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Your practical guide to Busan

Routes, food, SIM cards and what's on in Busan — in your language.

I'm traveling →I live in Busan →
Gwangan BridgeGwangan Bridge

Today in Busan

On today:

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Highlights

Busan

Gwangan BridgeView
Namhang Bridge SunsetView
Hwangnyeongsan ViewView
Haedong YonggungsaCulture
Gwangan Bridge at NightView
Gamcheon Culture VillageCulture
Haeundae BeachSea
Jagalchi MarketCulture
TaejongdaeSea
BIFF Square Ssiat-hotteokCulture
Dadaepo BeachSea
Songdo SkywalkSea
Songjeong BeachSea
Gamcheon Village CatCulture
Dadaepo SunsetSea
Nampo-dong CatCulture

This week in Busan

What's on this week. Dates from the official Busan tourism portal.

Full calendar →

Essentials

What you'll need on the ground.

Suggested routes1, 2 or 3 days, theme courses and a rainy-day plan. Each stop opens in Naver Map, and the taxi card shows the driver where to go.Read guide →Show-to-staff KoreanTap a card to show it full screen. 🔊 plays it out loud. Works offline once opened.Read guide →Restaurant bookings & waiting linesPopular places in Busan fill up or run a waiting list. How to book and queue as a visitor — no Korean phone number needed for most of it.Read guide →Busan trip checklistEverything to sort out before and during a trip to Busan, in order. Tick items off — your progress is saved on this device.Read guide →
Your first day in BusanFrom the airport to your hotel, a transit card and mobile data — in the order you'll need them.Read guide →Your first 30 days in BusanFor exchange students and anyone moving to Busan: what to sort out, in order. Tick items off — your progress is saved on this device.Read guide →Apps to install before you goKorea runs on its own apps, and Google Maps only half works here. Install these at home on Wi-Fi — all free, all with English menus.Read guide →How to use NAVER MapGoogle Maps shows public transit in Korea but no walking or driving directions. Locals use NAVER Map — here's how to set it up in your language.Read guide →Gwangalli drone light show: how to watchEvery Saturday night, about a thousand drones draw pictures in the sky over Gwangan Bridge. Free, about 10 minutes, twice a night.Read guide →Busan Fireworks Festival: how to watchSaturday 7 November 2026, over Gwangan Bridge. One of Asia's biggest fireworks shows — and about a million people come. Where to watch, how to get there and, just as important, how to get home.Read guide →Paying in BusanCards work almost everywhere. Here's where they don't, and what else you can use.Read guide →Official help in your languageFree phone lines and websites run by Korea and Busan for visitors — travel questions, interpretation, visas, lost items.Read guide →Emergency & helpNumbers that work from any phone, and where to get help in your language.Read guide →

All guides →

Getting around

Pick where you are and where you're going — we'll show the rough distance, taxi time and fare, and open the route in Kakao Map.

Distance
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By taxi
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Taxi fare
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Bus & subway route ↗Taxi / car route ↗Call an Uber ↗

No Kakao Map app yet? Get it free:App Store ↗Google Play ↗

Rough estimate for a regular metered taxi. Kakao T and Uber regular taxis charge the same meter; Uber takes foreign cards, and some Uber options add a ₩1,000–3,000 fee. Traffic, tolls and the late-night surcharge (23:00–04:00, +20–30%) can add more. (Last checked: 2026-10-13 · Rates by ExchangeRate-API 2026-10-21)

Food map

Tap an area on the map or below to see our picks there.

Open the food map →

Phone & SIM

One question decides your options: do you have a Korean residence card (ARC)? Budget carriers (알뜰폰) use the same networks as SKT, KT and LG U+ — same coverage, much cheaper.

Travel eSIM (data only) Most people

What you need
A phone that supports eSIM. Buy online before you fly and install it at home.
Typical cost
About ₩10,000–50,000 per trip≈ US$7.5–38 · £5.6–28 · €6.7–34 · A$11–54
Good for
Short trips: maps, translation and messages all work. You won't have a Korean phone number.

Prepaid budget SIM with a Korean number (알뜰폰 선불)

What you need
Your passport. Sold at airport counters, some convenience stores and budget-carrier shops.
Typical cost
About ₩20,000–55,000 a month≈ US$15–41 · £11–31 · €13–37 · A$22–59
Good for
When you need a Korean number — restaurant waiting lists, delivery and taxi apps — or you stay more than a few weeks.

Since July 2026 Korea has been adding a face check when a line is opened; it doesn't apply to foreign IDs yet but is planned for later — bring your passport or ARC and allow some time. A number opened with a passport often fails identity checks in Korean banking and payment apps.

Prices are typical ranges and change often — check the price before you pay · last checked 2026-10-21 · Rates by ExchangeRate-API (2026-10-21)

Show this screen to the driver · turn your brightness up

· Please take me here

Open in Naver Map

Handy phrases

카드로 결제할게요I'll pay by card

영수증 주세요Receipt, please

Show-to-staff Korean →