One of the things I really wanted to do during my latest trip to Busan was to see Gwangalli Beach and Gwangan Bridge from the water. I had already spent plenty of time around Gwangalli itself, but the yacht tours you constantly see going underneath the bridge looked quite fun, especially at night when they also set off fireworks.
So, I ended up booking a Gwangalli yacht tour in Busan, which takes around 50 minutes and takes you out towards Gwangan Bridge, with views of Gwangalli Beach and the Busan skyline along the way.
I paid around €19.50 for my tour, and while I wouldn’t say this is an absolute must-do if you only have a very short time in Busan, I really enjoyed it. Especially if you’re already planning to spend an evening around Gwangalli, it’s a nice activity to add to your itinerary.
→ BOOK YOUR GWANGALLI YACHT TOUR HERE
I would recommend booking your yacht tour in advance, particularly if you want a sunset or evening departure. There aren’t unlimited spaces on each yacht, and these are naturally the most popular times as you get to see Gwangan Bridge lit up and the fireworks.
The exact Yholic tour I booked during my trip departed from a different yacht centre. The tour I recommend and link to in this post now departs directly from Gwangalli Beach, but the route and overall experience are very similar. I’ve included the current meeting point and directions below.
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Gwangalli Yacht Tour in Busan
There are quite a few different yacht companies operating around Gwangalli. I booked with Yholic, and my tour lasted around 50 minutes.
The current tour I recommend also takes around 50 minutes and starts directly from Gwangalli Beach. From here, the yacht heads out towards Gwangan Bridge, also known as Diamond Bridge, before passing Marine City and returning to Gwangalli.
You don’t actually travel particularly far. The main reason for booking the cruise is the view rather than getting anywhere, and seeing the bridge from directly underneath it is quite different from seeing it from Gwangalli Beach.
At night, Gwangan Bridge is completely lit up, so I definitely think this is the best time to do the cruise.
If you’re still planning what else to do during your trip, you can find the yacht cruise and plenty of other ideas in my guide to the best things to do in Busan.
How to Book a Yacht Tour in Busan
I would book your yacht tour online before arriving in Busan, especially if you already know which day you want to do it.
→ CHECK PRICES & AVAILABILITY FOR THE GWANGALLI YACHT TOUR
The tour I currently recommend is a very similar 50-minute yacht cruise from Gwangalli Beach, with views of Gwangan Bridge, Marine City and the surrounding coastline. Drinks and a photo service are also included.
I’d personally choose a sunset or evening departure. You get the changing colours around sunset and can then see the bridge and Busan skyline as the lights come on. The views are very beautiful!
The evening tours also include fireworks, which was one of my favourite parts of the cruise.
If you’re visiting on a weekend or during peak travel periods, I wouldn’t leave booking until the day itself. The yachts aren’t particularly big, so there are only so many spaces available for each departure.
One thing to keep in mind is that your reservation is only final once the operator has confirmed it. If the booking page initially only asks you to choose a date, check the confirmation you receive afterwards for your final departure details.
Where Does the Busan Yacht Tour Leave From?
The tour I currently recommend departs from Gwangalli Ocean Leports Center, directly at Gwangalli Beach.
Address: 222 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro 54beon-gil, Suyeong-gu, Busan.
The easiest way to get there by public transport is to take Busan Metro Line 2 to Geumnyeonsan Station. From the station, it’s around a 10-minute walk towards Gwangalli Beach.
The tour asks you to arrive at the information desk inside Gwangalli Marine Leports Center around 15 minutes before your departure time, so I’d give yourself a little extra time rather than arriving right before the cruise.
When I personally took the cruise, my Yholic tour departed from Suyeongman Bay Yachting Center instead, so you may notice that some of my photos were taken at a different marina. If you book through the link in this post, follow the meeting point on your booking confirmation rather than the location from my original cruise.
If you’re using public transport in Busan, I recommend checking Naver Maps for the best route shortly before leaving. You can find Naver Maps and the other apps I use when travelling around the country in my guide to the best apps for South Korea.
Getting there from Gwangalli Beach
If you’re already staying around Gwangalli, the current departure location is really convenient because it’s directly at the southern end of the beach.
You can walk along the waterfront to the yacht centre and then head straight back towards the main part of Gwangalli after your cruise.
I stayed at Gwangalli Hotel 1 during my latest trip to Busan, directly opposite Gwangalli Beach. I really liked staying in this area, especially in the evenings when Gwangan Bridge is lit up.
Not sure where to stay? Check out my guide to the best areas to stay in Busan.
What Is the Gwangalli Yacht Cruise Like?
My experience was on the Yholic cruise that previously departed from Suyeongman Bay Yachting Center, so some of the smaller details may differ depending on the exact yacht you book. However, the overall route and experience are very similar to the tour I currently recommend.
I’d recommend arriving a little before your scheduled departure time. When I arrived, they checked my booking and I had to fill in a short boarding form with my name and phone number.
Before getting onto the yacht, we had to take our shoes off and were given Crocs/slippers to wear instead. They also offered free seasickness medication, which I was very grateful for because the water was actually quite rough during my cruise.
The cruise itself takes around 50 minutes and takes you out towards Gwangan Bridge, with views of Marine City and Gwangalli Beach along the way.
My favourite part was going directly underneath Gwangan Bridge. I’d seen the bridge plenty of times from Gwangalli Beach before, but you don’t really appreciate how huge it is until you’re underneath it.
If you book an evening cruise, there is also a short fireworks display from the yacht. It’s nothing huge, but with Gwangan Bridge lit up behind you, it’s a really nice addition to the experience.
The staff also took photos during the cruise and I was given a small printed photo before leaving, which was a nice little extra.
Is the Gwangalli Yacht Tour Worth It?
For around €20, I think the Gwangalli yacht tour is worth doing, especially if you’re already planning to spend an evening around Gwangalli.
It’s not a long sightseeing cruise around Busan and you don’t cover a huge distance. The experience is mainly about seeing Gwangalli and Gwangan Bridge from the water, but that was exactly what I wanted from it.
I’d definitely choose an evening departure over a daytime one. Gwangan Bridge looks much better once it’s lit up and you also get the fireworks during the nighttime cruises.
If you’re visiting on a Saturday, I’d also check the timings of the Gwangalli M Drone Light Show. There are yacht cruises specifically timed around the drone show, so seeing it from the water is another option. The Gwangalli Marine Leports Center itself currently advertises drone-show yacht tours.
I probably wouldn’t do the cruise again because I think once is enough, but I’m glad I did it. For around €20 and less than an hour, it’s a pretty easy activity to add to your Busan itinerary. However, if you only have one day in Busan, then I would suggest to rather prioritise other activities.
→ BOOK YOUR GWANGALLI YACHT TOUR IN ADVANCE HERE
What to Do Before or After the Yacht Tour
As the yacht cruise only takes around 50 minutes, I wouldn’t plan an entire day around it. Instead, I’d combine it with some other things around Gwangalli and Centum City.
One really easy option is to visit Spa Land Centum City earlier in the day. Spa Land is only a few metro stops away on Line 2, and afterwards you can continue to Geumnyeonsan and walk down towards Gwangalli for your yacht cruise.
I’d then have dinner around Gwangalli, take an evening yacht cruise and spend some time walking along Gwangalli Beach afterwards. That way, you get to see Gwangan Bridge both from the water and from the beach once everything is lit up.
If you’re visiting on a Saturday, you could also plan your evening around the Gwangalli M Drone Light Show.
For the rest of your trip, I’d use my 3-day Busan itinerary to plan your days. The yacht cruise fits particularly well into an evening around Gwangalli.
Let me know if you have any questions
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