On the morning of my third day in South Korea, my group and I took the KTX bullet train 325 kilometers, or a little over 200 miles, from Seoul in the northwestern part of the country to Busan in the far southeast, where we’d enjoy a buffet and visit Gamcheon Culture Village! Come along with us as we make the cross-country journey!
It takes 2.5 hours to get to Busan and I was so excited to get there. We started at Seoul Station, the main station in the capital. The KTX bullet train that leaves from there is the fastest route between the two cities and is the most-traveled bullet train route.
The station is huge with lots of platforms, retail spots, and restaurants. You can get lost there! I stopped at the Dunkin Donuts in the station and got a rice cake stick and a green tea latte. Sam and I had six minutes to get to the train. You want to get there!
Our seats were in first class, which was pretty nice and had lots of leg space. The seats were in a 2-1 configuration. There were huge windows and a spot to charge your batteries.
As we rode to Busan, I tried my rice cake stick. It was a yummy, compact donut that was full of sugar! It had a glaze on top. Then I went with the green tea latte, which was basically a matcha. In first class, you get a welcome kit that contains a cookie, some nuts, and a hand wipe.
The ride to Busan was super smooth. You’re just gliding through the country, past mountains and through tunnels. It was a lot like Japan’s bullet trains, as you’re supposed to be very quiet while you’re riding them.
I learned from my friend and fellow traveler Chris that there are free water vending machines in first class. And just like that, we were in Busan after 2.5 hours!
Busan Station was very clean and open, and much smaller than Seoul Station. It looked really chill and spotless! Then we boarded the bus and headed to the restaurant, Vips. I couldn’t wait to eat and then explore Gamcheon Culture Village!
Vips is a buffet, so there were tons of options. I loaded up my plate with tons of Korean dishes!
They give you wet wipes at the restaurant, which I love. I love how sanitary South Korea is. After cleaning my hands, I dug in!
I started with the noodles, which were cold and spicy! The spice wasn’t super intense, but the heat hit me right away! They were almost like glass noodles from Thailand.
Then I moved on to the tteok-bokki, the sticky rice cakes in spicy sauce. They were super dense but weren’t so spicy. Next was the spicy salad with cabbage and spring onions, which was crunchy and super fresh! The pork barbecue was almost like juicy and tender brisket! Then I took the shell and legs off the shrimp. It wasn’t really spicy and had a nice, sweet glaze on it.
Then I tried the fried chicken, which had a sweet and sour honey glaze on it. It was so amazing! The winner for me was the noodles and the pork! Then I had some craft beer from Jeju Island, which was a little light and hoppy, with a crafty taste.
After lunch, we headed to Gamcheon Culture Village, a colorful area that’s very touristy. There’s lots of street food. I saw lots of cute, cotton candy designs and even Fat Thor and Fat Iron Man statues!
We got an amazing view of the colorful village and nearby green mountains. It’s so vibrant and so cool! From another viewpoint, I could also see the ocean. This was my favorite spot in South Korea so far! Then we climbed to the top of a café to see the amazing view of Gamcheon Culture Village! We had a coffee green tea latte and enjoyed the incredible vista around us!
I hope you enjoyed coming with me on my KTX bullet train ride to Busan, my Korean buffet lunch, and to Gamcheon Culture Village! If you did, please give this video a thumbs up and leave me a comment. Also, please subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of my upcoming travel/food videos!
Counter
101 Countries • 1432 Cities
