Blue House on The Stairs – Is this the Cutest Café in Busan?

There was one café I knew I wanted to visit before my trip to South Korea, and that was the Blue House on the Stairs in Busan.

What could be cuter than being delivered an iced coffee from a mini hot air balloon?!

This enchanting experience is something that I had seen all over my social media feeds, and it looked incredible.

But I did have to wonder what it was like behind the scenes. Would the reality be as magical as all the photos and videos made it appear?

After my visit, I’m pleased to say that this unique concept is as whimsical as it gets, and so I thought I’d share my experience.

Here is a complete guide for the Blue House on the Stairs in Busan and what to expect during your visit. 

What is the Blue House on the Stairs in Busan?

If you’re planning a trip to South Korea, I bet you’ve already seen the Blue House on the Stairs pop up on your social media feed.

It’s easily one of the cutest cafés in Busan, with its azure wall and fluffy clouds. 

The reason it’s so famous and often goes viral on social media is that they deliver your coffee by a miniature hot air balloon.

It’s truly a unique concept and something I’ve only ever seen done here in South Korea. So, you must visit while you’re here. 

Where is Blue House on the Stairs located?

The Blue House on the Stairs is located within Gamcheon Culture Village.

It’s a rainbow of vibrant houses perched on a hillside in Busan, popular with tourists. 

You’ll find the café at the bottom of a lane called Gamnae 1-ro, which is right next to the bus drop-off point. 

This lane is also home to the Entrance Mirrors viewpoint, which is very popular, and is behind the giant wellies with umbrellas installation. 

You shouldn’t have trouble locating it. But, I’ll provide an address and Naver Map pin below, as Google Maps doesn’t work. 

How to get to Gamcheon Culture Village

You’ll soon find out that the city of Busan is enormous and all the attractions are widely spread out.  

They are also mostly accessed by steep hills, and Gamcheon Culture Village is no exception. 

You can walk there, but it would be really tiring, especially when it’s hot. I recommend taking a bus or taxi.

By Bus: Take Line 1 on the subway to Toseong Station and then hop on one of the local green mini buses. Seogu Bus 2, Seogu Bus 2-2, or Sahagu Bus 1-1 all head there. Just note that they do get packed, and seating is limited. So, you may have to queue and/or stand the entire way.

By Taxi: Uber works well in South Korea, and short journeys are very affordable. You can easily take a taxi to the culture village or café.  

Arriving at Blue House on the Stairs

You’ll know when you’ve arrived at the Blue House on the Stairs, as it’s a bright blue building painted to look like the sky with white clouds. 

It stands right next to the giant wellies installation that has a huge picture frame and umbrellas to pose with.

It makes a fabulous photo opportunity, so make sure to have your camera ready. 

How to order drinks

Head to the back of the café and you’ll find the famous window with the air balloon that makes drink deliveries.

In the corner, there is a touch-screen self-service machine, where you can browse the menu and order drinks.

The default language is Korean, but it has an English translation option. It’s good to note that it only takes card payments. 

After payment, you’ll receive a receipt with your order number, and you then you wait for your balloon delivery! 

If you’d prefer, you can enter the café and order inside as they take card and cash payments. 

Just make sure to let them know you want your drink delivered by air balloon, so they put it in a takeaway cup. 

Receive your drink by hot air balloon

Once your delivery is ready, the window will open, and a staff member will call out your order number.

What I loved is that they ask you if you’re ready first before they deliver it to you.

This means you can make sure you have your camera ready or your tripod set up to capture the moment before it starts.

Also, this gives everyone time to move out of the way so that no one else is in your photo and video, as the café area does get quite crowded.

When you’re ready, the staff member will put the drink in the balloon and then lower it down to you.

You can then collect your drink and capture a beautiful memory in the process!

It was honestly so adorable and a magical experience that I thought was worth the time and money. 

What drinks do they sell?

Blue House on the Stairs serves a wide range of drinks, and most are served either hot or cold.

They have traditional coffees like Americano, café lattes, mocha and macchiato.

They also have teas like camomile, apple, grapefruit, lemon or milk tea. Plus a wide range of smoothies and fruity lemonades. 

Their speciality drinks are the most popular. You can order their Cloud Latte, which comes with a fluffy cloud of candy floss on top.

Or, you can order their famous Blue House Smoothie, a blue slushy drink with cream cheese clouds.

I actually ordered two drinks on my visit, as I loved the experience so much. 

Inside Blue House on the Stairs 

After you’ve received your drinks, you are welcome to sit outside or head into their café.

They have air-conditioned seating (hooray) and tables that have great views of the culture village.

You can also head up to their rooftop for even better views and photo opportunities.

The café doesn’t just serve drinks inside; they also have a range of cakes and desserts. They just can’t deliver those by air balloon!

There is also an entire range of souvenirs, including tote bags, postcards and magnets that you can purchase. 

Is Blue House on the Stairs worth visiting?

Yes, I would highly recommend this magical experience in South Korea.

It’s easily the cutest café in Busan, and receiving a tasty drink by air balloon is so enchanting. 

Not only will it provide some much-needed refreshment when exploring Gamcheon, but you can capture a beautiful memory in the process.

Make sure to add the Blue House on the Stairs to your whimsy bucket list.  

Opening hours 

The Blue House on the Stairs is open from 11 am – 7 pm according to Google Maps.

But I dropped by around 10.30 am and found it was already open on a sunny day in late spring.  

As it’s a popular experience that often goes viral on social media, I would recommend visiting early in the morning to avoid crowds. 

I also found the lighting was better in the morning for photos and videos. 

My top tips for your visit 

• Gamcheon Culture Village can get very busy during the day, so I would recommend visiting in the morning to avoid long waits.

• This is also the time with the best lighting for photos/videos, as the afternoon sun casts harsh shadows. 

• The drinks machine outside only takes card payments; you can pay with cash inside if you prefer. 

• There is limited seating outside, but you can also sit inside or on their panoramic rooftop.

Discover Gamcheon Culture Village

Gamcheon Culture Village was easily my favourite place to visit in Busan.

It’s nicknamed the ‘Santorini of South Korea’ for its rainbow of colourful houses set on the hillside. 

The story of this village’s transformation is heartwarming, as it was a former refugee camp. You can learn more context in the Little Museum.

As for things to do here, there is plenty to see and do around this vibrant place.

You can visit photo zones such as the BTS Mural, The Little Prince & Fox Statues, I <3 Gamcheon sign and Cheondeoksu Well book staircase. 

I also recommend heading up to the Gamcheon Observatory to see the new Little Prince Statue. From up here, you can see for miles.

If you’re looking for another photogenic place to grab coffee, you can pop into Coffee It House. 

Their café is set in a pretty pink building, and the rooftop has one of the best photo spots in all of Gamcheon. 

There is also DUF Coffee, which is like a fever dream in the best possible way. 

Yes, Gamcheon Culture Village is extremely touristy. But, it’s also downright charming. You could spend hours wandering around this dreamy place. 

Read more of my South Korea guides

Why you must visit Miffy Café Busan

Starfield Library in Seoul – Is it worth visiting?

How to visit Suwon Starfield Library

Pokémon Secret Forest – How to Visit in Seoul

Metamong Playground in Seoul – Complete Guide

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