massive royal tombs in Gyeongju

The southeastern Korean city of Gyeongju is a historical treasure, with old tombs, temples, and a not-to-be-missed archaeological museum. Despite what the guide books say, you can see just about all the highlights in 2 days, and you don’t have to book a city tour to do it (those tours are all delivered in Korean language, anyway). You can see Gyeongju by city bus, and it’s really easy. Before we get started, try to book yourself a room at an inexpensive, nicely appointed hotel near the bus station. You’ll pay $30-$60 USD per night for a clean room, you’ll be a couple of blocks maximum from the tourist information kiosk, where you can get a neat map of the city, and that’s right across the street from the bus stop you’ll be using, heading east. 

Bulguk-sa temple

The 3 top places to see in the Gyeongju area are: 

1)      The pagodas at Bulguksa and the grotto at Seokguram
2)      The Gyeongju National Museum
3)      Tumuli Park and Cheonmachong 

Here’s how we here at WoWasis did it in 2 days, and so can you. Let’s say you arrive in town and are checked into your hotel around noon. Go to the bus stop heading east right across from the tourist info kiosk. Take bus 10, 11, or 700 (fare is 1,500 won) right to Bulguksa, about 15 minutes away. After Bulguksa, take bus # 12 from the Bulguksa parking lot, and it will take you right up to Seokguram. The last bus coming down the hill from Seokguram leaves at 17:40, so you’ll want to take the #12 bus by no later than 16:40, to ensure you see the grotto. 

Silla-era pottery at the Gyeongju National Museum

On day 2, take the #11 or #600 bus to the Gyeongju National Museum. After the museum, walk north to the nearby Anapji Pond about 200 meters away. Then walk west to see the Cheomseongdae Observatory, a structure that is considered the oldest observatory in east Asia. 

From the observatory, take the streets in a northerly direction for about a kilometer, turn left at the main street, walk a few meters, and you’ll be at the entrance to the Daereungwon Royal Tombs, known as Tumuli Park. This is one of the most enchanting corners of Korea. There are an estimated 22 tombs of Silla rulers and court officials here, and one (Cheonmachong) is open to the public. The tombs began as wooden structures and were buried under a series of stones and earth, many of which are significantly large. The biggest, Hwangnamdaechong, is 23 meters high, 120 meters long, and 80 meters wide. When you finish with Tumuli Park, cross the street, make a right (north) at the intersection, and you’ll see several more tombs, those in the Noseo-dong group. From there, it’s a 10 minute walk west back to the tourist info kiosk from where you started your day. 

As is the case with any archaeological area, you could spend more time here, going to interesting out of the way spots. But then you’d probably want to rent a car. And you wouldn’t get one with an English GPS unit (we checked with 5 agencies). And it would cost you $60 USD per day. 

So we recommend seeing the best of Gyeongju by local bus at 1,500 won a ride. You’ll see tons, and save yourself $120 plus petrol, which should cover 2 nights’ stay at a nicely appointed motel near the bus station.