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Busan

Solo Female Travel in Busan

Located on the southeast coastline of South Korea, Busan is the country's second largest city known for its stunning beaches, magnificent mountains, and a vibrant culture. It is a flourishing metropolitan area with a unique blend of towering skyscrapers and historical temples. The city is famous for its seafood-centric cuisine, with the bustling Jagalchi Fish Market offering a plethora of fresh seafood. Busan's Haeundae Beach is renowned for its sunrises and bustling film festivals, while the Beomeosa Temple nestled within the mountains offers serene spiritual retreats. Visitors can also explore the glamourous film sets of Busan Cinema Studio or immerse themselves in the radiant local life at the Gukje Market. Whether it's contemporary city life or rich cultural experiences, Busan delivers a versatile spectrum of Korean attractions.

Travel rating

4.1 /5

Based on our research

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Is Busan good for solo travel?

Safety:Very safe

Busan is generally considered a safe destination for solo female travelers. The crime rates are relatively low compared to other international cities of similar size. Violent crime is rare, and most locals are incredibly welcoming and helpful. There may be some instances of petty crime like pickpocketing in crowded places, so it is advised to stay vigilant and mindful of your belongings. The city is also equipped with largely effective public safety measures and a reliable public transportation system.

Transport:Easy

Busan's infrastructure is well developed and generally English-friendly. The public transportation system is comprehensive with subways, buses, and taxis plentiful, making it easy to navigate the city. In addition, most prominent tourist sites are linked via public transport. However, since Busan is a large city, expect some travel time especially during peak hours. Familiarizing yourself with the transit map is recommended. Cultural and language barriers are a moderate concern.

Things to do:Interesting

Busan is a city that combines the comfort of urban life with the beauty of nature. You can start off exploring incredible beaches such as Haeundae and Gwangalli. For shopping enthusiasts, districts like Nampo-dong and Seomyeon are a paradise. If you are a foodie, don't miss Jagalchi Market for fresh seafood. Nature lovers will enjoy hikes in the stunning Geumjeongsan mountain or walks in the picturesque Taejongdae park. Lastly, historical sites like Gamcheon Cultural Village or hauntingly beautiful Haedong Yonggungsa temple shouldn't be missed. With such diverse options, you'll rarely be short of activities.

Food:Excellent

Busan offers a vast and incredibly impressive assortment of foods – it is, in fact, known to be a food paradise among travelers and locals. One can relish a wide array of seafood delicacies, flavorful local dishes, and even enjoy international cuisines. There are traditional markets serving unique local foods, and modern areas offering world cuisines. The freshness of ingredients, use of flavors, and preparation methods make the food extremely delicious. Street food is an integral part of the culture and can't be missed. In a nutshell, the food in Busan is marvelously diverse and delectable.

Budget:Moderate

Busan offers a mix of modest and luxury accommodations and food options, with excellent public transport system that is fairly cheap. However, certain activities, primarily in the touristy areas like the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple or Busan Aquarium, are a bit pricey. You have to be wise in spending your money when visiting these popular attractions. Overall, it is moderately budget-friendly.

Is Busan worth visiting?

Group travel experience

I visited with a group of friends (all women) at my host university here in Korea. We took the Mugunghwa train from Seoul to Busan, which was a long but beautiful ride. The locals in Busan are very friendly, and the food is nice but be warned that a lot of the seafood places near Haeundae Beach are on the expensive side. Gamcheon Culture Village was a wonderful place to visit with some beautiful women-owned local shops, but we did pass by a large group of boys late at night who cat-called us and put some of us on edge, though they left us alone after we passed by. The transport in Busan, just as in Seoul, is safe for women, though the bus drivers can be a little more reckless than those in Seoul. We also visited Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, which was wonderful if you're someone interested in history or Buddhism or philosophy/theology in general. Haeundae Beach is busy at night in the warm months (when we went it was still hot during the days and warm and humid at nights), but in a cosy way. If you're into partying, Busan nightlife is extremely vibrant, but we didn't explore the nightlife so I can't comment on its safety. Where we stayed at Hotel Angel, it was mostly clean (though the AC was leaking), and a male member of staff entered our room without knocking, though he was very apologetic and did his best to explain to us that he was just putting a bowl under our leaking AC — nothing more happened, and it didn't feel at all malicious (we stayed and watched until he left just to make sure). The nightlife is very audible since our hotel was right near one of the main streets, and my roommate complained to me about men screaming through the night. However, if you use earphones/are a heavy sleeper, I can't see this being too much of an issue. I naturally like to stay on the budget side of travel, and since my roommate and I were staying for a shorter period than the others in our group due to her parents visiting Seoul, we decided not to buy the Visit Busan pass, so I can't comment on its value. If you want to travel back to Seoul on a late train, however, make sure to check when the last buses to the station are — the Naver Map app displays buses that may not even be running at whatever time as an option, so be careful. Overall, despite the short time I had, I loved visiting Busan and plan to go back to try and do more things, and just to experience the city again with its friendly locals.

Posted: February 12, 2024Experienced: September, 2023

Things to do: 4/5Food: 4/5Budget-friendly: 4/5Safety: 5/5

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Couple travel experience

Busan is a beautiful city and not too crowd. There are several beaches that you can see beautiful sunset. The cost of hotel and transportation is acceptable. And you can find good food here. It is a safe city for women too.

Posted: January 10, 2024

Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 5/5

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Solo travel experience

Busan is a really nice seaside city with plenty of places worth visiting. There are temples, cultural villages, amazing beaches, and really tasty food. I spent 3 days exploring main attractions, such as Gamcheon Culture Village, a few beaches (Haeundae Beach, Gwangalli Beach), shopping (Sinsegae Centum City) and temples (Haedong Yonggungsa Temple) among others. I got there from Seoul by super fast train.

Posted: August 16, 2023

Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 5/5Safety: 5/5

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Solo travel experience

I really recommend visiting Busan. I loved Seoul, but Busan holds a special place in my heart. I wandered through cultural villages and temples. I also visited Gwangalli and Haeundae beaches. It was beautiful.

Posted: July 15, 2023

Things to do: 5/5Food: 5/5Budget-friendly: 4/5Safety: 5/5

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Meet locals in Busan

Meet local women in Busan who are open to meet up for a coffee or a drink, show you around, give local advice or practice a language with.

Fatima

About Me

My name is Fatima Am studying here in Busan since 5 months

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Upcoming visitors to Busan

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Erika

About Me

Hi ! My name is Erika, I'm 20 years old and I'm passionate about travel. If I could I would only do that with my time 😆 I like taking photos of landscapes, architecture, animals and also people ! So if you need someone to take your picture I'm here

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