After a long time, I visited Busan again. My last visit to Busan was about 8 years ago in 2014, and I hadn’t had the chance to visit again since then.
The global spread of the “COVID-19” pandemic since the end of 2019 also played a significant role in preventing travel for a while.
“Busan Trip with U.S. Department of State Scholars”
This Busan trip was different from other trips, as it was a group trip. It was a trip with scholarship students selected through a special program by the U.S. Department of State. These scholarship students spend nine months in Korea, staying to learn Korean and experience the culture. They receive full scholarships, making the competition intense every year.
This trip served as a kind of graduation trip to conclude the nine-month program. Thanks to it, I was able to spend time traveling around Busan with high school students who had come from the U.S.
“2 Nights, 3 Days Busan Trip”
This Busan trip lasted for 2 nights and 3 days. We stayed at the 4-star “Crown Harbor Hotel,” which is conveniently located near Busan Station, and had breakfast there.
The itinerary was planned to provide as diverse an experience in Busan as possible. Since all the students were visiting Busan for the first time, the itinerary was planned to be relatively straightforward.
Here is the itinerary we followed:
“Day 1”
- Seoul Station: Board KTX
- Busan Station: Arrive by KTX
- Gamcheon Culture Village : Busan’s Machu Picchu? Gamcheon Culture Village
- Lunch at “Joega Gadda” in Gukje Market : Busan International Market Shellfish Dish: ‘Flavorful Clams’
- Nampodong “BIFF Square” : Busan Nampong-dong: BIFF Square
- Jagalchi Fish Market : Busan’s Iconic Market: Jagalchi Fish Market
- Nampodong Bookstore “Nampomungo” : Nampo Bookstore: A Local Gem in Busan’s Nampo-dong
- Crown Harbor Hotel : Crown Harbor Hotel: A 4-Star Retreat Near Busan Station
“Day 2”
- UN Memorial Park : UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan
- Haedong Yonggungsa Temple : Haedong Yonggungsa Temple: A Seaside Temple in Busan
- Obok Myeok Songjeong Branch (Restaurant) : Busan Songjeong Station Seaweed Soup: Obok Miyeok Songjeong Branch
- Sky Capsule (Changsapo Station – Mipo Station) : Busan Songdo Beach: Songdo Sky Cable Car
- Haeundae Beach “2022 Sand Festival” : Haeundae Beach, Busan: The 2022 Haeundae Sand Festival
- Starbucks Haeundae : Starbucks Haeundae, Busan
- Haeundae Dongbaek Island : Haeundae, Busan: Dongbaek Island
- Haeundae The Bay 101 : The Bay 101: A Scenic Spot for Marine City Night Photography
- Haeundae The Bay 101 “Dongbaek General Store” : Dongbaek Island: Dongbaek General Store
- Haeundae BBQ Restaurant “Goban Sikdang” : Busan Haeundae Meat Restaurant: Goban Sikdang Haeundae Branch
- Gwangalli Beach & Gwangan Bridge
“Day 3”
- Huinnyeoul Culture Village : Busan’s Santorini? Huinnyeoul Culture Village
- Songdo Beach Sky Cable Car : Busan Songdo Beach: Songdo Sky Cable Car
- Busan Hadan Station “Pizza Mall Busan Hadan Art Malling Branch” : Busan Pizza Buffet: Pizza Mall Busan Hadan Art Malling Branch
- Busan Station: Board KTX
- Seoul Station: Arrive by KTX
Overall, the itinerary proceeded smoothly. At the “UN Memorial Park,” it was an even more special time as one of the students’ grandparents had been a Korean War veteran. Also, we were able to view various sand art pieces for free at Haeundae Beach, where the Sand Festival was being held during our visit.
If there was one regret at Dongbaek Island, it was that we narrowly missed the opportunity to enter the “Nurimaru APEC House” due to it being the off-season. Instead, we spent more time at “The Bay 101,” which turned out to be a worthy replacement.
“Impolite Busan Bus Drivers”
Although there were no major issues with the travel schedule, the tour bus drivers in Busan were generally quite impolite. They were abrupt and sometimes demanded additional payments for pre-arranged matters in front of all the guests.
Even more problematic was that the initially contracted driver, after swearing in front of all the guests and dropping them off in front of the hotel, did not show up the next day. Of course, I immediately complained to the agency that arranged the driver, but it was still inconvenient in many ways.
This situation could have been even more problematic if it had been an adult group instead of students, so it was even more unsettling.
“Despite Everything…”
Despite everything, thanks to this, I was able to have a 2-night, 3-day trip to Busan with the students. Some places remained just as they were when I last visited Busan, while others had changed completely.
Tourist spots like Songdo Marine Cable Car and Sky Capsule were particularly impressive since they didn’t exist back when I visited before. Additionally, the area near Haedong Yonggungsa Temple had transformed entirely, providing yet another surprise.
I hope the students who visited Busan together made wonderful memories during the 2-night, 3-day trip, and with that, I’ll conclude this reminiscing post about the Busan trip.
“Busan Trip”
- Content: Busan trip with U.S. Department of State scholars
- Period: May 27th – 29th, 2022