Sightseeing - Korea travel and tourism information

Gyeongju National Park (경주국립공원)

2024-02-27

12 Cheonbungnam-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Gyeongju National Park, designated as a national park in 1968, holds a special status as Korea's only historical national park. The park spans 136.55㎢ across eight districts, including Tohamsan Mountain, home to the exquisite Buddhist treasures of Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto, as well as Namsan Mountain, known as the "Buddhist Museum," showcasing the pinnacle of Buddhist culture. The park boasts significant relics from the Silla dynasty alongside breathtaking natural landscapes. Recognized by UNESCO in 1979 as one of the top ten historic sites globally, it stands as a world-renowned cultural heritage site.

Bomun Tourist Complex (경주 보문관광단지)

2025-09-24

Sinpyeong-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Bomun Tourist Complex is the international tourist district of Gyeongju. This tourist district is formed with Bomunho Lake at its center, located about 10 kilometers east of downtown Gyeongju. The area spans approximately 8,000 km², and contains an international-scale luxurious hotel, family-friendly condos, golf range, and pleasant walking passages that are designed to suit the diverse needs of tourists. The tourist complex attracts crowds of visitors in April, when cherry blossoms are in full bloom. The sight of cherry blossoms around Bomunho Lake and Bulguksa Temple are popular even among domestic travelers.

Geumgwanchong Tomb (금관총)

2020-03-18

Noseo-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-779-6100

Geumgwanchong, located in Noseo-dong, Gyeongju, is a tomb from the Silla Kingdom (B.C. 57∼A.D. 935). It is one of the three tombs that belong to the Noseo-dong Tombs in downtown Gyeongju.

Geumgwanchong Tomb is regarded as the tomb of a king before or after the reign of King Ji-Jeung during the early 6th century (500~514). It is not known exactly to whom this tomb belongs.

It was found in September 1921, when the fief was chopped while a civilian was leveling the ground to widen his building land. The first relic found in this tomb was a gold crown, geumgwan, and so the tomb took its name. Ornaments such as gold belts, earings, bracelets, saddlers and crockery of the Three Kingdoms Era (when Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla were separated, later unified by Silla in 676 AD) were dug up from the tomb. There were numerous relics, with beaded relics alone numbering over 30,000.

The original structure of Geumgwanchong was 13m high with a 50m diameter. The relics from this tomb were moved and are now preserved at the Gyeongju National Museum.

Gyeongju Bulguksa Temple [UNESCO World Heritage] (경주 불국사 [유네스코 세계유산])

2025-03-24

385 Bulguk-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Bulguksa Temple is a representative relic of Buddhist culture from the Silla kingdom. The temple was built during the 15th year of King Beopheung's reign (514-540) to wish for peace and prosperity for all. It was later rebuilt in 751 by Kim Dae-seong. Unfortunately, the temple caught fire during the Imjin War (1592-1598). After the war, the temple suffered serious damage and was often the target of theft.

Starting in 1920, the temple has undergone continual restoration work. The temple now holds seven national treasures and a number of additional important heritages and was designated a World Cultural Heritage Site along with the nearby Seokguram Grotto by UNESCO in December 1995.

Seongmodo Island (석모도)

2021-05-28

9, Samsanbuk-ro, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon

Seongmodo Island, located 1.2 kilometers west of Ganghwado Island, is a popular destination for families and those looking for relaxation. The island has various mountains as well as a 41.8 kilometer coastal road.

Somaemuldo Island Lighthouse (소매물도 등대)

2021-04-02

246, Somaemuldo-gil, Tongyeong-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
+82-55-650-0580

Deungdaeseom Island, originally called Haeguemdo Island, is known for the lighthouse and beautiful landscape. In 2002, the island was renamed Deungdaedo Island. Somaemuldo Island Lighthouse built in 1917 as an unmanned lighthouse transformed into a manned lighthouse in 1940. The concrete lighthouse is 16 meters in x_height with a light that can reach up to 48 kilometers. The lighthouse is located on Deungdaeseom Island, which is an islet attached to an island named Somaemuldo Island, south of Geojedo Island.

Sungnyemun Gate (숭례문)

2024-11-27

40 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul

Sungnyemun Gate is Korea’s National Treasure No. 1, and its unofficial name is Namdaemun Gate. Sungnyemun Gate is the largest castle gate stone structure with an arched entrance in the middle. There’s a column on top of a platform, raising the roof, distinguishing the upper stories and lower stories of the building. Passageways for traffic are located at the east and west ends of the gate. Different from the other gates, Sungnyemun Gate’s tablet has its name written vertically.

On February 10, 2008, Sungnyemun was destroyed by fire. After a 5-year reconstruction work, the gate was re-opened to the public again on May 4, 2013.

Cheomseongdae Observatory (경주 첨성대)

2026-05-19

140-25 Cheomseong-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Cheomseongdae Observatory, constructed during the reign of Queen Seondeok (r. 632-647), is one of the landmarks of Gyeongju. The observatory was built in a cylinder shape at approximately 9 meters in height. The observatory consists of 365 stones, symbolizing the number of days in a year. The rocks are piled in 27 layers symbolizing the 27th ruler, Queen Seondeok, and the days in a lunar month by adding the of two rock layers on top.◎ Travel information to meet Hallyu’s charm - "A Good Day to Be a Dog"Cheomseongdae Observatory, where Bo-gyeom and Ji-ah, bound by a special fate, encounter each other, is the landmark that represents the city of Gyeongju and one of the oldest astronomical observatories in the world. In addition to its superlative value as a historical site, it is also popular as a tourist destination thanks to flowers and plants that bloom each season.

Gyeongju Poseokjeong Pavilion Site (경주 포석정지)

2020-10-06

816, Namsansunhwan-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-745-8484

Poseokjeong Pavilion served as a separate palace where kings enjoyed banquets with nobles. The building no longer exists, but the abalone-shaped stone water canal still remains, speculated to have been built during the Unified Silla period although the exact year is unknown. The water canal has an estimated length of 10 meters, with a x_width of approximately 35 centimeters and an average depth of 26 centimeters. Based on Chinese writings from 353, it is said that drinking glasses were floated on the canal. One popular party game had guests creating poems before the glass had passed nine sections of the canel. Guests who could not do this had to drink three glasses. Modern research has shown that the site was not merely a place for fun, but also served as a meeting venue for the royal family, as well as for holding memorial services.

Gyeongju Seokguram Grotto [UNESCO World Heritage] (경주 석굴암 [유네스코 세계유산])

2025-06-12

238 Seokgul-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Seokguram Grotto was constructed by Kim Dae-Seong during the reign of King Gyeongdeok (742-765) of the Silla Kingdom. Located 3 kilometers away by hiking trail and 9 kilometers by car from Bulguksa Temple, the grotto was designed very harmoniously with the seated Buddha facing the East Sea. It is a valuable cultural heritage that is preserved and registered as a UNESCO World Heritage on December 6, 1995.

Sightseeing - Korea travel information