Gimhae Airport to Busan: Rail, Bus, Taxi

If you are flying into Busan, you will land at Gimhae International Airport, on the western side of the city. This guide covers the four ground options listed by official sources: the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail Transit, the airport limousine bus, the taxi, and the free airport shuttle (which does not go into the city).

Everything below comes from official pages we read on 30 September and 1 October 2026: the airport operator, the Busan Transportation Corporation and Visit Busan. Fares and timetables can change, so treat each figure as a snapshot and check the operator’s site. Anything we could not confirm is listed near the end.

The Quick Answer

To Seomyeon or Haeundae with little effort: the airport lists a limousine bus for each. Both accept credit cards only.
To downtown Busan on a budget: Visit Busan calls the light rail, with a transfer at Sasang or Daejeo, “the best and cheapest way to get to downtown Busan”.
Door to door: taxi, with the airport listing estimated fares and times to five destinations.

Diagram: Chart of the ground transport options from Gimhae Airport to Busan, with modes, connections, fares and times — Diagram by Day in Korea based on the official sources listed below (not a photograph)

Option 1: Busan-Gimhae Light Rail Transit

The airport has its own light rail station. The line is run by the Busan Transportation Corporation and links the airport area with the Busan Metro. The airport’s subway tab shows two transfer points:

Sasang Station: transfer to Busan Metro Line 2.
Daejeo Station: transfer to Busan Metro Line 3.

The operator lists the whole light rail line as 22.4 kilometres with 21 stations, running 05:00 to 24:00, with a one-way journey of 37 minutes for that full line. That is not the airport-to-Sasang time, so we cannot give you one.

The operator’s English page lists adult traffic-card fares of 1,300 to 1,500 won depending on section, and one-time tickets of 1,400 to 1,600 won, with a 30-minute transfer discount.

Two cautions for pass buyers. The operator says paper tickets, season tickets and ordered tickets issued by the Busan Transportation Corporation cannot be used on the light rail. Visit Busan says the 1-, 3- and 30-day metro passes are not valid on the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail or the Donghae Line.

Which metro stations does this connect you to?

The operator’s line map lists these lines:

Suggestion, not an official route: to reach Busan Station you could take the light rail to Sasang, Line 2 to Seomyeon, then Line 1. We found no official page laying out these journeys, so check with a route planner or station staff.

Option 2: Airport Limousine Bus

The airport’s Public Transportation page lists two limousine routes. Both stop at Platform 3 on the first floor, outside the international and domestic terminals. Both fares are “Only credit card”, so do not count on cash. The page says timetables and fares may change without notice; the operator is Bus Inc., phone 051-583-7441. Visit Busan notes there is no transfer discount for the Airport Limousine.

To Seomyeon and Bujeon

Fare listed: 6,000 won
First bus 07:20, last bus 21:30, about every 70 minutes
Stops: International Terminal, Domestic Terminal, Jurye Station, Dongeui University Station, Seomyeon Station (Lotte Hotel and Department Store), Bujeon Market, Bujeon Station

To Haeundae and Gijang

Fare listed: 9,500 won
First bus 07:10, last bus 21:40, listed as about every 60 minutes. The departure list is uneven, though: for Jangsan it shows 07:10, 07:50, 08:30, 09:10 and then nothing until 15:30, and the page says some slots skip Gijang. Check the timetable before you plan around it.
Stops, in order: International Terminal, Domestic Terminal, Namcheon-dong, The Beach PRUGIO Summit, Shinsegae Centum City, BEXCO, Yachting Center, Park Hyatt Busan, Hanwha Resort Haeundae, DongBaekseom Entrance, Haeundae Beach, Haeundae Hot Spring Intersection, Jangsan Station (Exit 5). The Gijang branch continues to Dongam Back Gate (Ananthicove) and Banyan Tree Haeundae Busan.

Visit Busan describes the Haeundae limousine as taking approximately one hour via the Dongseo Expressway and the Hwangnyeongsan Tunnel. Neither route lists Busan Station as a stop.

Option 3: Taxi

The airport page has a taxi stop map for the International Terminal. Base fares are 4,800 won for the first 2 kilometres (standard taxi) and 7,500 won for the first 3 kilometres (deluxe or jumbo). Its estimates:

| Destination | Time | Standard | Deluxe | |—|—|—|—| | Seomyeon (Lotte Hotel) | 45 min | 18,000 won | 32,400 won | | Nampo-dong (Jagalchi Market) | 60 min | 20,000 won | 36,000 won | | Haeundae (Paradise Hotel) | 70 min | 25,000 won | 45,000 won | | Gwangalli | 70 min | 25,000 won | 45,000 won | | Taejongdae | 80 min | 28,000 won | 50,400 won |

Night surcharges are 20 percent from 11 p.m. to midnight, 30 percent from midnight to 2 a.m. and 20 percent from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m., plus an inter-city surcharge of 30 percent. These are the airport’s estimates, not a quote.

City Buses and the Airport Shuttle

Visit Busan says city bus fares vary by bus type and destination, and mentions Bus 307 as following the same route as the Haeundae limousine. The airport’s bus tab only points to a map search for non-limousine buses, so we give no route numbers or fares.

There is also a free airport shuttle running 05:00 to 22:48 every 12 minutes between the terminals and the P3 long-term parking lot. It stays within the airport area and does not go to the city.

First-time visitor tips

Start with your hotel’s area. Our suggestion: look up whether your hotel is near Seomyeon, Haeundae or Busan Station before choosing a mode, because the limousine routes serve the first two and neither lists Busan Station.
Carry a credit card for the limousine. The airport lists both limousine fares as credit card only, so cash will not help you at that stop.
Do not plan around the Haeundae timetable without checking it. The departure list for that route is uneven, with a long gap after the morning slots.
Remember what your metro pass does not cover. Visit Busan says the 1-, 3- and 30-day metro passes are not valid on the light rail, so a pass bought for the city will not pay for this leg.
Leave time for a late arrival. The limousine’s last buses are at 21:30 and 21:40, while the light rail runs until 24:00 and the taxi surcharges apply late at night. Our suggestion is to compare these before you land, not after.

FAQ

Is there a direct bus from Gimhae Airport to Busan Station?

Not among the routes the airport lists. Its two limousine routes serve Seomyeon and Bujeon, and Haeundae and Gijang, and neither lists Busan Station as a stop. We found no official page describing a verified route, so check a route planner or ask station staff.

Can I pay for the airport limousine with cash?

The airport lists both limousine fares as “Only credit card”, so you should not count on cash. The operator is Bus Inc., phone 051-583-7441, if you want to ask before you travel.

Is the free airport shuttle a way into the city?

No. The airport says it runs between the terminals and the P3 long-term parking lot. It stays within the airport area and does not go to the city.

How long does the light rail take from the airport?

We could not confirm this. The operator gives 37 minutes for the whole 22.4-kilometre line, which is not the airport-to-Sasang time. Use a route planner for your journey.

What We Could Not Confirm

Travel time from the airport to Sasang or Daejeo on the light rail, and the exact fare for that stretch.
A verified route to Busan Station. The limousine does not list it, and we found no official door-to-door instruction.
Ordinary city bus routes, numbers and fares from the airport. We also could not confirm gate numbers or walking distances to the light rail, taxi stop or bus stop, so we give none.
Whether the limousine timetable is current. The airport says it can change without notice.
Metro fares: see our Busan Metro guide.

Before You Go

The choice is mostly about your hotel. A hotel on a limousine route suits a direct bus, if you have a credit card; on a budget, Visit Busan calls light rail plus metro cheapest; with heavy bags or a late arrival, a taxi may be simpler. Check the current timetable and fare with the operator.

Short visual guides like this one are on Instagram at @your.koreaguide.

Related guides

Sources

All checked 30 Sep 2026 and re-checked 1 Oct 2026.

Gimhae International Airport (Korea Airports Corporation), Public Transportation, bus, subway, shuttle and taxi tabs: https://www.airport.co.kr/gimhaeeng/cms/frCon/index.do?MENU_ID=110&CONTENTS_NO=1 (also CONTENTS_NO=2, 3 and 4)
Busan Transportation Corporation, Busan-Gimhae Light Rail Transit: https://www.humetro.busan.kr/homepage/english/page/subLocation.do?menu_no=10060108
Busan Transportation Corporation, line map: http://www.humetro.busan.kr/homepage/cyberstation/mapeng.do
Visit Busan, Traveler guides, Preparing for a Trip: https://www.visitbusan.net/en/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000303012002000