2024 was the year we came to Busan twice: once at dawn on the first of January with half the city, and again in the autumn. We’d already been coming since 2020, but this is the trip we finally filmed properly.
Busan is a city best understood on foot, so that’s how we filmed it, no commentary, just the real sounds of Korea’s great southern port city.
The walk begins in Gamcheon Culture Village, the famous hillside of colourful stacked houses threaded with art and narrow lanes. It’s become one of Korea’s most photographed places, but wandering it in person, past everyday life happening between the murals, is a different experience from the photos.
From there the film moves through the streets of Seomyeon at night, all shopping, restaurants and neon; down into the underground shopping arcades; through Lotte Mall with its indoor fountain; and out to a glimpse of Busan Port in the Nampo-dong area, where the city meets the sea.
If you’re weighing up whether Busan deserves days of its own on a Korea trip rather than a day trip from Seoul, it does. Pair it with nearby Jinju and the slow island calm of Namhae for a southern route most visitors miss.
New Year sunrise, January 2024
Watching the first sunrise of the year on Haeundae beach is a proper Korean tradition, and it turns out you won’t be doing it quietly or alone.
Back for autumn, October 2024
Ten months later we were back on the hillside from the film, this time with a camera and no crowd to fight.
There’s more from this trip on our YouTube channel, we film the real sights and sounds, no fluff. You’ll also find us on TikTok and Instagram.