Exploring Gyeongju: Your Ultimate Guide to Getting Around

At first sight, Gyeongju seems so vast as to require a guided tour. Yet the many sights in this historic city are remarkably easy to navigate on your own.

A visitor-friendly bus provides a ready-made hop-on, hop-off itinerary. Most attractions are clustered together, allowing you to stroll, cycle, and meander around traffic-free zones in this “museum without walls.” Here are tips for how to get around Gyeongju.

Take it Easy With Room to Discover by Taking a Loop Bus

Two buses ply one circular route connecting the major sights in central Gyeongju, making this a fuss-free way to see everything without too much planning. It also leaves room for spontaneity: hop off when something grabs your attention – say, a particularly picturesque group of tumuli burial mounds or autumn maples in an appealing shade of red.

Both buses number 10 (the clockwise loop) and 11 (counterclockwise) run from Gyeongju’s adjacent bus terminals (Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal and Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal) and Gyeongju train station to the lofty stone temple Bulguk-sa. Rides cost ₩1650 ($1.38) regardless of distance; sadly, there are no transfer discounts for the same route. Each stop (with its adjacent sights) is announced in Korean and English, although the route map on board is only in Korean. Buses run every 20 minutes from 6am to 9:40pm.

Bus 10 provides the most direct route to the astronomical observatory Cheomseongdae and Lake Bomun Resort. Conversely, Bus 11 is the faster choice for getting to Donggung and Wolji Pond (also known as Anapji Pond), Gyeongju National Museum, and northeastern Namsan. From Bulguk-sa, the fastest bus to the sights will be vice versa, so bus 11 will pass through Lake Bomun Resort, and so on.

From Bulguk-sa, bus 12 takes you up to Seokguram. If you want to see it all, plan your itinerary based on the route taken by bus 10 or 11. Keep in mind that these routes can be crowded on busy weekends, so it might be useful to seek alternate local bus routes if this is your preferred mode of transit.

Tailor Your Visit Using Local Buses

You can take a local bus to most of Gyeongju’s sights without a guide or tour. From the center of town, local buses 61 and 60 can get you to nearby Tumuli Gongwon; buses 500 and 506 head west toward Namsan; and a tourist bus 100 departs toward the east. Bus 203 takes you to Yangdong Folk Village from Gyeongju station (and, infrequently, Singyeongju station) in about 45 minutes. Bus 700 runs directly between the bullet-train station at Singyeongju (with KTX trains from Seoul) and Bulguk-sa in 55 minutes, stopping along the way at sights like Wolji Pond and Lake Bomun Resort. A map on board lists each stop in English. One bus ride costs ₩1250 to ₩1650 ($1.05-$1.38), regardless of distance.

In South Korea, Naver and Kakao Maps are the best for digital routing options. Kakao shows the best bus to catch and can be navigated using English names; familiar icons make route options legible to non-Korean speakers. Internet access is required.

Get a Transport Pass

You can pay your fare on Gyeongju buses throughout the network using either of two rechargeable IC e-cards. The more popular option is T-money (also used in Seoul and across South Korea); Mybi (from Busan) is also accepted. Though you can recharge the cards at convenience stores, we recommend topping up the card before you arrive so you can hop right on the bus.

While the cards only offer slight discounts on travel for most visitors (paper tickets cost ₩50 on top of the prices listed here), they make travel more convenient by eliminating the need to buy paper tickets. The cards are also useful for buying food and drinks from convenience stores that offer preloaded credit.

Maximize Your Time With a Taxi

Taxis in Gyeongju are metered, affordable, and easy to hail from the street. They are beneficial for short trips when you just wish to get there, as well as for groups. A taxi ride works well if you want to see places not covered by the main buses.

The 5-minute ride between Gyeongju Station and Gyeongju National Museum will cost about ₩3500 ($2.93, only a little more than two tickets on bus 11). A one-way fare between Lake Bomun Resort and the city center runs about ₩10,000 ($8.38). You will see taxis outside train and bus stations offering half-day services – which can be considered a private tour without a guide. You can haggle with a smile, but still expect to pay around ₩150,000/200,000 ($125.71/$167.61) for 5/7 hours.

Walk Through an Open-Air Museum

Strolling in the open air is one of the best things to do in a “museum without walls.” Indeed, the Tumuli Gongwon historic area that covers 23 burial mounds, former royal gardens, and an ancient astronomical observatory is a joy to discover on foot. High-rises are banned here, providing refreshing vistas. If you stay in the center of town, you can burn some calories by walking to this nearby area and then to the hip cafes of Hwangridan-gil without needing a vehicle.

Since the Lake Bomun Resort caters primarily to local visitors, and since Koreans enjoy walking, you’ll encounter many fellow strollers around the lake, in the theme park and shopping areas, and under the cherry blossoms.

A network of trails trace the mountainsides of Namsan, and the pagodas, Buddha statues, and more make this open-air experience a delightful scavenger hunt set in nature.

Explore Gyeongju by Bicycle

Gyeongju is ideal for exploration on two wheels. The historic area around the royal tombs of Tumuli Gongwon is especially pleasant and accessible. You can rent bikes almost anywhere, especially outside bus and train terminals; expect to pay about ₩4000/15,000 ($3.35/$12.57) per hour/day for a regular bicycle. In South Korea, electric-assisted bicycles have been allowed to use bike paths since mid-2018, and their presence is growing in Gyeongju alongside electric scooters.

The Kakao Maps app can show you what percentage of a route is on cycle paths, the number of intersections and bridges to cross, and how steep the route is. The cycling estimate for the 14.8km (9 miles) from the city center to Bulguk-sa is about 1 hour across 11 intersections.

Why Cycling is an Excellent Way to Travel in Gyeongju

Freedom is a key benefit. Buses and taxis may transport me to historic areas, but as a cyclist, I can spot a field of pink muhly grass in the distance and pedal straight there. More than mere transport, a bike ride becomes part of the adventure of exploring the expansive areas of Gyeongju – especially if you choose accommodations that offer free bike rentals.

Gyeongju hosts flat cycling paths through blossoming fields and village rice paddies, allowing one to feel like a local filling errands. Someday, I might even fulfill K-drama fantasies of cycling between rolling green tumuli on a tandem bicycle with my sweetheart. In the meantime, I’m convinced that one afternoon of cycling around Gyeongju compensates for indulging in numerous servings of sweet red-bean Gyeongju bread along the way. It’s undoubtedly what the Silla royalty would have wanted.

Drive Around by Car

Even if you arrive in Gyeongju with a rental car, you’ll likely find it more convenient to walk between the main sights in the center of town. Rental cars may feature GPS in Korean; therefore, there is little need to rent a vehicle upon arrival. Public parking lots are available around Namsan and the major sights.

A similar and more economical option is hiring a taxi for the day. If you do want to rent a car, inquire at your hotel or around bus and train terminals.

Accessible Transportation in Gyeongju

Though Gyeongju may be extensive, most clusters of sights are relatively wheelchair accessible. The main challenge may lie in getting there: local buses do not “kneel” or have space for wheelchairs, while wheelchair-accessible taxis cater mostly to residents. This limits options to tours designed for accessibility, such as Korea Wheelchair Tour.

Once at the major sights, you’ll find paths for wheelchairs and baby strollers; the historic area surrounding Tumuli Gongwon boasts a particularly lovely network of paths. Even Bulguk-sa is wheelchair- and baby-stroller-accessible (with free rentals available), although access may be restricted to the lower level.

Unfortunately, Gyeongju provides few facilities for visitors with vision impairments.