Taejongdae: A Must See in Busan, Korea

Taejongdae Resort Park (태종대), named after the 29th King of the Silla Dynasty, King TaeJong, who enjoyed shooting arrows off the cliffs, is a must see for anyone traveling to Busan, Korea. The southernmost tip of Yeongdo-gu offers beautiful views of the ocean, cliffs, and on clear days people can even spot Daema, or Tsushima, Island of Japan.

This is one of the top tourist spots in Busan and it’s worth the trip it takes to get out there. Whether it’s sunny, rainy, spring, summer, winter, or autumn, the views are gorgeous and the walk around the tip of the island, fun and energizing.

The varying shades of blue as they wave back and forth from the cliffside out to the horizon is dreamy and there is much to be found there. I have been to Taejongdae numerous times… because it’s just that good. Don’t miss this spot in Busan on your next visit. Plan your entire trip with my guide to Busan.

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What To Do BEFORE You Come To Korea

Buy An Airplane Ticket: Get your airplane ticket and look for those deals. We’ve found some awesome deals on travel at Skyscanner.com.

Get a Visa: Many people can come in easily and get a tourist visa but be sure to check that you have what you need from your home country to come in to Korea and get a visa.

Book A Hotel: To get in to Korea, you’ll need to have prepared a place to stay and you’ll need the address when you fill out your card for immigration. Make sure to book and write down the address. We usually use Booking.com which has great deals on hotels around the country.

Travel Insurance: World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world. We receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

Study Korean: 90 Day Languages has a great course on Korean and offers a lot of help if you’re interested in preparing before you come. A little goes a long way here.

Get Good Hard Case Luggage: Packing all of the essentials is good only if they get to the other side with you. Make sure to have good luggage to get you and your belongings all the way. Roam Luggage has awesome customizable bags that will go the distance and look super cool on the way.

How To Get To Taejongdae

Taejongdae, though in Busan, does not give off the city vibes of downtown areas because it’s on the tip of an island that juts out from the main coastline. Though it is a bit out there, it is probably the most accessible cliffs in the region.

If you’re staying on the western end of Busan, because it’s long a thin rather than a circular city, like in Songdo Beach, it’s a pretty easy spot to get to. Watch out if you’re staying all the way on the eastern end of Busan. It will take some time to get there! I’d recommend also seeing Huinnyeoul Culture Village while you’re on the island though because it’s a great spot for cafes, colors, and art too and it’s right there!

Address: 29-1 San Dongsam 2-dong Yeongdo-gu, Busan, Korea (부산광역시 영도구 동삼2동 산 29-1)

Directions from Busan Station: A lot of travelers ask how to get from Busan Station to Taejongdae. Right outside of Busan Station, head to the bus stand and you can take bus 101 directly from the station out to Taejongdae. The bus ride takes around 30 minutes. Alternatively, bus 88 also goes there from the same bus stand, but takes about 10 minutes longer. The Busan City Tour Bus also makes a stop here, this bus costs W10,000 for a whole day pass.

Rent A Car: Though I don’t suggest driving in the city of Seoul, Busan is very easy to drive around and since the city is along a long coastline, it’s a pretty long city. Renting a car is a great option if you want to see everything from Taejongdae to the Haeddong Yonggungsa Seaside Temple and everything in between. We use Avis and have had great trips with them. Rent a car here with Klook.

Hire A Driver: If you don’t want to drive on your own and deal with directions, hire a driver. From end to end the city of Busan is long and having someone that already knows the routes it’s awesome. Make your own itinerary and hire a driver here easily with Klook.

Join A Tour: Taking the public transportation out to the island isn’t the easiest depending where you are in Busan so join a tour so you’ll see the popular spots easily and won’t need to worry about transportation and fees. Here are some great options from Klook:

Visit Taejongdae, Gamcheon Culture Village, Jagalchi Fish Market AND ride on the Songdo Marine Cable Car to get unforgettable views of the seaside. This would be my tour of choice. Join the tour here.
The East Coast Cultural Day tour takes visitors to Taejongdae, Songdo Skywalk and Gamcheon Culture Village. Join the tour here.

Basic Info To Know About Taejongdae

Admission: FREE*

Danubi Train Fee: Adults: 3,000; Children W2,000

Hours: 4AM – 12AM

Amenities: Train, bathrooms, restaurant/cafe.

Website: http://www.taejongdae.or.kr/

Where To Stay In The Area

If you’ll be visiting Busan, make sure you know where to stay near the things you want to see. The city is long so if you want to see things on the east side, don’t stay on the west side! Check out my guide to hotels in Busan to help you figure out the best areas to stay in for you! Which neighborhood will suit you? Let’s find out.

Lavalse Hotel

Stay in this stunning hotel with floor to ceiling windows offering views of the coast, the seas, and the ports. Guests not only have spacious rooms but they also have terraces. Choose between cityscape views or landscape views and easy access to the surrounding area. This is a top spot to stay in Busan and the staff is helpful and speaks a variety of languages to help all guests have the best stay in Busan. Book your stay here now on Booking.com or on Agoda.com

What To See in Taejongdae Resort Park

Busan is one of my favorite cities to visit in Korea, and since my husband is from there, I go fairly often. If you’re planning a trip, make sure to check out this guide to Busan I put together so you don’t miss Taejongdae and the other must see spots in the city on the southern coast of Korea. Taejongdae is one of the 28 designated monuments in Busan so there is a lot to be seen.

Taejongdae Resort Park is called a resort, but isn’t really. Don’t be confused by the name. There is nowhere to stay here. Established in 1967, Taejongdae is a beautiful seaside park. The island Taejongdae sits upon is a natural barrier protecting the Busan port so there are often boats and ships moving from one side to the other.

There is much to see and hidden paths to and from places, but plenty of signage to help you on your way. Just be prepared to walk up and down the numerous stairs to the cliffs and back up to the main path that circles around from the entrance and back again.

Pine trees and other vegetation blanket the sides of the road that winds through the park and placards direct people to step off the main road that is 4.3 kilometers long onto paths that head to certain spots along the rocky cliffs for clear views of the ocean. Wear comfortable shoes and you can walk the entire way following a pavement road and then stepping off at designated spots to walk down wooden staircases to get to the rocky cliffs.

Visitors can find temples, an observatory, a lighthouse, and plenty of rocky cliffs to visit and enjoy, there are even dinosaur tracks to see. There are food tents on the edge of the rocks at one point for people wanting to stop and have a bite half way around and of course as it is right on the ocean, expect fishy delights for the belly. There is a dock and people can take a mini cruise ship trip around the cliffs and see them from the water as well.

Not all of the cliffs and paths have railings so if you have little ones, be vigilant on the lookout at all times. Or, if you’re a clumsy person… be on the lookout as well. Much of the paths are safe and lead to awesome points with dinosaur tracks and overlooks. To get to the overlooks, you’ll have to follow steps down from the main road. The aren’t all that long and take less than ten minutes to get down, but can obviously take a bit longer to get back up. Take your time.

The Taejongdae Observation Deck is the first stop that the train hits, though isn’t the first thing to see in the park if you go in by foot. This deck is three stories tall and features a cafe and a spot to get snacks at a convenience store on the main road. No need to walk up or down any wooden steps for this stop. Stop here if you want drinks or anything because when you get down to the cliffs, there won’t be anything to buy unless you want to sit on the edges of the rocks to eat seafood and fish that the fishermen have brought in.

The next spot to see is the Yongdo Lighthouse. This is the most popular stop and the trail that descends to the cliffs here is a bit steep and will take longer for those visitors with children. But it’s definitely doable. Visitors will easily spot the most iconic installation in the park, the “Light Beyond Limitation” statue by Korean artist Ji Sul Won Kyung Lee. This red and blue circular structure with a silver point shooting through symbolizes the ocean, sky and the earth and and the light that is cast out from the lighthouse.

Don’t miss a chance to go into the lighthouse. There is a gallery and small area to find books and read and take a rest with a view on the bottom floors and then you can head up the steps to get the views from the very top. From the lighthouse, you can also find a path that leads down the backside to the rocky cliffs that are just touching the water. Here is where you can find tents and vendors that have seafood eats. Be careful with children here as there are no railings and it can be quite windy and slippery depending on the weather.

Get back up from the most popular spot in the park and you’ll probably want to hop on the train at this point because it’s quite a hike back up from that furthest point touching the water. Get on the train and the next stop is near Taejongsa Temple. Visit the temple and then you can walk down from here. The path that the train takes goes up at an incline and then on the way back is the decline so if you want to walk the easiest bit, start from here so it’s going down the entire way back to the entrance.

Visitors can spend anywhere from 2 hours to a whole day enjoying the views with friends, family or lovers.

Using The Danubi Train

“Danubi” means “admiring the scenery” in Korean and the bus helps loads of people do that every day in Taejongdae. The train operates from 9AM – 10PM from April to October and 10AM – 6PM from November to March and departs every 20 to 30 minutes. Expect long lines depending if it’s high season, but they do move pretty quickly.

The trains stop at three of the best sights, though these aren’t all of the sites so do remember that if you want to see EVERYTHING in the park, you shouldn’t just sit on the train for the entire loop because you’ll miss it all. Trains leave every 20 to 30 minutes and make a loop through the park.

Do be aware that the train doesn’t run during inclement weather but I’ve been and walked while it was raining and it was a great time as everyone else ran to get inside, I enjoyed the drizzle and the views.

If you’re headed here in the heat of the summer months, I’d recommend getting tickets for the train just in case. They’re not that expensive and you might just want that ride at some point. The humidity can be pretty intense at certain times during the year. The rest of the year, the walk is really quite nice. just take your time.

Busan has some amazing sights including a seaside temple with spectacular views, Jagalchi Fish Market and Let’s Eat Alley. Don’t miss them and definitely hit up the beaches too. If you like seaside walks like this, also check out the Haeundae Blueline Park where you can take a ride on the popular Sky Capsule Busan too.

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