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Traveling to South Korea independently? Free Seoul–Busan shuttle bus now running

Published: 2026-09-26 👁 101 views

Last updated 2026-09-26 — The popular ‘Korea Visit Year Free Sightseeing Bus’ for independent travelers has launched a new route Up！Starting today, the third ‘Seoul–Busan’ line is now in service. The comfortable buses come equipped with convenient amenities such as Wi-Fi and DVD players...

The popular ‘Korea Visit Year Free Sightseeing Bus’ for independent travelers has launched a new route Up！Starting today, the third ‘Seoul–Busan’ line is now in service. The comfortable buses come equipped with convenient amenities such as Wi-Fi and DVD players, and onboard guides are also available—travelers are encouraged to take advantage of this service.

Riding the free sightseeing bus is both convenient and economical. (Image provided by the Korea Tourism Organization)

The ‘Seoul → Busan’ route departs daily at 8:00 AM (closed on Mondays) from in front of Donghwa Duty Free Shop at Gwanghwamun. Upon arrival in Busan, the bus stops at the Lotte Hotel in Seomyeon and Paradise Hotel in Haeundae. Foreign travelers can easily apply online by visiting the reservation page on the ‘2010–2012 Korea Visit Year’ official website (www.visitkoreayear.com). Each person can apply for up to two tickets. If more than 28 applicants sign up on a given day, a lottery system will be used to distribute the seats. Successful applicants will receive an email notification 10 days before their scheduled ride. On the day of travel, passengers must bring their passport (other IDs are not accepted) and the printed email confirmation.

Night view of the Gwangan Bridge. (Image provided by the Korea Tourism Organization)

The other two routes of the Korea Visit Year Free Sightseeing Bus are as follows:

1. Seoul → Gyeongju (closed on Mondays)

Buses depart daily at 8:00 AM from Exit 6 of Gwanghwamun in Seoul (in front of Donghwa Duty Free Shop), making two rest stops along the way (15 minutes each), and arrive at the Pumun Tourist Complex in Gyeongju around 1:00 PM. Travelers can explore freely until 4:00 PM, then board the same bus at the departure point to return. The bus arrives back in Seoul at Gwanghwamun around 9:00 PM.

2. Seoul → Jeonju (closed on Mondays)

Buses depart daily at 8:00 AM from Exit 6 of Gwanghwamun in Seoul (in front of Donghwa Duty Free Shop), making one rest stop along the way (15 minutes), and arrive in Jeonju around 11:00 AM. Travelers can explore freely until 5:00 PM, then board the same bus at the departure point to return. The bus arrives back in Seoul at Gwanghwamun around 8:00 PM.