Gyeongju — Ancient capital · temples & royal tombs

The thousand-year capital of the Silla kingdom, where grass-covered royal tombs sit in the middle of town and a UNESCO temple and stone grotto wait in the hills.

Getting there & staying

From Seoul: KTX to Singyeongju in about two hours, then a bus or taxi of about 20 minutes into the centre.
Stay around Daereungwon and Hwangnidan-gil — the tombs, the observatory and the cafes are all on foot.
Bulguksa and Seokguram are out of town; plan a half day with a bus or taxi.

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See & do

Hwangnam-dong · 황리단길Hwangnidan-gil ✓

A lane of renovated old houses turned design cafés and boutiques, right beside the Silla royal tombs — great for hanbok photos.

Bulguksa · 불국사 석굴암Bulguksa Temple & Seokguram ✓

The two UNESCO sites that anchor Gyeongju — 8th-century Silla stonework that survived everything since.

Gyeongju · 불국사Bulguksa Temple

8th-century Silla temple whose Dabotap and Seokgatap stone pagodas and staircase-bridges are the defining images of Korean Buddhist architecture. Unlike many restored sites, the stonework is original.

Gyeongju · 동궁과 월지Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond

Reconstructed Silla crown-prince palace pavilions mirrored in a lotus pond. After dark the lit buildings double in the water — it is the single best photograph in Gyeongju and the anchor of the city's official night-scape tour.

Gyeongsangbuk-do · 경주 남산Gyeongju Namsan Mountain

Gyeongju-si · 천마총(대릉원)Cheonmachong Tomb (Daereungwon Ancient Tombs)

Gyeongju-si · 경주 월성(반월성)Gyeongju Wolseong Palace Site (Banwolseong Fortress)

Gyeongju-si · 화랑교육원Hwarang Institute

Gyeongju-si · 경주 독락당Dokrakdang House

Gyeonju-si · 경주 대릉원 일원Gyeongju Daereungwon Ancient Tomb Complex

Gyeongju-si · 경주 동궁과 월지Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond

Gyeongju-si · 경주 첨성대Cheomseongdae Observatory

Eat & drink

Hwango-dong (Taejong-ro 783, NE corner of Daereungwon) · 황남빵 본점Hwangnam-ppang Original Bakery ✓

Birthplace of Hwangnam-ppang, a thin-skinned red-bean pastry first made in 1939 — the original vs countless copycats.

Daereungwon · 경주 쌈밥거리Gyeongju Ssambap Street ✓

Restaurants serving ssambap — rice wrapped in fresh leaves with a generous array of Gyeongju-style side dishes.

Gyeongju-si · 보문갈비Bomun Galbi

Gyeongju-si · 소소밀밀 서악점Sosomilmil Seoak Branch

Gyeongju-si · 능포다원Neungpo Dawon

Gyeongju-si · 황남빵Hwangnambbang

Shop

Gyeongju-si · 경주 중앙시장Gyeongju Jungang Market

Gyeongju-si · 경주 성동시장Gyeongju Seongdong Market

More places

Gyeongju · 황리단길Hwangnidan-gil & Daereungwon quarter

✓ Places checked by hand · 2026-09-03

Tickets & tours

Official prices on our partner Klook — booking here supports trip2kr at no extra cost.

KlookGyeongju

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KlookGyeongju day tour

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Other regions

Seoul Jeonju Busan Jeju Sokcho · Seoraksan Gangneung Andong

Photo credits — Place photos are from Wikimedia Commons under their stated licenses.

Hwangnidan-gil — Choi2451, CC BY-SA 3.0
Bulguksa Temple & Seokguram — by martinroell, CC BY-SA 2.0
Bulguksa Temple — Unknown author, Public domain
Hwangnidan-gil & Daereungwon quarter — Choi2451, CC BY-SA 3.0
Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond — Korea Heritage Service, CC BY-SA 4.0
Gyeongju Jungang Market — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Gyeongju Seongdong Market — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Bomun Galbi — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Sosomilmil Seoak Branch — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 1
Neungpo Dawon — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 1
Hwangnambbang — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Gyeongju Namsan Mountain — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Cheonmachong Tomb (Daereungwon Ancient Tombs) — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Gyeongju Wolseong Palace Site (Banwolseong Fortress) — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Hwarang Institute — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Dokrakdang House — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 1
Gyeongju Daereungwon Ancient Tomb Complex — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 1
Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Cheomseongdae Observatory — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Gyeongju EXPO Grand Park — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 1
Gyeongju Yangdong Village [UNESCO World Heritage] — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 1
Gyeongbuk Millennium Forest Garden — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Hwarang Hill — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 1
Dori Village Ginkgo Tree Forest — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 1
Gyeongju Hwangnidan Street — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 1
Bomun Tourist Complex — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 1
Gyeongju Five Royal Tombs — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Gyeongju Tomb of King Muyeol, Stele of King Taejong Muyeol — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Gyeongju Bird Park — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Bullidan Street — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
MCY PARK — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Bomunho Lake — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Gyeongju-si Special Tourist Zone — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Gyeongju Historic Area [UNESCO World Heritage] — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Gyeongju Bulguksa Temple [UNESCO World Heritage] — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Hwang Nyong Won — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3
Gyeongju Hanbokpan — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 1
Oryu Goarahaebyeon Beach — Korea Tourism Organization, KOGL Type 3