When traveling overseas, many people choose to fly, but for Korea, you can also reach Busan by ferry or jetfoil (high-speed boat). In such cases, the gateway is Busan Port International Passenger Terminal, which offers ferry services from Osaka, Shimonoseki, Hakata, and even from Izuhara and Hidakatsu in Tsushima.
This article will provide a detailed explanation of the facility overview of Busan Port International Passenger Terminal as well as how to access Busan City and Busan Gimhae International Airport.
When booking the above routes, if you are boarding the Panstar Cruise from Osaka or the Camellia Line from Hakata, you can purchase tickets on skyticket. Please consider that option.
Location of Busan Port International Passenger Terminal
Please be careful not to confuse it with the “Busan Port Coastal Terminal” for departures to Jeju Island, which is located slightly further south.
Access from Busan Port International Passenger Terminal to Busan Station
The nearest station to the terminal is Choryang Station on Busan Transportation Corporation (Subway Line 1). However, due to rapid development in preparation for the 2030 Expo, a pedestrian deck connecting to Busan Station (operated by KORAIL/Subway) has recently been completed!
Although it is a longer walk, this new route now provides a more comfortable access to downtown Busan.
◆ Shuttle buses to Busan Station are available! For Seomyeon and Haeundae, regular buses are also an option.
Shuttle buses to Busan Station are available. Although they are paid, they are convenient for those with lots of luggage or on rainy days when using the moving walkways is difficult. As of June 2023, the fare is 1,300 KRW.
In addition, Busan's busiest entertainment district "Seomyeon" and the renowned resort area "Haeundae"—both representative of Busan—can also be accessed via Route 5-1 bus from the bus stop in front of Busan Port International Passenger Terminal.
◆ What is the access from Busan Port to Busan Gimhae International Airport?
To get from Busan Port International Passenger Terminal to Busan/Gimhae International Airport, take Subway Line 1 via Seomyeon Station and transfer to Line 2 for Sajang Station. From Sajang Station, you can catch the Busan-Gimhae Light Railway to reach Gimhae International Airport.
Furthermore, during holiday periods are crowded, you might be able to obtain relatively inexpensive international flight tickets to Southeast Asia, Europe, or North America by taking a ferry from Hakata to Busan.
Incidentally, between Busan and Seoul, in addition to domestic flights, only Korean Air and Asiana Airlines (and their code-share flights with two other carriers) operate "international transfer-only flights" as international flights between Seoul/Incheon, which means that connecting in Seoul is very convenient.
The check-in counters at Busan Port International Passenger Terminal are all located on the 3rd floor!
The check-in counters for Panstar Cruise (to Osaka), New Camellia (to Hakata), Beatle, Nina (to Tsushima), and Kambu Ferry (to Shimonoseki) are all concentrated on the 3rd floor.
Departure immigration and duty-free shops are also all on the 3rd floor.
Terminal Facilities: Wi‑Fi Rental, Luggage Storage, SIM Card Sales
Inside Busan Port International Passenger Terminal, there are coffee shops, dining halls, and a 7‑Eleven convenience store, so you will never be short of ways to pass the time. By the way, the luggage storage service is on the 1st floor; however, as of March 2023, it is closed.
On the 2nd floor, you will find almost all the services needed for traveling in Korea, including foreign exchange services, Wi‑Fi rental, and SIM card sales.
By the way, on skyticket we are also introducing a Wi‑Fi rental service available at Hakata Port, so please consider using that as well.
Enjoy Duty-Free Shopping Before Boarding!
After passing through security at Busan Port International Passenger Terminal, there are duty-free shops and coffee shops available. Unlike on airplanes, there are no restrictions on liquids—juice, for example, may be brought through.
Although the variety of items is not as extensive as before the COVID-19 pandemic (as of 2023), you can still find a full range of alcohol, tobacco, cosmetics, brand-name goods, miscellaneous items, and food.
For reference, as of March 2023, Japanese tobacco “Mebius” was priced at 27 USD.
Enjoy the Night View at Busan Port International Passenger Terminal
From Busan Port International Passenger Terminal, you can enjoy beautiful night views such as the Busan Port Bridge without even boarding a ship, making it a popular date spot. When arriving at Busan Port on New Camellia, the timing is perfect to enjoy the illumination of the Busan Port Bridge.
◎As a Cultural Junction of the East, West, South, and North, Busan Port Thrives
Watching the people coming and going from Busan, you might even feel inclined to enjoy a ship journey every now and then.