Seoul to Busan: KTX vs Express Bus vs Flight
Quick answer
- KTX train: ₩54,400 for an adult in standard class from Seoul Station. Journey times depend on the train — check yours when you book; the Korea Tourism Organization puts the trip at about 3 hours.
- Express bus: about 4 hours from Seoul Express Bus Terminal. Adult fares are ₩29,100 (Economy), ₩43,300 (Excellent) and ₩56,200 (Premium) after a 9% rise on October 1, 2026.
- Flight: Gimpo to Gimhae is scheduled at about 65–75 minutes from departure to arrival, but add the trips to and from both airports and security. Fares vary by airline and date.
The KTX links the two city centers fastest: ₩54,400 for an adult in standard class, and about 3 hours according to the Korea Tourism Organization (times depend on the train). The express bus is cheaper — ₩29,100 in Economy class (only a few evening departures), or ₩43,300 for the roomier Excellent class — but takes about 4 hours. A flight from Gimpo to Gimhae is scheduled at about 65–75 minutes, but both airports are outside the center.
Source: Korail (Korean), Kobus timetable and Korea Airports Corporation (Korean); checked Oct 29, 2026.
The short version
| KTX train | Express bus | Flight | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | Seoul Station (also Suseo) | Seoul Express Bus Terminal (Gyeongbu side) | Gimpo Airport |
| To | Busan Station (Busan Metro Line 1) | Busan bus terminal in Nopo-dong, north Busan | Gimhae Airport, west of the city |
| Time | About 3 h (KTO); depends on the train | About 4 h | About 65–75 min scheduled, departure to arrival |
| Adult fare | ₩54,400 standard class (Seoul–Busan via Gyeongju) | ₩29,100 · ₩43,300 · ₩56,200 by class | Varies by airline and date |
| Free luggage | — | 1 carry-on (10 kg or less) + 1 bag in the hold (under 30 kg) | Depends on airline and fare (see below) |
Source: Korail (Korean), Korea Tourism Organization, Kobus, Kobus terms of carriage (Korean) and Korea Airports Corporation (Korean); checked Oct 29, 2026.
KTX: fastest from city center to city center
- Fare: ₩54,400 for an adult in standard class from Seoul Station (via Gyeongju), or ₩52,900 from Suseo Station in southeast Seoul. Fares differ by route.
- Time: it depends on the train and its stops, so check the journey time for your train when you book. The Korea Tourism Organization puts the trip at about 3 hours. In September 2024, Korail reported express services stopping only at Daejeon and Dongdaegu that took 2 hours 17 minutes — a past figure, not a check of today's timetable.
- Arrival: Busan Station is in the city center, on Busan Metro Line 1.
Source: Korail — express KTX, Sep 2, 2024 and KTX–SRT merger, Aug 5, 2026 (Korean); Korea Tourism Organization; checked Oct 29, 2026.
How to book, when tickets go on sale and the Korail Pass are in our KTX booking guide.
Express bus: cheapest
Buses to Busan leave from Seoul Express Bus Terminal (the Gyeongbu building, in Banpo-dong, Seocho-gu). For travel on Thursday, November 5, 2026 (we checked the timetable on October 29), there were 32 departures, from 01:00 to midnight, each scheduled at 4 hours.
| Class | Adult | Child | Departures that day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy (일반) | ₩29,100 | ₩14,600 | 3 (evening only) |
| Excellent (우등) — wider seats | ₩43,300 | ₩21,700 | 13 |
| Premium (프리미엄) | ₩56,200 | ₩28,100 | 11 |
| Late-night Excellent | ₩51,900 | ₩26,000 | 3 |
| Late-night Premium | ₩67,400 | ₩33,700 | 2 |
Source: Kobus timetable, Seoul (Gyeongbu) to Busan, for Nov 5, 2026; checked Oct 29, 2026.
- Fares went up 9% on October 1, 2026. Older blog posts show the old prices.
- Dong Seoul Terminal (east Seoul) also has a few buses — 3 that day, Excellent class only, ₩43,500, about 4 hours 15 minutes.
- Arrival: the Busan terminal is in Nopo-dong, Geumjeong-gu, in the north of the city — the Korea Tourism Organization calls it Busan Central Bus Terminal.
- Luggage: the bus company's terms allow one carry-on item (10 kg or less, or under 40,000 cm³) and one item in the hold (under 30 kg, or under 40,000 cm³) per person for free. Dangerous or specially restricted items follow separate rules in the same terms.
Source: Kobus notices of Sep 22, 2026 (fares) and Feb 24, 2026 (payment), terminal information and terms of carriage (Korean); checked Oct 29, 2026.
Booking the bus
Kobus, the official express bus site, has an English version. Two things to know:
- Since February 24, 2026, people booking on the website without an account can no longer type in a card number; the site lists only Toss Pay or Naver Pay, which are Korean payment apps.
- Kobus's English page points visitors to Klook for booking in their own language.
For using foreign cards and cash in Korea in general, see our payment guide.
Flight: Gimpo to Gimhae
- Flight time: the winter schedule (from October 25, 2026) shows about 65–75 minutes between scheduled departure and arrival — not measured time in the air. First and last flights vary by date and weekday (the earliest listed departures are around 06:50–07:00, the latest around 20:10), so check the airport or airline schedule for your day. Airlines can change times.
- Bring your passport. At the departure entrance, you show ID and your boarding pass; the airport lists a passport as accepted ID.
- Getting to Gimpo: see our Gimpo Airport guide — the AREX and Lines 5 and 9 all stop there.
- From Gimhae into Busan: the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail connects with Busan Metro Line 2 at Sasang (about 6 minutes) and Line 3 at Daejeo. Limousine buses run to Seomyeon (₩6,000) and Haeundae (₩9,500), card only.
Source: Korea Airports Corporation — Gimhae schedule, boarding guide and transport (Korean); Korea Tourism Organization; checked Oct 29, 2026.
Free checked baggage on domestic flights
| Airline | Free checked bag (domestic economy) |
|---|---|
| Korean Air | 20 kg |
| Air Busan | 15 kg on standard fares · none on the cheapest promotional fares |
| Jeju Air | 15 kg (STANDARD) · none on BASIC fares |
Source: Korean Air, Air Busan (Korean) and Jeju Air; checked Oct 29, 2026.
Which one should you take?
| If you… | Take |
|---|---|
| Want the quickest trip from central Seoul to central Busan | KTX |
| Want the lowest fare | Express bus in Economy class (evening departures only) |
| Want a cheaper daytime trip with more room | Express bus in Excellent class |
| Travel late at night | Late-night express bus (there are departures after 22:00) |
| Are staying near Gimpo or going to west Busan | Flight |
| Have big suitcases | KTX or bus — check your airline's baggage limit before flying |
This table is our suggestion, based on the times and fares above.
Once you're there, see our Busan travel guide.
FAQ
How long is the KTX from Seoul to Busan?
About 3 hours, according to the Korea Tourism Organization, but it depends on the train — check your train's journey time when you book. (Korail reported 2 hours 17 minutes for express services in 2024; that's a past figure, not a current timetable.)
How much is the bus from Seoul to Busan?
From Seoul Express Bus Terminal, an adult pays ₩29,100 (Economy), ₩43,300 (Excellent) or ₩56,200 (Premium), on Kobus's timetable after the 9% fare rise on October 1, 2026. The trip takes about 4 hours.
Is it faster to fly from Seoul to Busan?
The scheduled time is short: about 65–75 minutes from departure at Gimpo to arrival at Gimhae. But both airports are outside the city centers and you need time for security, so compare the whole door-to-door trip with the KTX before you book.
Where does the bus from Seoul arrive in Busan?
At the bus terminal in Nopo-dong, Geumjeong-gu, in the north of Busan, which the Korea Tourism Organization calls Busan Central Bus Terminal.
Can I take big luggage on the express bus?
The bus terms allow one item in the hold (under 30 kg) and one carry-on (10 kg or less) per person for free.
- Busan Infrastructure Corporation — Busan bus terminal (Korean)
- Korail — Press release on express KTX, Sep 2, 2024 (Korean)
- Korail — Press release on the KTX–SRT merger and fares, Aug 5, 2026 (Korean)
- Korea Tourism Organization — Getting to Busan
- Kobus (express bus) — Timetable lookup
- Kobus — Terminal information
- Kobus — Express bus terms of carriage (Korean)
- Korea Airports Corporation — Gimhae flight schedule (Korean)
- Korea Airports Corporation — Gimhae boarding guide (Korean)
- Korea Airports Corporation — Gimhae transport (Korean)
- Korean Air — Free baggage
- Air Busan — Free baggage (Korean)
- Jeju Air — Checked baggage
Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Details can change — please confirm with the official source before you travel.
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