Central Busan packs a lot into a small area. On one hill you have a park with a 120-meter tower, and a short walk away is an alley of used bookshops that Visit Busan links to the Korean War. This guide shows how the two fit together, which days to avoid, and where our sources do not agree.
Every fact comes from a named source. We checked them on 1 October 2026 and say when something is our own estimate.
Yongdusan Park (용두산공원) and Busan Tower (부산타워)
The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) says Yongdusan Park is known for its escalators, which connect the Nampo-dong area with the park, and for views of Busan Port and Yeongdo. Sights it lists include Busan Tower, a statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, a bell pavilion, a flower clock and a dragon sculpture. Visit Busan, the official city tourism site, adds that the Citizens’ Bell was made from donations by Busan residents and is used to welcome New Year’s Eve.
The park is free. Visit Busan lists it as open all year and says Busan Tower’s operation can change with the weather. KTO lists the park as open 24 hours.
Busan Tower. KTO says the tower is 120 meters tall. Its observatory looks out over the city center, Busan Port and Yeongdo. Visit Busan names the Busan Harbor Bridge, Yeongdo Bridge and, on clear days, Marine City in Haeundae. KTO describes a nightly projection mapping fireworks show on the tower’s windows, and Visit Busan also mentions a projection mapping show. KTO adds that the lower floor has a flying-submarine theme, and the second floor has a photo zone.
Tower hours are 10:00 to 22:00, with the last admission at 21:30, according to both KTO and Visit Busan. Tower admission is separate from the park. We did not find a ticket price in these sources, so check the tower’s website before you go. Visit Busan notes that the tower’s schedule can change with the weather.
Getting to Yongdusan Park
Visit Busan gives these routes:
- Metro: Jungang Station (중앙역) Exit 1 on Line 1, then a 6-minute walk. Or Nampo Station (남포역) Exit 7 on Line 1, then a 7-minute walk.
- Bus: Bus 126, 15, 186, 81 or 86 to Baeksan Memorial Hall, then 6 minutes on foot. Or bus 134, 26, 30, 7, 71, 9, 103, 11, 113, 126 or 15 to Nampo-dong, then 10 minutes on foot.
- Parking: A paid lot at Yongdusan Park.
KTO’s English listing gives the park’s phone number as +82-51-860-7820 and the tower’s as +82-51-601-1800.
Bosu-dong Book Street (보수동 책방골목)
Bosu-dong Book Street is a narrow alley of used and new bookshops in Jung-gu. Visit Busan says it was created when Busan was the temporary capital during the Korean War. It says the street began when a couple of evacuees from North Korea set up a stall with old books and magazines, and that students and intellectuals who could not find books helped the used-book trade grow.
Two accounts of the origin. KTO tells the origin differently. Its page says the street formed after liberation on 15 August, in an empty place where the earlier Gukje Market had been demolished. The two accounts may not contradict each other, so we give both. Both agree that the street became known for books.
Visit Busan also mentions a steep staircase in the middle of the street that connects it with the Mural Village and is popular for photos. The street is narrow, so Visit Busan asks visitors to watch out for each other.
Days and hours
Opening times vary by store, and Visit Busan says shops close around 20:00. The street is closed on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. It is open on Tuesdays during the weeks of New Year’s Day, Korean New Year and Chuseok. It is also closed on New Year’s Day and for two days at Korean New Year and Chuseok. Walking through the street is free, and you pay only for the books you buy.
KTO lists a separate Culture Hall, the Bosu-dong Book Street Cultural Center. It is open 10:00 to 18:00 and closed on Mondays, with exhibitions and an alley tour. Visit Busan says a Bosu Book Street Culture Festival is held every October. We did not find the 2026 dates.
Getting to Bosu-dong
Visit Busan says to walk 11 minutes from Exit 3 of Jagalchi Station (자갈치역) on Line 1, or take bus 40 or 81 to Bosu Book Street. The Busan Tourist Information Center number listed is +82-51-253-8253.
Putting It Together
Yongdusan Park and the book street are about 600 meters apart in a straight line (our estimate from the listing coordinates, not a walking route). One simple plan, which is our suggestion and not a sourced route:
- Take Line 1 to Jungang Station Exit 1 and walk up to Yongdusan Park.
- Go up Busan Tower before it closes, or just walk the park.
- Walk to Bosu-dong Book Street in the late afternoon, before the shops close around 20:00.
- Finish at Jagalchi Station Exit 3, an 11-minute walk from the street.
Check the weekday first. Do not plan the book street for the first or third Tuesday of the month.
First-Timer Tips
- Visit the book street while shops are open, not after 20:00.
- The tower is a separate ticket. Decide before you queue if you only want the park view.
- The alley is narrow, so keep bags close and do not block the way when you photograph.
FAQ
Is Yongdusan Park free? Yes. Busan Tower has a separate admission fee.
Is Busan Tower open at night? Yes. Hours are 10:00 to 22:00, with the last admission at 21:30, but the schedule can change with the weather.
When is Bosu-dong Book Street closed? On the first and third Tuesdays, on New Year’s Day, and for two days at Korean New Year and Chuseok, according to Visit Busan.
Can I use a metro card? Our sources describe routes but do not cover fares. See our guide to Busan Metro and transport cards.
What We Could Not Confirm
- The ticket price for Busan Tower.
- The dates of the 2026 Bosu Book Street Culture Festival.
- The walking time between Yongdusan Park and Bosu-dong.
- Which origin story of the book street is complete.
Related guides
We post short first-timer guides on Instagram too: @rolo.koreaguide.
Sources
Checked on 1 Oct 2026.
- Korea Tourism Organization, TourAPI (English service): Yongdusan Park (content ID 264539, KOGL Type 1 photographs), Busan Tower (1475231), Bosu-dong Book Street Cultural Center (1973370, KOGL Type 3 photographs), used unaltered.
- Visit Busan (official Busan tourism site): Yongdusan Park, https://www.visitbusan.net/en/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000301001001000&uc_seq=368&lang_cd=en ; Bosu Book Street, https://visitbusan.net/index.do?lang_cd=en&menuCd=DOM_000000301001001000&uc_seq=272 . Re-read 1 Oct 2026.
- Distance: a straight-line calculation from the KTO coordinates, not a walking route.
