The Best Hostels and Guesthouses in Busan

Located just a few minutes’ walk from Gwangalli Beach, the Wendy House is a small, friendly and welcoming hostel. It’s run by the eponymous Wendy, who ensures guests have a good stay by offering suggestions for where to go, and facilitating interaction between volunteers and guests such as organised events. The guesthouse is known for its excellent breakfasts, and barbecue facilities are available on the terrace for an extra charge. Gwangalli Beach is one of Busan’s most popular destinations; Gwangan Bridge is located here, and the area has a lively nightlife scene.

Kimchee run a number of hostels in Busan and Seoul, and are the cheapest on the market. Kimchee Busan Downtown Guesthouse is just over 10 minutes’ walk (or one stop by metro) from Seomyeon, Busan’s main downtown area – as it’s so central, it’s a great base to explore Busan from. The hostel itself is a repurposed love motel, so the rooms are spacious and soundproof. Wifi in the rooms is patchy, but signal is excellent in the lobby and in the basement ‘party room’. It’s a great option for ultra-budget travellers.

TraveLight has an excellent location, only five minutes’ walk from Seomyeon metro station. The small, upmarket hostel is owned by a friendly husband-and-wife couple, and has airy, modern décor. Attention is paid to guests’ welfare — the staff are friendly and helpful, and amenities including a makeup room for women are provided. It’s a great choice for style-conscious travellers, and a great base for shopping in Seomyeon, Busan’s coolest retail location.

The standout feature of this bright and breezy hostel is its décor — it’s a palace of pop art. It doesn’t have shared dormitories, but is a great option if you’re travelling in a group, as you can book rooms which contain up to eight beds. Pop Guest House is 10 minute’s walk from Busan Station, so is a good base for exploring the nearby Nampo-dong, Jagalchi Market and Busan Tower.

This guesthouse located at Haeundae has private rooms which can sleep up to four people. It has free laundry facilities and homely, industrial-chic décor. All the rooms are new, having been refurbished in 2016. Even though it’s in the heart of Haeundae, there’s plenty of space to relax, including a sun terrace. Whilst it’s a little more pricy than Haeundae’s (often rather run-down) backpacker hostels, it’s well worth it in terms of comfort and atmosphere.

Located 10 minutes’ walk away from the buzzing downtown area of Nampo-dong, Busan Party Guesthouse is the best option to explore this part of the city from. Breakfast costs an extra 3,000 won ($2.80/£2.10) per day, is home-made, hearty, and sets you up well for a day of sightseeing. It’s close to both Gukje and Jagalchi markets, as well as street food heaven BIFF Square. The décor isn’t stunning, but the hostel is very clean and affordably priced.