People often include Busan in their list of places to visit when heading to Korea. Made famous through films like ‘Train to Busan’, it’s no surprise how many people flock to Korea’s 2nd largest city.
If you’re thinking of changing things up a bit when in Busan, we highly recommend a trip to neighbouring Ulsan, which is only a short 20 mins away.
How to Go to Ulsan from Busan
There are several ways to reach Ulsan from Busan, but the most straightforward method is the KTX train. It takes 20 minutes from Busan station and costs 8,400 won for adults. Trains are also aplenty, so no worries if you didn’t make a reservation beforehand, even though that’s still highly recommended.
There’s also a public transport line known as the Donghae Metro that links Busan all the way to Taehwagang Station, which is in Ulsan. However, depending on where you are in Busan, you’ll have to transfer to one of the stations along the Donghae Line, such as Bujeon, Geoje and Busan Nat’l Univ of Education.
A journey via the Donghae metro from Busan to Ulsan takes slightly more than an hour.
You’ll also be able to find intercity buses from terminals in Busan, but the train is still the most recommended method.
You can also opt for a day trip from Seoul to Ulsan. The KTX train journey takes 2 hours and 30 minutes, costing 53,500 won. The earliest train departs Seoul at around 5:30 a.m.
Getting Around Ulsan
During our visit to Ulsan, we mainly used the KakaoTaxi app to get around. The fares were generally inexpensive, and it was easy to get a taxi no matter where we were.
Ulsan has a network of local buses, but we don’t recommend taking them unless you’re a seasoned traveller.
If you’re confused about what apps you will need when travelling in Korea, or what you’ll need to navigate Korea, do check out our article where we share essential apps for Korea.
What To Do in Ulsan
Ulsan is often known as an industrial hub in Korea, so people often assume that there are only factories there. That is far from the truth! Since the city is located along the coast, it has quite a few coastal attractions and hidden gems.
Here are some places you need to visit when in Ulsan!
Daewangam Park (대왕암공원)
The first place we recommend visiting in Ulsan is Daewangam Park. This huge park, located on the East Coast, is filled with pine forests, cherry blossoms, and other flowering trees.
The reason it’s called Daewangam Park is because if you walk towards the end of the park, it’s home to Daewangam Rock, a popular rock formation that looks like a dragon rising up to the sky.
For thrill-seekers, there’s also a 303m long suspension bridge located within Daewangam Park which is one of the longest suspension bridges in Korea.
In spring, you can also see many cherry blossoms here, making it a popular photo spot in Ulsan.
95 Deungdae-ro, Dong-gu, Ulsan
Naver Maps | Kakao Maps
Jangsaengpo Whale Cultural Village (장생포 고래문화마을)
Ulsan has a history with whaling that lasted all the way to 1986, when South Korea banned commercial whaling. The Jangsaengpo Whale Cultural Village reproduces what it’s like in an old whaling village.
Here you’ll also find a Museum, an Experience Center and even a warship.
Unless you have kids, we recommend skipping those and going straight to the Whale Culture Village, where you’ll find life-sized replicas of whales and an old-school village.
There’s a monorail service that brings you to the whale village from the main square. The entire monorail is around 1.3km long, with tickets going at 11,000 won for adults. We highly recommend taking the monorail, especially during Spring, as you get to see cherry blossoms along the way.
If not, the village is around a 10-minute walk from the main square.
There’s an entrance fee of 3,000 won for the village, but it’s definitely worth the money! It almost felt like an old-school drama set, where you get to see Korea back in the olden days. It’s the perfect area for photos!
You can also rent old-school uniforms, play arcade games or even try your hand at making your own dalgona. Inside the village, you’ll also find a place where you can have food such as jjajangmyeon and other simple Korean fare.
271-1 Jangsaengpogyurae-ro, Nam-gu, Ulsan
Naver Maps | Kakao Maps
Ganjeolgot (간절곶)
This is a beautiful cape by the sea, where you can listen to the sounds of waves and pay a visit to the lighthouse. Ganjeolgot is also a famous spot among locals to witness the sunrise.
However, there is one unique item to check out here: a mailbox. It’s not just any mailbox; it’s apparently the second-largest mailbox in the world. Pose for photo ops or even drop something to mail because it’s a functioning mailbox!
Depending on your time, you may want to remove this spot from your day trip itinerary, as it is further away from the other spots in this article.
Daeseung-ri, Seosaeng-myeon, Ulju-gun, Ulsan
Naver Maps | Kakao Maps
Taehwagang National Garden (태화강 국가정원)
Located in the heart of Ulsan, Taehwagang National Garden covers an area of over 1.2 million square meters and features many walking paths and gardens.
We arrived quite late, so we didn’t have time to explore the whole garden, but if there’s one spot to check out, it’s the bamboo garden inside Taehwagang.
This is Korea’s largest bamboo forest garden, and it’s amazing that you can witness something like this in the heart of a city.
154 Taehwagang gukgajeongwon-gil, Jung-gu, Ulsan
Naver Maps | Kakao Maps
Day Trip To Ulsan
This is just the tip of the iceberg of what Ulsan has to offer, so you might want to consider extending your day trip in Ulsan to explore other local sights like cafes and restaurants.
The city of Ulsan offers a completely different experience than Busan, and it’s definitely something we’d recommend doing when you’ve been to Korea once or twice already.
For inspiration on what to do during your next trip to Korea, check out more articles on https://middleclass.sg/korea
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