Busan – Day 7 of a 14-Day Trip in South Korea
Day 7 was filled with activities in the east side of Busan – Haedong Yonggunsa Temple, Haeundae Beach, and Centum City. It was another warm sunny day – felt like summer despite being mid-autumn.
Day 7
Busan
After a convenience store breakfast, we took the bus to Haedong Yonggunsa Temple. Haedong Yonggunsa Temple is a gorgeous Buddhist Temple on the seaside and its history dates back to the late 1300s, but it is uncertain to when it was actually built. It is a popular spot to visit for tourists.
By the temple is a couple street food stalls, including one that makes marshmallow ice cream sticks. We bought one to share as a snack and it was filled with strawberry ice cream.
After the temple, we took the bus to Mipo-jib, a seafood restaurant by Haeundae Beach. We put our name down on the waitlist, then wandered to Haeundae Beach as well as Haeundae Market.
It was time to head back to the restaurant for a late lunch. We must have gotten there during the lunch time rush earlier as it had really cleared up when we arrived. We ordered the pork rib stone bowl and an assortment of seafood. It of course came with soup and sides. The seafood was a mix of raw (crab, shrimp, salmon sashimi, and abalone) and cooked (octopus) seafood. I was very curious to try the raw shrimp – I did not think it tasted much different than cooked shrimp. The soy raw crab was my favourite – so tasty. There was also a dip for the seafood consisting of egg yolk, roe, green onion, and sesame seeds. All the seafood was very affordable – the entire meal came out to about $45 CAD.
Despite being so full, I wanted some patbingsu for dessert. We headed to a celebrity favourite location called Haeundae Yetnal Patbingsu. They only serve two items on their menu – red bean soup and bingsu (shaved ice) with red bean (pat) topping. We shared a patbingsu, which was a perfect size for the two of us. I’m not a huge fan of sweet red bean, but I found it very refreshing.
Next stop – Spa Land at Centum City. Spa Land is a fancy jjimjilbang (bathhouse). The jjimjilbang has separate gender bath areas (similarly to an onsen in Japan) as well as a common area consisting of saunas, relaxation spots, and a restaurant. The admission fee is approximately $20 CAD per person for 4 hours. Upon arrival, we were given outfits to change into and a ticket for a free egg (each). There are 13 saunas with varying temperatures and a foot bath. This was an amazing and such a relaxing experience – I really enjoyed it and the 4 hours went by so quickly.
To end the day, we had dinner at a pork belly bbq restaurant called Gogi gub neun Namja. We ordered a portion of the pork belly and a portion of the pork neck. The meal came with a crab soup and sides for the pork belly. My perfect bite is using a shiso leaf and lettuce as the base, then pork belly, then as many toppings as I can reasonably fit, and topped with sauce. Delicious! The restaurant has a minimum 2 orders, but the meal still came out to just under $45 CAD for the two of us.
Complete Day 7 Itinerary
*Travel times may vary. Check Kakao or Naver Maps for most accurate travel details.
9:00am: Breakfast at the Convenience Store.
10:00am: Visit Haedong Yonggunsa Temple (1 hour and 30 minute transit from Seomyeon area).
12:00pm: Lunch at Mipo-jib (54 minute transit from Haedong Yonggunsa Temple). Be prepared to wait or get there early!
1:00pm: Have patbingsu at Haeundae Yetnal Patbingsu (13 minute walk from Mipo-jib).
2:00pm: Visit Haeundae Beach and Haeundae Market (13 minute walk from Haeundae Yetnal Patbingsu).
3:00pm: Enjoy the spa at Spa Land Centum City (24 minute transit from Haeundae Beach).
8:00pm: Dinner at Gogi gub neun Namja (26 minute transit from Spa Land).
14-Day South Korea Itinerary
Click “Download” below for an excel version of my 14-Day South Korea Itinerary. Feel free to use the excel file as a planning template for your own trip!
Travels with Carolyne 