Exclusive Busan: Private 8-Hr City & Culinary Quest

Our guide, who has an adopted Western name of Jason Lee , made contact via WhatsApp the previous night to confirm details for meeting up. After disembarking the ship 20 minutes before our meeting time, we located Jason very quickly and also the other couple who were sharing our tour already with him. After brief introductions, we set off on our tour of Busan. Our first stop was not a scheduled visit and was purely a quick photo visit to see the Busan Cinema Centre, which holds the record for the largest cantilever roof in the world. The roof extends 85 metres from the central support column without any intermediate supports. I thought there wasn't a lot of building considering its footprint, but it was impressive all the same. Next was another photo stop, and this time to see the Haeundae LCT The Sharp towers at Haeundae Beach. 101 floors in the tallest tower, which was the same as the 101 Taipei. The next place was a 25-minute drive to Haedong Yonggungsa, which is a unique Buddhist temple located right on the sea front instead of somewhere mountainous. It was busy but very picturesque, and we spent maybe an hour looking around. All the while we were there, we were able to watch some Buddhist ceremonies being practised and even enter the area where they were happening. Despite there being signs asking people not to photograph these, there were still idiots taking that never-to-be-seen-again holiday snap. Once again, we were on the move and this time for a cable car ride across Songdo Beach. Only a few minutes queuing on either side with a 20-minute visit on the other side for photos. Our next stop was for lunch and was probably the most uncomfortable part of the day, our guide took us around to the Jagalchi Market, which is a fish market with a lot of very live, wiggling items for those who like their seafood fresh. Nicole is vegan so it wasn't the ideal place for her to visit. To make matters worse, our travel companions liked the Idea of having lunch here in the food court. Our guide told Nicole that unbelievably they could conjure up something for her to eat, rice, seaweed and vegetables, so we obliged our fellow travellers of their wish. In the end, Nicole ate really well, and if you could take your mind off of what was going on around, we managed to get through the ordeal. A short distance away was BIFF Square, which is famous for its markets, and this is what we explored next. After a bit of souvenir shopping, we were back in the van and on our way to our final stop, which was to Gamcheon Culture Village, another of Busan's tourist attractions. It has the nickname of Korea's Machu Picchu and is known for its layered streets, narrow alleys, and brightly painted houses. It wasn't that busy and was a nice area to explore and do some window shopping. From there, it was back to the ship to put our feet up it was a long day, and it felt like we had crammed a lot into it.

A great private shore excursion from a cruise ship. Our guide and driver Finn was excellent and the whole day passed without a hitch. Saw all the main sites in the time available and the Korean BBQ at the end was a new experience for us.

What a lovely place to visit. The city has a lot of diversity/history and our tour guide was very knowledgeable. It was easy to see her enthusiasm of her city and country. I would be happy to take it to her again anytime in the future.

It covered many of the most popular sites to see in Busan. There is a fair amount of walking. It was a great value for the price. Our Guide Mimi was excellent, friendly, informative, knowledgeable and very kind.

We did a small group (6 people) day trip in a comfortable van with tour guide and driver ‘Finn.’ Picked up right at the port & taken to historical & beautiful sights in Busan. We stopped at a traditional tea house for Japanese tea & rice cakes. After more sightseeing we went to a restaurant for Korean BBQ. You cook it yourself at the table. Delicious! We ended with a stroll through the fish market. Wish we had the chance to eat something there, but we were full & ran out of time! It was a full day where we got to see many of the highlights of Busan. Finn was an excellent guide & driver! Highly recommended!

My experience with Korea Go Tours was great. Our guide Finn is a very knowledgeable and personal able. Showed our shore excursion group of six to wonderful sights, such as the marketplace, Skywalk over the ocean , and a beautiful Buddhist temple on the ocean shore. Tour was definitely 5 stars and highly recommended.

The day was educational and a lot of fun. Suki was an excellent guide. The weather got very unpredictable but she managed to freestyle the itinerary so we didn't get (too) wet. Recommended.

Tour guide Finn was wonderful!! He was very knowledgeable about all the areas we went to. He was friendly, personable, and anticipated our needs, (bathrooms, suggesting alternate navigation when faced with stairs, umbrellas available to us when rain came through. He even adjusted the tour when a particular stop closed due to weather. We enjoyed our day with him! Definitely recommend this tour.

We joined the Busan shore excursion with Korea Go Tours during our cruise stop, and overall it was a well-organized and enjoyable way to experience the city’s highlights. Our guide was friendly, professional, and kept us on time throughout the day. The tour began with a visit to a beautiful seaside temple, peaceful and scenic with lovely views of the ocean. Next came the Oryukdo Skywalk, where the glass platform offered dramatic views of the cliffs and coastline. We then stopped at Lotte Mall for lunch and shopping — a comfortable and convenient break, though I would have preferred a meal at a more traditional, local restaurant to get a better taste of Busan’s culture and cuisine. In the afternoon, we explored the Jagalchi Fish Market and Gamcheon Culture Village. Both were interesting, but it would have been ideal to visit the fish market earlier in the day when it’s at its most lively and bustling. Gamcheon, with its colorful hillside houses and murals, was a perfect final stop for photos and a stroll. The transportation was clean and comfortable, and the tour was efficiently timed to fit our cruise schedule. Overall, a great introduction to Busan — a mix of scenic views, cultural sights, and modern stops. With a few small timing tweaks, it would be a five-star experience.

This was a great tour of Busan. JB was an amazing guide and spoke great English. He was very patient as we are older and couldn’t go as fast . But we got our workout in. So much to see in the day