Busan
Korea’s great port on the southern sea, with the country’s largest beach at Haeundae, a fish market on the harbour, four starred tables in Haeundae, and a film festival every October.
- Arrival
- Gimhae International · PUS
- To the city
- About 12 km from City Hall
- Private jets
- Gimhae; no civil movements 23:00–06:00
- Best time
- May · September to October
The city
Harbour, hillsides and a long white beach.
Busan wraps around one of the busiest container ports in the world, its neighbourhoods climbing the hills behind the docks. Down by the harbour at Nampo-dong is Jagalchi, the fish market; on the slopes above, the stepped lanes of Gamcheon, a village first built in the 1950s. East along the coast lies Haeundae, with its beach, its towers and all four of the city’s starred restaurants, two of them on Dalmaji Hill.
May is warm and fresh, before the summer rains. September keeps the sea at about 24 °C and the beach still busy; October is dry and mild, and brings the Busan International Film Festival. July and August are hot and very wet, and winter is cool and mostly dry.
- Haeundae The largest beach in the country, with its lifeguarded season stretched into mid-September.
- Jagalchi The great seafood market on the harbour at Nampo-dong, the city’s larder.
- Beomeosa A mountain temple founded in 835 on the slopes north of the city.
Arriving
One airport, a night-time curfew.
Gimhae International lies on the western edge of the city, about 12 km from City Hall, and shares its runways with an air force base. From Seoul, the KTX train takes about two and a half hours.
- Shanghai 1 h 25
- Taipei 2 h 05
- Hong Kong 3 h 00
- Ho Chi Minh City 4 h 55
- Toronto 14 h 10 long-range jet
When to go
May, and September to October.
A sea climate, milder in winter than Seoul and wet in summer. May reaches 22 °C before the monsoon, which brings 224 to 271 mm a month from June to August. September is still 26 °C with the sea at 24 °C, and October is dry at 22 °C.
- 7° J 38 14°
- 9° F 51 13°
- 13° M 80 13°
- 18° A 149 14°
- 22° M 142 16°
- 24° J 224 20°
- 27° J 271 23°
- 29° A 210 26°
- 26° S 182 24°
- 22° O 72 21°
- 16° N 61 19°
- 10° D 28 16°
Where to stay
Above the sand at Haeundae.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
Where to dine
Four stars along the Haeundae shore.
From the MICHELIN Guide 2026, shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- Fiotto One Michelin star Italian contemporary ₩₩₩ Dalmaji-gil, Haeundae
- Le DORER One Michelin star Korean contemporary ₩₩₩ Marine City, Haeundae
- Mori One Michelin star Japanese ₩₩₩ Gunam-ro, Haeundae
- Palate One Michelin star Contemporary ₩₩₩₩ Dalmaji-gil, Haeundae
Flying to Busan?
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A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.