Busan to Fukuoka Ferry from Korea: New Camellia Fares, Times and Fees
Last updated: 20 October 2026. Fares, fees and cancellation rules were read on 20 October 2026 from the operator's Korean site (Korea Ferry, 고려훼리, koreaferry.kr) and its Japanese site (Camellia Line, camellia-line.co.jp). The October–December 2026 sailing calendar is Camellia Line's own. Other Busan–Japan routes come from Busan Port Authority's terminal timetable. Sources are at the end. Dollar figures use ₩1,342 and ¥158 to the US dollar (Federal Reserve rates, 9 October 2026).
The Busan to Fukuoka ferry in October 2026 means one ship: the New Camellia (뉴카멜리아), run by Korea Ferry in Busan and Camellia Line in Hakata. It sails overnight from Busan at 22:30 and docks at Hakata Port, Fukuoka, at 07:30 the next morning. Going back, it leaves Hakata at 12:30 and arrives in Busan at 18:30.
Two things changed this autumn that English booking sites have not caught up with. For bookings made from 1 October 2026 the cheapest adult ticket from Busan is ₩150,000 one way (about $112), and the round-trip and student discounts ended on 30 September. And the fast ferry, JR Kyushu's red Queen Beetle, is gone for good: the ship now does harbour cruises in Busan under another name.
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Quick Guide: the Busan–Fukuoka ferry, October–December 2026
| Busan → Hakata (Fukuoka) | Hakata → Busan | |
|---|---|---|
| Ship | New Camellia (뉴카멜리아 / ニューかめりあ), Japanese-flagged car ferry. Korea Ferry (고려훼리) sells in Korea, Camellia Line in Japan | |
| Check-in | 16:30–18:30, Korea Ferry counter, 3F, Busan Port International Passenger Terminal | 10:30–11:30, Camellia Line counter, Hakata Port International Terminal |
| Boarding closes / departs | 20:00 / 22:30 | 12:10 / 12:30 |
| Arrives | 07:30 next morning (disembarking starts) | 18:30 the same day |
| Cheapest adult fare | ₩150,000 (2nd class, shared room) ≈ $112 | ¥15,000 (2nd class) ≈ $95 |
| Fees per adult on top | ₩14,000 fuel + ₩6,000 port/terminal + ₩1,000 departure levy = ₩21,000 | ¥1,400 fuel + ¥3,000 departure tax + ¥500 terminal = ¥4,900 |
| All-in, cheapest class | ₩171,000 ≈ $127 | ¥19,900 ≈ $126 |
| Days with no sailing | Saturdays 24 Oct, 7 Nov, 28 Nov, 5 Dec, 19 Dec; 28, 30, 31 Dec | Sundays 25 Oct, 8 Nov, 29 Nov, 6 Dec, 20 Dec; 29, 30 Dec |
Online discount and special-fare tickets can come in under ₩150,000, but they cannot be changed and are harder to refund (see the cancellation section). The "no sailing" days are from Camellia Line's October–December 2026 calendar.
Loop Quiet 2 ear plugs: soft, reusable plugs for sleeping. A 2nd-class ticket on the New Camellia is a floor space in a shared room with strangers, a door that opens all night and engines underneath. Plugs that you can sleep on your side in are the cheapest upgrade on this ship. As an Amazon Associate, EpicKor earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
See Loop Quiet 2 on AmazonThe new fares from 1 October 2026, class by class
Korea Ferry's notice of 15 September 2026 revises fares "from reservations made on 1 October 2026", citing ship maintenance and operating costs, and ends the round-trip and student discounts on 30 September. Camellia Line's fare page says it in one line each: 往復割引は廃止されました, 学生割引は廃止されました. A booking made before 1 October keeps its old price.
The new one-way fares from both sites (won for sailings from Busan, yen for sailings from Hakata):
| Class (Korean / Japanese name) | What you get | Adult, from Busan | Adult, from Hakata | Child 6–11, from Busan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd class (2등 일반 / 2等) | A mat and blanket on the floor of a shared carpeted room | ₩150,000 (≈ $112) | ¥15,000 (≈ $95) | ₩75,000 |
| 2nd class bed (2등 침대 / 2等寝台) | A bunk in a shared room | ₩170,000 | ¥17,000 | ₩95,000 |
| 1st class, Japanese or Western room (1등 화실·양실) | Private room for 2, 4 or 5 people | ₩210,000 | ¥21,000 | ₩135,000 |
| Special class, twin/triple (특등 2~3인실) | Better private cabin | ₩280,000 | ¥28,000 | ₩205,000 |
| Special class single (특등 1인실) | Private cabin for one | ₩300,000 | ¥30,000 | not sold |
| Suite (특별실 / 特別室) | Top cabin, 2–3 people | ₩330,000 | ¥33,000 | ₩255,000 |
The fine print:
- Cabins are sold by occupancy. One person alone in a 2-person 1st-class room pays ₩90,000 extra; three can share a 4-person room at no extra cost; three in a 5-person room pay ₩90,000 extra, four pay nothing extra. Other cabins are booked only at their listed capacity.
- The suite and special-class cabins are sold only through travel agencies, not on the operator's website.
- Children 2–5 pay ₩30,000 in 2nd class. Babies under 2 sail free, one per adult.
- Disability fare: ₩120,000 in 2nd class, for the card holder and one companion.
Why the yen fare looks cheaper, and why it isn't
At October rates ¥15,000 is about ₩127,000, ₩23,000 under the won fare. You cannot use that gap from Busan: Camellia Line's fare page says a Busan departure booked on its Japanese site is converted from the won fare at the company's own monthly rate. The yen table only covers sailings from Hakata, and the fees close the gap anyway (¥4,900, about $31, leaving Hakata against ₩21,000, about $16, leaving Busan). All-in, the cheapest one-way ticket is about $127 from Busan and $126 from Hakata, or about $253 for a round trip before any online discount.
What you pay on top of the ticket, and why it went up
The fees are paid with the fare, and Korea Ferry sets them per quarter. For tickets issued in October–December 2026, an adult pays:
| Fee | Leaving Busan | Leaving Hakata |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel surcharge (유류할증료 / 燃料特別付加運賃) | ₩14,000 (was ₩17,000 in July–September) | ¥1,400 (was ¥1,700) |
| Departure levy or tax | ₩1,000 Korean departure levy (출국납부금), under-12s free | ¥3,000 Japanese International Tourist Tax (国際観光旅客税), under-2s free |
| Terminal or port fee | ₩6,000 (under-6s free) | ¥500 (¥250 for ages 6–11) |
| Total, adult | ₩21,000 | ¥4,900 |
Two rules are easy to miss:
- The fees follow the ticketing date, not the sailing date. If they rise after you buy, you don't pay the difference; if they fall, you get nothing back.
- Buy a return on the Korean site and the Hakata-side fees are billed in won: ₩45,710 for an adult in October–December (₩13,060 fuel, ₩27,990 tax, ₩4,660 terminal), more than ¥4,900 at market rates.
The big jump this year came from Tokyo: Japan's International Tourist Tax rose from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 on 1 July 2026. Korea's ₩1,000 sea departure levy is small by comparison; air passengers pay ₩7,000 on that line, as our Korea departure tax guide explains. The fuel surcharge fell from ₩17,000 to ₩14,000 this quarter.
The timetable: an overnight ship that waits outside Hakata
The ship takes nine hours from Busan over a crossing a fast boat once did in under four, so that you arrive at breakfast rather than in the middle of the night. The return from Hakata is a six-hour daytime crossing. That suits a weekend in Fukuoka better than a day trip.
Saturdays are the trap. On five Saturdays (24 October, 7 and 28 November, 5 and 19 December) there is no Busan departure, and on the Sunday after each there is no Hakata departure. On four of them (all but 7 November) the ship instead makes a night sailing from Hakata: check-in 18:00–19:00, sailing 22:00, arriving in Busan at 07:30 on Sunday, with no checked baggage. If your plan is "Friday night out, Sunday back", check your weekend first.
Three more dates to know:
- Saturday 7 November: the Hakata sailing is a special "釜山花火大会" (Busan Fireworks Festival) run, leaving at 12:30 and arriving in Busan at 21:50 instead of 18:30, for the Busan Fireworks Festival at Gwangalli that night.
- Year end: regular sailings end with the 28 December departure from Hakata; temporary sailings run 29 December to 3 January, some without checked baggage. The 31 December special sailing leaves Hakata at 18:00 (passengers off in Busan from 08:30 on 1 January) and is sold through travel agencies only.
- April 2027: bookings normally open six months ahead, but Korea Ferry is holding back sailings from 10 to 30 April 2027 while it sets its dry-dock dates, which were not final in October.
Getting to Busan Port International Passenger Terminal
The ferry leaves from Busan Port International Passenger Terminal (부산항국제여객터미널), 206 Chungjang-daero, Dong-gu. It is the big glass terminal on the North Port waterfront, next to Busan Station. All the Japan ferries use it.
- From Busan Station (KTX and Metro Line 1): take exit 10 of the station building, follow the moving walkway onto the pedestrian deck and walk to the terminal. The port authority puts it at 10–15 minutes, and with a suitcase that is about right.
- From Choryang Station (Line 1): exit 6, walk to the Je-1 Underpass (제1지하차도) junction and cross Chungjang-daero at the crossing. Allow about 20 minutes.
- City buses 5-1, 42, 172 and 1004 stop at the terminal (₩1,550 by transit card on 5-1, 42 and 172).
- From Gimhae Airport by car or taxi: about 30 minutes.
Check-in, baggage and the paperwork
At Busan you collect your boarding pass at the Korea Ferry counter on the third floor by showing your passport; a damaged passport is refused. The port authority's general advice is two hours before departure, but with a 22:30 sailing the 18:30 check-in cut-off is the time that counts.
- Carry-on is free up to 30 kg per item, if the three sides add up to no more than 200 cm and no side is over 90 cm.
- Checked baggage costs ₩8,000 up to 20 kg (¥800 from Hakata), plus ₩3,000 (¥300) for each extra 10 kg. Camellia Line's page gives the Busan baggage desk as 16:30–17:30; the Korean site's chart says 15:00–17:30. Either way, 17:30 is the deadline, an hour before passenger check-in closes. A bicycle costs ₩15,000 checked; e-bikes are refused.
- Customs: declare cash over US$10,000 when leaving Korea.
- Japan entry: Korea Ferry asks passengers to register on Visit Japan Web and show its QR code on arrival, one code per person. The customs declaration for Hakata is a paper form, handed out at check-in in Busan.
Whether you need a visa for Japan depends on your passport. Citizens of the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, the EU and many other countries can make short visits without one; check Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa-exemption list before you book.
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On board: what a night on the New Camellia is like
The ship has a restaurant, a shop, a duty-free shop, karaoke rooms and a public bath with a sea view (展望風呂 / 대욕탕). On board, everything is paid in yen. Most people simply eat, bathe and sleep.
The restaurant, Venus, went back to serving all three meals on 14 October 2026 after a period with lunch cut. From Busan, dinner is a curry set or a kimchi-jjigae set at ¥1,500, and breakfast a seaweed-soup set at ¥1,000, bought from a ticket machine outside the restaurant.
- 2nd class is a shared floor: a space with a thin mat, a pillow and a blanket. The 2nd-class bed (+₩20,000) gets you a bunk; if you sleep lightly, the ₩60,000 step up to a 1st-class room is the one that changes the night.
- The sea can be rough. The Korea Strait (대한해협, 玄界灘 in Japanese) is open water and often choppy in winter. If you get seasick, take something before 22:30, not at 02:00.
- You can't leave early. Disembarkation starts at 07:30, so plan breakfast on board or in Fukuoka.
Arriving at Hakata Port, and getting into Fukuoka
The ship docks at Hakata Port International Terminal (博多港国際ターミナル) on Chuo Wharf. Its boarding bridge broke down in early summer; Korea Ferry announced it back in use from the 3 July 2026 departure, so you walk off on a covered bridge again.
Fukuoka City's port page lists these links between the terminal and town:
- Nishitetsu bus 88 or the BRT to and from Hakata Station (the city's stop for the port is F, in front of Nishi-Nippon City Bank), about 20 minutes.
- Nishitetsu bus 80 or the BRT to and from Tenjin (Solaria Stage, stop 2A), about 20 minutes.
- Taxi to either, about 10 minutes.
Why Queen Beetle isn't coming back
For years, English guides offered two ways to cross: the overnight ferry or the fast boat, in about three and a half hours. The fast boat was JR Kyushu's Queen Beetle, a red trimaran built by Austal in Australia and delivered in 2020. Busan Port Authority's timetable still has a row for it, commented out of the page code, at 3 hours 40 minutes.
- November 2022: after a pause of two years and eight months for the pandemic, the Queen Beetle went back on the Hakata–Busan route.
- 2024: cracks and water coming into the hull were found, and the operator was revealed to have kept sailing without reporting them. Japanese reporting calls it 浸水隠し, "flooding concealment". The ship stopped sailing in August 2024 after Japan's transport ministry stepped in.
- 23 December 2024: JR Kyushu's board decided to pull its subsidiary JR Kyushu Jet Ferry out of the ship business altogether. The company said that even with repairs it could not fully rule out new hull cracks.
- Spring 2025: the ship was sold to the Korean operator Panstar Line.com (팬스타라인닷컴). Japanese reporting on the sale says the contract includes a condition that the ship will not be used on a Japan–Korea route.
- Since November 2025: she has been sailing as the Panstar Grace, doing two-hour sightseeing cruises from Busan's coastal ferry terminal.
So the fast ferry to Fukuoka is not on pause; it no longer exists, and no other operator runs one. A reseller still showing a Queen Beetle fare is an old listing.
The other Busan–Japan ferries still running
Busan Port Authority's timetable lists these routes from the same building (times subject to change):
| Route | Operator and ship | Departs Busan | Crossing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Busan → Fukuoka (Hakata) | Korea Ferry / Camellia Line, New Camellia | 22:30 daily (see the Saturday exceptions above) | overnight, arrive 07:30 |
| Busan → Shimonoseki | Pukwan Ferry (부관훼리), Seonghee / Hamayuu | 21:00 daily | about 11 h, overnight |
| Busan → Osaka | Panstar Line.com, Panstar Miracle | 16:00 Tue, Thu, Sun | about 18 h |
| Busan → Tsushima (Hitakatsu, Izuhara) | Star Line (Nova), Panstar (Tsushima Link), Dae-A Express (Sea Flower) | morning, most days | 1 h 10 – 2 h 20 |
Shimonoseki, at the western tip of Honshu, suits a trip heading east rather than one starting in Fukuoka. Tsushima is a separate island trip, not a way into Fukuoka.
Ferry vs flying from Gimhae: which makes sense
Fukuoka is one of Gimhae Airport's busiest international routes (see our guide to Korea's other international airports): about an hour in the air, several airlines a day, fares that change by the day.
| If you… | Take the ferry | Fly from Gimhae |
|---|---|---|
| Want to save a night's hotel | Yes: the 22:30 sailing is your bed | No |
| Have one day, or a tight connection | No: the daytime return alone takes six hours | Yes |
| Carry a bicycle or very heavy bags | Yes: 30 kg carry-on free, bike ₩15,000 | Airline baggage fees apply |
| Are travelling Friday night | Check the calendar: five Saturdays this autumn have no Busan sailing, and Friday is a normal sailing | Any day |
| Get badly seasick | Think twice in winter | Yes |
| Are staying near Busan Station | Yes: 10–15 min walk to the terminal | About an hour to Gimhae by Metro and light rail |
A shared floor for about $127 is not cheap as transport, but it is cheap as transport plus a night's lodging. The ferry loses when time matters, or when the cheapest airfare on your dates is well under that, as it often is in the low season.
Cancelling or changing a ticket
The rules depend on how you bought the ticket. Cancellation is by phone only, on 1688-7447 (weekdays 09:00–17:30, weekends and holidays 14:00–17:30).
| Ticket type | 8+ days before | 7–3 days before | 2 days before to sailing day | Change of date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular fare, bought at the counter | ₩3,000 | 10% of the fare | 30% until 18:00 on the sailing day from Busan (10:30 from Hakata), then 100% | One free change within 6 months, at least a day before |
| Online discount fare | Free within 24 h of payment; then ₩10,000 until 4 days before; ₩20,000 from 3 days to 1 day before | No refund on the sailing day | Not allowed: cancel and rebook | |
| Online special fare | Free within 24 h of payment, then no refund | No refund | Not allowed | |
Where to stay in Busan before or after the ferry
The night the ferry brings you back at 18:30 is the one that needs a bed, and the hotels around Busan Station and Choryang are a 10–15 minute walk along the deck. On the way out, the 22:30 sailing leaves you a whole day in Busan.
Busan stays on Agoda: put the map on Busan Station and Choryang For the 18:30 arrival from Hakata, or a day in Busan before the 22:30 sailing, look for a place within walking distance of Busan Station, exit 10, which connects to the terminal deck. EpicKor may earn a commission if you book through this Agoda link, at no extra cost to you. Confirm dates, taxes, cancellation terms, room type and the final price on Agoda before booking.
Compare Busan stays on AgodaOur Busan winter neighbourhood guide compares Busan Station with Seomyeon, Nampo and Haeundae. If you are coming down from Seoul for the sailing, our Seoul–Busan KTX vs bus guide has the October fares.
FAQ
Q: How much is the ferry from Busan to Fukuoka in 2026?
A: From 1 October 2026 the cheapest adult ticket from Busan is ₩150,000 one way in 2nd class, plus ₩21,000 in fees: ₩171,000, about $127. From Hakata it is ¥15,000 plus ¥4,900. Private cabins run ₩210,000–₩330,000. Round-trip and student discounts ended on 30 September 2026.
Q: How long is the Busan to Fukuoka ferry?
A: The New Camellia leaves Busan at 22:30 and passengers get off at Hakata from 07:30, so about 9 hours, overnight. The return leaves Hakata at 12:30 and arrives in Busan at 18:30, about 6 hours.
Q: Is the Queen Beetle fast ferry still running?
A: No. JR Kyushu decided on 23 December 2024 to leave the ship business after the Queen Beetle's hull problems, and sold the ship to Korea's Panstar in 2025 on condition that it not sail between Japan and Korea. It now runs harbour cruises in Busan as the Panstar Grace.
Q: Where does the Busan–Fukuoka ferry leave from?
A: Busan Port International Passenger Terminal (부산항국제여객터미널), 206 Chungjang-daero, Dong-gu, a 10–15 minute walk from Busan Station via exit 10 and the pedestrian deck. Check in on the third floor between 16:30 and 18:30.
Q: Does the ferry sail every day?
A: Most days. In October–December 2026 there is no Busan departure on 24 October, 7 November, 28 November, 5 December and 19 December (Saturdays), nor on 28, 30 and 31 December. There is no Hakata departure on the Sundays that follow those Saturdays, nor on 29 and 30 December.
Sources
- Fares, cabin rules, fees and cancellation: Korea Ferry 이용안내 (여객운임, 2026년 10월 1일부터 적용); 여객 운임 개정 안내 (15 September 2026); 2026년 10~12월 유류할증료 및 제반 세금 안내; 유가할증료 인상 (1 July 2026); 일본 국제관광여객세 인상 (1 July 2026). All read 20 October 2026.
- Yen fares, fees, baggage and the October–December 2026 sailing calendar: Camellia Line, 旅客運賃・料金, 運航ダイヤ and 乗船までの流れ, read 20 October 2026.
- Year-end sailings, April 2027 dry dock, Hakata boarding bridge and Visit Japan Web: Korea Ferry notices 37, 42, 43, 36 and 41; check-in and baggage charts on the 수속 및 승선안내 page.
- Busan terminal timetable, other routes, address, directions and departure procedure: Busan Port Authority, 부산항여객터미널 (운항정보, 오시는 길, 출국 수속 pages), read 20 October 2026.
- Hakata terminal access: Fukuoka City, 博多港国際ターミナル.
- Queen Beetle: return to the route in November 2022, ニュースイッチ (日刊工業新聞); the August 2024 suspension, Stars and Stripes Korea; JR Kyushu's 23 December 2024 board decision as reported by 鉄道チャンネル; the sale to Panstar and the no-Japan–Korea condition, 乗りものニュース; the Panstar Grace cruises since November 2025, 乗りものニュース.
- Japan visa exemptions: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
- Exchange rates: Federal Reserve H.10 via FRED (DEXKOUS ₩1,342.13; DEXJPUS ¥158.34), 9 October 2026.
The short version: for October–December 2026, the Busan–Fukuoka ferry is one overnight ship at about $127 each way in the cheapest class, fees included. Check your Saturday before you book, and don't go looking for the fast boat.
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