Living up to its reputation as a city and cultural relic at the same time, Gyeongju has numerous historical sites and relics dating back to the 1,000 year-old Silla Dynasty (BC 57~AD 935). Sightseeing trips focus on two major areas: the city of Gyeongju and the Bulguksa Temple/Bomundanji area. Sightseers without a car can either walk or ride a bicycle.
Not only are roads well built, but all the locations including the 52 World Cultural Heritages designated by the UNESCO, can easily be found using a map. Gyeongju is, indeed, a great city for backpackers. In this edition, we present a list of inexpensive accommodations including inns, motels, and hotels. For information on other options that better suit your needs, consult the tourist information centers in Gyeongju Station or the Intercity Bus Terminal.
Transportation to Gyeongju
(1) From Incheon International Airport
At the bus station outside gate 10C, take a limousine bus bound for Gyeongju (08:00~21:00/ Fare: 36,300 won/ Travel time: 5 hours, 30 minutes) → Get off at Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal
(2) From Seoul
① By train: Subway Line 1 or 4, Seoul Train Station → Take a train for Gyeongju (07:40, 14:05, 17:40, 22:37 (Mugunghwaho) / Saemaeulho: 36,400 won, Mugunghwaho: 24,700 won / Travel Time: Saemaeulho: 4 hours, 29 minutes, Mugunghwaho: 5 hours, 9 minutes) → Get off at Gyeongju train station
② By Bus: Take Subway Line 2 to Gangbyeon station → At Dong Seoul Bus Terminal, take a bus bound for Gyeongju (07:00~24:00, 24 daily departures / Travel Time: 4 hours / Fare: 19,400 won, Late night (23:10, 24:00) 23,100 won) → Get off at Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal
③ By Bus: Take Subway Line 3 or 7 to Gangnam Express Bus Terminal station → At the bus terminal, take a bus bound for Gyeongju (06:00~18:30, 30 to 40 daily departures / 4 hours 30 minutes / Fare: Regular 17,500 won, Deluxe 26,000 won, Late night 28,600 won) → Get off at Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal
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→ Go to Best Gyeongju 3 Night / 4 Days Course
→ Go to 3-Day Backpack Tour of Busan-Gyeongju for Women
→ Go to Gyeongju’s Traditional Drink & Rice Cake Festival
→ Go to Gyeongju, Museum without Walls
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| Gyeongju City |
Major tourist destinations like Daereungwon (Cheonmachong), Anapji, and Cheomseongdae are all within walking distance and easily accessible from the train station or the bus terminal. Getting to Bulguksa Temple/Bomundanji area is easy too, making the city the preferred base for travelers without a car. Many motels, tourist hotels, and guesthouses can also be found in the city of Gyeongju.
→ Go to Daereungwon Tumuli Park (Cheonmachong Tomb)
→ Go to Anapji Pond
→ Go to Cheomseongdae Observatory |
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| Sarangchae Guesthouse |
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A traditional hanok, Sarangchae Guesthouse has been a recommended accommodation used in Japanese tourist guidebooks and Lonely Planet. In the evening, tourists gather in the spacious and beautifully maintained garden to obtain information on what to see in Gyeongju. Guesthouse facilities are not a five-star, but Sarangchae is sure to be a favorite with backpackers given the price and hospitality.
The owner can speak English and Japanese, and offers various information about possible travel itineraries. A simple toast breakfast is served. There is Internet access and a kitchen for common use.
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Tel: +82-54-773-4868 (Korean, English, Japanese)
Website: http://www.kjstay.com/ (Korean, English)
Rates: 20,000 won (per person / 5,000 won per additional person / A common bathroom), 25,000 won (per person / 5,000 won per additional person / A private bathroom)
How to Get There: From Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal, walk along the avenue towards Gyeongju Train Station and pass by Nonghyeop Hanaro Mart → Turn right at the small intersection → Walk along the walls of Daereungwon and turn right at the second corner → At the corner, turn right again and the guesthouse is on the right-hand side
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| Motel Will |
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Located in the motel area behind the Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal, Motel Will offers clean rooms with a refrigerator, a water purifier, and personal amenities such as toothbrushes. Each room also has a multi-channel TV and a computer with Internet access. Guests can borrow DVDs from the lobby with a refundable security deposit of 20,000 won. Credit cards are accepted. Checkout is by noon, and guests can just drop their keys in the elevator key drop box.
These accommodations are a good choice for those arriving in Gyeongju late at night or planning to leave the city early in the morning.
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Tel: +82-54-748-9998
Rates: Regular room (40,000 won), deluxe room (50,000 won) (credit cards accepted)
How to Get There: Take the street behind Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal and turn left → Walk about 100 meters
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| Motel Liebe |
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Located behind Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal, Motel Liebe has two ondol rooms and 24 Western-style rooms. A computer with Internet access and a large-screen TV are available in the Western-style rooms, and all rooms have a refrigerator, a DVD player, and a water purifier. The family room, which accommodates up to four people, has two double beds, a separate bath, and a toilet. |
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Tel: +82-54-773-3338
E-mail: hbwook3449@hanmail.net
Rates: Ondol room and regular room (40,000 won), deluxe room (50,000 won), family room (70,000 won) (Add 10,000 won for peak seasons and weekends.)
How to Get There: From Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal, turn left at the corner of the convenience store and walk straight → At the first intersection, turn right
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| Low- to Medium-Priced Accommodations in Gyeongju Folk Handcraft Village |
Preserving the craftsmanship of the Silla era, the Gyeongju Folk Handcraft Village is located in Bulguksa Temple and in the center of Bomundanji. Here, visitors will find workshops, which make ceramics, jade jewelry, wooden furniture, and metal crafts as well as souvenir shops.
The area consists of traditional tile-roof houses and thatched cottages, making it a great place to visit and learn about traditional Korean crafts. The majority of accommodation options are inn-style facilities located near the lake.
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| Pension Lacvert |
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A wooden building, located right by the lake, Pension Lacvert offers six rooms. With so few rooms, reservations fill up quickly. However, this inn is great for families and couples. Each room is equipped with a kitchenette, a TV, and a DVD player, but best of all, every room has a terrace with a view of the lake. Also, the garden has a barbecue, swings, and tables.
It is a wonderful place for friends and families to relax and spend time together. Guests can also borrow bicycles for a ride to nearby Bomundanji or Bulguksa Temple.
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Tel: +82-54-742-2207
Rates: 60,000 won ~ 120,000 won
Reservation: Advance reservation can be made by e-mail (lacvert@ilacvert.com). Only English is available.
How to Get There: At the bus stop across from Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal, take bus 10 or 11 → Get off at Gyeongju Folk Handcraft Village → Cross the street and walk down the road and turn right along the lake → Walk another 50 meters
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| Pension Cheomseongdae |
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While it has only four rooms, the best thing about Pension Cheonseongdae is its Korean–style sauna facilities. The inn is great for people who want to enjoy a leisurely sauna during their stay. Shaped like the ancient observatory, Cheonseongdae, the sauna room is heated naturally with pine logs. Guests will also enjoy amenities such as the Pension’s restaurant, which serves simple snacks and beverages, and has a lounge, and a room for sleeping.
If you don’t have a reservation for the inn, or if you want to get some sleep for less than 10,000 won, you can use the sauna facility, where you can enjoy both a sauna and some good sleep. The sauna is opened 24 hours a day. There is an additional fee for guests who stay in the sauna facilities for more than 24 hours.
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Tel: +82-54-777-7600 (Korean, English)
Rates: 60,000 won ~ 80,000 won (Add 10,000 won for peak seasons and weekends)
Sauna: 8,000 won (50% discount for pension guests on weekdays)
How to Get There: At the bus stop across from Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal, take bus 10 or 11 → Get off at Gyeongju Folk Handcraft Village → The pension is located on a hill about 50 meters away in the opposite direction from the handcraft village
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| Low- to Medium-Priced Accommodations in the Bulguksa Temple Area |
Designated as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1995, Bulguksa Temple still preserves numerous historical relics in their original condition. A legacy of traditional culture of the Silla Dynasty, the temple has buildings such as Daeungjeon, Geungnakjeon, and Gwaneumjeon as well as elegant pagodas such as Dabotap and Seokgatap. While the temple reveals a different beauty during each of the four seasons, its fall landscape is particularly beautiful.
Nearby are numerous facilities that can accommodate tour groups especially students. There are also a few motels and hotels for individual travelers.
→ Go to Bulguksa Temple |
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| Kolon Hotel |
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Characterized by its arches, Kolon Hotel overlooks the beautiful vista of Bomun Lake. Facilities include an 80,000-pyeong golf course and a Finnish-style herbal sauna. The sauna, which is connected to a hot spring, offers a view of the outdoors and is particularly relaxing.
Numerous local and international daily newspapers are available in the lobby, and guests can book a non-smoking room in advance. The hotel operates a free shuttle bus twice a day for guests who travel by train to Gyeongju.
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Tel: +82-54-746-9001
Website: http://www.kolonhotel.co.kr/ (Korean, English, Japanese)
Rates: Regular room (148,000 won) (Rates for online reservation through hotel website starts from 77,000 won)
How to Get There: At the bus stop across from Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal, take bus 10 or 11 → Get off at the stop of Bulguksa Temple and walk ahead → The hotel is on the left-hand side.
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| Valley Motel |
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Located near the front entrance of Bulguksa Temple, Valley Motel’s exterior is designed in traditional hanok architecture, but the interior is thoroughly modern. Each of the 25 rooms is decorated in a unique theme. Bathrooms (with a bidet) and a whirlpool bath are sparkling clean.
A TV, a water purifier, a refrigerator, and a DVD player are in all the rooms. Located on a main road, the Valley Motel is easy to find. It is also a mere five-minute walk to Bulguksa Temple. |
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Tel: +82-54-777-1522
Website: http://www.gjvalley.com (Korean, Japanese)
Rates: 50,000 won ~ 100,000 won (Special rates apply for weekends and peak seasons.)
How to Get There: At the bus stop across from Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal, take bus 10 or 11 → Get off at Bulguksa Temple stop → Facing away from the parking lot, walk down for about 100 meters.
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| Low- to Medium-Priced Accommodations in the Bomun Tourist Resort Area |
Bomun Lake is a 417-acre man-made lake created on the site of an ancient castle on Mt. Myeonghwalsan, east of Gyeongju. The area is a tourist resort complex with numerous deluxe hotels, convention facilities and various leisure facilities.
Within the complex, there are also condominiums, hotels, and motels as well as hot springs, swimming pools, and theme parks. In spring, the cherry trees around the lake burst into full bloom, making it a popular destination for tourists.
→ Go to Bomun Lake Resort |
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| Gyeongju Comodo Hotel |
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The Comodo Hotel features 263 rooms including twin rooms, double rooms and ondol rooms. It has numerous facilities including a sauna, a swimming pool and karaoke. Guests can choose from Korean, Japanese, Chinese restaurants as well as a cafeteria.
Located on the shores of Bomun Lake, some rooms offer a view off the lake. Special events are held every month, and the nearby hot springs and theme parks are within easy walking distance. Guests can rent a bicycle to visit the Bomun Tourist Resort area and Bulguksa Temple.
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Tel: +82-54-740-8262
Rates: Around 120,000 won (Rates subject to monthly change / Rates starting from 83,000 won if reservation is made online through hotel website (http://www.hotel.co.kr)
How to Get There: At the bus stop across from Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal, take bus 10 or 11 → Get off at Bomun Tourist Resort Complex
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| Gyeongju Joseon Hot Spring Hotel |
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This recently renovated hotel has suites, doubles, and twin rooms. It also has a large sauna facility that can accommodate up to 2,000 people. The sauna, which is run by water from a hot spring, offers numerous amenities and a relaxing ambience.
If you enjoy relaxing at a hot spring, this place is ideal for both its accommodations and spa facilities. The large outdoor swimming pool is open in summer.
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Tel: +82-54-740-9600
Rates: 66,000 won and up (Special weekend and peak season rates apply)
How to Get There: At the bus stop across from Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal, take bus 10 or 11 → Get off at Bomun Tourist Resort Complex
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