Gyeongju Day Trip from Busan Including Seokguram Grotto, Bulguksa Temple and Cheonmachong
Busan, South Korea
Rating: 
Trip Type: Historical & Heritage Tours
Duration: 10 hours
Discover the highlights of Gyeongju on a full-day tour by comfortable coach with a knowledgeable guide. This day trip from Busan delivers you to the coastal city and its cultural treasures such as Bulguksa Temple and its hermitage, Seokguram Grotto — both part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. You’ll learn to forecast the weather at Cheomseongdae Observatory and pore over a vast collection of Silla Dynasty artifacts at the Gyeongju National Museum. Round-trip hotel transport and a restaurant lunch are included.
More About This Activity All Historical & Heritage Tours →
Discover the highlights of Gyeongju on a full-day tour by comfortable coach with a knowledgeable guide. This day trip from Busan delivers you to the coastal city and its cultural treasures such as Bulguksa Temple and its hermitage, Seokguram Grotto — both part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. You’ll learn to forecast the weather at Cheomseongdae Observatory and pore over a vast collection of Silla Dynasty artifacts at the Gyeongju National Museum. Round-trip hotel transport and a restaurant lunch are included.
Hop aboard a comfortable coach after hotel pickup in Busan and listen to onboard narration during the 1.5-hour drive to Gyeongju. Hear about this coastal city that dates back to the Silla dynasty, once a united kingdom that ruled Korea from 668–935 AD.
Disembark the coach when you reach Seokguram Grotto, a UNESCO-listed hermitage featuring one of Asia’s finest Buddhist shrines. Gaze at a stone Buddha statue looking serenely at the East Sea before continuing to Bulguksa, meaning ‘Temple of the Buddha Land.’ Built during the 8th century on the slope of Mt Toham, this World Heritage site is considered one of Korea’s most renowned Buddhist temples. Discover important Silla relics, including two stone pagodas, as you explore the main complex with your guide.
Sate your appetite with a Korean lunch, served at a local restaurant. Back aboard the coach, head to Tumuli Park, which boasts more than 20 tombs from the Silla period. View Cheonmachong, meaning ‘Heavenly Horse Tomb,’ whose name refers to a painting discovered during its 1971 excavation. Learn from your guide about this grave of an unknown Silla king who was buried with a gold crown and other royal ornaments.
Make a brief stop at an amethyst factory for a look at Korea’s gorgeous gemstones, followed by a trip to Cheomseongdae, the oldest existing astronomical observatory in Asia. You’ll learn how it was used to forecast the weather by observing the constellations.
Finally, you can further explore Silla traditions at the Gyeongju National Museum, via its many archaeological and historical artifacts on display, before your day trip ends with a return to your hotel in Busan by coach.
Please note: A minimum of 2 people per booking is required.
« Go Back