Marine City, Busan: Skyline Walk and Rain Plan

Marine City (마린시티) is a cluster of high-rise towers on the sea side of Haeundae-gu, in Busan. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) lists it for its night view of lit towers. This guide puts one place to see, one meal and one plan for getting around into a single evening: the towers and Busan Film Street, a bowl of gomtang soup, and a metro route with indoor options if the weather turns.

We read the KTO listings and the Visit Busan pages on 2 October 2026, and tried one more page on 3 October 2026. The facts below are a summary of what the sources say. My own notes from a visit are in the “From My Own Visits” section. Where two sources disagree we show both, and any distance marked as an estimate is a straight-line figure from listing coordinates, not a walking route.

Quick answer: Go to Marine City after dark if you want the lit-up skyline. The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) says the buildings light up at night and the area is open at all times. Walk Busan Film Street by the water, and eat at Ireokok (이레옥), a gomtang restaurant about 135 meters from the street in a straight line (our estimate). Visit Busan says the film street is an 18-minute walk from Dongbaek Station (동백역) Exit 3 on Line 2. If it rains, the Busan Cinema Center is one indoor option, but its hours depend on the program.

A breakwater and harbor in the foreground with tall glass towers behind them under a clear blue sky — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 1)

Where to Go: Marine City and Busan Film Street

Marine City (마린시티)

KTO describes Marine City as a new town built on land reclaimed from the sea, which used to be water. Towers and apartment blocks are packed tightly together, and KTO says they light up at night. KTO compares the night view to Hong Kong or Shanghai in how bright it is, which is its own description and not something we measured. KTO adds that couples and families visit, and that the area often appears as a backdrop in photo shoots and advertisements.

Visit Busan, the city’s official tourism site, makes a similar comparison. It says that Haeundae Centum and Marine City, where skyscrapers line the coast, draw visitors every night with a night view it compares to Hong Kong. Another Visit Busan page names The Bay 101, at the entrance to Dongbaekseom Island, as a place to see the skyscrapers at night, and says you can have a glass of beer there while facing Marine City’s buildings. We did not find its opening hours. Our Dongbaekseom and Nurimaru guide covers the island itself.

KTO lists Marine City as open at all times, with parking possible. It also mentions foreign restaurants, cafes and bars along the streets. The Haeundae tourist information desk is listed at +82-51-749-5700.

Busan Film Street (부산 영화의 거리)

Busan Film Street is a seaside walk at 91 Marine City 1-ro. KTO says it is decorated with posters of films set in Busan and with sculptures, and that it has themed zones, including a zone for films that drew ten million viewers, an animation zone and a zone for films set in Haeundae. Telescopes along the path let you look at Gwangan Bridge. KTO also says a square called Santorini Square displays handprints of well-known Korean actors on a wall.

White seawall with painted cat-like figures and a table and stools, with a long bridge and hills in the distance — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 1)

Visit Busan lists the street as free and always open, and mentions a Spider-Man photo spot. KTO says the street stays busy in the evening because of the Gwangan Bridge night view. KTO also says there is no parking at the street itself, so plan to arrive by metro or on foot.

In a straight line, the Film Street listing is about 140 meters from the Marine City listing point (our estimate).

From my own visits. I once spent a day in Marine City for a company workshop. Each time we drove into the area, my car navigation app stopped working and sent us down odd roads. If you drive, check your route before you enter and give yourself extra time. In my experience there are few public transport options inside the area, so having a car was easier. The metro route in this guide gets you close, but expect a walk after that.

What to Eat: Gomtang at Ireokok (이레옥)

Gomtang (곰탕) is a Korean beef soup. KTO says Ireokok is a gomtang specialist in Haeundae-gu that simmers beef brisket and bones in a traditional way, removing the fat, and describes a clear broth with a clean taste.

The restaurant is at 51 Marine City 3-ro (마린시티3로 51). In a straight line it is about 135 meters from Busan Film Street (our estimate).

The front of a restaurant with a dark sign reading 한우명품곰탕 and an awning over a dining room with orange wood walls — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

What the listing says

Seating: KTO says the hall has tables and private rooms, and group seating. It says the outdoor tables look out on Gwangan Bridge and the sea and calls them the restaurant’s hottest spot. The KTO photos of the terrace show tables and chairs, but the bridge is not visible in them.
Menu: KTO lists yang-gomtang (양곰탕) as the first menu item. Other items are special mixed gomtang (특섞어 곰탕), gomtang (곰탕) and suyuk (수육), a sliced boiled meat dish. We could not confirm what is in the “special mixed” bowl or what “yang” refers to here, so ask staff.
Hours: KTO lists 00:00 to 24:00, every day of the year. We found no second source, so call before you go.
Other details: Takeout and parking are listed, and KTO says there is a dedicated parking lot. KTO says it is close to Dongbaek Station on Line 2 and gives no walking time.

To order, say the dish name plus 주세요 (juseyo), for example 곰탕 주세요 (gomtang juseyo), which means “gomtang, please”. The phone number is +82-51-742-6421. We did not find prices.

Allergies and diet rules

We found no source on allergens, halal or vegetarian options. Gomtang is a beef-based soup, so ask the staff about ingredients before you order.

Plan Your Visit

Getting there by metro

Visit Busan gives two different stations for two different stops, so choose by where you want to start.

Film Street: Dongbaek Station Exit 3, then an 18-minute walk (Visit Busan). Our Dongbaekseom guide lists Exit 1 for the island, so check the exit number on the signs.
Cinema Center and river cruise: Centum City Station (센텀시티역), also on Line 2. Exit 6 is a 9-minute walk to the Busan Cinema Center. Exit 12 is a 6-minute walk to the Haeundae River Cruise dock.

For card basics, see our Busan metro and T-money guide. Both stations are on Line 2, but we did not check stops, fares or the last train. In a straight line, the Cinema Center is about 2.4 kilometers from Film Street, and the cruise dock is about 2.1 kilometers from it (our estimates).

The Haeundae River Cruise

The Haeundae River Cruise leaves from the APEC Naru Park dock on the Suyeong River, in front of the Cinema Center. Visit Busan describes a 50-minute course along the river, passing Jwasuyeonggyo Bridge and Millak Riverside Park, going out to Gwangan Bridge and returning. It also says the skyscrapers of Marine City come into view on the way back.

A small two-deck boat on a dark river at night, lit from inside, with lit apartment towers on both banks — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

Visit Busan says the boat holds 20 people, has two floors, and that you buy a boarding pass at the ticket office near the dock or reserve online. It lists departures every hour, on the hour, from 11:00 to 22:00, every day. KTO lists 09:00 to 22:00. Because the two sources differ, we cannot say when the first boat leaves. The phone number is +82-51-711-1789. We could not find fares, and we found no source on whether the boat sails in rain or wind. The cruise is a plan for a dry evening, not a rain backup, unless the operator confirms otherwise.

Indoor options for a wet day

The Busan Cinema Center (부산 영화의 전당) is at 120 Suyeonggangbyeon-daero. Visit Busan says it is open all year and that hours and fees differ by program, so check the website before you go. Parking is a place where the sources differ: KTO lists 30 minutes free and then 1,000 won for each additional 30 minutes, while a Visit Busan page for the cruise lists 2 hours of free parking at the Cinema Center. Ask at the desk. The phone number is +82-51-780-6000.

An angular dark building with a large flat roof over a street corner, with trees and a blue sky — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

The Busan Cinema Studios (부산영화촬영스튜디오) at 52 Haeundaehaebyeon-ro is a weekday option. KTO says it has indoor studios of 250 and 500 pyeong and that a tour run by the Busan Film Commission shows part of the facilities. KTO also says there is a program every Friday covering the film industry, the Commission’s history and a set tour. KTO lists it as closed Saturday and Sunday and open 09:00 to 18:00, with free parking. The studio phone number is +82-51-720-0323. We tried to open the official tour page on 3 October 2026 and it returned an error, so we could not confirm tour times, fees or booking rules. In a straight line, the studio is about 1.0 kilometer from Film Street (our estimate).

A building entrance with a red gate-like frame and film posters on the glass walls on either side — Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type 3)

A one-evening order (our suggestion)

This is our own order, not a sourced route.

Take Line 2 to Dongbaek Station and walk to Film Street while there is still light.
Eat at Ireokok, which is open around the clock according to KTO.
Look back at the towers after dark.
If it rains, swap the walk for the Cinema Center and check its program first.

For a longer rainy-day list, see our rainy-day guide.

First-Timer Tips

These are our suggestions, not sourced facts.

Check the weather before you leave. We found no source on how the towers look in rain.
Save the phone numbers above. The cruise, the Cinema Center and the studio each give a Korean phone number that may not connect from abroad.

FAQ

Is Marine City open at night? KTO lists it as open at all times. Visit Busan lists Busan Film Street as free and always open. We found no fee or hours for Marine City itself.

How do I get to Busan Film Street by metro? Visit Busan says to use Dongbaek Station Exit 3 on Line 2 and walk for 18 minutes.

What time does the river cruise run? Visit Busan lists hourly departures from 11:00 to 22:00, and KTO lists 09:00 to 22:00. Call +82-51-711-1789.

What We Could Not Confirm

Light-up times for the towers, and how crowded the area is.
Opening hours for The Bay 101.
Ireokok’s prices, the contents of its “special mixed” bowl, and its hours beyond KTO’s listing.
River cruise fares, rain or wind cancellations, and the first departure time.
Cinema Center program hours and the parking rate.
Film studio tour times, fees and booking rules.
Metro fares, last trains and the walk between the stations.

Related guides

We post short first-timer guides on Instagram too: @rolo.koreaguide.

Sources

Checked on 2 Oct 2026 (the Busan Film Commission page attempt on 3 Oct 2026).

Korea Tourism Organization, TourAPI (Korean service): Marine City (content ID 2617724), Busan Film Street (2946508), Ireokok (2875783), Busan Cinema Center (2456837), Haeundae River Cruise (2705325), Busan Cinema Studios (2381553). Photographs from 2617724 and 2946508 (KOGL Type 1), and from 2875783, 2456837, 2705325 and 2381553 (KOGL Type 3), used unaltered.
Visit Busan (official Busan tourism site), Cine Road: https://visitbusan.net/index.do?lang_cd=en&menuCd=DOM_000000301001001000&uc_seq=361 ; Busan Cinema Center: https://www.visitbusan.net/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000301001001000&uc_seq=421&lang_cd=en ; Haeundae River Cruise: https://www.visitbusan.net/en/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000302008001000&uc_seq=1364&lang_cd=en ; night-scape tour (The Bay 101): https://www.visitbusan.net/en/index.do?menuCd=DOM_000000302002001000&uc_seq=489&lang_cd=en .
The Busan Film Commission’s studio tour page could not be opened on 3 Oct 2026 (it returned an error), so tour details were not checked against it.
Distances: straight-line calculations from the KTO listing coordinates, not walking routes.