North Gyeongsang · South Korea
Where to stay in Gyeongju
Gyeongju is a city in North Gyeongsang, South Korea, home to about 245,000 people.
- Best months
- October
- Nearest airport
- KPO24 km · Pohang Airport (G-815/K-3)
- Currency
- KRWwon
- Time zone
- Asia/Seoul
- Language
- Korean, Korean Sign Language
About
About Gyeongju
Gyeongju, historically known as Sŏrabŏl, is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering 1,324 km2 (511 sq mi) with a population of 264,091 people as of December 2012.
Gyeongju was once the capital of the Silla Korean kingdom, and is possibly the foremost location in Korea where many ancient buildings, burial grounds and artefacts can be found. Driving through this city you will notice that the typical modern Korean buildings are frequently interspersed with large burial mounds. It's one of the country's most popular destinations. Most of the visitors are domestic or from elsewhere in East Asia — seemingly westerners haven't discovered Gyeongju yet. Forested hills dominate the region; between them there are rice fields as well as houses and roads.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Gyeongju
See
Gyeongju is home to South Korea's first nominated UNESCO World Heritage Site — Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple — and numerous other national treasures.
- Daerungwon Burial Mound
- Cheomseongdae Observatory
- K Pop Museum
- Bunhwangsa Temple
- Nodongri and Noseori grave parks
- Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond
- National Museum of Gyeongju
- Woljeonggyo Bridge
- Bulguksa Temple
- Seokguram Grotto
- Golgulsa Temple
- Kamŭnsa
Do
As a major tourist destination in Korea, Gyeongju is host to many festivals and events.
- Korean Traditional Liquor and Cake Festival
- Namsan mountain
- Tumuli Park
- Wolseong Park
- California Beach
- Silla Millenium Park
- Outdoor activities
- Gyeongju Bosun Shooting Range
- Hwangnidan-gil
- Kangdong Waterpark
- Gyeongju Gyo-chon Traditional Village
- Dori Village Ginkgo Tree Forest
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Gyeongju to stay in
There are some yeoinsuk (guesthouses) near the old (abandoned) railway station where you can stay for as little as US$10/night. However, none of these places have hot water, making it difficult to use the very dirty facilities. There are also roaches in many of the rooms. Far better are the few "motels" in the same area that charge around $20/night.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Gyeongju
26 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Apple House Mini Hotel | 1.5 km | |
| Bee House Gyeongju | 1.3 km | |
| Bellus Rose Pension Hotel | 4.1 km | |
| Benikea Swiss Rosen Hotel | 6.9 km | |
| Commodore Hotel Gyeongju | 6.2 km | |
| Doran Doran Guesthouse | 1.6 km | |
| G House Mini Hotel & Guesthouse | 1.5 km | |
| Gallery Jin Hanok Guesthouse | 1.0 km | |
| Gyeongju GG Tourist Hotel | 1.6 km | |
| Gyeongju Momojein Guesthouse | 0.7 km | |
| Gyeongju Namu Guesthouse | 1.4 km | |
| Hanok Raon | 1.9 km | |
| Hanwha Resort Gyeongju | 5.0 km | |
| Happy Village Syeobul Hanok Pension | 1.5 km | |
| Hilton Gyeongju | 6.4 km | |
| Hilton Gyeongju | 1991 | 6.3 km |
| Inn Gyeongju Guest House & Mini Hotel | 1.3 km | |
| Kolon Hotel | 11.7 km | |
| Lahan Select Gyeongju | 5.4 km | |
| Mini Hotel 141 | 0.9 km | |
| Mini Hotel Good Dream | 1.5 km | |
| Silla Boutique Premium Hotel Gyeongju | 1.6 km | |
| Sono Belle Gyeongju | 5.9 km | |
| The K Hotel Gyeongju | 6.9 km | |
| The Suites Hotel Gyeongju | 5.5 km | |
| Trip to Gyeongju | 1.7 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Gyeongju
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Gyeongju are October. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; July is the wettest, with about 239 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Gyeongju: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Pohang Airport (G-815/K-3) (KPO), about 24 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ulsan Airport (USN, 31 km) and Daegu International Airport (TAE, 51 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
The nearest airports are Busan Gimhae International Airport and Ulsan, each about an hour away by express bus. From the airport in Ulsan there are four daily buses and tickets cost ₩4500, from the larger Gimhae airport there are twelve daily buses and tickets cost ₩9800. Seoul's Incheon International Airport allow you to come to Gyeongju directly via the high speed KTX train, though trains stop at the new Singyeongju station a bit outside town. Bus service between the airports and Gyeongju's main terminal runs hourly.
Getting around
Be sure to visit the two tourist kiosks to get maps and guides. One is next to the express bus terminal while the other is beside the parking lot in front of Gyeongju Station. Whether walking or biking, if you know your destination's Romanized or Hangul name you will find countless signs along the path at just about every intersection pointing the direction to the nearest attractions with distances provided. The best way to get around the central city is to walk or bike.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
KPO · Pohang Airport (G-815/K-3)
USN · Ulsan Airport
TAE · Daegu International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Gyeongju
Eat
Unlike many cities in Korea, there is no particular dish the area is known for besides a general association with seafood. However, there are some famous edible items found in Gyeongju that have become renowned throughout Korea: Hwangnam ppang (ppang being the Korean word for "bread"; derived from the Portuguese word "pão") which is a small ball of silky-smooth sweet red bean paste surrounded by a thin pastry shell, and Gyeongju ppang which is the same sweet red bean paste enclosed between two thin barley bread pancakes.
Drink
Gyeongju is known for Gyeodong Beopju, a mild rice wine. Although it is principally made from glutenous rice and spring water, locals believe that a boxthorn or Chinese matrimony vine growing near the wellsource of the water has imbued the wine with special medicinal properties and flavor. Gyeongju is not particularly known for its nightlife, and in the major tourist areas around downtown and Lake Bomun you can drink at restaurants and hotel bars, but proper nightlife is hard to come by. Bars and clubs are mostly concentrated around Dongguk University, in the Seonggeon-dong district. Some of them serve snacks (anju) at a price of ₩10,000-20,000.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Gyeongju: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Gyeongju?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Gyeongju are October. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; July is the wettest, with about 239 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Gyeongju?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Pohang Airport (G-815/K-3) (KPO), about 24 km from the city centre in a straight line; Ulsan Airport (USN, 31 km) and Daegu International Airport (TAE, 51 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Gyeongju?
won (KRW).
Nearby
Destinations near Gyeongju
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.