Igidae Coastal Walk in Busan: An Afternoon in Nature

Spending over three hours along Igidae Coastal Walk was one of the most memorable afternoons I had in Busan. The trail is absolutely stunning… but there’s one strange thing about it.

Basically, it’s not an out-and-back trail. There are two ends, and depending on which end you begin at, your experience will either feel super touristy or super local!

Unlike most visitors, I started from Yongho Starlight Park, and felt a much more authentic vibe from the trail. Plus, ending the hike at Oryukdo Skywalk, which is better-connected to main bus lines, made it much easier to get home when I was already spent.

Speaking of ending at Oryukdo Skywalk, I highly recommend stopping at Hapcheon Gukbap on your way out of the neighborhood. It was one of the coziest Pork Gukbaps I had in Busan!

About Igidae Coastal Walk

The coastal walk runs along the coast of Igidae Waterside Park, which is MASSIVE. You could fit three neighborhoods behind it. (In fact, there ARE three neighborhoods behind it.)

The trail is 4.7 kilometers long and usually takes two and a half hours to complete. I spent a lot of time taking photos, and sometimes just straight-up gawking at the views, so I took about an hour longer than that.

Can’t continue without a mention to the name. Igidae (이기대 / 二妓臺) is a Hanja (Sino-Korean) abbreviation of “The Platform with the Tombs of Two Gisaengs.”

Legend has it… that during the 1592 Japanese Invasion of Korea, two Gisaengs (courtesans) who were forced to entertain Japanese generals grabbed the drunk soldiers and jumped into the ocean in an act of rebellion.

Me being a history nerd and pro-Korea through and through, that story alone was enough to get me on that trail.

Getting to Yongho Starlight Park

I went to Igidae after a delicious meal at Dami Bokguk in Gwangalli. So I took bus 83, then transferred to the more local Namgu bus 2 (님구 2).

Namgu bus number 2 in particular doesn’t run very frequently compared to other lines. I was waiting for maybe 15 minutes at a tiny sign with no digital screens whatsoever.

The closest stop to Yongho Starlight Park was Bunpo High School. Walking to the trailhead was nice and quiet, with only a few cars coming and going. There were little to no shade, so I was happy I visited before Spring was fully over.

There was a map closer to the trailhead. So I stopped to look.

Igidae Coastal Walk covers from point 1 through to point 10 on here. Massive, especially compared to tiny little buildings in the neighborhoods. At this point, I wasn’t sure if I had enough time.

But it turns out I did.

My Experience on the Coastal Walk

Even though I was starting at Yongdo Starlight Park, which was right next to the trailhead, I paid almost no attention to it. I was too dead set on starting Igidae.

And the first viewpoint on Igidae didn’t disappoint at all.

The dark gray rocks contrasting with the deep blue sea was stunning to watch.

I could see the bright white Gwangan Bridge nearby, the fancy glass buildings of Marine City, and all the way out to Haeundae Blueline Park and the sky capsules.

Nothing remotely close to strenuous here. The trail wasn’t just well-marked, but I was also walking on a boardwalk, with safe wooden railings and everything nice. It looked very polished.

There was also a lower platform with photo ops and an even better view of Gwangan Bridge. The signs say “It’s only me here at Igidae’s Dongsaengmal Observatory.”

There were some stairs up and down, but nothing too crazy.

I especially loved it when I saw local uncles fishing out on the rocks. Always had to steal photos of them (no faces, of course) against the grandiosity of Busan.

For the first twenty minutes or so, the local-to-tourist ratio felt something like 90:10. Apart from me and a handful of Chinese people, all I heard when people talked was Korean.

After half an hour, I got to the first open-beach area, where people could exit the trail and hung out on the pebble beach. A photo from ANY of these rocks would look stunning. I had to try one.

I saw on my Google Maps that there was a sea cave nearby, and I saw people towards the other side of the beach, so I didn’t rush back onto the trail. Instead, I followed the beach south.

The pebbles weren’t here to play, really. I almost twisted my ankles a few times when I started strutting a little too fast.

Igidae Sea Cave

The cave wasn’t very far from the photo spot. It only took me about five minutes to find it walking south. It was cool to see, but I honestly expected it to be a bit bigger.

A nearby sign explained that the cave was initially underwater and was created from continued erosion. This means that sea level has drastically decreased over the years.

Eoulmadang Amphitheater

The trail’s first connection to the rest of Igidae Park was at Eoulmadang, and amphitheater that lets people chill with a view of the sea, or socialize.

Children could also run around and have fun in the vast space in front of the seats.

Wild Trail

Things became a little less polished after passing the amphitheater. I was suddenly walking on the forest ground. Certain sections of the trail now had no barriers at all. Full wild-hiking feel.

Closed Section and Detour

But alas, I couldn’t hike the wild trail for long because a huge section of the trial was closed until further notice. I was diverted on a detour up the park towards traffic way.

And up I went along a BIG flight of stairs, which was the only semi-strenuous part of the whole trail. Then I had to follow the sidewalk for about 15 minutes.

I was starting to get worried as I checked the map and the road kept going further and further inland. Then I finally found a trail back down towards the coast.

A few locals had just parked their car and were going down, too. So I followed them through another VERY NARROW wild trail that led me back onto the coastal trail. I was glad I had company through that section, honestly.

Oryukdo Sunrise Park

After a few minutes back on the trail, I started to hear the crowd and I knew I was close to the more touristy end of the trail, Oryukdo Sunrise Park.

I went down another five minutes’ worth of stairs here, stopping here and there for photos of the sunrise park, and the Oryukdo Islets further away.

The Sunrise Park was beautiful, especially with its green landscape design juxtaposed against buildings in the background. Although I still preferred the other end of the coastal walk where I started.

Another very famous attraction here is Oryukdo Skywalk. It’s basically a small platform going off the coast, and is made entirely of glass.

I got there a few minutes after it had already closed so I didn’t get to go on. We have something similar in Kanchanaburi, too, so I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything.

Honestly, though, the skywalk seems like a nice attraction if you’re starting the trail from this side. But if you’re like me, and you’ve seen the whole trail before reaching it, it might feel a bit underwhelming, like a tourist trap.

The views from the skywalk plaza was pretty nice, though. I’m glad I still went over out of curiosity even after the skywalk was closed. There were the islets in one direction, and the Igidae coast on the other.

The Most Wholesome Dinner at Hapcheon Gukbap

I had to take bus 27 home to Seomyeon, and was super happy to see that it goes right by Hapcheon Gukbap, which a local blog had said was amazing. So I got off to have dinner there.

The most amazing traditional-style Pork Gukbap I’ve had in a while. Their soy sauce reminded me a lot of Choon Poong in Seoul, although the pork was much juicier here at Hapcheon. Such a masterpiece.

More of Busan’s Coastal Trails

Of course, Igidae isn’t the only coastal trail in Busan.

I also massively enjoyed Dongbaekseom, which might work better if you have less time. The view off Blueline Park is also stunning, granted you take the walking path instead of the sky capsules.

If you only have a few days but insist on doing Igidae trail, here’s what I’ll suggest. Do the coastal walk one afternoon so you don’t have to rush through it.

Then spend another day on this tour that takes you through Busan’s biggest highlights.

If you haven’t decided where to stay, read my guide to the most convenient neighborhoods before booking so you can choose the right area for you.

I personally stayed in Seomyeon, and I highly recommend it for anyone who’s visiting for the first time. It’s the most central area possible, although you’ll always need transportation.

Bookmark my South Korea Travel page for Busan ideas. There’s more coming!

Helpful Travel Tips for South Korea

Most visa-free visitors to South Korea need a K-ETA in order to enter Korea. Check if you need one and apply about a week before you travel. This replaces the arrival form.

• Make sure you protect your trip with a travel insurance.
• Get this eSIM for local data without giving up your number.
• Must-have Apps: Papago AI Translator, Kakao Maps

Don’t forget to learn some important dos and don’ts in Korean culture, as well as some useful Korean phrases, before you arrive!

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