Gimhae International Airport in Busan is the 19th largest airport in Asia and in the Pacific.
Flights are available between Seoul’s two airports (Incheon and Gimpo) and Gimhae Airport in Busan with a flight time of just over one hour. Korean Air and Jeju Air are the two main carriers serving this route, with more than 13 flights daily, generally on the hour from 7am.
Check transportation if you travel to Gimhae via Incheon airport in Seoul as you may have to transfer to Gimpo Airport, about a 30-minute bus ride from Incheon International Airport. The following two buses travel to Gimpo Airport from Incheon for a fare of approx. 7,500 KRW. Tickets are available at Transportation Information Counters (near exits 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13 on the 1st floor).
- Website : http://www.airport.co.kr/mbs/gimhaeeng/
- Address : 108 Gonghangjinip-ro, Gangseo-gu, Busan
- Airport Hotline : 1661-2626 Automatic Response System (ARS)
Perhaps the most efficient method of travel between Seoul and Busan is the KTX, or Korea Train eXpress; Korea’s high-speed rail link that connects various cities. The Seoul-Busan line is one of four lines (also known as the Gyeongbu Line) that run throughout the country. It’s worth noting that the KTX lines generally all run north to south, with hardly any lines running east to west.
The departure point in Seoul is Seoul Station, while the Busan Station in Nampo-dong is the arrival and departure point for the 350-km/hr KTX in Busan. To reach Seoul station you can take the bus or subway
- Busan Station is the southern terminus of the Gyeongbu line, the main gateway to Busan.
- Address : 206, Jungang-daero, Dong-gu, Busan (near Busan Station, Metro line 1)
- Rail lines : Gyeongbu line (Seoul-Busan), Gyeongbu high-speed line
- Types of Train : KTX (Korea Train Express), SRT (Supreme Railways Train), ITX-Saemaul, Mugunghwa
The Airport Rail Express (AREX) line connects Incheon Airport to Seoul Station. All-stop trains run at an average interval of 12 minutes from 05:23 to 23:57 and take about 56 minutes. Express trains run at an average interval of 30 minutes and take about 45 minutes. See the AREX website for time-tables for All-stop and Express Trains. (https://www.arex.or.kr/main.do)
Fares range between approximately 4,000 ~ 15,000 KRW, depending on type of train and discounts. Please check the AREX website for fare information for All-stop and Express trains. Tickets can be purchased at Information Centers located in Incheon Airport.
On the train, you have three tiers to choose from: First Class, Economy, and Standing / Non-reserved. If you don’t manage to book a seated Economy ticket in time, then you’ll be allocated a Standing ticket in one of the Economy cars.
Travel time is approximately 2 hours 30 minutes. Tickets are available for purchase at the stations, on the KTX website, or via travel agents, with bookings closing an hour before the train’s departure. The cost for an Economy ticket is approx KRW60,000.
Besides the KTX, there are also the ITX and Mugunghwa trains which serve the Gyeongbu Line, but these are slower, taking up to 5 hours.
The Busan bus terminal is located in Nopo-dong. Express buses and Inter-city buses connect to other cities. The bus fare depends on the distance. There are two types of express buses: general express bus and a deluxe express bus. A special express bus offers a higher level of travel comfort at slightly premium prices.
Location: Nopo Station (Metro line 1)
- Phone: 1577-9956/(051)508-9200
- Major Destinations: Seoul, East Seoul, Cheongju, Daejeon, Gyeongju, Seongnam, Incheon, Uijeongbu, Jeonju, Gwangju, Yeosu, Suncheon, Daegu
- Phone: 1688-9969/(051)508-9400
- Major Destinations: Donghae, Gangneung, Sokcho, Samcheok ,Geojin, Uljin, Jukbyeon, Bugu, Cheongsong, Hadong, Jeondo, Jingyo ,Masan, Changweon, Jinju, Jinhae ,Gwangyang, Yeosu, Tongyeong, Iksan ,Gunsan, Pohang
Express Bus from Incheon Airport to Busan Dongbu Bus Terminal
Express buses run directly from Incheon Airport to Busan Dongbu Bus Terminal. Travel time is approximately 5-1/2 hours.
Fare is 41,800 KRW and tickets are available at Transportation Information Counters (near exits 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13 on the 1st floor). The bus stop is located at Stop 10C outside the Passenger Terminal.
The time table from Incheon airport to Busan bus terminal is here or bustago site.
(https://www.bustago.or.kr/)
Busan’s extensive Metro system makes it possible to go just about anywhere. There are four lines (1, 2, 3 and 4) each with a distinct colors. Destination announcements are made in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. The sound of a bird is used for stops that are transfer points, accompanied by announcements in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese.
Bexco (also Busan Museum of Art stop) is located on Line 2, Green Line which links it with the Haeundae Beach area in just 2 stops and the BGL Light Rail. Both connect with the rest of the city.
You can use these links to download the Metro Map and Metro Timetable
Fare: One Section: 1,400 KRW, Two Sections: 1,600 KRW
(http://www.humetro.busan.kr/english/main.do)
BGL Light Rail (http://www.bglrt.com/english.web)
You can catch this type of taxi at a taxi stand or flag one down in the street. If the taxi is vacant, you will find a “Vacant” or “For Hire” sign in red color and the lamp of the taxi sign on top will be turned on.
The basic fare is 3,800 KRW per 2km with additional charges being added depending on the distance and time covered.
Taxi fares go up 20% after midnight until 4:00 a.m. and there is a 30% surcharge for out-of-Busan destinations (cities adjacent to Busan)
A 40% surcharge will be applied to out-of-Busan destinations from midnight to 4 a.m.
| Base fare (first 2Km) | Distance fare | Time fare(<15Km/h) |
| 3,800 KRW | 133m/100 KRW | 34 sec./100 KRW |
    
