Location: Gyeongju
Top Things to do in Gyeongju
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The 10 Best Budget-friendly Things to do in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Gyeongju (Korean: 경주, pronounced [kjʌŋ.dʑu]), historically known as "Seorabeol" (Korean: 서라벌, pronounced [sʌ.ɾa.bʌl]), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering 1,324 km (511 sq mi) with a population of 264,091 people (as of December 2012.) Gyeongju is 370 km (230 mi) southeast of Seoul, and 55 km (34 mi) east of Daegu. The city borders Cheongdo and Yeongcheon to the west, Ulsan to the south and Pohang to the north, while to the east lies the coast of the East Sea. Numerous low mountains—outliers of the Taebaek range—are scattered around the city.
Restaurants in Gyeongju
1. Bulguksa Temple
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,275 reviews
An impressive complex of stone pagodas and wooden shrines.
Reviewed By ssbelltx - New York City, United States
Worth your time to see. Peace to walk around Beautiful grounds and worshiping areas. Don't miss if you are in Gyeongju
2. Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 863 reviews
Reviewed By 753ritam - Croydon, United Kingdom
Amazing walk around this complex..we took endless photos..the reflection in the lake was a crystal clear like a mirror reflection. We walked and loved this place..definitely worth the visit and at night too!!
3. Gyeongju National Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 578 reviews
Reviewed By TravelerTrecker
This is large, impressive museum dedicated to the Silla culture. It has several buildings that are very well organized following a chronological order and with dedication to several aspects of the life of the Sillas including domestic and common aspects and royals features. The exhibit on the tomb treasures is impressive! Curation is excellent! Labels are in Korean and English. The Silla's bell is just beautiful. The bell is outside the museum and the exhibit is great, with excellent illumination. At night is really beautiful! We did not have to pay. It was a Korean holiday when we visited and because of this, the museum closed one hour later! We visited the museum in the afternoon. We spent 3 hours at the museum. when we arrived to the museum, it started to rain; rainy days are perfect for museum visits. The rain lasted for two hours; when we went to see the gardens, it was dry and pleasant. Because the museum closed late at 700 pm, we were able to see many sculptures, pagodas, and the bell located in the museum gardens with almost nobody around. The gardens looked beautiful at sunset. Lightning was really good. We learned a lot! The museum deserves at least 3 hours. We visited on September, 2019.
4. Gyeongju National Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 86 reviews
Reviewed By GriffnLeanne - Morrinsville, New Zealand
I caught the 500 bus to samneung and walked to Geumobong Peak then down to Yongjang village then caught the same 500 bus back to Gyeongju. My favourite day to date in Gyeongju. Hiking was good .. quite a long 3 hour hike .. with plenty of stops and things to see on the way , tombs, Buddha, views and more. Plenty of people on the track so felt quite safe doing this alone. Take water and lunch with you. Thoroughly recommend if you like the outdoors and hiking. The tourist information booth gave me a map of the hiking route which was really helpful as well as telling me what bus to catch
5. Gyeongju Historic Area
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 148 reviews
Reviewed By vbrowning1 - Gold Coast, Australia
We are so pleased we chose to come to their area rather than another big town. Gorgeous old houses, wonderful historic sites, good food. We just loved it!. Make the effort to come.
6. Seokguram
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 654 reviews
The eighth-century cave temple with a statue of Buddha looking at the sea.
Reviewed By moot - Tenbury Wells, United Kingdom
We hiked from Bulguk-sa all the way up (and on to Tohamsan Peak- take the trail beside the ticket booth) and down and although it was a slight challenge it was definitely worth it. The Buddha in the grotto is amazing and we were able to spend as long as we liked contemplating- we were there in November and there weren’t huge crowds but given the size of the toilet facilities and the car park I can imagine it gets very busy in season. The trees all around were stunning- definitely walk one way if you can manage it.
7. Yangdong Folk Village
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 241 reviews
Reviewed By jolav12 - The Netherlands, null
It's a great looking village, and it's a nice place to take a walk. There weren't many tourists there.
8. Bomun Tourism Complex
9. Bunhwangsa Temple
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 64 reviews
Reviewed By ejmfrancisco - Gumi, South Korea
I enjoyed this place wherein you can see temples and Ancient Monuments located in Gyeongju. There are also small lakes around the area. When we visit the place, there are also many tourists coming along to see the beauty of the place. Though there is an entrance fee, I can say that it is somehow worth the price especially for those who love tourist attractions like this.
10. Daereungwon Tomb Complex
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 251 reviews
Reviewed By TravelerTrecker
This is a UNESCO site. You can see the tombs (tumuli) of the many kings and queens members of the Silla dinasty. The place is surrounded by a wall; the gardens and tombs are very well kept. The tombs are unique; they are large, tall, and are covered by green grass. You cannot visit the interior of the tombs. Some of the treasures discovered in the tombs are located at the Gyeongju National museum and at the Seoul National Museum. To understand the place and its contents, it is a good idea to visit these two museums. The treasures are impressive! There are several paths that you can take to visit the site at your pace. The paths connect and are very easy to follow. The park is harmonized by traditional music. The trees are beautiful and full of fruits. The site is peaceful, sublime, and relaxing. Just spent time, walk around, seat on the benches, see the green color, feel the great past, monumental history of the Silla culture, listen to the Korean past. The site is easy to find. You have to pay a very cheap ticket to enter. You need 2 hours to enjoy the site. Close by, outside the site, there is a replica of the old Gyeongju bell in a nice shrine. It complements your visit. Daereungwon is perhaps, the most impressive site in the historical area of Gyeongju. The are some other tombs close by. They are not kept as well as the ones here.
