Travel Tips for Busan

Weather in Busan

Busan has hot summers and wet cold winters.

Busan summers are hot and humid. Winters are wet, and cold.

Usually, spring and Autumn are the best seasons to visit Busan, South Korea.

Clothes & Shoes in Busan

If visiting in winter, bring a good jacket as it can get rainy and cold in Busan.

Bring a good pair of walking shoes as you will be walking a lot in Busan.

Clothes and shoes are Asian size (0-9) for women and (s-m) for men.
Finding clothing/ shoes may be difficult in Busan if your size is outside these parameters.

Attractions Closed day in Busan

Some Busan tourist attractions are closed on Mondays, so plan accordingly.

Local Transportation in Busan

Most Tourist attractions are accessible by Busan Metro (Subway/light rail trains) network and/or bus system.

Public transportation takes a bit more effort in Busan.

Busan Metro and public buses are an inexpensive way to commute in Busan and surrounding areas.
Busan's Taxi cabs are affordable, however have destination address in Korean ready.

Buy CashBee or T-Money reloadable Smart cards to Pay for your fare and make life easy on Busan Public Transport.

Busan Metro, Busan Transportation Corporation

The Busan Metro (subway) and buses are frequent, travels to most attractions, organized and fairly inexpensive.
Busan Metro is easy and efficient once you get a hang of its network & transfer stations between different lines.

Another option is to book a tour near Busan Station.
The tour buses have a stop behind to the taxi queue at Busan Station.

You can also get on to the Busan City Tour Hop-on and Hop-off the buses and see most of the sites in Busan.

More information is available at at the tourist information desk at Busan Station.

Full-Day Ticket for Busan City Tour Bus - $11.04

Eating in Busan

Koreans love their seafood, kimchi, and meat dishes.
There are many local restaurants serving Korean BBQ, noodles, or very fresh Sashimi at great prices in Busan.

Some local restaurants have English menus and usually located in alleys along the main streets.

FYI: Ban chan (side dishes) are usually free with most meals- you can usually ask for refills.

Try some Traditional Korean food like:
- Korean Burrito-fresh seafood sashimi wrapped in sesame leaves, lettuce, and chili paste,
- Soon Du Boo- spicy soft tofu soup,
- Duk Bok Key - spicy rice dumplings, Moor Nang Myun- Cold noodle (spicy/ soup), Kim-Chi (in all varieties)

Caution:
Korean food can be very spicy. Many dishes use a form of chili powder/ paste. If you have any concerns, ask!

The larger bottles of water are half the cost of smaller ones.
Buy the largest water bottles and transfer them to smaller ones. Refrigerate in your room.

Busan has many bakery shops. Eat at a bakery in Busan.
Get a tray and sample any of the delicious, fresh, and affordable breads and sweets for a nice snack or breakfast!

Restaurant Tipping in Busan

Tip is not expected in most places in Korea but not refused if you offer.
In most local restaurants after finishing a meal go straight to the counter next to the front entry door to pay your bill.

Safety tips for Busan

People are friendly and always ready to help strangers.
Although Busan is safe, it is a port city and you should consider these safety tips:
Don't wear expensive jewelry and flash cash around.
Be aware of your purse or backpack, especially when on crowded subways, streets, or buses.
Always know where you are going and how to get there before you leave.

Languages in Busan

English is spoken by most hotel front-line staff, mall shops, big restaurant, and tourist places.

However, English is not as widely spoken in Busan.
Korean is the most commonly spoken language.

Remember to carry your hotel card and/or a map in case you need to ask directions.

Many big hotels have ready made hotel cards with the list of Busan attractions in English and Korean to make visitors life easy.
Downloading a language translator on your smartphone can be helpful in communicating with others in Korea.

Electricity (Power) in Busan

If visiting from outside, 220-240 Volts (as compare to U.S./Canada are 110-120 Volts) power supply.

Miscellaneous tips for Busan

- Rule for escalators: stand on your right, and for those in a hurry walk up on the left side.

- Limit and pack light luggage as:
   You will be walking up & down stairs, and
   Getting on & off the subway/ bus/ train with your luggage in tow (only larger stations have elevators).

- Although you will see many Korean women in high heels, you will be walking to many places so make sure to wear good walking shoes.

- As in any metropolitan city, Koreans are very fashionable but conservative.
  To avoid unwanted attention:
  Do not wear clothing which shows off too much cleavage, midriff, or short (buttock cheeks hanging out) in public.