Tsushima Nova Ferry 2026: Direct from Busan, No Overnight Stay
Discover the Nova ferry, your secret to an affordable Tsushima adventure from Busan in 2026. Skip the overnight stay and save on extra costs.
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Discover the Nova ferry, your secret to an affordable Tsushima adventure from Busan in 2026. Skip the overnight stay and save on extra costs.
Ferry to Tsushima for ~$21? Nova Ferry: No Overnight Stay in Busan, Even for Regional Travelers! Why I, a Tsushima Veteran, Chose It © Words & Photos by Orae Trip |
As someone who's visited Tsushima many times,
I'm here to share the perfect ferry schedule
for those of you, like me, living in other regions
who want to go to Tsushima without an overnight stay in Busan.
For regional travelers like me,
who have to travel all the way from Daejeon to Busan,
this is incredibly important.
No matter how affordable the Tsushima ferry ticket is,
if you have to travel down to Busan the day before and stay overnight,
transportation + Busan accommodation + time
all add up.
But with the Nova ferry, if you take the first train,
there's a schedule that allows you to board directly from Busan
and head straight to Tsushima!
This means even travelers starting from other regions
can go without an overnight stay in Busan.
So, as someone who's been to Tsushima many times,
I'll break down why the Nova ferry is a great choice for regional travelers,
and where you can book your tickets.

01. For regional travelers, the biggest cost of a Tsushima trip isn't the ferry ticket itself.
If you're traveling from Daejeon all the way down to Busan Port
to visit Tsushima,
just calculating the ferry fare doesn't give you the true cost of your trip.
If you need to catch an early morning ferry
departing from Busan,
you either have to leave your region at dawn
or travel to Busan the day before.

Then, naturally,
Daejeon → Busan transportation costs
Busan accommodation
food expenses
and travel to Busan Port the next day
all these expenses add up.

That's why, for regional travelers like me,
having to stay overnight in Busan
was always a big burden.

02. But the Nova Ferry Schedule? Now that's interesting!
While checking Tsushima ferry schedules,
I noticed the Nova ferry's boarding time:
Departure from Busan: 09:10 AM
This time gives you plenty of room to arrive at Busan Station
on the first train from your region
and purchase your ticket.

With the Nova ferry, you save both time and money,
so there's no need to hesitate, right?

Honestly, before this, I always just assumed I'd take the Tsushima Link ferry,
but now my mind is completely changed!

03. When booking a Tsushima ferry, check 'your date' before focusing on price.
And here's something truly
important I want to share.
When researching Tsushima ferry tickets,
it's common to get caught up in price comparisons
and delay booking, isn't it?

However, once your travel date is set,
I strongly recommend checking seat availability first.
Tsushima ferries don't have unlimited seats;
each ferry can only carry 439 passengers.
So, if seats are available, you absolutely must book them.
Hesitate too long, and your desired date
might just sell out!

So, if I were planning a trip to Tsushima right now,
① Select your desired date
② Check the Nova ferry's operating times
③ Verify the round-trip price
④ If it looks good, book it!
This is the order I'd follow.
Looking for somewhere cheaper?
It's pointless.
That's because the Nova ferry allows all travel agencies to book at the same price,
so they're all identical.
04. If the lowest price is the same, I look at ‘where to book’ it from.
If you search for ferry tickets to Tsushima,
you'll find various travel agencies, from the ferry company's own website.
At first, I also
thought,
“Where’s the cheapest?”

However, if the lowest price for the same product is identical,
then what becomes much more important is looking at:
Point accumulation
Card discounts
Customer service
Reviews
Travel convenience services
This is precisely why I paid close attention to TNT this time.

If you book with TNT,
you can get a benefit of up to ~$3 in point accumulation,
so if the lowest price is the same,
make sure to take advantage of the practical benefits you can receive.
“If the lowest price is the same, where can I book
to get more back?”
That's what you should be looking at.
See benefits when booking Tsushima↓↓↓↓
05. When traveling internationally, dealing with problems matters more than price.
What I've realized from years of traveling is that
while booking platforms might seem similar when you're making a reservation,
the differences really show
when a problem arises.
Especially with ferry trips, there can be variables
like weather or vessel conditions.
So, when you have questions about itinerary changes or bookings,
how quickly you can get a response,
what kind of reviews actual users have left,
and whether the company properly handles issues when they occur, are all important.

That’s why, when I looked at TNT,
I didn't just focus on points.
They have many accumulated reviews related to Tsushima ferry trips,
and user feedback is quite active, which I liked
because it's helpful for first-time bookers.
When it comes to international travel,
I really believe it's more important to choose
"a place you can trust when problems arise"
than "a cheap place to book."
06. Free luggage storage in front of the terminal + charging jacks on NovaHo seats – these make travel so much easier.
And there was another thing about TNT that I found really great.
It's their 100% free luggage storage service, located just about a minute away, right in front of the terminal.
These things might seem minor at first,
but they are incredibly useful during actual travel.

Imagine having to carry a large suitcase
around with you throughout your trip.
Doesn't just thinking about it feel cumbersome?

If you can store your luggage for free,
it's easy to move around near the port for a bit,
and your movements before and after boarding the ferry become much lighter.
And on the NovaHo, personally,
what I really liked was that each seat had a charging jack.
While heading to Tsushima, you'll be taking photos, checking maps,
and using translation apps on your phone, which uses up quite a bit of battery.
Being able to charge right from your seat makes these small details feel incredibly significant.
As someone who travels a lot,
I often find that it’s these small conveniences, rather than grand services,
that boost overall travel satisfaction.

07. If your Tsushima travel date is set, prioritize 'seat availability' over 'price check' right now.
Having visited Tsushima multiple times, as I re-examined the NovaHo this time,
this is ultimately what I considered most important:
If you're coming from a regional city, don't just look at ferry ticket prices.
Consider the cost and time of traveling from Daejeon to Busan,
and whether you need to stay a night in Busan
or if you can align with the NovaHo's sailing schedule
to go straight to Tsushima.
Check these points first.
If you can save on a night's accommodation in Busan
and save travel time simultaneously,
Rather than simply comparing ferry ticket prices for a few tens of thousands of won (around ~$21),
you can make much more efficient use of your overall travel budget and time.
And secondly,
booking when seats are available on your desired date.
Ferry tickets to Tsushima are sold with limited seats,
so if you think, "I'll look into it a bit more and then book,"
and it sells out,
you might not be able to go to Tsushima
on your desired date.
If it were me, the moment my travel dates are set,
I'd first check the Nova ferry's operating times for my dates,
round-trip prices, and seat availability.
And if the lowest prices are the same,
I'd compare whether point accumulation is possible,
if there are card discounts,
if free luggage storage is available,
and what the reviews and customer service are like
before making a decision.
👉 Check Nova ferry prices and seat availability for your dates at TNT
08. Final Thoughts
If the price is right for you
and the boarding schedule fits your itinerary,
then you can go ahead and book.
However, if your desired date is already sold out,
then price comparison itself becomes meaningless,
so for those who have fixed travel dates,
I recommend not hesitating for too long.
If you're like me, someone from a regional area who has to travel from Daejeon to Busan,
make sure to calculate whether you can save on the cost and time of an overnight stay in Busan.
Tsushima is a great travel destination because it's close,
but the convenience of your trip changes quite a bit
depending on how you book your ferry tickets.

That's why this time, rather than simply looking for
the "cheapest ferry ticket,"
I recommend using a ferry service that fits your schedule,
can help you avoid an overnight stay in Busan,
and allows you to take advantage of booking benefits.
The Nova cruise ship departs from Busan at 9:10 AM. The article explains that this time is sufficient for travelers arriving at Busan Station on the first train from regional areas to purchase their tickets.
The Nova cruise ship can only accommodate 439 passengers, so seats are limited. Therefore, it's crucial to book immediately when seats are available for your desired date, as they can sell out while you're contemplating.
When booking through TNT, you can earn up to ~$3 in points. Additionally, you can use the 100% free luggage storage service located approximately 1 minute directly in front of the terminal.
Each seat on the Nova cruise ship has a charging port, allowing you to charge your phone battery while traveling to Tsushima. This is useful when your battery drains quickly from taking photos, checking maps, or using translation apps.
Travelers from regional areas should first check if they can save on the cost and time of an overnight stay in Busan, rather than just looking at the ferry ticket price. It's important to consider whether the Nova cruise schedule allows for direct travel to Tsushima without an overnight stay in Busan.

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