Busan with a baby and a Toddler: A Guide to South Korea’s Beautiful Coastal City

Are you wondering if you can tour Busan with a baby or a toddler? The short answer is YES! We visited one summer with our 2.5 month old baby and 2.5 year old son and had a great experience!

Why visit Busan?

I’ll admit I hadn’t even heard of Busan until we moved to Seoul, South Korea. BUT it’s a big deal in Korea! It’s the second most populated city in the country — Seoul is predictably the largest. For those wondering, it’s a pretty big gap…around 10 million people in Seoul vs. 3.6 million in Busan. I digress.

Busan is worth the hype. I loved it. My favorite part is the unique vibe… it’s got a relaxed and creative energy! It felt SO DIFFERENT from Seoul, and most other places we’ve visited in Korea. Some people refer to it as the “California” of Korea, and I think that’s a great comparison actually.

As you can see, Busan hugs along the southeastern coast, right on the water. The ocean has a MAJOR affect on the city’s industry, economy, and tourism.

When to Go

Since the ocean is such a big part of the city’s culture, it’s hard to beat visiting in summer when you can swim in the beach! It’s hot, but the coastal breeze makes it feel pretty pleasant.

Note: Korea has BEACH SEASON so google that before you book. As in, you aren’t supposed swim in the water during the “off season”. There are even patrol officers that occasionally keep the water clear of swimming. You can wade a bit. Beach season varies by location, but is usually end of June to end of August.

That said… there are plenty of other great things to do in Busan! We visited in mid-August, which I’d easily do again– BUT the summer humidity was pretty brutal for touring places NOT right on the water.

It gets pretty cold in winter (the average lows are right around 0 C/ 32 F). I’m sure fall and spring are beautiful for walking along the coast and touring the rest of the city.

How to Get There (from Seoul)

We took the KTX train down from Seoul Station…but you can also drive, or take a bus (wouldn’t recommend that). Here are some pros and cons for each:

KTX Train: 30,000-50,000 won; 2 hrs 40 min- 3.5 hours+

Pros: the fastest way to get there, and young kids think it’s really exciting to ride a fast train

Cons: cost will quickly add up if you have a larger family since you’re paying per seat; you don’t have contained/convenient transportation once you GET there (relying on subways and buses)

Our son loved looking out the big window and using the tray that folded down (like in an airplane!). It was just fine to stand up and walk around, and there was some space between cars to stretch our legs.

Driving a Car: Gas $$ + Rental fees (if applicable); 4-5 hours + any additional stops

If you have a car you own AND young children (that you…own), this option feels like a no-brainer to me. At the time we didn’t have a car (read about how we changed our minds and bought one here), but our friends who also had young kids DID take their car down and had a good experience.

Renting a car could work, too. You just need a license or International Driving Permit. Rental cars can be $$$ but may be worth the hassle if you have multiple mobile little ones!

Pros: you can visit attractions much more easily and save time once you GET there, flexibility to leave later than planned etc.

Cons: The total time is a bit longer (4-5 hours), so perhaps less ideal for a short weekend trip; parking could be a headache at certain busy locations

Taking a Bus: 18,000-28,000 won; 4+ hours

Pros: a bit cheaper than the KTX train, you get to depart from Seoul Express Bus Terminal (which is a party at Christmastime)

Cons: bumpier, less-smooth ride, takes longer to get there

How to Get Around Busan

If you drive or bring a rental car, then the way you’ll get around is hopefully self-explanatory.

However, if you ride the KTX train or bus, then get ready for public transportation!

The buses and subways were easy to navigate, language and direction-wise. Obviously with little ones it’s always a bit of a hassle to ride public transit– buses especially are hard to get on and off with the strollers.

My major complaint with the public transport is just that it adds extra time on either end of all of your adventures. Because we had the time crunch of getting back to the train station to make our train, we didn’t quite have time to make it out to the gorgeous Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, which is a bit further north.

Where to Stay

We stayed in an AirBnb, which in this case was someone’s high-rise apartment that they rent out. It felt similar to the apartment we were coming from in Seoul (except we were all in the same room, so sleep was kind of a nightmare). The apartment was close to a subway stop and had two large (low to the ground) beds to sleep our family on. This was a cheaper option than some of the hotels, and since we were staying over several nights (3), the difference in savings added up.

However, if convenience and ease are a priority for the trip, there are lots of great hotels right near Haeundae Beach! I noticed there is an Ibis Hotel in Busan, and I quite like that chain for a simple, clean, affordable family hotel room.

What to Pack

Beach Gear

Don’t forget the obvious swimsuits, sunscreen, towels, and some beach toys for your little ones (can pickup these at a HomePlus, Daiso, or on Coupang).

Be aware that Koreans typically dress in very modest swimsuits and wetsuits. You don’t necessarily need to cover more than normal, but it’s good to have the right expectation in case that affects what you wear.

You DO NOT need to bring a large beach umbrella or chair, those are available to rent for the day (at least at Haeundae Beach).

Weather Prep

BRING AN UMBRELLA! It rained a lot of the time we were there, and we somehow…laughably…remarkably…bought AND LOST two umbrellas on this weekend trip. Rainy season is April to September in Busan, so watch out.

Baby & Toddler Gear

Speaking of umbrellas, I would definitely bring an umbrella stroller or a baby carrier of some kind! There were SO MANY STEPS everywhere…maybe more than any other city we visited in Korea. There were a few different coastal boardwalks with stairs stairs stairs.

I also prefer to travel with a decent amount of diapers, wipes, and some favorite snacks or baby foods. Could I find all of these items pretty easily in Busan? Yes! Do I want to waste precious beach time/touring time at the local Home Plus? Not really!

What to Do & See!

There are so many ways you can spend your time in Busan! And thankfully there were plenty of things we could do together as a family, even with our young baby + quick-moving toddler. A few of the highlights of our trip included:

Jagalchi Fish Market

Wander the main floor to see LOTS of fish about to meet a terrible fate, and others that have already met it. Be ready for strong smells, and lots of movement (both humans and the sea life).

Then head upstairs a few floors where you can choose from many casual restaurant stalls. They are all near each other, but their menus vary. Feel free to roam around the open seating and look through hte picture menus until you find what looks best to you.

Ordering fresh sashimi was a highlight for my husband!

Open 7 days/week; Hours: 10:30 am- 8 pm

Learn more on the Jagalchi Fish Market TripAdvisor page

Gamcheon Culture Village

Many people understandably have mixed feelings about how this local neighborhood was turned into a tourist attraction, but there is no denying that it’s a stunning visual site to behold. The history of the area is fascinating- you can learn the basics on this wiki article.

But to make a long story short, there was a public project in 2009 that called for residents and local artists to work together and bring new life to this area. There are painted sidewalks, stairs, cafes to stop at, and just lots of unique things to stop and notice. I enjoyed exploring here.

The culture village contains a LOT of hills and a significant distance to walk from one end to the other, so prepare for at least 1-2 hours!

Hours: 9 am to 4 pm. Note: Be mindful of noise and wandering, because this is still a residential neighborhood AKA people are living in all of the homes you’re passing!

Haeundae Beach

You can’t come down to Busan and NOT visit this iconic beach. The whole area is fun to walk around. For some reason my toddler kept calling this Poh Poh Beach, and we still refer to it that way in our home.

There are plenty of shops and restaurants to check out –familiar chains and others unique to Busan– right near the water. The water & sand at this beach were wonderful, although it’s hard to beat those Jeju beaches!

Please don’t miss the boardwalk…walk. If you’re facing the ocean with the main street behind you, follow the walkway to the RIGHT and follow as it curves along the coast. This was a major highlight for me! It felt like I was in the Redwood forests looking out at rocky cliffs with fresh sea air.

Taejongdae

We enjoyed this nature park, with long walks along the coast. There’s a lighthouse to see, and various other “checkpoints”, including a nice cafe. The sightseeing Danubi train wasn’t running the day we were there, but I bet young kids would love that!

The English Visit Korea Website has great info in this post about the train operating hours and other things to do within the park!

Biff Square: Street Food & Shopping District

The main reasons to come to Biff Square? To try street food & go shopping!

This area got busy in the evening, and was more in the heart of Busan, the city itself. We loved trying different street foods here!

What I’d Want to See Next Time:

We saw a LOT in our 3 day trip down to Busan, but there were a few things I’d make a priority if we were able to go back for another visit:

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

As I mentioned, I was very sad not to see this historic temple that’s located right up against a dramatic cliff. Various friends have sung its praises, and 16,787 google reviews do not lie!

SEALIFE Busan Aquarium

This is right at Haeundae Beach, and looked very cool. I think if my boys had been a little older at the time (they are now VERY VERY into animals) I would’ve made it a priority.

Learn more on their website HERE!

Food in Busan with Little Ones

Throughout the trip, we watched out for spice levels in the dishes we tried, and made sure not EVERY meal was fresh sashimi (for our toddler’s sake but also for mine!). Otherwise, we didn’t make many special accommodations for our toddler’s meals.

Our baby boy was all about his milk obviously, and our toddler was all about the huge dumplings, noodles & rice!

It was fun for us to take our shoes off and eat close to the ground at these low tables (pictured left, above).

I think it’s safe to say that the ssiat hotteok from Biff Square (pictured above, right) was our toddler’s favorite food of the trip. It’s basically a fry bread filled with brown sugar, nuts & seeds– the nuts and seeds are what are unique to Busan. Delicious!

We had lots of really great food in Busan, so a whole separate post can be read here!

This concludes my tips for touring Busan with a baby or a toddler!

Have you been to Busan? Do you have a favorite site or activity??

Have you taken your little ones? What advice would you add? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

Be sure to check out these other articles on touring around Korea, too!