Bulguksa Temple
Bulguksa Temple
4.5
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
An impressive complex of stone pagodas and wooden shrines.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Freedom19009746842
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Bulguksa Temple which is the best travel destination
    I recently traveled to Gyeongju on a solo trip. It was my first time visiting Gyeongju as an adult, and I enjoyed traveling from a different perspective than when I was younger. Having studied Korean history, I was able to feel the emotion and beauty of Korea, at Bulguksa Temple. What’s more, I understand why the Buddhist statues and pagodas inside the Temple are a World Heritage Site. So I recommend Bulguksa Temple which is the best travel destination to Foreign tourists. I hope you're able to enjoy the memories I had. You'll never regret it. Welcome to visit Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju!
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written January 8, 2024
  • fire-tower
    3,140 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Bulguksa Temple is an important and popular temple in Gyeongju
    We were holidaying in Busan and we decided to travel out for some sightseeing, which lead us to Gyeongju. Bulguksa Temple is an important and popular temple in Gyeongju. There are quite a few halls and you can see colourful lanterns at various parts of the temple. These lanterns can be rented to make wishes. Rental of lotus lanterns used to be KRW1,000,000, but now cost less. There are also many structures on the grounds that are considered national treasures (stupa that was taken away during the Japanese occupation but was returned, the stone pagoda called Dabotap, etc). There are stories behind various structures and halls, and reading them or joining a guided tour might give better insights. As we visited in a cold December 2023 where temperatures dipped to minus 6 degrees Celcius, the ponds and mini-waterfall were all frozen.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written January 14, 2024
  • jeny
    12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    an impressive Buddhist temple
    This place is some way out of town. But well worth the effort. So I was able to see Bulguksa Temple through movv's Private Day Tour. For 10 hours, I comfortably watched Bulguksa Temple, as well as downtown Gyeongju and Seokguram Rock by car.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written May 10, 2024
  • macedonboy
    Glasgow, United Kingdom186,803 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Holders of the Tripitaka Koreana
    This temple complex is the principal temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. This ancient temple complex has been around since the 6th century and contains some of the greatest national assets as decreed by the South Korean government. There are 5 main temples that were prominently listed on the map. The most important of these is the Daeungjeon Hall, which houses the Shakyamuni Buddha. This building also has the most elaborate and decorative dougongs out of all the temples. In truth, most of the temples including the unlisted subsidiary temple Nahanjeon are very pretty and all house beautiful bronze gilded statues of various buddhas. The most magnificent is probably the statue of Buddha in Museoljeon Hall, which houses a magnificent Buddha statue donated by the Thai Royal Family. There was free entry on the day of the visit thanks to a national holiday. To see so many amazing things for free just made the whole experience even greater.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written May 12, 2024
  • Christian M
    Copenhagen, Denmark6,223 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mini Guide to Bulguksa Temple + Seokguram Grotto
    Bulguksa Temple is undoubtedly the most important sight in Gyeongju, so you MUST visit it. From downtown Gyeongju, buses 10, 11, 700, and 711 go to Bulguksa. You can pay for the ride with cash on the bus. Take the same buses back to the city. We visited on a Monday and didn’t have to pay an entrance fee. The large temple complex consists of many beautiful buildings on multiple levels, many containing larger or smaller versions of Buddha in solid gold. However, the most beautiful Buddha is up in Seokguram Grotto, 2.2 km from Bulguksa Temple. You can take a shuttle bus there, but if you’re up for a hike, you can walk. The trail starts at Bulguksa Maingate and is relatively steep all the way up. Technically, the path is easy enough; it’s shaded, well-maintained, and nice. But it requires good fitness and a bottle of water. The hike up to the grotto (which is basically a kind of shed) takes about 1 hour; the way down is much faster. As mentioned, the stone Buddha up there is stunning. It’s enclosed behind glass and cannot be photographed. But no worries, it’s considered one of South Korea’s most important religious works of immense artistic value, so even without a photo, you should enjoy the view for the 5 minutes it takes. You can also buy ice cream, food, drinks, and souvenirs at the temple area, and there are plenty of free toilets, so you don’t need to prepare much for the trip.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 20, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,320 reviews
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TanyaRaj
Mumbai, India1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
Beautiful temple with an interesting historical background. I really recommend taking part in a guided tour to get all the information. The information center with the tour hours is near the middle pond. Our guide was excellent, lovely, and very patient in answering our questions! It was an extraordinary experience. Absolutely great sight. One of the best temples I've gone to South Korea. Most of the sights are restored building from a bit after the Japanese occupation, around 1973. There are a few stone monuments that are original, however. There is also plenty of information about each statue and building talking about the significance of each. Definitely check out if you're in Gyeongju!
Written October 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

손혁태
Daejeon, South Korea1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
The travel destination I recommend is Gyeongju, a city of cultural heritage. If you are interested in the Unified Silla Period, one of the history of Korea, you can visit Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Hermitage, Gyeongju National Museum, and Gyeongju Historic Site to experience the culture and life of that period. If you are only staying Gyeongju for a little while, you should probably go to Bulguksa Temple, which is a representative place that represents Buddhist culture during the Unified Silla Period. Bulguksa Temple has a Three-story Stone Pagoda and Dabotap Pagoda, and if you don't take pictures here, you can't say you visited Bulguksa Temple. Cherry blossoms are in full bloom in spring and autumn leaves can be seen in fall, so it is a good place to take pictures.
Written October 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bruce S
Taichung, Taiwan8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
Started by driving up to the historic Buddha shine above Bulguska. After visiting there we waliked the trail (2.2km) down to the temple area. We stopped for a picnic about 2/3 of the way down. A great place to visit if you’re interested in Korean history or want to bring those Korean TV shows to life. The walk up was mildly difficult being uphill all the way. But it took less than one hour. Well worth the visit.
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

fire-tower
3,140 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
We were holidaying in Busan and we decided to travel out for some sightseeing, which lead us to Gyeongju. Bulguksa Temple is an important and popular temple in Gyeongju. There are quite a few halls and you can see colourful lanterns at various parts of the temple. These lanterns can be rented to make wishes. Rental of lotus lanterns used to be KRW1,000,000, but now cost less. There are also many structures on the grounds that are considered national treasures (stupa that was taken away during the Japanese occupation but was returned, the stone pagoda called Dabotap, etc). There are stories behind various structures and halls, and reading them or joining a guided tour might give better insights.

As we visited in a cold December 2023 where temperatures dipped to minus 6 degrees Celcius, the ponds and mini-waterfall were all frozen.
Written January 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christian M
Copenhagen, Denmark6,223 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Couples
Bulguksa Temple is undoubtedly the most important sight in Gyeongju, so you MUST visit it.

From downtown Gyeongju, buses 10, 11, 700, and 711 go to Bulguksa. You can pay for the ride with cash on the bus. Take the same buses back to the city.

We visited on a Monday and didn’t have to pay an entrance fee.

The large temple complex consists of many beautiful buildings on multiple levels, many containing larger or smaller versions of Buddha in solid gold.

However, the most beautiful Buddha is up in Seokguram Grotto, 2.2 km from Bulguksa Temple. You can take a shuttle bus there, but if you’re up for a hike, you can walk.

The trail starts at Bulguksa Maingate and is relatively steep all the way up. Technically, the path is easy enough; it’s shaded, well-maintained, and nice. But it requires good fitness and a bottle of water. The hike up to the grotto (which is basically a kind of shed) takes about 1 hour; the way down is much faster.

As mentioned, the stone Buddha up there is stunning. It’s enclosed behind glass and cannot be photographed. But no worries, it’s considered one of South Korea’s most important religious works of immense artistic value, so even without a photo, you should enjoy the view for the 5 minutes it takes.

You can also buy ice cream, food, drinks, and souvenirs at the temple area, and there are plenty of free toilets, so you don’t need to prepare much for the trip.
Written May 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Freedom19009746842
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Solo
I recently traveled to Gyeongju on a solo trip.
It was my first time visiting Gyeongju as an adult, and I enjoyed traveling from a different perspective than when I was younger.
Having studied Korean history, I was able to feel the emotion and beauty of Korea, at Bulguksa Temple.
What’s more, I understand why the Buddhist statues and pagodas inside the Temple are a World Heritage Site.
So I recommend Bulguksa Temple which is the best travel destination to Foreign tourists.
I hope you're able to enjoy the memories I had.
You'll never regret it.
Welcome to visit Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju!
Written January 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

yota8
Miki, Japan1,496 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Friends
I took KTX from Busan station. It takes about 30 minutes by KTX from Busan Station to Singyeongju Station. From Singyeongju station, we took the city bus and changed buses once to Bulgugsa bus stop, which took over an hour. From the Bulguksa bus stop, walk uphill for about 10 minutes to reach the Bulguksa Gate.
I think it's good for a short trip to Busan.
Automatically translated
Written October 18, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

karapon
Fuchu, Japan1,983 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Solo
It is a Silla period Buddhist temple registered as a World Heritage Site.
Located on a small hill, it consists of a splendid temple, a dharma hall, and a sariras tower.
It is interesting to see the unique style of Korean temple which is different from Japanese temple.

I made a one-day visit from Seoul, and the high-speed train (KTX) arrives at Singyeongju Station, which is well outside the city center. From here, I take a 30-minute bus ride to the bus terminal in the city center (the bus to Bulguksa, which also connects from Singyeongju Station, does not enter the bus terminal, but uses the bus stop on the main street a little further away), and then take the No. 10 or 11 bus. It will take another hour or so from here, so it will take about an hour and a half in total.

Personal travel is quite inefficient.
I definitely recommend taking a tour to or from Seoul or Busan.
Automatically translated
Written July 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Darryl H
Singapore, Singapore61 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
Woke up early to get to Bulguksa via Bus 10/11, which took around 1 hour to get there. Be prepared for a steep climb up to reach the temple entrance. Fees were 6,000 won per person, which allowed you to roam the temple vicinity but was worth it. Able to explore all the buildings within the temple compound, but had to pay additional 2,000 won to visit the Bulguksa Museum, which we skipped. The temple compound was amazing and really cannot be missed when being in Gyeongju. Must go!
Written March 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bluetree2016130
Nagoya, Japan19,545 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
The day I visited was just a weekend and the weather was clear. There were a lot of cars trying to get into the parking lot. First, get out of the car and walk to Tenno-mon Gate, a World Heritage Site and six National Treasures. Inside the gate are large wooden statues of the Four Heavenly Kings with wide eyes. It is interesting to see the painted wooden figures holding swords and dragons and playing biwa-like instruments. The area around the main hall is so crowded with tourists and worshippers that it is hard to move. The four bridges connecting the secular world to the French land are so large that it is hard to get a complete picture. It is a large-scale temple that makes sense to be selected as a World Heritage Site.
Automatically translated
Written July 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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