Today, Gyeongju is rich with history, and offers well-preserved examples of Silla-era architecture, as well as the site of fierce battles and resistance to Imperial Japanese forces in the early twentieth century. Highlights include the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Seokguram grotto and the historic Bulguksa Temple, as well as Anapji, a Silla-era pleasure garden that is a treasure trove of archaeological artifacts.
A handpicked selection of experiences endorsed by our experts. If you can’t see what you’re looking for, let us know, as our extensive network of local contacts can open many doors.
Visit Anapji, site of a pleasure garden and lotus pond built in 674 AD, where thousands of Silla Dynasty artifacts have been recovered.
Gyeongju is sometimes called "the museum without walls" because of the many hundreds of ancient tombs of Silla Empire royalty and aristocracy located all over town. The tombs are large dome-shaped mounds of earth covered with grass. Only a few have been excavated, and inside are treasures buried with the bodies.
Explore the Andong Hahoe Folk Village, a living community of more than 100 traditional country houses of thatched roofs, mud walls and centuries of history, which your expert guide will relate. This can be slightly touristy but is an interesting experience for young people.
Explore two of Gyeongju’s most renowned sites: Bulguksa Temple and nearby Seokguram, a Buddhist grotto with terrific views from its cliffside position. Bulguksa dates to 528 AD, when Gyeongju was capital of the nearly 1,000-year-long Silla Dynasty, and both sites are among the city’s UNESCO World Heritage properties.
Visit Haeinsa Temple in Daegu (approximately 90-minute drive), a famous 9th-century Buddhist temple best known for housing the Tripitaka Koreana, a collection of more than 80,000 woodblock carvings of the complete Buddhist scriptures.
Hike the gorgeous mountain trails of Namsan Park, whose terrain has regularly yielded Silla-era treasures.
Have a privately guided tour of the adjacent National Museum, where artifacts recovered from nearby Anapji are now on display. The National Museum also features fun activities for children, such as 3D puzzles and interactive exhibits.
Have a martial arts lesson in tae kwon do and meet black belts in the official sport of South Korea.
Explore in-depth information, experiences and highlights by navigating to specific regions using the links below on the right.
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, in the continent that our north American founders Catherine and Jay have adored and explored for decades, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
Multi-Country Specialists
Remote Lands
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