Must-see attractions in Gyeongju

  • Tumuli-gongwon

    Gyeongju

    The huge, walled park has 23 tombs of Silla monarchs and family members. From the outside, they resemble substantial grassy hillocks that echo the…

  • Noseo-dong Tombs

    Gyeongju

    Near the main shopping area is the Noseo-dong district, where you'll find Silla tombs. Seobongchong and Geumgwanchong are adjacent tombs built between the…

  • Bonghwangdae

    Gyeongju

    Sprouting huge trees of vast girth, this is the largest extant Silla tomb – 22m high, with a 250m circumference. It's quite a picture at any time put…

  • 500px Photo ID: 89384605 - UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bulguksa Temple in Autumn..(Jinheon-dong, Gyeongju city, North Gyeongsang province, South Korea)

    Bulguk-sa

    Gyeongju

    On a series of stone terraces about 16km southeast of Gyeongju, set among gnarled pines and iris gardens, this historic temple is the crowning glory of…

  • Bokdu-am Hermitage

    Gyeongju

    Close to the summit of the thickly forested Obong-san (640m), Bokdu-am features a huge rock face out of which 19 niches have been carved. The three…

  • Seokguram

    Gyeongju

    In the mountains above Bulguk-sa is this world-famous Unesco-listed Buddhist grotto, a magical place when rain and mists envelop the mountaintops and…

  • Gyeongju National Museum

    Gyeongju

    Arguably the best history museum in Korea, the Gyeongju National Museum is where you can appreciate the significance of this ancient city in one fell…

  • Anapji Pond

    Gyeongju

    This is a very popular spot for couples to take pre-wedding photos, especially from June to early August when magnificent lotus blossoms seem to fill the…

  • Golgul-sa

    Gyeongju

    Finally, a temple where you can do more than just look around. The Buddha carved out of solid rock by Indian monks in the 6th century is fairly…

  • Cheomseongdae

    Gyeongju

    Southeast of Tumuli-gongwon in the attractive sprawl of Wolseong-gongwon is the Far East’s oldest astrological observatory, constructed between AD 632 and…

  • Hwangnyong-sa Site

    Gyeongju

    The ruins of this simply vast 6th century temple are a sad and desolate spectacle: once the nation's largest Buddhist temple, its standout feature was a…

  • Bunhwang-sa

    Gyeongju

    This large pagoda was built in the mid-7th century during Queen Seondeok’s reign, making it the oldest datable pagoda in Korea. It’s a rare example of one…

  • Banwol-seong

    Gyeongju

    A few minutes’ walk south through the trees from Cheomseongdae, Banwol-seong is the site of a once-fabled fortress. Now it’s attractive parkland, where…

  • Underwater Tomb of King Munmu

    Gyeongju

    This small rocky island offshore is the legendary tomb of King Munmu (661-681), Silla king and unifier of the three kingdoms, who demanded he be laid to…

  • Yangnam Jusangjeolli Rock Forms

    Gyeongju

    These rare and intriguing rock forms in the sea on the coast east of Gyeongju are composed by an array of columnar rock joints (jusangjeolli: literally …

  • Seobongchong

    Gyeongju

    At Noseo-dong Tombs, the tomb of Seobongchong was erected between the 4th and 5th centuries. Excavation of the mound yielded a gold crown of Silla origin…

  • Sinseon-sa

    Gyeongju

    This temple in Songseon-ri near the top of Danseok-san (827m) was used as a base by General Kim Yu-shin in the 7th century. The temple is home to the…

  • Cheonmachong

    Gyeongju

    This is the only tomb at Tumuli-gongwon that is open to visitors. At the time of writing the tomb was shut for a grand restoration, scheduled to reopen by…

  • Geumgwanchong

    Gyeongju

    At Noseo-dong Tombs, Geumgwanchong was built between the 4th and 5th centuries.

  • Chilbul-am

    Gyeongju

    This is Nam-san’s largest relic, with images carved in natural rocks and stone pillars.

  • Lake Bomun Resort

    Gyeongju

    Bomun is a tourist district around an artificial lake 5km east of central Gyeongju. Tradition-seekers will find the tandem bikes, paddle boats, conference…

  • Girim-sa

    Gyeongju

    Girim-sa is one of the largest complexes in the vicinity of the Silla capital, about 3.5km down the road from Golgul-sa. Its size compares with that of…

  • Samneung

    Gyeongju

    The reason to come to this pine grove is to start a hike up Nam-san. On your way up, you may pass the tumuli of three Silla kings. Another tomb, located…

  • Wooyong Museum of Contemporary Art

    Gyeongju

    This modern art museum has three exhibition spaces with seasonal exhibitions plus a permanent collection containing paintings, sculpture and mixed media…

  • Sangsabawi

    Gyeongju

    Sangsabawi resembles a mere rock but is permeated with a morbid legend telling of an older man who, suffering from unrequited love for a village girl,…

  • Ongnyong-am

    Gyeongju

    In the upper corner of this hermitage are boulders covered with Korea’s greatest collection of relief carvings. The 24 different representations of Buddha…

  • Gyeongju Folk Handicraft Village

    Gyeongju

    This village of 45 traditional Korean tiled- and thatched-roof houses near Toham-san and Bulguk-sa is home to artisans working with metal, ceramic, wood…

  • Beopjang-sa

    Gyeongju

    This small one-hall Buddhist temple opposite the north gate to Tumuli-gongwon is worth a look-in, especially for the vividly-painted guardians painted on…

  • Mangdeok-sa

    Gyeongju

    This vast Silla-era temple complex is spread across an open field, its origin filled with legend and rumour. One tale tells that the pagoda once swayed to…

  • Tomb of General Kim Yusin

    Gyeongju

    A royal tomb with 12 statues carved with the likeness of the signs of the Chinese zodiac watching over the resting place.

  • Yongdamjeong

    Gyeongju

    A pavilion on Gumi-san, a mountain northwest of central Gyeongju, of the indigenous Korean religion Cheondoism.

  • Tapgol

    Gyeongju

    Known as Pagoda Valley, but the biggest draw of Tapgol is the hermitage Ongnyong-am and its Buddha carvings.

  • Badukbawi

    Gyeongju

    Stand on this rock formation for broad views of the valley that you won't get from the higher peaks.

More destinations you need to see