Real Busan Walking Experience

I spent so long comparing different tours trying to hit all Busan’s hot spots, so glad I landed here instead! A much more meaningful experience, mixing culture, food, walking and really interesting conversations. Joe is a fantastic host, able to connect to all different people and creates a really lovely experience - not once did I feel like I was on a trite itinerary every tourist in Busan does Don’t think twice and book this!

It was a fantastic tour, Joe! I learned a lot about Korean people, your culture, history and traditions! You show people Busan from a different side: walking around, testing a really good street food, explaining behavior of some Korean people. You always support serious conversation by jokes. Your environment was very comfortable, and it was very easy to understand you! You have perfect English skills! Thank you, Joe! You are a professional guide!

Jo was an amazing guide. He took us to many interesting places, and explained their significance and history. He was very knowledgeable about Busan and Korean culture generally. He took us to some incredible restaurants - it was some of the best food of our trip, and we never would have found those places without him! We also travelled with our two-year-old, and Jo was also very attuned to our little one’s needs. What made this tour so special was how open and engaged Jo was. He would discuss anything about Korea (or any other topic)! Our many questions turned into interesting and insightful conversations. We learned so much, and really valued the time we had with Jo. This tour is a must. If you have one day in Busan, spend it with Jo!

Seriously the best tour! Joe is from Busan and his love for his city is obvious. He is a comedian and made the tour fun and engaging. But he is also knowledgeable about a variety of topics and we had interesting conversations on politics, culture, etc- nothing is off limits! He is very personable and genuinely cared about our experience. He does a great job catering the tour to the group and went above and beyond to show us many different neighborhoods of Busan. I was worried about it being a longer tour and how much walking there would be, but it was paced very well with multiple stops and breaks for lunch and coffee. This is a must do tour! One of the best I have had in all my travels. Thank you Joe!

I definitely recommend this tour. We saw places I would otherwise miss or never find and received insights from a local's perspective. I really enjoyed this tour.

If you want to do more than just tick off tourist attractions and instead experience the real Busan and its authentic people, you absolutely must get in touch with Joe. I booked the “Real Busan Walking Experience Tour” with Joe and was thrilled. Joe grew up in Busan and truly knows and appreciates the city and its people. He manages to give you a completely different perspective on Busan. It’s not just about looking at something, taking a photo, and moving on. It’s about immersing yourself in the culture and real life. Joe speaks excellent English, knows everything about Busan and South Korea—the history, the concerns, the strengths, and the politics—and is therefore an excellent tour guide and conversation partner. On top of that, Joe is also a stand-up comedian and always has us laughing with his wit. The tour was surprising, extremely interesting, and took us to places I would never have found on my own. Joe showed us restaurants, introduced us to local food, introduced us to people, and facilitated communication with the locals. I found that unique and wonderful. Joe took attentive and respectful care of the group’s well-being, ensuring everyone had a wonderful day. He was very flexible with spontaneous requests and perfectly prepared for any eventuality. As a solo traveler, I felt very comfortable and, thanks to Joe, was able to enjoy an experience that would not have been possible on my own. Thank you so much, Joe!

Joe our guide made the tour memorable. He was knowledgeable and a real character. We were taken to lots of interesting places which we would never have found by ourselves.

We had such a wonderful day exploring Busan with Joe and learned so much about this incredible city. Joe was brilliant! He is knowledgeable, has a great sense of humour and showed us a side of Busan we would have never found on our own. Thank you so much Joe - we can’t wait to come back :)

Joe is passionate about Busan and how the people really live. He is very knowledgeable. He is also a comedian so be prepared to laugh a lot. Lots of walking with stairs which we liked. He also takes lots of photos which he shared with us. Overall fun adventure!

Joe is a fantastic guide. Very knowledgeable about the history of Busan and Korea. Our group was able to see amazing views during the tour and ask lots of questions that Joe cheerfully answered. In addition, Joe took some nice photos and shared them with us after we were done. 10/10 tour, highly recommend if you like to walk and learn about Busan, its history and see some wonderful sights. Joe has perfect English too!

Joe is a brilliant guide. As a Busan native he took us to places away from the usual tourist spots, as well as the more famous places such as Gamcheon Culture Village and Jalgachi market. The difference with Joe was learning all the history and reality of these places, so we got to understand more about what it’s like to live here. We had such a fun day with Joe and learned so much about this beautiful city, as well as eating some incredible food along the way!

Had an amazing tour of Busan with Joe! We explored a lot of different areas, and it was so much more meaningful thanks to his insights into the history and social context of everything we saw. The food along the way? Top-tier—and just as fascinating.

I've had the pleasure of joining Joe's tours around Busan four times now, and each occasion has been something special. Joe doesn't just follow a set routine - he goes out of his way to create bespoke experiences for his guests. Joe knows I look for creating a deeper connection with the local life in Busan, going beyond the usual tourist scenes to experience the real side of Busan which isn't usually visible to tourists. Each trip I learn something new about the city and expand on my knowledge of Korean culture, customs and traditions. Not to mention that Joe is incredibly affable, has a fantastic personality and ensures his guests are always having a great time. He has an outrageous sense of humour which always makes for a great time. Joe's knowledge of Busan runs deep and his passion is evident. I look forward to returning each time.

This was a very interesting and colourful tour . The guide makes you feel at ease instantly . The tour focuses more on local culture than simply hitting the tourist hotspots . It is a very enjoyable tour , with lots of laughs .

This was an incredible tour. Joe has deep knowledge of not just Busan, but Korea in general. I asked him a lot of questions about Korean culture and history and his stamina and ability to give detailed answers was endless. Everywhere we went, people knew him and shouted hello. He showed me places I never would have seen otherwise. This tour gets my highest recommendation.

We had a great day with Joe in Busan. We were in port for a day, cruising from Japan, and Joe's tour gave us the flexibility we needed. Joe met us, and two other cruise couples, at the port and started the tour early for us, taking us to the Yeongdo Bridge and the Jagalchi fish market. We met another couple at the rooftop observatory at the Lotte Department Store, and from there went to a local restaurant and enjoyed a delicious homestyle meal, with a beer and soju mix on the side! After lunch we did the Oryukdo Skywalk, and then spent a couple of hours at Gamcheon Culture Village. We cut our day slightly short when we discovered there was an event at the port which would make our return difficult later in the day. Joe was incredibly knowledgeable, and we learned about many aspects of Korean history and current affairs. He's very funny, and his English is excellent. He catered to the needs of the different couples in our group very well. Thank you Joe!

We had the best time ever with Joe. He's perfectly English fluent, very open minded and funny. You can ask him anything you want about Korean culture, history, way of life, he will answer you sincerely. The tour itself is amazing. You will go around the whole city without getting tired because Joe chooses the best spots and explains you the very details that make the difference. We particularly liked the fact that we avoided most of the typical tourists spots to focus on the real Busan. We also enjoyed the way Joe explained us how to behave with Korean people. In a conclusion, the tour completed our expectations and far more. We totally recommend it and look forward to coming back very soon to Busan and visit new places with Joe.

Had a wonderful time around Busan with Joe! He has a wonderful sense of humor and I really felt like I had made a new friend by the end of it. Really enjoyed learning about the history of Busan and exploring the cultural villages with him, along with stuffing myself with street food. I'm also terrible about taking photos when I'm travelling, so I really appreciated Joe being our paparazzi for the day. He took all the candid photos I could've ever wanted :)

Really enjoyed the day tour with Joe-Oppa! He's super friendly and shared alot (about Busan's pre-war and post-war history, and his hobby as stand-up comedian (and he cracked alot of jokes about himself too, can't help to say that he's really professional - both as a tour guide and a comedian). Thank you Oppa for teaching us how to drink soju like the locals! The tour with Joe-Oppa is definitely worth going for.

Joe is hands down one of the best tour guides and greatest guys you’ll ever meet! He puts his all into every tour, and introduces you to heart and soul of Busan. The mouthwatering food stalls, colorful markets, and painted walls of the city; all the sights and sounds hum with the liveliness of a truly wonderful place. Thanks to Joe, I feel like we got a taste of the real Busan. To this day I miss it! Definitely can’t wait to return one day soon! Thank you Joe!

Joe is a true Busan local and knows the city inside out. We loved going to the famous tourist hotspots but moreso, the hidden ‘only-locals-know-about’ places he took us to. We had such a fun time learning about Busan and had a great time laughing with Joe and our group. Though we had high expectations, Joe surpassed them and left us with memories we will cherish for life. Going forward, Joe will be our go-to guy whenever we visit Busan, and we have been recommending him non-stop to others. Book a tour! You won’t regret it!

My family and I visited Busan for only a day and Joe really went above and beyond! We did a little bit of everything: ate lots of delicious local foods, decorated our own personalized keepsakes, and saw many beautiful sights. We only spent a couple of hours with him, but we can honestly say that we left with a friend. We would absolutely recommend Joe's tour to any of our family and friends!

You don’t want to miss this experience!! Joe is an incredible nice and humble guy with a lot of knowledge about Busan and South Korea! The tour was amazing and we learned so much. We felt so comfortable and will come back for sure. And on top of that - he is an amazing photographer!! We LOVED all the pictures he took. Thank you for everything 🫶🏼🫰🏼 (And I will never forget „ 엄마가 팬이에요“ 😂)

The tour was amazing and Joe accommodate my needs when I shared some limitations I had - it was fun and the food was delicious - will recommend always and looking forward to go back to Busan again

This was by far a highlight tour for me on my trip ( I went on a lot of tours in Seoul, Busan, and Gyeongju). He makes everything a unique and fun experience. He takes you off the beaten path and areas you would never have thought to visit. When I head back to Korea I definitely will be booking again without hesitation. It was a great experience and you won’t regret choosing to spend the day being shown Busan by Joe. Great company and great time!

I’ve met Joe a few times now during 2023 and 2024, and each time was like meeting an old friend. Admittedly, he’s a few years younger than me, but he’s like an older brother who looks out for you and you can have a giggle with. I got to see so much of Busan with him and honestly without him, it would’ve been near on impossible. He never takes you to the touristic sites but takes you to places that are genuinely the real Busan. For that, I will always be incredibly grateful. I’ve got memories to last a lifetime, and I hope one day I get to go back again and see him and his lovely wife. Thanks Joe.

I’ve traveled to many places, but I’ve never met a tour guide like Joe. He is incredibly friendly, and his narration makes you feel like a local. He explains everything smoothly, allowing you to truly experience the lifestyle of Busan. Most importantly, if you’re an introverted person, Joe will make you feel comfortable and sociable—he might even turn you into an extrovert! Side note, he is a great photographer so take advantage of that

Amazing experience guys! If you want to enjoy the City discovering secret spots, you need to choose Joe! I had so much fun with him and I swear he can explain a lot about the history of the City and culture over there. I’m looking forward to come back again soon!

I've had the best time ever in Busan with Joe! He is very knowledgeable and extremely kind. He took us to places I would've never went on my own and had a lot of interesting things to talk about. His English is also perfect, and he even takes very nice pictures. I highly recommend.

Joe, a fantastic tour guide, is incredibly funny and shares Busan with you as a local. Highly recommend him! You’ll spend most of your time laughing while enjoying the sights. He has a delightful sense of humor.

I had a lovely time with Joe. The tour was amazing and I met some lovely people on this trip. I would highly recommended it. You have to experience it . The beauty of Busan, exploring local places with local people and meetings new friends:)Thank you so much Joe- Rani x

Joe took us to places you’d never find on a map! He knows so many cool spots and taught us a ton about Busan. Wish we had more time—it flew by! Definitely meeting him again next year! 😻

Joe did his best to introduce us to the real Busan. What we liked best was that he adapted flexibly to our needs. This allowed us to make the most of the time. In addition, Joe was a very pleasant conversation partner! We went into exchange about our different cultures. Joint exchanges contribute to greater peace and satisfaction in the world. Danke Joe 😍