Busan is located on the southeastern tip of the Korean Peninsula, and its one of South Korea’s top tourist destinations for a reason! Busan really has it all – incredible seafood, stunning beaches, gorgeous rolling mountains, and a busy nightlife! This is the first summer in two years that tourists are allowed to enter Korea, and Busan has almost no restrictions!
Busan has a number of beautiful beaches and coastal hikes! Let’s dig into some of Busan’s best beaches for your next trip!
Gwangalli Beach
Gwangalli Beach is home to a huge expat community, but it’s also a popular spot among Koreans too! The beach is long and features plenty of space for laying out, playing beach volleyball, and has a great view of the Gwangalli Bridge. The beach has loads of great brunch spots, coffee shops, and bars and restaurants.
Start your day at Little Aus for brunch! The name stands for “Little Australia” and the ambiance is zen and filled with plants and fresh herbs! The menu is delicious, and features vegetarian and vegan options! The owners speak English and couldn’t be nicer, so say hello and enjoy some delicious food before heading to the beach!
Spend the day on the beach and check out a beachside seafood place or get Korean BBQ dinner. Stay for a drone show every Saturday night at 8:00pm and 10:00pm and watch boats shoot fireworks until the wee hours of the morning!
Haeundae Beach
Haeundae Beach is Busan’s most famous, and it’s a large beach with plenty of space to spread out. It’s surrounded by plenty of bars and restaurants, but I love the view of the bluffs in the distance and the open sea. The beach itself is quite a bit bigger than Gwangalli, and is surrounded by luxury hotels and some great street food!
Spend the day at the beach and grab dinner at Home Bistro – a candlelit vegan restaurant that’s owned by a brother and sister duo! The owner is also an artist, and she sells the most beautiful prints for 5,000 won a piece. Bring a little extra cash and stay for live music on Saturday nights!
If vegan food isn’t interesting, check out Hello India! They have some of the best BBQ in town, and the best hummus I’ve ever eaten! The owner is extremely nice and will take care of you while you get a window view of downtown Haeundae.
Spend the night hanging out with friends on the beach with snacks and your favorite beverage! You’re sure to meet loads of new people – expats and Koreans!
Songjeong Beach
Songjeong is known as the “surfer beach” in Busan! You can go to any one of the surf shops on the beach and sign up for a surfing lesson! Lessons are mostly offered in Korean, but there are expats that offer lessons in English from time to time. Even though it’s a “surfer beach,” the waves here are pretty low so it’s a great spot to learn!
Wander to the pagoda at the end of the beach, and climb its steps to get a view of Japan! It’s admittedly a great photo opportunity, but also a stunning experience to take in the ocean and also admire Japan from afar!
Take a break from the sun and head to “Sunrise Bowl” a colorful and delicious smoothie shack a couple blocks away from the water. They have a wide variety of vegan smoothie bowls that are the perfect nourishment for a hot summer’s day. The couple that owns it also has the cutest golden retriever – so you can get some smoothies and puppy snuggles too!
End your day at Abamboo Thai, an incredible Thai Restaurant with gorgeous outdoor seating along the coast! It has some excellent family style Thai Food – so gather up all your friends to order as much as possible and share! The restaurant opens at 5:00pm and you’ll want to get there in advance to put your name in – it’s extremely famous and will fill up quickly!
After your day at the beach, you can walk the beautiful coastal trail back to Haeundae, or hop on board the Haeundae Beach Train and take in the sunset!
Dadaepo Beach
Dadaepo Beach is outside of downtown Busan, and the last stop on the Subway Line 1. The beach looks much different than the others I’ve listed, and it feels like you’ve left Busan altogether. The beach is massive, and isn’t surrounded by all of the bars and restaurants like the others. The beach is wide open and has a beautiful view of the ocean, and surrounding rocky bluffs and cliffs. There are huge rocks that you can climb on and watch the famous sunset! The beach faces the West and is unblocked by mountains or buildings. It’s famous for having the greatest sunsets in Busan,and it may be the best place to see the sunset in Korea! Make a day trip out of it or even spend a couple days! Pack a picnic and plan on spending your evening there to watch the sunset!
There’s some GREAT seafood and clam restaurants nearby, so end your day with some seafood on the ocean before turning in for the night. You won’t regret it!
Whether you’re interested in swimming, laying out, picnicking, or hiking – these beaches have a lot to offer! Make sure to leave room for some of the delicious foods surrounding these beaches and no matter where you are, stay for the sunset!
