Busan City tour - A course

General information

Destination
Busan, South Korea

Program details

With over 3.6 million people, Busan is South Korea's second largest city and largest seaport. Busan is known for its beaches, hot springs, nature reserves and events such as the city's renowned international film festival held each fall. Busan is a good destination for those seeking a more laid back atmosphere than Seoul. Located at the southern tip of the Korean peninsula, Busan's important port gives the city an international flair, with sailors from around the world trooping through and a growing number of tourists.


This wonderful full-day experience will take you to see the diversity of Busan from newly constucted building to ancient temple to second longest bridge to historical museum.

APEC Nurimaru

Nurimaru APEC House is evaluated as the most beautiful place among the meeting places during the APEC Leaders' Meeting on Dongbaek Island. It is the place where the 2nd APEC Leaders' Meeting, Leaders' Luncheon, and the Official Photograph took place during APEC 2005 KOREA. The leaders of APEC's 21 member economies announced the "Busan Declaration" here on November 19, 2005. The name "Nurimaru" is the combination of two purely Korean words: "nuri" meaning the world and "maru" meaning summit. Thus, "Nurimaru APEC House" means "the house where world leaders gathered and held the APEC Leaders' Meeting.



Dalmaji

Dalmaji Hill is a bluff cliff, located just southeast of Haeundae Beach. Along Dalmaji-gil, near the entrance to the hill, a cafe town caters to lovers and young couples who come to enjoy a cup of coffee and the nice view of Haeundae Beach, the sea, and the moon. Special vista areas include P'algakjeong and Jeonmangdae. The area has also become famous for watching the moon rising on the lunar year's first full moon day. (The name comes from this ritual- dal means moon and maji means rising.)



Yonggungsa Temple

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is situated on the coast of the north-eastern portion of Busan. This superb find of a tourist spot and temple offers visitors the rare find of a temple along the shore line. Most temples in Korea are located in the mountains. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple was first built in 1376 by the great Buddhist teacher known as Naong during the Goryeo Dynasty. Haesu Gwaneum Daebul (Seawater Great Goddess Buddha), Daeungjeon Main Sanctuary, Yongwangdang Shrine, Gulbeop Buddhist Sanctum (enclosed in a cave), and a three-story pagoda with four lions can all be seen looking out over the ocean.



Gwangan Bridge

Busan Gwangandaegyo Bridge (Busan 66, also called Gwangan Daero) stretches over 7.4km from Namcheon-dong (Suyeong-gu, Busan) to Centum City (U-dong, Haeundae-gu). It is the largest bridge over the ocean in Korea. It is breathtaking to overlook nearby attractions from the bridge: the endlessly unfolding ocean, Oryukdo Island (a popular attraction in Busan), Hwangnyeongsan Mt., Gwangalli Beach, Dongbaekseom Island, and Dalmaji Hill. Equipped with artistic light, the bridge showcases splendid light that changes every day and every season. The bridge offers majesty beauty combined with nearby attractions during the day and a romantic atmosphere at night, attracting many residents and tourists.



Busan Museum

The Busan Museum, offers seven regular exhibition rooms spread over three floors in addition to the Kiln Exhibition Hall, and the Outdoor Exhibition Hall. Opened in 1978, the museum has taken on a leading role in preserving traditional culture in Busan by obtaining a wealth of relics from strong excavation efforts, generous donations and purchases, and by meticulous research. The museum was remodeled in 2002 along with the opening of Exhibition Hall 2. The wide array of relics ranges from the Prehistoric Age to the modern period. The Outdoor Exhibition Hall is home to precious pagodas, Buddhist statues, and monuments. There are over 6,000 items from excavations in Busan and the Gyeongnam area in addition to items that have been purchased, donated, and collected. Those relics reveal the important historical and cultural heritage of Busan.



Gwangan Beach

Gwangalli Beach is 1.4 km long, 64m wide, and is famous for its fine sand. This area has undergone a water cleaning program, and as a result, the water of the beach is pristine. The clean waters of this area also attract many fishermen. You can prepare raw fish dishes on the spot, right after you have caught the fish. For those looking for some action, there is the Olympic Yacht Rental where you can rent yachts. You can also enjoy water-skiing, jet skiing, windsurfing, and other exciting water sports. On the beach there is an outer concert stage where the Busan Ocean Festival and other various events are held. The area has a cultural center, a museum, theaters for plays and movies, an art gallery, TV station, and famous Korean and non-Korean fashion brand name shops. It is a popular gathering place for young people in their 20s and 30s.



Busan Cinema Center

Busan Cinema Center is an official venue of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) –one of the most popular film festivals in Asia—and has become a symbol of the festival itself. From an architectural perspective, the center is a historic work that embodies the theories of deconstructivism while exhibiting a sense of formative beauty. The center’s ‘Big Roof’ is the largest roof in the world (2.6 times larger than a soccer field) and comes complete with 42,600 LED lights, which help create an unforgettable scene along with Suyeong River and Naru Park. The Cinema Center consists of 3 buildings: Cine Mountain, Biff Hill, and Double Cone. The main building, Cine Mountain, has 3 theaters for screening movies and one performing arts theater, called ‘Haneulyeon,’ featuring the world’s best stage performances. Busan Cinema Center is said to be the first culture complex worldwide to combine movie theaters and a performing arts center in one building.



Marine City

Marine City was constructed on land reclaimed from the sea, and now became Korea's second high-end residential complex town.


Meeting/pick-up point: Selected hotels in Busan area at 8.30am.

Duration: Eight and a half hours.

Start/opening time: At 9am.

Languages: English.