Aside from Seoul and Jeju, Busan is arguably one of the more popular tourist destinations in South Korea. Being South Korea’s second largest city, Busan is filled with endless places to explore, and many things to do. This city is famous for its stunning coastal views, its rich history and for the vibrant energy that it radiates. There is an adventure at every turn, and you will be thoroughly engaged during your time in Busan. 

So if you’re wondering whether it is worth taking a trip to Busan with your children, we promise you that it is. Here are 8 Child-Friendly Places In Busan To Include In Your Itinerary.

#1 JAGALCHI MARKET

Just as Tokyo is famous for the Tsukiji Fish Market, one of Busan’s most popular attractions has got to be Jagalchi Market. Jagalchi Market is situated at the edge of Nampo Port in Busan and it is South Korea’s largest fresh seafood market. Here, your children can get up close and personal with plenty of live seafood and also have a go at selecting their own meal.

If you’re concerned about using strollers in Jagalchi Market, rest assured that the walkways are sufficiently wide so this would be a non-issue for you. Communication-wise, most of Jagalchi Market’s store owners speak simple Mandarin so you don’t have something else to worry about on top of looking after your children.

Jagalchi Market
52 Jagalchihaean-ro, Jung-gu,
Busan, South Korea

#2 MUSEUM 1 

Located in Centum, Busan, MUSEUM 1 prides itself as South Korea’s largest multimedia art museum which comprises approximately 80 million LED lights on the floor, ceiling and walls of its large duplex space. MUSEUM 1′s curators have deliberately featured artwork which allow visitors to be fully immersed in the exhibits, so as to heighten one’s appreciation of the messages behind the artworks.

Whilst the lights and screens will be sure to entertain your children for a substantial period of time, do bear in mind that some of the themes in the artworks here may be more appropriate for an audience which is slightly more mature.

MUSEUM 1
20 Centum seo-ro, Haeundae-gu,
Busan, South Korea

#3 ZOORAJI 

For those whose kids are fans of dinosaurs, you need to slot a visit to ZOORAJI into your itinerary. ZOORAJI is an outdoor theme park situated on the 9th floor of Shinsegae Centum City,  which holds the Guinness World Record for being the largest department store in the world.

ZOORAJI occupies approximately 40,000 square-foot of space, and this immersive theme park is divided into 5 distinct zones which your children can explore. From the Land of Dinosaurs, the African Rainforest, the Rain Garden, the Woods and the Pirate’s Shipwreck, your children will be thoroughly entertained by ZOORAJI. And if you’re Curious, entrance to ZOORAJI (and the carousel ride located within) is completely free.

ZOORAJI
9F, 35, Centumnam-daero,
Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea

#4 GAMCHEON CULTURE VILLAGE 

Even if you haven’t been to Busan before, you would probably have sighted some pictures and videos of Gamcheon Culture Village. Also affectionally referred to as Busan’s own Santorini, Gamcheon Culture Village was formed by the refugees of the Korean war and this tourist attraction remains an actual residential village till today.

There is aplenty for families to explore at Gamcheon Culture Village. Here, you can explore alleys filled with street art and sculptures, experience making your own hand-flipped photobook, appreciate the sights of Busan at the Haneul Maru Observatory and more. Gamcheon Culture Village is also home to a number of street food stalls and cafes, such that you will find it difficult to stay hungry during your visit.

Gamcheon Culture Village
203 Gamnae-2-ro, Sah-gu,
Busan, South Korea

#5 SONGDO CLOUD TRAILS 

Located on the eastern side of Songdo Beach, the Songdo Cloud Trails (also called the Songdo Skywalk) is a skywalk fitted with glass floors that spans across 365 metres in length. Apart from giving visitors the experience of walking above the sea, the Songdo Cloud Trails is also connected to Geobukseom Island (Turtle Island) which is home to 2 statues of a sea dragon and a fisherman.

And if you take a short walk to the shores beneath the entrance to the Songdo Cloud Trails, this is where you’ll find many Korean families exploring the shallow waters of the Songdo Beach. This would definitely be a hit with the kids and also serve as a chance for the parents to sit down and take a break.

Songdo Cloud Trails
120-4 Annamdong, Seo-gu,
Busan, South Korea

#6 SONGDO MARINE CABLE CAR

One of the best ways to enjoy the views of Songdo Beach is to take a ride in the Songdo Marine Cable Car (or also otherwise known as the Busan Air Cruise). This is a 1.62km long cable car route which not only gives visitors a view of the Songdo Beach, Yeongdodaegyo Bridge, Namhangdaegyo Bridge, Songdo Coastal Dullegil Road and road cliffs from a height of 86 metres.

Depending on your preference, Songdo Marine Cable Car offers 2 different types of cabins — the Air Cruise (cabin with a closed floor) or the Crystal Cruise (cabin with transparent floor). Ticket prices are more worthwhile for a return trip, and will set you back 15,000 won (Air Cruise) or 20,000 won (Crystal Cruise) per adult and 11,000 won (Air Cruise) or 15,000 won (Crystal Cruise) for children between the age of 3 to 12 years.

Songdo Bay Station at Songnim Park (near Songdo Beach/Songdo Cloud Trails)
171, Songdohaebyeon-ro, Seo-gu,
Busan, South Korea

Songdo Sky Park Station (Amam Park)
181 Amnamgongwon-ro, Seo-gu,
Busan, South Korea

#7 HAEUNDAE BEACH

No trip to Busan is complete without a visit to the majestic Haeundae Beach. As one of Busan’s most popular tourist attractions, Haeundae Beach is recognised as one of the most popular beaches in South Korea and attracts more than 10 million visitors every season.

For families visiting Busan during the spring or summer season, do cater at least a day to relax at Haeundae Beach and to explore its surrounding attractions, such as the Dongbaekseom Island, the Haeundae Food Stall Town and Haeundae Traditional Market. 

Haeundae Beach
264 Haeundaehaebyeon-ro, Haeundae-gu,
Busan, South Korea

#8 JEONPO CAFE STREET

Jeonpo Cafe Street is exactly as it name suggests — alleys lined with various restaurants, dessert shops, and coffee joints. If your children are avid fans of food and are up for an adventure, they will find delight in exploring the wide range of eateries with different themes, and in popping into a souvenir shop or too.

Allthough Jeonpo Cafe Street is in itself child-friendly, do note that you may need to climb stairs to access some restaurants. Also, as this area is popular with youths and young adults and it may be difficult for you to get around with a stroller in the early evening. For a more comfortable experience, you may wish to pop by Jeonpo Cafe Street on a weekday and in the earlier part of the day. 

Jeonpo Cafe Street
92 Dongcheon-ro, Busanjin District,
Busan, South Korea

Just as Japan has the Tsukiji Fish Market, South Korea’s best known fresh seafood market has got to be the Jagalchi Market. Located on the edge of Nampo Port in Busan, Jagalchi Market is considered the largest seafood market in South Korea and is a spot you must visit when in Busan. As Busan is frequented by quite a number of tourists, Jagalchi Market is relatively tourist-friendly for Singaporeans as most of the stall owners speak decent mandarin.

That said, if you’re looking to tuck into seafood at affordable prices, do take care to enter Jagalchi Market from the correct side of the building. Elsewise, you may find yourself making the same mistake as us – paying slightly higher prices for the exact same dishes at the other side of the building.

As a matter of orientation, this is what you should be looking for when you first enter Jagalchi Market. There will be a couple of rows of shops with fresh seafood laid out for your picking. After you select your choice of seafood, the stall owners will arrange for someone to bring you (and your seafood) up to the dining area to be cooked. Do note that payment for the seafood does not include preparation and cooking of the seafood. The restaurant owners at the dining area on the 2nd level will charge you separately for their service.

In contrast, if you enter from the other side of Jagalchi Market, you will be greeted by stalls with fresh seafood but each stall has a dining area attached to it. The spread of seafood available at this side of the Jagalchi Market is not as extensive as you would find at the other entrance, and the level of touting here is also significantly higher. Also, if you’re not careful, you may find yourselves paying a little more than what you expected to be charged.

Notwithstanding the sentiments above, Jagalchi Market is a paradise for seafood lovers. From eel, to Alaskan King Crabs, octopus and scallops, it will be a feast for the eyes. But one tip that we’d give is to only choose seafood that is displayed outside the shop to ensure that you are paying for what you select. Elsewise, unless you are opting for your seafood to be cooked, you should be prepared for an upset stomach.

Well, we were prepared to suffer the consequences so we opted to enjoy most of our seafood raw. Whilst this plate of sea urchins set us back by just 10,000 won, we felt that there was slightly lesser meat than what we had expected. But for its extremely affordable price tag, it was still a reasonable portion and a delicious meal option.

We could not leave Jagalchi Market without having Sannakji aka sliced raw octopus. The stall owner we purchased the seafood from threw this in for free, and even allowed our toddler to touch the live octopus for entertainment. If you’ve never tried Sannakji, it’s really not as scary as it looks. Doused with sesame oil and sesame seeds, the octopus meat was firm yet chewy, and just slightly slimy. However, if you’re not accustomed to this type of seafood, it would be wise to share this dish with another dining partner.

As for cooked seafood, 2 other dishes that we’d recommend are the Grilled Eel (10,000 won) and the Abalone Porridge (30,000 won). The eel was lightly salted and incredibly fresh, and though we’d have liked a larger portion of abalone, the Abalone Porridge was very satisfying.

Jagalchi Market
52 Jagalchihaean-ro, Jung-gu,
Busan, South Korea

Please note that Jagalchi Market is closed on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month and that the prices stated above will differ across the different shops