fish Market, South Korea’s largest seafood market. Even though I’m not a big seafood person myself, it’s still interesting to walk through and have a look around.
Afterwards, continue towards BIFF Square, where I definitely recommend trying Busan’s famous seed hotteok. It’s a sweet Korean pancake filled with seeds, nuts and syrup, and probably my favourite thing I’ve tried around this part of Busan.
You can also wander through nearby Gukje Market. All of these places are very close together, which is why Nampo is a really easy area to explore during the first morning of your Busan itinerary.
And now it’s time to visit one of Busan’s main attractions, the Gamcheon Culture Village. You can either walk here or take a bus. Just keep in mind that the path goes uphill, if you decide to walk. Known for its colourful hillside houses, murals, and quirky art installations, this village is one of Busan’s most photogenic spots.
Take your time exploring the narrow alleyways and hidden art pieces that add character to this unique place.
Visit Gamcheon Culture Village
Next, make your way to Gamcheon Culture Village, one of the most famous places to visit in Busan.
You can technically walk there from the Nampo/Jagalchi area, but keep in mind that Gamcheon is built into the hills and the walk goes quite steeply uphill. Personally, I would just take the bus and save your energy for exploring the village itself.
Gamcheon is known for its colourful houses built along the hillside, little alleyways, murals and art installations. Take some time to walk around, stop at the different viewpoints and explore some of the little shops and cafés along the way.
It’s definitely one of Busan’s more touristy attractions, but if this is your first trip to the city, I still think it’s worth including in your Busan itinerary.
Choose Between Huinnyeoul Culture Village or Arte Museum Busan
After Gamcheon Culture Village, I would choose one more place to visit before finishing your first day in Busan.
One option is Huinnyeoul Culture Village, another colourful neighbourhood, but this one is located directly along the coast on Yeongdo Island. It’s very different from Gamcheon, with little cafés, narrow streets and some really nice views over the sea.
Alternatively, head to Arte Museum Busan, which is also located on Yeongdo Island. I visited on my most recent trip to Busan and really enjoyed it. It’s a huge immersive digital art museum with different rooms combining projections, sound and even scents.
You can read my full Arte Museum Busan review before visiting, or book your Arte Museum ticket in advance here.
If the weather is nice, I would probably choose Huinnyeoul Culture Village for the coastal views. If it’s raining, or you’ve had enough of walking around outside after Gamcheon, Arte Museum is a really good alternative.
Optional: Finish the Day at Busan Tower
If you still have some time and energy left, you can head back towards Nampo and finish the first day of your 3-day Busan itinerary at Busan Tower in Yongdusan Park.
The observation deck gives you 360-degree views across Busan, and I would try to visit around sunset or after dark when you can see the city lit up.
However, I wouldn’t say Busan Tower is an absolute must. You’ve already visited the free observation deck at the Lotte Department Store earlier in the day, and there are more viewpoints coming up during this Busan itinerary.
So if you’re tired after Gamcheon and Yeongdo, don’t feel like you need to squeeze this one in. You can always grab some dinner around Nampo instead and call it a day.
Day 2 in Busan: Songdo, Spa Land & Gwangalli Beach
Start the second day of your Busan itinerary with some breakfast before heading to Songdo Beach.
Start by walking along the Songdo Cloud Trails, which extend out over the water and give you some really nice views of the beach and surrounding coastline. You don’t need very long here, but the trails lead you towards one of my favourite things to do in Busan: the Busan Air Cruise.
Take the Busan Air Cruise
The Busan Air Cruise is a 1.62 km long cable car connecting Songdo Beach with Amnam Park on the other side of the water.
I’ve done quite a few cable cars while travelling, but this is still one of my favourites. The views over Songdo Beach, the sea and Busan’s coastline are amazing, especially once you get further out over the water.
You can choose between a regular cabin or the Crystal Cruise, which has a transparent floor. I recommend booking your Busan Air Cruise ticket in advance here.
Walk Across the Songdo Yonggung Suspension Bridge
Once you arrive at Songdo Sky Park, it’s only a short walk to the Songdo Yonggung Suspension Bridge.
From the bridge, you get another really nice view over the sea, coastline and cable cars travelling above the water.
If you feel like doing a little more walking, continue along the forest trails towards the Dudo Island Observatory. It’s much quieter around here than Songdo Beach, and when I visited, we actually had the entire viewing platform to ourselves.
Afterwards, walk back towards Songdo Sky Park. There are several street food stands around the cable car station, so this is also a good place to grab a quick snack before taking the Busan Air Cruise back to Songdo Beach.
Relax at Spa Land Centum City
After spending the morning exploring Songdo, head across Busan towards Spa Land Centum City.
I visited Spa Land on my most recent trip to Busan, and I think it’s such a nice addition to a busy Busan itinerary. After spending the morning walking around Songdo, you can spend a few hours relaxing in the different saunas, thermal rooms, outdoor foot baths and relaxation areas.
And if you’ve never visited a Korean spa before, don’t worry. Most of Spa Land is a shared area where you wear the provided spa clothes, so you don’t have to use the traditional bathhouse section if you don’t want to.
You can read my full Spa Land Centum City guide where I explain exactly how everything works and what to expect.
I also recommend booking your Spa Land ticket in advance here, as you can often get a better deal than paying when you arrive.
Take a Gwangalli Yacht Cruise
After Spa Land, if you still have time, make your way towards Suyeongman Yacht Stadium for a Gwangalli sightseeing yacht cruise.
The yacht doesn’t actually leave from Gwangalli Beach itself. It departs from Suyeongman Yacht Stadium, which is located between Haeundae and Gwangalli and isn’t too far from Centum City. This makes it quite easy to combine with Spa Land before heading to Gwangalli Beach afterwards.
I did this cruise on my most recent trip to Busan and really enjoyed it. The entire experience takes around 50 minutes and takes you past Marine City and out towards Gwangan Bridge, so you get some really nice views of Busan from the water.
Or you can check prices and book the same yacht cruise I took here.
Finish the Day at Gwangalli Beach
After the cruise, head to Gwangalli Beach for dinner and spend the rest of the evening here.
Gwangalli is my favourite area in Busan, and I especially love it at night, when the Gwangan Bridge is fully lit across the water. There are loads of restaurants, cafés and bars around the beachfront, so you can just take your time, get some dinner and enjoy the area without having to worry about fitting in another attraction.
If you’re still deciding where to stay during your 3 days in Busan, Gwangalli is also my favourite area to base yourself. You can read my guide to where to stay in Busan for a comparison of the different areas.
On my most recent trip, I stayed directly opposite the beach at Gwangalli Hotel 1, a capsule-style hotel with views over Gwangan Bridge. You can read my full Gwangalli Hotel 1 review here.
Seeing Gwangan Bridge lit up at night is one of my favourite views in Busan and a perfect way to finish day two of your Busan itinerary.
Day 3 in Busan: Haeundae, Songjeong & Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
For the final day of your 3-day Busan itinerary, head towards Haeundae and spend the day exploring Busan’s eastern coastline.
Explore Haeundae Beach
Start your morning at Haeundae Beach, probably the most famous beach in Busan.
Haeundae isn’t actually my favourite area of the city because I find it quite touristy, but if this is your first time in Busan, I still think you should see it. Walk along the beach, explore the main street and have a look around Haeundae Traditional Market, where you’ll find plenty of street food and little restaurants.
If you want to see Haeundae from above, you can also visit BUSAN X the SKY, an observation deck inside the LCT Landmark Tower overlooking Haeundae Beach. At over 400 metres high, you get some pretty impressive views over the beach, city and coastline. It is also the second-tallest building in Korea.
You can book your BUSAN X the SKY ticket in advance here.
Take the Haeundae Beach Train or Sky Capsule
Next, make your way towards Haeundae Blueline Park and travel along the coast from Haeundae Beach to Songjeong Beach.
You have two main options here: the Haeundae Beach Train or the colourful Sky Capsules that travel along an elevated track above the coastline.
I’ve personally taken the Beach Train, which I really enjoyed. You can get on and off along the route, so you can stop at some of the viewpoints and coastal walks before continuing towards Songjeong.
I haven’t taken the Sky Capsule myself, but if that’s the one you want to do, I would definitely book it in advance. It’s one of the best things to do in Busan, and time slots can sell out.
Stop at Songjeong Beach
Continue along the coast until you reach Songjeong Beach.
Songjeong has a completely different atmosphere from Haeundae. It’s particularly popular for surfing, and you’ll see plenty of surf schools and people out in the water.
Have a walk along the beach, grab some lunch or a coffee and take a little break before continuing towards the next stop.
Also read my guide on how to travel from Haeundae to Songjeong Beach!
Visit Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
From Songjeong, head to Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, one of the most beautiful temples I’ve visited in South Korea.
Unlike many Korean temples that are located in the mountains, Haedong Yonggungsa is built right along the coastline, which makes it quite unique.
I walked here when I visited, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend doing that. The walk isn’t particularly scenic, so I’d save yourself some time and take a taxi instead.
The temple itself is free to visit, and you can walk around the different buildings and viewpoints overlooking the sea. It can get quite busy, but I still think it’s absolutely worth including in your Busan itinerary.
Optional: Visit Ilgwang Beach
If you still have some time after visiting Haedong Yonggungsa and want to see a much quieter side of Busan, you could continue towards Ilgwang Beach.
I visited Ilgwang on my latest trip and it feels completely different from Haeundae. It’s much quieter and more local, so it’s a nice contrast after spending the morning in one of Busan’s busiest tourist areas.
Getting there does require a little more planning. You can make your way to the Donghae Line and take the train to Ilgwang Station. Trains aren’t as frequent as the Busan Metro, so check the departure times in Naver Map before deciding whether it’s worth adding.
The Donghae Line also connects back towards BEXCO, where you can transfer to Metro Line 2 for Haeundae, Gwangalli and Seomyeon.
If you’re short on time, though, I would skip Ilgwang. Haeundae, the Blue Line Park, Songjeong and Haedong Yonggungsa already make for a pretty full final day in Busan.
Can You Fit in a Lotte Giants Baseball Game?
If there’s a Lotte Giants baseball game during your 3 days in Busan, I would genuinely try to fit it in.
Watching baseball in South Korea is completely different from what I expected. The atmosphere is so much fun, with everyone singing and chanting throughout the game, and attending a Lotte Giants game at Sajik Baseball Stadium is still one of my favourite experiences in Busan.
You can bring food into the stadium, so grab some fried chicken and drinks before the game and make an evening of it.
The only reason I haven’t included it on a specific day in this Busan itinerary is that the Giants obviously don’t play every night, and the baseball season doesn’t run all year. Check the schedule for the dates you’re visiting and shuffle the days around if necessary.
You can read my full guide to attending a Lotte Giants baseball game in Busan here, including how to get tickets and what to expect.
Have More Than 3 Days in Busan?
If you have an extra day, I would highly recommend taking a day trip from Busan to Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom.
I visited Gyeongju as part of a guided day tour from Busan, which I found really convenient because the main attractions are quite spread out. You can read my full Busan to Gyeongju day trip review here, or book the same Gyeongju tour I took here.
If you’d rather visit independently, I also have a guide on how to travel from Busan to Gyeongju, including the different transport options.
And if you have even longer in South Korea, have a look at my guide on how to spend one week in South Korea or my 10 Day South Korea itinerary for more ideas on where to go and how to plan your trip.
Is 3 Days in Busan Enough?
I think three days in Busan is a good amount of time for a first visit. You’ll get to see several completely different sides of the city, from the markets and colourful villages around Nampo and Yeongdo to Songdo, Gwangalli and the coastline around Haeundae.
However, Busan is a huge city and there is a lot to see. If you have the time, I would personally stay for around five days. That gives you more time to explore without constantly rushing between different parts of the city.
But if three days is all you have, this Busan itinerary covers many of the places I would prioritise on a first trip.
And that’s the end of my 3-day Busan itinerary! If you have any questions about planning your trip, let me know in the comments.
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