Is This Busan's Best View? My First-Timer's Day Tour Itinerary

To be completely honest, despite visiting South Korea 11 years ago, I had never actually stepped foot in Busan until this trip. Coming here for the first time, my takeaway might surprise you: to me, it felt like just another city in Korea with a change to seaside backdrop. Perhaps it was the specific pacing and activities of our tour itinerary, but it didn't completely reinvent the wheel for me.

That said, Busan still offered some incredibly unique sights and massive modern infrastructure right against the ocean. From riding the iconic Haeundae Blueline Park beach train to sipping coffee 100th floor in the sky. If you're curious about what a first-timer's structured Busan tour looks like, here is an honest breakdown of how we spent our day checking out the ultimate views of Busan in two days.

Check out our YouTube Premiere today 18 May 2026 at 4pm of Songdo Cloud Trail

Riding the Rails: Haeundae Beach Train to Cheongsapo

One of the highlights of the structured tour was experiencing the famous Haeundae Blueline Park. While many tourists online tend to focus heavily on the elevated "Sky Capsules," our group boarded the ground-level Haeundae Beach Train.

This vintage-style train features tiered, stadium-like seating rows where every single seat faces the massive windows overlooking the ocean. It’s an incredibly scenic, relaxing ride that zips right along the coast, and it served as our direct transportation to our next major destination: Cheongsapo.

Pro-Tips: If you wanna wine and dine or just wanna chill out, alight at Gudeokpo (next station after Songjeong) for cafes and restaurants.

Address:  Songjeong Station, 60 Songjeongjungang-ro 8beon-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan

The similar vintage-style train that we are boarding

That view walking towards Cheongsapo Daritdol Skywalk

Walking Over the Waves: Cheongsapo Daritdol Skywalk

Ironically, our tour guide got us to alight the train at Cheongsapo instead directly at the Daritdol Skywalk, which is about 5-6 minutes walk. I don't know why but never mind that. So we experienced one of Busan's most iconic ocean observation piers. Extending 72.5 meters out over the East Sea and standing 20 meters above the water, the Cheongsapo Daritdol Skywalk is uniquely shaped like a blue dragon (from top-down view) protecting the local fishing village.

Towards the end of the skywalk, a stretch of transparent glass panel floor looking straight down into the swirling ocean currents and rocky reefs below. It gives you a genuine thrill, making it feel like you are floating right over the waves.

Another make a wish corner with the skywalk at the back

POV of Cheongsapo Daritdol Skywalk

The beauty of the rocky coastline

A transparent glass panel with a view of the swirling ocean currents and rocky reefs below

Pro-Tip: When you exit Cheongsapo Station and head toward the skywalk direction, take a look at the seaside crossroad. It looks incredibly similar to the iconic Slam Dunk anime scene from Kamakura (near Tokyo)! It's the perfect spot for a quick photo snap when the light turns green. Just be sure to do it quickly and safely without obstructing the traffic. Now I know why the tour guide got us to alight at Cheongsapo Station.

Similar Slam Dunk scene from Kamakura, Tokyo

Where Luxury Meets the Ocean: The Westin Josun Busan

Opened in 1978, The Westin Josun Busan is widely recognized as the first international 5-star luxury hotel in Busan. It is an upscale, understated hotel situated right at the edge of the iconic Haeundae Beach and next to Dongbaek Island. It offers a premium, relaxing base for travelers who want stunning sea views without being right in the middle of the chaotic city noise.

Address: 67 Dongbaek-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea

Widely recognized as the 1st international 5-star luxury hotel in Busan

A Blend of History and Nature: Nurimaru APEC House

About 5-10 minutes right down the trail from our base at the hotel lies this incredible piece of architectural history. It's the perfect mix of a quiet nature walk and a high-end photo op that shows a completely different side of Busan.

The Nurimaru APEC House is located on the scenic edge of Dongbaek Island. It is a stunning architectural landmark that serves as a bridge between South Korea’s modern diplomatic history and its natural beauty. The name combines NURI (World) and MARU (Summit), symbolizing a World Summit house. Famously hosting 2005 APEC Summit, this high-tech building is designed to look like a traditional Korean pavilion, seamlessly blending modern glass and steel with the surrounding lush pine trees and rocky coastline.

Address: 116 Dongbaek-ro, Haeundae-gu, Busan

At the entrance of Nurimaru APEC House

The conference hall where APEC 2005 was held

The APEC Memorial

The seats of course included our then Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong

Really had a good walk in the morning between these two places to clock my steps. At least it isn't hot walking under the trees.

Touch the Clouds: BUSAN X the SKY

After exploring the history down on the island trail, we headed to look at Busan from a completely different perspective by heading up 100 floors into the sky to find a view that quite literally takes your breath away.

Seated at the very top of the Haeundae LCT Landmark Tower, the tallest skyscraper in Busan and the second-tallest in South Korea takes your travel itinerary to a whole new level. Spanning the 98th (access Starbucks from this floor), 99th (where the world's highest Starbucks store is), and 100th floors (the observation deck) at a staggering 411.6 meters high, this observation deck offers an incredible, unobstructed 360-degree panoramic view that beautifully captures both the expansive Haeundae oceanfront and the bustling, modern cityscape. It is just like any other skyscrapers in other countries. As for me, I went for the sake of Starbucks.

Address: BUSAN X the SKY LCT Landmark Tower 30, Dalmaji-gil, Haeundae-gu, Busan

Entrance to the skyscraper at 100th floor

The highest Starbucks store at 99th floor

Outlook of Haeundae LCT Landmark Tower

WATCH BUSAN PREMIERE ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL!

Please note that the places I shared in this blog post are a completely different part of our day! The video itself covers entirely different spots like the stunning Songdo Cloud Trail and the famous Air Cruise cable car. If you want a complete, well-rounded idea of what to see and do in Busan, you'll want to read this post and watch the video. My full Busan travel vlog is premiering today, so click the link below to check out the incredible views from the cable car, and get the rest of our honest travel tips!

🍿Watch the YouTube Video Premiere Here! (Monday 18 May @ 4:00 PM)

Also stay tune for more of my YouTube Shorts on this Korea trip. Too much to share with you all!

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. All expenses were personally covered by the writer and her husband. The opinions expressed are entirely herself and her husband, based on personal experience and preferences, and do not represent the views of any other individual or organization.