Gyeongju 1 day itinerary — How to spend one day in Gyeongju, South Korea

The ancient capital of Gyeongju located in Gyeongsangbuk-do province is an interesting highlight in this trip to Busan to feel the ancient tranquility, ancient architectural works and enjoy the “slowness” of a which was once the ancient capital of Korea under the illustrious Silla dynasty that lasted for a millennium. So, how to spend one day in Gyeongju (Gyeongju in one day, 1 day in Gyeongju)? Let’s check out my Gyeongju 1 day itinerary (Gyeongju one day itinerary) as follows!

How to get to the ancient capital Gyeongju? (# one day in gyeongju)

From Busan

• Take the bus from Busan – Gyeongju to Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal, travel time: 50 minutes
• Take the KTX train to Singyeongju train station, travel time: ~30 minutes. Then take the bus to the city center for another ~30 minutes.

From Seoul (# one day in gyeongju)

• Take the Seoul – Gyeongju bus to Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal, travel time: ~3 hours 30 minutes
• Take the KTX train to Singyeongju train station, travel time: ~2 hours 15 minutes. Then take the bus to the city center for another ~30 minutes.

Below are my experiences in a day in the ancient capital of Gyeongju with impressive things to do. Of course, this is not all.

Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond – Crown Prince’s palace during the Silla period (# 1 day in gyeongju)

Address: 102 Wonhwa-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
Hours: 9 AM–10 PM

My first impression when I came here was the airy, quiet space and very poetic landscape. I was fascinated by the forests in the changing season of leaves in this palace, I could only stand “dumbfounded” when I saw the yellow and red leaves gently falling every time there was a breeze. How many times do I have to click my tongue: “So beautiful!” when walking in Donggung palace.

A little deeper inside is the palace reflecting on the calm, cool blue surface of Wolji Pond. Along the lake there is a trail so guests can walk around the lake and enjoy the beauty of this place. There are also many virtual living spots.

This Donggung Palace used to be the capital of the Silla dynasty for about 1000 years, the residence of the Crown Prince and VVIP guests at that time and also the place to organize important events.

Gyeongju Historic Areas (# gyeongju in one day)

This historic areas was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2000. Here, you can walk around the relic to see the ancient Cheomseongdae astronomical observatory with a unique architecture with a cylindrical body that gradually gets smaller from the bottom, the top and base supporting the observatory are square. The tower’s cylindrical body is built from 365 pieces of granite cut to symbolize the number of days in the year.

Around this site, there are small green hills that look very beautiful, they are the royal tombs of the past.

And, coming to Gyeongju relics this season, you can freely “live virtual” with beautiful flower gardens.

Such as the reed grass fields, sunflower fields and especially the beautiful pink grass fields gently swaying in the wind. The autumn-winter sunlight makes these fields look very poetic and pale pink.

Visit Bulguksa Temple (# gyeongju one day itinerary)

Address: 385 Bulguk-ro, Bulguk-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea
Hours: 7:30 AM–5 PM

Bulguksa Temple (Seokgatap) is the head temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. This temple is more than 1000 years old and was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1995.

Until now, Bulguksa temple is still a place not to be missed if you love traditional beauty every time you come to Korea. Temporarily ignoring stories about history or Buddhism (because it is quite long and informative, I will tell it in the next post), this is a place with very beautiful scenery, tranquil. There are many metasequoia (Dawn redwood)
trees, maple trees, persimmon trees, etc. that have been planted for a long time, so the roots and tree shapes are very ancient and beautiful.

Mingle with Korean youth

In addition to “hunting” for red leaves, you can wander on Poseok-ro street to enjoy the youthful atmosphere with many lovely restaurants, cafes, clothing stores, accessories,… with Korean young people.

There are many trending dishes here, like the brand new Hwangnam Jjondeugi or coin cheesecake, for example. In short, the vibe here is very interesting!

Have a Korean-style lunch

After making the effort to come here, don’t miss lunch at 정록쌈밥 restaurant (copy the restaurant name, put it on Naver Maps and follow quickly).

A tray of rice here is a small but full dishes with all kinds of vegetables, kimchi,… especially the spicy stir-fried pork dish, so delicious. Now that I think about that dish, I still crave it…

In addition to these things to do, the ancient capital of Gyeongju has other works and structures recognized by UNESCO as world cultural heritages, such as: Seokguram Buddha Grotto,… for you to explore. Hopefully next trip, when I have more time in the ancient capital of Gyeongju, I will experience and share more.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Gyeongju you can refer to

• Gyeongju UNESCO World Heritage Site, Seokgulam, Bulguksa Temple Day Trip from Busan
• A Day in Gyeongju by TK Travel
• [Gyeongju One-Day Tour] The old capital of Korea with a thousand years of history [Departure from Busan]
• Gyeongju Historical Daereungwon Royal Tomb Complex, Yangdong Village, and Anapji Full Day Tour from Busan
• Gyeongju Historic Sites Day Tour from Seoul
• Bulguksa, Daereungwon, Huanglidan, Gyochon Village, Woljeong Bridge, Cheomseongdae Gyeongju Tour from Busan
• Gyeongju Private One Day Tour from Busan
• Busan & Gyeongju Private Customized Tour
• 2D1N Gyeongju Historical and Cultural/Autumn Leaves Tour from Seoul by TK Travel
• Gyeongju Historical Tour from Busan
• [Special Promo] Train to Busan Horror House Combo Admission Ticket
• 4G Prepaid SIM Card (SK Airports Pick Up) for South Korea
• [Sale] Hanbok Experience (Hanboknam Gyeongbokgung Store) with Korean Hairstyling
• [SALE] South Korea 4G Pocket WiFi (KR Airports Pick Up) from KT Olleh
• 4G WiFi (MY Airport Pick Up) for South Korea (Unlimited Data)
• 4G Portable WiFi for South Korea from Uroaming (Unlimited Data)
• [SALE] Instant Ticket: Korea Rail Pass (KR PASS) 2/3/4/5Days
• [Limited Offer] Incheon International Airport (ICN) Luggage Services (Between Airport and Hotel) by Safex

Are you looking for more Busan travel guide: Things to do, activities, attractions and other things? Let’s check it out our Busan blog — The fullest Busan travel guide & suggested Busan itinerary on how to spend 3 days in Busan, South Korea.