| Purpose of visit | Tourism / sightseeing |
| Travellers | 2 adults, Thai nationals (couple) |
| Travel authorisation | K-ETA — valid, both travellers |
| Arrival | 14 Oct 2026, 07:05 · Gimhae Intl Airport (PUS) Vietnam Airlines VN616 → VN428 |
| Departure | 18 Oct 2026, 19:05 · Jin Air LJ21 PUS → Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK), arr. 22:40 — return ticket held |
| Length of stay | 4 nights / 5 days |
| Accommodation | Hotel Central Bay 189 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan Deluxe Twin Ocean View · 14–18 Oct · booking confirmed & prepaid |
| Areas visited | Busan only — Gwangalli, Nampo-dong, Gamcheon, Haeundae, Yeongdo, Songdo |
| Occupation | Emergency physician (Thailand) |
| Hotel Central Bay · Deluxe Twin Ocean View | — |
| 189 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro, Suyeong-gu · on Gwangalli Beach | — |
| 4 nights (14–18 Oct) | 753,799 ₩ |
| Average per night | ~188,450 ₩ |
Best pick for day one — open 24/7, year round, so still serving at 10:00 after the early landing · order 항정국밥 (hangjeong gukbap, 13,000 ₩): thin-sliced pork jowl, all lean meat, no offal, clear broth · self-serve bar, plenty of two-tops
Naver MapBriquette charcoal grill — the classic Korean smoky style, reasonably priced
Naver MapDirectly in front of Millak beach with a full sea view — fits the day 1 evening plan; charcoal-grilled shellfish with Gwangan Bridge in view
Naver MapWide menu: gomjangeo (grilled hagfish), pork belly, grilled shellfish, sashimi, live octopus
Naver MapA Busan institution · must-try: 슈크림 choux cream (fist-sized) and 명란바게뜨 pollock-roe baguette · open daily 09:00–22:00
Naver MapSix-storey bakery café on Gwangalli beach — every seat has an ocean view, bread baked on the 2nd floor · open 09:00–24:00
Naver MapOvernight flight, so an easy day with no long transfers — almost everything is within walking distance of the hotel.
Immigration and baggage ~40–60 min · pick up a Cashbee card at the CU/GS25 inside, collect eSIM/WiFi
Tired with luggage → taxi is the sensible option, via Kakao T or the airport rank
Check-in from 15:00 · the hotel is on the Gwangalli beachfront road
Busan's true signature dish, and exactly right after an overnight flight · the Busan version is lean pork only, no offal — just a little spring onion in the bowl · ~10,000 ₩
Fine sand with Gwangan Bridge as the backdrop; walk south into the Namcheon-dong café streets
Don't push it today — save energy for the next three days
Ask for a high floor facing Gwangan Bridge
Where locals sit on mats with fried chicken and beer watching the sun set behind the bridge (sunset ~17:50)
Pick your fish downstairs, eat it upstairs with a sea view · if raw fish isn't your thing, try 조개뷰 광안본점 for charcoal-grilled shellfish facing Millak beach, or see the "Restaurants" section
Early night — tomorrow starts at 08:15
Gamcheon is emptiest first thing; the markets peak in the late afternoon. Relaxed pace, no rush.
Direct taxi ~40 min · ~26,000 ₩ (public transport needs a subway + uphill bus, over 1.5 hours)
Pastel houses stacked up the hillside. Buy the 2,000 ₩ stamp map at the info centre and follow the trail · the Little Prince and Desert Fox photo spot has almost no queue at this hour · walk up 감내2로 for the full village view
Taxi ~15 min · ~7,000 ₩ · Korea's largest seafood market — ground floor for live tanks, giant octopus, sea eels and the shouting vendors
Pick fish downstairs and have it prepared upstairs · or try gomjangeo (곰장어, grilled hagfish in spicy sauce), the Jagalchi speciality, and grilled fish
The post-war market made famous by the film Ode to My Father · clothing, household goods, kitchenware, souvenirs — haggling expected
Nampo's pedestrian shopping street — Olive Young, Korean brands, cafés · rest your legs before the evening
Escalator up from Gwangbok-ro · go up the tower right at sunset (~17:50) for both the daytime view and the city lights
Peak hour — lights on, the whole street smells of food. Order one at a time and share:
Jagalchi/Nampo (Line 1) → Seomyeon → transfer to Line 2 → Gwangan · ~40 min · or taxi ~30 min, ~22,000 ₩
A full coastal day. Scheduled on a Friday because the Sky Capsule is far easier to book and far less crowded than at the weekend.
Taxi from the hotel to Yonggungsa ~35–40 min · ~28,000 ₩ (public transport needs several changes)
A Buddhist temple built onto the rocks above the East Sea, waves breaking below · go early — by late morning it's too crowded to photograph · descend the 108 steps under the coloured lanterns
A small fishing village with paired red and white lighthouses · the skywalk juts 72 m out over the sea with a glass floor (free)
Tented restaurants along the water grilling scallops, cockles and prawns over charcoal — a far better setting than the equivalent in Haeundae
Pastel capsules gliding 2 km above the old coastal railway, ~30 min · online booking required — departing from Cheongsapo puts you on the outer, seaward track
Korea's most famous beach · the market in the lanes behind it has soy-marinated crab (ganjang gejang), hot eomuk and egg bread
Korea's second-highest observation deck · go up about an hour before sunset to get daylight, golden hour and night views on one ticket · Korea's highest Starbucks is up there
Korean BBQ (beef or black pork) or seafood stew · plenty of options around Haeundae Station across all price ranges
Line 2 Haeundae → Gwangan, ~15 min, no transfer
Clifftop villages and sea-view cafés, finishing with the Saturday drone show right outside the hotel.
Taxi to Yeongdo ~30–35 min · ~22,000 ₩
White houses clinging to a cliff above deep blue water — hence the "Korean Santorini" nickname · walk the narrow upper lanes first, then take the stairs down to the Jeoryeong Coastal Trail (절영해안산책로) at the water's edge · filming location for The Attorney and Nameless Gangster
A row of glass-fronted cafés facing the water — coffee while the container ships drift past · local restaurants do good fish soup and sashimi
Songdo Beach to the Sky Park station at Amnam Park · take the Crystal Cruise glass-floor cabin · viewpoints and gardens at the far end
A 365 m glass-floored walkway over the sea and a suspension bridge out to a small island · both walkable from Songdo Beach
Taxi ~35 min · ~25,000 ₩
Restaurants with bridge views run the length of the beachfront road · Korean BBQ, or hoe (Korean-style raw fish with vegetables and gochujang) if you want to try something different
Hundreds of drones forming animated images over Gwangan Bridge, 10–12 minutes, free, every Saturday · visible from the ocean-view room — no need to fight for a spot on the sand
LJ21 departs 19:05, so leave the hotel around 15:30 — the whole morning is free.
The world's largest department store (Guinness), 10 min from the hotel · Spa Land has 22 mineral baths, ~20,000 ₩ for 4 hours — a good way to unwind before a flight
Busan's biggest market — seaweed, chilli flakes, Korean teas, all cheaper than the department stores · then shopping in Seomyeon
For the outdoors: the Igidae clifftop trail looking back at the Haeundae skyline across the bay, plus the Oryukdo glass skywalk · both very close to the hotel
A long morning in a Gwangalli beachfront café is a perfectly good final day
Anything still unticked: soy-marinated crab · Korean fried chicken · jjajangmyeon · Korean BBQ (삼겹살 pork belly · 소갈비 beef short rib)
Taxi ~40 min · ~30,000 ₩ (allow extra — Sunday afternoon traffic)
Jin Air check-in opens ~2.5–3 hrs before departure · claim tax refund on receipts over 30,000 ₩ · spend leftover won airside
Arrives Suvarnabhumi 22:40 · ~5 hrs 45 min · Korea is 2 hours ahead of Thailand
| Item | KRW | THB |
|---|---|---|
| Food, 5 days (~70,000 ₩/day) | 350,000 | ~8,800 |
| Subway + buses | 40,000 | ~1,000 |
| Taxis (2 airport runs + around town) | 160,000 | ~4,000 |
| Sky Capsule | 50,000 | ~1,250 |
| Busan X the Sky (2) | 64,000 | ~1,600 |
| Songdo Crystal cable car (2) | 50,000 | ~1,250 |
| Busan Tower + Spa Land (2) | 64,000 | ~1,600 |
| K-ETA (2) | 20,000 | ~500 |
| Subtotal — activities, food, transport | 798,000 | ~20,000 |
| Hotel Central Bay, 4 nights (booked) | 753,799 | ~18,850 |
| Total (excl. flights and shopping) | ~1,551,800 | ~38,800 |
Calculated at 1,000 KRW ≈ 25 THB
Korea restricts map data, so walking and transit directions fail — use Naver Map (best English support) alongside KakaoMap. Searching in Korean characters gives far better results.
Set the destination in the app so you don't have to explain it. Busan taxis are plentiful and cheap — on this itinerary they're worth the time saved.
Except market stalls at Jagalchi and Gukje — 150,000–200,000 ₩ in cash is enough. For foreign cards, look for "Global ATM" signs in convenience stores.
Pour for others, never for yourself · receive a glass with two hands · turn away when drinking with someone older · tipping is not expected.
Pharmacies (약국 yakguk) close early and on Sundays; convenience stores stock basic medicines. Nearest major hospitals: Busan Paik Hospital and Haeundae Paik Hospital. Emergency 119; tourist helpline 1330 (English available).
Fallbacks: Shinsegae Centum City + Spa Land, Busan Museum of Art, Lotte Mall Gwangbok rooftop, a film at Busan Cinema Center.
Roasted seaweed, instant tteokbokki, Korean instant noodles, skincare and sheet masks (Olive Young runs frequent promotions), Busan chocolates at the airport.
Korea is 2 hours ahead of Thailand. All times on this page are Korea Standard Time.