Tourist attractions
Taejongdae
busan monument #28 the park was named for king taejong muyul 654-661 of the silla dynasty who practiced archery here after unifying the three kingdoms. during the joseon period, king taejong 1400-1418 is reputed to have visited here for recreation and pleasure. the magistrate of dongnae also came here during a major drought to offer prayers for rain. taejongdae is one of the famous tourist attractions in busan, with its white lighthouse overlooking the green sea. many people enjoy eating fresh raw fish on the rocky shore, taking a boat around the olyuk 'five or six' islands, and seeing the famous 'suicide rock.' when the weather is nice, daema island can be seen in the distance, 56 km away. the scene from the observation deck is beautiful and the white lighthouse together with the green sea looks very exotic. the walk from the entrance to the lighthouse is quite long. however, a shuttle bus runs from the shops. lifeinkorea.com
Busan City Tour
All-day ticket available for double-decker tour buses. popular pick-up from busan station. kids ₩5000, adults ₩10,000.
Yongdusan Park - Busan Tower
This is a park located at the heart of busan. if you go up the busan tower, you will get to see an awesome, if not, the best panorama of the entire city.
Indoor skiing
In mt. hwangryung you could enjoy skiing any time, any season. this facility has recently closed, due to lack of demand. it's not known if it will open again in the future.
Beaches and hot springs
Haeundae Beach
해운대, near subway/knr haeundae. one of the most popular summer destinations in south korea. haeundae attracts tourists from all around the country and is a hotspot for internaional tourists, and gets overcrowded in late july and early august. there are numerous hotels nearby. the busan aquarium--south korea's largest at 13,000 sq m--is beside the beach ₩17,000 for adults. besides the beach, there are some excellent restaurants, both korean and non, in the area, and a wide variety of shops, although many are hidden away. explore the streets behind the beachfront boulevard. many showings and events for the pusan international film festival pusan, not busan are in this area which typically runs the first 10 days in oct. haeundae tourist info. center is a good place to get a lot of info. about the area. try your hat at surfing or windsurfing, or just watch some of the locals navigate the tasty waves. if you're interested in sailing (http://www.busansailing.com), haeundae has the biggest leisure marina in korea located about 10 min from the beach walking in the direction of chosun beach hotel.
Songjeong Beach
송정해수욕장 this smaller beach is accessible from line 2 at haeundae station via bus take bus 100, 100-1, 139, 142, or 181 to songjeong station, with 181 taking one directly to the homely main street section and just meters away from the beach or jangsan station via a short cab ride. this beach is also connected to korail at songjeong station not to be confused with songjeong-ri station, although this station is very close, it is not visible from the beach or most of the surrounding areas. at night, songjeong beach serves as a date-spot and hangout. drinking on the beach is legal and fireworks are tolerated. songjeong is a sandy cove-beach that is about 1.2 km long. this is a free beach but renting the umbrellas which are already crowded on the sand can run as much as ₩10,000. songjeong beach is open during the warmest months and it closes for swimming very early during the day between 4 and 6 p.m.. there are many hotels and motels within as easy walk of the beach, some of them right on. towels, sandals, atms and fireworks are between the motel blocks and beach. beer, soju and food vendors are at the edge of the beach. korean, foreign and seafood restaurants are abundant. swimming in street clothes is perfectly normal for men and women here.
Gwangalli Beach
광안리 gwangalli, near subway geumnyeonsan exit 1. best experienced at night when the massive gwangan grand bridge behind it is illuminated. overall, similar to haeundae but smaller and less upscale. nevertheless, some interesting restaurants, bars and shops in the area. also, you should try visiting one of the the tall, newly built hotels on the beach. they have really nice sauna and jjim jil bangs overlooking the bridge. ₩8000.
Busan is above all famous for its seven beaches and three hot springs.
Hur Shim Chung Spa
허심청 heoshimcheong, subway oncheonjang exit 1, cross the street and make a beeline for hotel nong shim; it's connected by a walkway, (http://www.hotelnongshim....). this massive hot spring complex claims to be the largest in asia: noboribetsu might disagree, but it certainly is huge, with hot, tepid, cold and strawberry milk-filled baths, saunas, pools, and an outdoor section. on the 3rd floor is a large jjimjilbang resting area, containing among other things a restaurant, a beauty salon, an oxygen room, and three 'igloos' heated to 81°c, 51°c and 0°c. you'll get a key when you come in, use it to open your shoe and clothes lockers and pay for any purchases inside. men's and women's spas are segregated but the resting area is shared, so pick up a robe before you head downstairs. there's also some signage in english to guide you around. entry to the spa is ₩7,900, plus ₩1,000 for the jjimjilbang on sunday/holidays only. you can stay as long as you want, but it gets quite crowded and noisy on weekends. the spa is closed in may for vacation and re-opens in june.
Busan Aquarium
This is the largest aquarium in Korea with great facilities and excellent displays. There is also a 3D ride that is worth checking out.
fitness
Chicago Fitness Club (http://www.chicagofc.co.kr/) is a great place to train. It has a wide range of cardio equipment, free weights dumbells upto 100lbs and machines as well as golf practice facilities. It is located on the 5th floor of the Milligore Shopping Center in Seomyeon.