Busan Is 10,000 Times More Fun Than Seoul!!

If you’re not here for medical aesthetics, shopping, or celebrity chasing—Busan is definitely 10,000 times more fun than Seoul!! I’d been to Seoul before, so this time I added a 2-day Busan trip before heading back to Seoul for medical aesthetics. But honestly, 2 days were far from enough—Busan is absolutely stunning when the weather’s nice 😻 🚄 Transportation We flew to Busan first, then took the KTX to Seoul. There are plenty of KTX trains, and tickets are easy to buy—but book in advance during peak seasons! Last-minute tickets might not have consecutive seats left. 🏠 Accommodation Since we had a Seoul itinerary later, we didn’t stay in Haeundae. Instead, we booked a place near Busan Station—it’s lively at night and super close to Bupeung Can Market Night Market, so we could pig out every evening 🥟! For Seoul: I stayed in Myeong-dong last time, but this time I chose Hongdae—and Hongdae is way more fun to explore! There’s a whole street of night markets here, and I had the most delicious fish cake skewers of my life there 😋 🏝️ Attractions You don’t need a Busan Pass if you only have 2 days—it’ll make the trip too rushed, and you’ll just be checking spots off a list (that kills the vibe of traveling 🥹). We visited Gamcheon Culture Village first. It’s a bit commercialized, but those clusters of colorful little houses are still so pretty! Then we went to Baekseom Culture Village—it’s right by the sea! I highly recommend the café ☕ Having Moment: it has 3 floors, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows on the 2nd floor (perfect for photos 📷) and a rooftop terrace on the 3rd floor for outdoor shots. The coffee is amazing too—you MUST order the black sesame latte; it’s so rich and creamy 😋. We even caught the sunset here 🌅—Busan is perfect for lazing away an afternoon in a café! Day 2: We headed to Haeundae. Book Sky Capsule Train tickets in advance—we booked ours a month early for the May Day holiday, and still waited in line for 30 minutes! If you have other plans, leave extra time. I saw tons of posts saying “only buy tickets for Mia-ri,” but Cheongsapo is just as good—both are close to the sea, and the views aren’t blocked since the capsules are spaced out. Get to Cheongsapo early—it’s so photogenic! After getting off at Songjeong, we wanted to take the coastal train to Cheongsapo, but tickets were sold out. So we walked instead—strolling along the seaside boardwalk, stopping to take photos now and then… it was so chill. The walk took about 2 hours. The capsule train ride itself is only 20 minutes, but once you get to Mia-ri, there are lots of cute coffee shops and bakeries to explore! 🛍️ Shopping Day 1 (Hongdae, Seoul): The shops here are super concentrated—super easy to browse! We started with 4F Vintage, a 4-story thrift store. The B1 floor has lots of Y2K-style clothes and dresses, and you can try them on. Then we went to AK Plaza—the 2nd floor is the best (tons of streetwear brands!). We also checked out Adidas and ABC Market, but most popular items were sold out 😢. ALAND is totally worth a visit—lots of affordable niche brands. Hongdae also has local fast-fashion stores like 8 Seconds; clothes are cheap (most under 20,000 KRW/around ¥100) and easy to grab! Day 2 (Seoul): We hit Lotte Department Store and Shinsegae Department Store—and finally got my long-coveted Chanel 174! Remember to ask about rebates—you can get a discount! #BusanTravel #SouthKoreaFreeTravel #SeoulShopping #SouthKoreaTravel #SeeTheSeaTogether #KoreanStyle #KoreaShopping #ShinsegaeDepartmentStore