July in Busan means punishing daytime heat, so when my walking group scheduled Course 9 as a sunset walk instead of a morning one, I convinced Yerim to come along for what turned out to be a genuinely different way to experience Gamnaetgil. Starting at Jungni Port on Yeongdo in the early evening, the whole tone of the walk was calmer, cooler, and quieter than anything we’d done in daylight.
We arrived just as the light was starting to turn golden, a red-painted lighthouse marking the harbor entrance glowing against the evening haze.
The red lighthouse at Jungni Port, glowing in the evening light.
Route waypoints
Along Gamji Beach as the light changes
From Jungni Port the trail follows the coast to Gamji Beach, once known for tented seafood restaurants along the shore, now more of a quiet residential harbor. As the sun dropped lower, the harbor took on a warmer color palette — the working boats and modest apartment blocks around the water somehow more striking in golden-hour light than they’d have been at midday.
Gamji Beach’s harbor under a clear evening sky.
Taejongdae after dark
The uphill push toward Taejongdae is where the walk gets genuinely interesting — we entered the park just as the light was fading properly, walking the cliffside loop under a mix of streetlight and the last traces of dusk. Taejongdae’s famous cliffs and lighthouse are dramatic enough in daylight; at night, with almost no other visitors around, the sound of waves against rock felt considerably louder, and the small shrine near the park’s midpoint took on a quieter, more solemn atmosphere than it would during a busy afternoon.
We passed the little sightseeing train, silent and parked for the night, and stopped at the main overlook for a while, city lights starting to switch on across the water toward the mainland.
Hari Port and the finish at Amireu Park
From Taejongdae the trail descends to Hari Port, home to Yeongdo’s shell midden archaeological site, before finishing at Amireu Park, a small riverside green space that made for a pleasant, unhurried final stretch in the near-dark. We finished properly late, headlamps unnecessary but genuinely useful for the last kilometer.
Trail info at a glance
- Distance: approx. 9 km
- Walking time: 2.5–3 hours
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate — one climb into Taejongdae park, otherwise flat coastal walking
- Start: Jungni Port, Yeongdo
- Finish: Amireu Park
- Best for: a sunset or evening walk — this route is specifically designed to be done as light fades, especially in summer heat
Map of the route
The route at a glance
A few practical notes
If you’re doing this course as an evening walk, bring a small flashlight or use your phone for the last stretch after Taejongdae — parts of the path aren’t heavily lit. Summer evenings are noticeably more comfortable than midday heat for this route, and Taejongdae’s cliffs and shrine take on a different, quieter character after the day-trip crowds have left. This isn’t a route to rush; the changing light is really the point.
For bus routes to Yeongdo and Taejongdae, see our guide to getting around Busan.
Walked as a sunset/evening walk in early July, starting in late-afternoon heat and finishing after dark.
More walks nearby
Other walks in Busan Station, Yeongdo and Songdo on this site:
- Walking Gamnaetgil Course 8: Busan Station to Huineoul Village
- Gamnaetgil Course 10 in a Storm: Songdo to Mojipo
- Walking Gamnaetgil Course 7: Yeongga-dae to Busan Station
For the sights along this route, see our Taejongdae Park Busan Guide: Explore Scenic Coastal Views.