Busan doesn’t get the K-drama tourism spotlight that Seoul does, but three of the city’s steep hillside neighborhoods have quietly become some of Korea’s most photographed filming locations, from the rainbow rooftops of Gamcheon Culture Village to the tiger-mural alleys of Hocheon Village, the real backdrop behind Fight for My Way’s rooftop drinking scenes. What most guides skip is the food part: each village sits a short bus ride from a real, specific place to eat, whether that’s a rooftop cafe, a bowl of Busan’s signature pork soup, or a pot of ocean-view ramyeon. Here’s where to go and what to actually order once you’re there.
Gamcheon Culture Village: Busan’s Rainbow Hillside
Gamcheon Culture Village (감천문화마을) is Busan’s most photographed neighborhood, a hillside of pastel houses stacked above the sea that’s earned nicknames like “Busan’s Santorini.” It’s shown up in K-dramas since Moonlight Drawn by Clouds (2016) put it on the map, plus the fantasy series LUCA: The Beginning, and Running Man filmed a full episode (Ep. 126) at the neighborhood’s Gamnae Community Centre with guest Choi Ji-woo.
Address: 203 Gamnae 2-ro, Saha-gu, Busan. Getting there: take Line 1 to Toseong Station, Exit 6, then a short village bus (Saha 1-1, Seogu 2, or Seogu 2-2) up the hill, since there’s no subway stop directly at the village.
What to eat: Gamcheon runs almost entirely on rooftop cafes and street snacks rather than sit-down restaurants. Coffee It House (115 Okcheon-ro) is the one everyone lines up for, a multi-floor cafe topped with a rooftop terrace that frames the whole painted hillside. Go before 11am or after 4pm to skip the wait for a rooftop table. While you walk, look for a cart selling ssiat hotteok, Busan’s seed-stuffed take on the sweet, syrup-filled pancake.
Hocheon Village: The Real Namil Bar from Fight for My Way
If Gamcheon is Busan’s most photographed drama backdrop, Hocheon Village (호천마을) is its most specific one. This is where Fight for My Way (2017) filmed its rooftop drinking scenes at “Namil Bar,” the fictional hangout where Ko Dong-man (Park Seo-joon) and Choi Ae-ra (Kim Ji-won) talked through their twenties. The actual rooftop used for filming is a private residence, but the city recreated the Namil Bar set at the nearby Hocheon Cultural Platform, complete with the neon sign, soju bottles, and the same wide view over the hillside’s orange streetlights at night. The village has also appeared in Life on Mars, The Third Charm, and Just Between Lovers.
Address: 491 Eomgwang-ro, Busanjin-gu, Busan. Getting there: about a 16-minute walk from Beomil Station (Line 1), or bus 87 from the stop across from Lotte Department Store Busan Main Store in Seomyeon.
What to eat: there’s a small cafe called Kkeuti tucked inside the Hocheon Life Culture Center at the end of the village, but for a real meal, head back down toward Seomyeon’s dwaeji gukbap alley. Dwaeji gukbap, pork bone soup with rice and sliced pork, is Busan’s defining comfort dish, and Seomyeon’s cluster of gukbap restaurants near Lotte Hotel Busan is one of the best-known places in the city to try it.
Huinnyeoul Culture Village: The Cliffside Alley on Yeongdo Island
On Yeongdo Island, a short bus ride from downtown, Huinnyeoul Culture Village (흰여울문화마을) is a single narrow lane of houses built directly above the water, with the open ocean visible at the end of nearly every alley. Once a refugee settlement built during the Korean War, the neighborhood has since appeared in the film The Attorney and the long-running variety show Infinite Challenge, and it draws a steady stream of photographers for the blue coastal walkway and rainbow-painted stairs on its own merits, drama connection aside.
Address: 194 Jeoryeong-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan. Getting there: from Nampo Station (Line 1) Exit 6, take bus 7, 71, or 508, about a 12-minute ride, since Yeongdo Island has no subway line of its own.
What to eat: Huinnyeoul Jeomppang (흰여울점빵), right in the middle of the village, is a tiny shop that serves exactly two things, ramyeon and toast, in a building with ocean views from every floor. The ramyeon arrives in an old-style nickel silver pot with fish cake and green onion stirred in; order and pay at the counter, take a number, and wait for a window seat. It’s not a fancy meal, but eating instant noodles while staring at the open sea is the whole point.
FAQ: Visiting Busan’s K-Drama Villages
Can I visit all three villages in one day?
It’s possible but tight. Gamcheon (Saha-gu) and Huinnyeoul (Yeongdo-gu) sit about 20-25 minutes from central Busan in opposite directions, while Hocheon is closer to Seomyeon and Beomil. Most visitors pick two villages rather than three, ideally Gamcheon in the morning and Hocheon in the early evening so its night view is at its best.
Do I need a car to see these Busan filming villages?
No. All three are reachable by subway plus a short bus or taxi ride, though none has a subway station directly at the entrance. Budget a taxi, usually under ₩10,000 for the last stretch, if you’d rather skip waiting for the local village bus.
Is Hocheon Village actually where Fight for My Way’s Namil Bar scenes were filmed?
The rooftop bar scenes were filmed on a private residential rooftop within the village, which isn’t open to visitors. What you can visit is the recreated Namil Bar set at the neighboring Hocheon Cultural Platform, built with the same neon sign and rooftop view.
What’s the best time of day to visit Hocheon Village?
After dark. Hocheon’s main appeal is the same hillside night view that made it famous in the drama, when the orange streetlights over the packed houses look best, and it’s also when the recreated Namil Bar set is most photogenic.
These three villages show a different side of Busan than the beach postcards, working hillside neighborhoods that happened to catch a film crew’s eye and are worth the bus ride on their own merit. Pair any of them with a proper Busan meal nearby rather than just snapping photos and moving on, and check current hours before you go, since small, family-run spots like Huinnyeoul Jeomppang can change their schedule without much notice online.
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