48 Hours in Busan with kids

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple © Aleney de Winter

We explore cliff-top temples, rainbow villages and everything in between in our guide to the best things to do in 48 hours in Busan with kids.

The alarm screams us awake at 5 AM, which is basically still yesterday. Armed with coffee and groggy determination, my daughter and I drag ourselves onto the KTX high-speed train to Busan. Despite our exhaustion, we’re hoping this ride ends better than the film version.

Happily, what we find in Korea’s second city is one of the best family destinations in South Korea, a city that flips our expectations of Korean family travel. And there’s not a zombie in sight. Well, until we catch our own tired reflections in shop windows.

BTS mural at Gamcheon © Aleney de Winter

Trading Seoul’s polish for lively markets, street food on every corner and neighbourhoods full of local character, there’s no shortage of things to do in Busan with kids, but two days is enough to cover the highlights comfortably. Busan rewards the effort in ways that Seoul, for all its brilliance, simply doesn’t. Trading the capital’s polish for lively markets, street food on every corner and neighbourhoods full of local character, it’s considerably more relaxed and manageable.

Things to do in Busan with Kids

Jagalchi Fish Market © Aleney de Winter

There’s enough quirk to keep teenagers from eyerolling themselves into another dimension, enough culture to justify calling it educational and enough Korean fried chicken to keep everyone happy. And, amidst it all, you’ll find yourself having the most honest conversations about history, culture and what it means to preserve the past without embalming it.

If you are visiting Busan for the first time, here’s our tried and tested guide to the must-visit attractions and experiences to enjoy in 48 hours in Busan.

Day One: Busan’s markets, monks and murals

Jagalchi Fish Market

Jagalchi Fish Market © Aleney de Winter

Hit the ground running with lunch at Jagalchi, Korea’s largest seafood market. This place doesn’t mess around. You’ll smell it before you see it… all dried fish, ocean brine and something indefinably fishy that’s somehow completely intoxicating. Let the kids explore the outdoor tanks first. Watching spiky sea urchins and flip-flopping fish is weirdly mesmerising.

Jagalchi Fish Market © Aleney de Winter

For the best place to eat seafood in Busan, just head upstairs at Jagalchi Fish Market to the cooked food section, where you pick your seafood downstairs and they grill it to order. Point at things, nod enthusiastically and you’ll end up with a table groaning under grilled fish with crackling, caramelised skin, prawns the size of your forearm and enough kimchi to fuel a small army.

If you’re lucky (or unlucky, depending on your perspective), someone at a neighbouring table will order something still wriggling. My daughter and I watched wide-eyed as a tentacle make a valiant bid for freedom. Confronting, for sure. But it’s also honest. There’s no Instagram-filtered version of where food comes from here.

Gamcheon Culture Village

Gamcheon Culture Village © Aleney de Winter

Twenty minutes by taxi brings you to what looks like someone knocked over a paint factory on a mountainside and decided to leave it that way. Gamcheon Culture Village’s candy-hued houses are stacked impossibly on top of each other, tumbling down the hillside like a LEGO masterpiece dreamed up by someone who clearly never heard the phrase “tone it down”.

Once a refuge for those displaced by the Korean War, these steep alleys and jumbled rooftops provided sanctuary in desperate times. Today, creativity hums through every narrow lane. Murals splash across walls, sculptures pop up in unexpected corners, and rooftop cafés perch precariously above it all, offering tea with a side of spectacular views.

Gamcheon Culture Village © Aleney de Winter

What makes this place brilliant for kids is the treasure hunt aspect. Grab a map from the information centre, buy the kids a torched marshmallow ice cream from a street vendor (trust me on this—they’re like s’mores, only better), and let them lead. The village is small enough that you won’t lose anyone but big enough to feel like an adventure. Those candy-coloured houses climbing the mountain like a Cubist masterpiece? They’re even more spectacular up close. Allow two hours minimum and wear comfortable shoes.

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple © Aleney de Winter

Trade Gamcheon’s chaotic colour for the tranquillity of Haedong Yonggungsa, a 12th-century Buddhist temple perched precariously on an ocean cliff that might just be the prettiest place in Busan, which is saying something.

We descend 108 stone steps flanked by bamboo and stone lanterns, the crash of waves below providing the soundtrack. A three-storey pagoda rises like a guardian, and shrines are strewn with colourful lanterns swaying gently in the ocean breeze.

My daughter stops in front of one shrine, its centrepiece a Buddha statue with an extremely shiny belly. My daughter rubs it like she is summoning a genie, and the sunset obligingly painted the sky pink and gold. Coincidence? Probably. But she’s convinced she’s blessed now, and who am I to argue?

Arrive before sunset for the best light and the best chances of good fortune. Be respectful, as this is an active temple. Oh, and entry is free, which is excellent news.

Haeundae highlights

Haeundae Beach © Aleney de Winter

Check into a hotel in buzzy Haeundae, Busan’s buzzing beach district, and prepare to hand the evening over to serendipity. Haeundae’s main street has this wonderful 70s municipal charm about it, with retro light fixtures lining the road that suggest the town planners were either visionaries or just really into vintage aesthetics. Follow the street all the way down to the beach, stop at a vendor for tanghulu (fruit skewered and dipped in a hard sugar shell that shatters satisfyingly when you bite it), and eat it while staring at the sea. There are worse ways to end a day.

Haeundae at night © Aleney de Winter

The entire area is heaving with some of the best restaurants in Busan … But we recommend ducking into Haeundae Traditional Market, a covered alley a short walk back from the beach that manages to pack an enormous amount of chaos and flavour into a very small space. Seafood restaurants line the sides, many with live tanks out front where your dinner is auditioning for the role. But there’s plenty beyond the ocean… tteokbokki (chewy rice cakes in a spicy sauce that is basically addictive), mandu (dumplings, steamed or fried, both amazing), kalguksu (hand-cut noodle soup), Korean corn dogs and cheese hotteok (crispy pancakes stuffed with gooey mozzarella). Bring cash. Most stalls don’t take cards.

Afterwards we stumbled across K-pop dancers practising their routines in the street, which thrilled my daughter more than anything we’d paid actual money to see that day. She folded her arms, tilted her head like a judge on one of those talent shows, and announced (after her whole single lesson in Seoul) that she could do better. Just quietly… she cannot.

Day Two: Busan’s coast, capsules and Korean cooking

Beomeosa

Monksat Beomeosa. Photo by Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Start the day early enough at Beomeosa and you might have it almost to yourself, an extraordinary privilege for somewhere this beautiful. Founded in 678 AD by the Great Priest Euisang at the eastern foot of Geumjeongsan, Busan’s guardian mountain, which sounds like exactly the kind of job title a mountain should have, Beomeosa Temple is one of Korea’s five great Buddhist temples, a distinction that carries genuine weight in a country this serious about its Buddhist heritage.

The valley approaching the temple is thick with wisteria, which in spring turns the whole climb into something that doesn’t feel entirely real. It carries its thirteen centuries with quiet dignity rather than tourist fanfare. There’s no gift shop crowding the entrance, no audio guide rattling off facts at volume. Walk through the Iljumun Gate, its four stone pillars dating to 1614, and you feel the shift as the noise falls away. The Daeungjeon Hall sits at the heart of the complex, stone lanterns in the ancient Silla style flanking the entrance, dragon heads carved into the eaves above for anyone who bothers to look up.

Entry is free. Allow two to three hours, wear comfortable shoes, and please keep your voice down, as this is an active temple where monks live and the devout worship.

Taejongdae Park

From the northern mountains to the southernmost tip of the city, Taejongdae is a coastal park perched on Yeongdo Island, all rugged cliffs and pine forests and sea views so dramatic they make you wonder why anyone bothered with screensavers. The park takes its name from King Taejong Muyeol of Silla, who apparently liked to come here to practise archery. Whether that’s because the views inspired him or because he needed somewhere dramatic to be regal, history doesn’t record.

The best way around is the Danubi Train. a small sightseeing train that loops the 4.3 km coastal road, partly because the terrain is steep enough to punish anyone who didn’t budget their leg energy correctly, and partly because the train is genuinely charming in that unashamedly touristy way that stops being embarrassing once you’re on it. Ride it to the Yeongdo Lighthouse, which has been shining continuously since 1906, and the spectacular “Light Beyond Limitation” sculpture at the cliff’s edge. On a clear day, you can see as far as Tsushima Island in Japan. But even on a hazy day, the view is worth getting the bus for. Entry to the park is free; the Danubi Train costs a few thousand won and is worth every one of them.

Haeundae Blueline Park Sky Capsule

Back on the eastern side of the city for one of Busan’s most quirky and purely enjoyable experiences, the Sky Capsule, which is essentially a small private pod on an elevated coastal track and absolutely as good as the photos suggest. Built along a former railway line that once ran the east coast from Busan to Pohang, the track was repurposed in 2020 into a walking trail and sightseeing attraction. Taking thirty minutes, one way, from Mipo Station to Cheongsapo Station, the brightly coloured capsules fit up to four people and glide slowly enough above the sea that you have time to soak in the view.

Book online before you go. This is not optional advice. Tickets sell out, queues can reach 45 minutes even on weekdays, and there is no joy in arriving to find the only available slot is in three hours. For the best views, ride from Mipo towards Cheongsapo; the capsules run on the seaward side of the track in that direction. Ride back on the Beach Train, which covers the full coastal route to Songjeong Beach and gives you a different, more leisurely angle on the same stretch of coast.

Bapsang Cooking Class

Bapsang Cooking Class © Aleney de Winter

End your trip learning to actually cook the tasty Busan cuisine you’ve been inhaling over the previous days. In our opinion, the best Korean cooking class in Busan for families is Bapsang Cooking Class, run by the lovely Minkyung, or Min, from her own apartment, which immediately makes it feel different from every other cooking experience we’ve had. A short and rather pleasant walk along the seaside from our Haeundae hotel, this wasn’t a sterile commercial kitchen. It is someone’s home and offers us a rare, genuine glimpse into what life in Busan looks like.

We don traditional aprons, gather around preparation stations and start chopping under the guidance of Min, who has spent a career in hospitality, studied traditional Korean cuisine formally and is a certified temple chef. She proves equal parts teacher and storyteller and weaves Korean history and culture into every step… why rice is prepared this way, what different vegetables symbolise and how recipes are passed through generations.

Min guides our every step, explains substitutions for ingredients we won’t find at home, and somewhere between the chopping and the stirring manages to whip up bibimbap with bulgogi, seafood-studded pancakes and a traditional seaweed soup.

When everything is ready, we eat Korean-style… cushions on the floor with dishes arranged on a low bapsang table (which, incidentally, is optional, something my ageing back is immensely grateful for). Min adds pickles and homemade sweets, and the whole thing wraps up in about three hours. The meal is perfect. Not restaurant-perfect, but better… the kind of perfect that comes from effort and learning and doing something completely new together.

We leave with the recipes, a certificate and the slightly humbling realisation that my daughter’s version was better than mine.

Gwangalli Beach Drone Show

If you happen to be in Busan on a Saturday evening, get yourself to Gwangalli Beach for Korea’s first permanent drone show. Every Saturday night hundreds of drones are choreographed into shapes and patterns above the water in a twelve-minute performance that is completely free.

Shows run at 7pm and 9pm. Arrive early for a good spot, or arrive late and spend the whole thing peering around someone’s head, which is also an option but not one we recommend.

Gwangalli itself is worth the visit regardless of the drones. The whole area has an unhurried energy and amazing views of the Gwangan Bridge lit up at night. Not to mention a strip of excellent restaurants and cafés that are noticeably less aimed at tourists than those in Haeundae.

Optional Tongyeong day trip from Busan

Sebyeonggwan Hall, part of the historical Tongjeyeong (Navy Headquarters of Three Provinces) in Tongyeong, South Korea.

Sebyeonggwan Hall in Tongyeong © Aleney de Winter

Tongyeong is perfect side quest for those who’d like to add an extra day to their itinerary. About two hours by bus from Seobu Terminal, or 75 to 90 minutes if you’re driving, an early start is non-negotiable if you plan on visiting Tongyeong, Do it anyway because it’s absolutely worth the effort.

This small coastal town nicknamed “The Naples of Korea” wore its dramatic naval history proudly long before tourists arrived. Admiral Yi Sun-sin used it as his principal base during the desperate sea battles of the 16th century, and monuments to his name dot the waterfront to this day. Yet despite all that bloodshed in its past, Tongyeong now holds a quiet, unhurried charm that makes busier Busan look positively manic by comparison.

Mount Mireuksan Cable Car and Skyline Luge

Mount Mireuksan Cable Car and Skyline Luge © Aleney de Winter

Don’t miss the cable car, Korea’s longest, up Mount Mireuksan and watch islands scatter across the horizon like pieces of an unfinished puzzle, the sea stretching endlessly in every direction. It’s the kind of view that makes you want to spout poetry or at least snap eleventy thousand photos. None of them will do it justice.

The mountain trails beckon if you have the legs for it. We did not. But what goes up must come down. And the way down is where things get properly thrilling.

The Skyline Luge sends you plunging down the slope, mountain air slapping against your face as you carve through twists and turns in a small cart you actually steer yourself. This is where you discover what kind of person your child really is. Conservative brake users or speed demons with a death wish? My daughter spent the entire ride squealing with delight and yelling at me to go faster, while I white-knuckled the brake and made a mental note to read the small print next time. We recommend booking online to skip queues, especially on weekends.

Dongpirang Village

Still in Tongyeong, Dongpirang is the kind of place that exists because someone refused to give up on it. In 2007, the government announced plans to demolish the whole hillside community to build a park, which would have displaced a neighbourhood of mostly elderly residents with nowhere to go. A civic group responded by launching a national mural competition, inviting artists and art students from across the country to cover every surface they could find… whether wall, fence, stairwell or water tank. The demolition plan was quietly dropped. Art saved the village.

Wander up through the alleyways, and the details reveal themselves slowly. There are fish swimming across cracked plaster, flowers trailing up stairwells, tiny creatures painted onto letterboxes and fishing boats tucked into garden walls. It’s less curated than Gamcheon and less Insta-optimised but all the better for it. The murals refresh regularly too, so even if you’ve been before, there’s always something new to find.

Climb to the summit, and the harbour fans out below, with the restored Dongporu watchtower, once used by Admiral Yi Sun-sin as an observation post, sitting at the top. The climb is steep, so bring water and take your time because this is the kind of place that rewards slow exploration.

Busan travel tips for families

Everything you need to know about the KTX to Busan

The KTX from Seoul to Busan represents Korean infrastructure at its most competent… fast, punctual and comfortable enough that the journey itself becomes unremarkable, which is the highest compliment you can give public transportation. And it is entirely zombie-free. The sleek, silent beast glides quietly through mountains and fields, transforming what could be a tedious journey into a surprisingly civilised affair. Two and a half hours through countryside that transitions from urban sprawl to agricultural plains to coastal mountains, all while maintaining the kind of quiet that makes you reconsider your own country’s relationship with public space etiquette.

While our tickets were arranged by the amazing Inside Asia team, travellers can also book through the Korail app, which functions with the efficiency you’d expect from Korean digital infrastructure. The system also connects Busan to Gyeongju (ancient sites), Incheon (port architecture), and Pyeongchang (winter sports), making it viable for longer Korean itineraries beyond the Seoul-Busan corridor.

Window seats on the right offer mountain views if you care about scenery. Otherwise, use the time to read, work or simply appreciate transport infrastructure that works as designed.

Getting around in Busan

The subway is clean and efficient, and signage is in English. Get a T-Money card on arrival and top it up – it will work on subways, buses, and taxis. Kids find the beeping sound effects hilarious for approximately forty-seven stops, then mildly annoying for the remaining journey.

Taxis are plentiful and relatively cheap. Don’t be afraid to use them, especially when kids’ feet are dragging or you’re hauling shopping bags full of Korean snacks you don’t need but absolutely have to buy.

Where to stay in Busan

We recommend basing yourself in Haeundae for both nights, as it puts you within walking distance of the beach, the market and the evening street food scene, and the subway connects you easily to everything else.

For families, Paradise Hotel Busan is the splash-out option: direct beach access, a children’s pool, a kids’ club and sea views that justify the splurge.

The Westin Josun Busan sits right at the end of the beach and is the only five-star in the area with an in-house Korean restaurant, which, given what you’ll have learned in the cooking class, feels like a fitting way to end the trip.

For mid-range, L7 Haeundae by Lotte is a three-minute walk from the beach, well-run and good value. Book early for summer visits. July and August are peak season, and prices climb accordingly.

Plan your Busan family trip with Inside Asia Tours

If reading all of the above made you feel simultaneously excited and mildly exhausted, we get it. Busan is brilliant, but it rewards planning, and planning takes time that most families, frankly, don’t have. This is where InsideAsia Tours comes in.

We used them to organise our Korea trip, and the difference between having a well-designed itinerary and winging it in a country where you don’t speak the language and the transport app is in Korean cannot be overstated. Their inside guides know South Korea, not just the headline temples and markets, but the details that make the difference between a good trip and a genuinely great one. The KTX tickets that need to be booked in advance. The best cooking class. The fact that the Skyline Luge in Tongyeong is worth doing, but you need to get there early. The small print you wouldn’t have thought to read.

Their Korea tours are broad enough to suit most travellers. From small group tours that cover Seoul, Jeonju and Busan to a foodie-focused Culinary Korea itinerary for families who plan their days around eating (umm, yes, that would be us) and a Korea by Rail option that turns the KTX network itself into part of the experience. And if you’ve already done Korea and want to push further, there’s a Jeju Island extension and a Japan and Korea combination that pits bibimbap against ramen over fifteen days.

The best bit is that the majority of Inside Asia’s tours are customisable and tailor-made, which means you tell them everything from what you want to see to how many days you want to travel and whether your thirteen-year-old would rather luge down a mountain than sit through another temple… and they build your trip around it. Brilliantly.

Busan with kids – Need to know before you go

When to visit
Spring (April to June) and autumn (September to November) offer the most comfortable weather that is warm, dry and clear. Summer is hot and humid with a rainy season in July and August. Winter is cold but dry and considerably less crowded.
Language
Korean. Download Papago before you arrive. It’s better than Google Translate for Korean and works offline. Most younger Koreans speak some English, but knowing a few phrases like gamsahamnida (thank you) earns genuine smiles and sometimes better service.
Currency
Korean Won (KRW). Cards are widely accepted in restaurants, shops and hotels, though smaller market stalls and street food vendors are often cash only. ATMs are easy to find throughout the city.
Power
220V AC electricity. Type C and F plugs (the standard European two-round-pin style). Travellers from Australia, the UK or the US will need an adaptor; those with dual-voltage devices (most phones and laptops) won’t need a converter.
Visa & Passport Requirements
Visa requirements vary by nationality. Many countries, including Australia, the UK, the US and most of Europe, can enter South Korea visa-free for stays of up to 90 days for tourism. Check the current requirements for your nationality before you travel, as rules can and do change. Your passport must be valid at the time of entry.
Health
There are no mandatory vaccinations for South Korea, but we recommend visiting your GP at least six weeks before departure for up-to-date advice on recommended immunisations. Tap water in Busan is safe to drink, so bring a reusable bottle and use it.
Tipping
Tipping is not expected or customary. Service charges are generally included, and staff do not expect additional payment. You won’t cause offence by not tipping.
Etiquette
In casual dining spots, things are relaxed, but in more formal settings, the basics matter. Don’t stand chopsticks upright in rice. Pour drinks for others, not yourself. If elders are present, always wait for them to start their meal first. It is not complicated, but simple signs of respect go a very long way.

An award-winning travel writer and photographer, Aleney de Winter was fresh from school when she first set off to explore the far reaches of Australia with a two-man tent and a beaten-up Kingswood for company. Three decades, and two kids later, and she's still on the go, with her itchy-footed offspring in tow.