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To conclude our trip to Korea, let me cover our 2 days in Busan. Before the trip to Korea, we decided that 7 days was too much for a tiny Jeju, and we decided to spend a couple of days in Busan. In this post, I will share our one-day plus (one whole day and two halves) Busan itinerary.

Busan - 2 days itinerary - day 1

The first day was dedicated to hotel check-in and a brief exploration of the hotel’s vicinity. Once we landed in Busan, we went straight to our hotel, Ramada Encore, which is conveniently located near the train station. As I was extremely hungry, the vicinity exploration had to be pushed down in our priority list—food was priority number one.

We managed to find a korean viking-themed restaurant called Viking Hus. The food was quite ordinary, but I very much enjoy the interior, e.g. a longship themed table.

After the late lunch / early dinner, we decided to check out a nearby USA town. To my great surprise, it has little to do with the US and A, and mainly has people or shops from Russia, China, or Philippines. The majority of shops have signs in both Korean and Russian. The overall atmosphere is quite depressing - the place reminds me of the devastation and poverty of ninthees.

Lastly, we discovered a truly hidden gem - a very special brand of Korean Makgeolli. On the way back to the hotel, we decided to get a bottle of a local vine for a movie. As it was quite late, the majority of shops were closed, so the 24/7 shops at the railway station had an answer. While walking at the train station, a bright, neatly decorated shop caught our attention. The shop was dedicated to a local Makgeolli brand - Boksoondoga. In Russia we have the saying - “We were looking for silver, but found gold”. That was the exact moment. The shop had a degustation option, so we ordered a couple of glasses to try the drink at the shop. The flavour was sweet, tangy, and slightly effervescent. The vine reminded me of a sparkling, sweet kefir infused with a touch of alcohol. The vine’s creamy, smooth texture with a gentle fizz that gives it a refreshing lightness. To conclude, it was love from a first sip. If you would have a chance to get a hold of Boksoondoga, I strongly recommend not to lose it.

A few russian snacks to enjoy with korean wine:

That was the conclusion of our first day.

Busan - 2 days itinerary - day 2

The second day was the most intense. As our time was quite limited, we purchased a tour to explore the most interesting part of Busan: Gamcheon Culture Village, Haeundae Beach / Songjeong Beach, Taejongdae Park, Haedong Yonggungsa, Cheongsapo Daritdol Observation Deck, and Huinnyeoul Culture Village. I’m going to briefly cover each attraction.

In the morning, we boarded the bus with a very enthusiastic Korean guide, who announced that the first stop was going to be Haedong Yonggungsa temple. After an hour, we arrived at the Haedong Yonggungsa temple. The temple is famous for a unique architecture and scenic beauty. The majority of the South Korean temples are located in the mountains, but Haedong Yonggungsa is built on the ocean side with a stunning ocean view. Once you come down the stone ladder with the twelve zodiac animals, the temple against the rolling waves is mesmerizing. Haedong Yonggungsa has much to offer: unique architecture, bright colors, and a serene atmosphere.

After about an hour at the temple, we left for the second attraction - Cheongsapo Daritdol Observation Deck. Before visiting the deck, we had some time to try Korean seafood and delicacies. Even though we weren’t hungry, we ate a couple of meals as the food was so fresh and delicious.

The observation deck is a great place to have a side view of the Busan. During our visit, the place was partially under renovation, and it was quite amusing to observe construction workers renovating a monumental construction. No surprises, the view from the point is stunning - an endless sea with caravans of ships from one side and the concrete jungles from another.

After the observation deck, we took a tourist wagon that led to Haeundae Beach / Songjeong Beach, where “wagoneers” reunited with the whole group. Our second last attraction was Huinnyeoul Culture Village that the guide was constantly referring to as Korean Santorini.

The place is similar to Santorini only with its color schemes - blue & white. That’s it. The rest is a nice cliff-side walk with some artsy cafes & restaurants, and shops, but nothing more. I think we spent about an hour there and left for another cultural village.

Lastly, we head to the Gamcheon Culture Village. This place has been referred to by the guide as the Korean Machu Picchu. Again, I have no clue why he called it such, but there is nothing similar to Machu Picchu. He might refer to the Caralluma neighborhood in La Paz, but I can’t be 100% sure. In a couple of months, I hope I’ll write about our trip to Bolivia. Let’s get back to Korea. The place is great. There are a lot of authentic restaurants and shops, various graphites, and amazing views. We spent a great time at the place looking through the antique and craftsman shops.

At the end of the tour, the guide passed us a couple of postcards and even sung a song for the sake of a good rating that we gave to him. The end of the day we spent at the hotel with Boksoondonga.

Busan - 2 days itinerary - Last day

On the last day, we didn’t have much time to explore the city, so we decided to check out only one attraction - the local oceanarium. Unfortunately, I didn’t really enjoy the place. Firstly, it was a little bit noisy due to a group of school kids around, who were on holiday. Secondly, the oceanarium was a little bit rundown and outdated. There are not too many unique creatures or enclosures compared to other oceanariums. Lastly, the place was quite small, so I won’t recommend going there.