Top 4 Best Beaches in Busan

Okay, I am not going to lie when I tell you that Busan doesn’t rank the highest when it comes to the most beautiful cities in the world. However, Busan is still one of the most visited cities in South Korea, being a host to a wide range of tourist attractions with one of the most popular options being a trip to the beaches.

There are seven beautiful beaches across Busan: Haeundae Beach, Gwangalli Beach, Songjeong Beach, Songdo Beach, Dadaepo Beach, Ilgwang Beach and Imrang Beach.

In this post, I will take you with me to 4 of my favorite Busan’s beaches so that you can find one that suits you best for your next visit.

So, here they are.

1. Haeundae Beach 해운대 해수욕장

Haeundae Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Korea, attracting numerous visitors every summer. Would you believe me if I say over 10 million visitors come to Haeundae each summer?

There are many five-star oceanfront hotels in Haeundae.

The main beach area is in front of the Grand Josun Hotel and Paradise Hotel. This is a popular spot for swimmers and sunbathers.

The southern side of the beach in front of the Josun Beach Hotel is a perfect spot for picnic.

Guess what. You can even order food on the sand and have it delivered to you.

Many festivals and events take place in Haeundae throughout the year, including the Polar Bear Swim Festival, Sand Festival, Haeundae Light Festival, Holi Festival and many more.

If you want a little more than just sea and sand, you can check out Dongbaek Island, home to one of Busan’s best coastal walking paths. While on this 40 minute walk, you will be able to enjoy the spectacular views of Marine City and Gwangan Bridge.

Other activities in Haeundae include yachting and eating at the many cafes and restaurants nearby.

How to get there: Take the subway line 2, and get off at Haeundae Station. Use exit 3/5. From there the beach is a 5 minute walk away.

2. Gwangalli Beach 광안리 해수욕장

In addition to Haeundae Beach, Gwangalli Beach is also one of Busan’s most famous beaches.

Opinions are divided on which one is better, but I am not going to choose one over the other.

It could be just me, but Gwangalli feels younger. Being closer to the city, Gwangalli Beach is great for couples.

You won’t get bored here; there are plenty of attractions to keep you busy the whole day.

There are delicious places to eat, from cafes, hipster pubs to fine dining restaurants with priceless views.

People-watching here is always fun, because Gwangalli remains packed with locals, tourists and backpackers.

The view of Gwangan Bridge is fabulous and the Drone Light Show is something that you don’t want to miss.

If you want a little exercise out of the water, you can even ride a jet ski!

How to get there: Take the subway line 2 and get off at Gwangan Station. Use the exit 3 or 5. Then a quick 5 minute walk from the station.

3. Dadaepo Beach 다대포 해수욕장

Daedaepo Beach is a relatively quiet beach, but it turns out that Dadaepo Beach was the most googled beach this summer (2022), because of the movie, Broker, in which one of the lead actors won the Best Actor Award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Dadaepo Beach’s beautiful sunset that was depicted in the movie attracted many eager fans to the sand.

K-drama Kingdom was also filmed at Dadaepo.

Another reason why Dadaepo Beach is so well-known for its sunset is because it’s one of very few west-facing beaches in Busan.

You can also see many airplanes taking off and landing nearby due to the Gimhae International Airport being right around the corner.

How to get there: Take the subway line 1 and get off at Dadaepo Beach Station. Use the exit 1 or 4. Then just a 5-10 minute walk to the beach from there

4. Songjeong Beach 송정 해수욕장