Gyeongju-si Special Tourist Zone (경주시 관광특구)

7.4 Km 12803 2023-01-03

614, Gyeonggam-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-779-6084

Gyeongju was the capital city of the ancient kingdom of Silla. The city is often referred to as a “museum without walls” because of the many cultural relics scattered throughout the city. Almost everything in this city, from the streets to the mountains, is rich in history. Gyeongju has roughly 300 sites that have been designated as a cultural heritage, with some of them being UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Sites.

The Gyeongju Special Tourist Zone includes the districts of Namsan, Wolseong, Daereungwon, Hwangryongsa, and Sanseong. This area has a total of 52 cultural assets registered on the World Heritage list. Many of the hills are actually royal tombs and fields of grass used to be sites of ancient temples.

The entire Namsan Mountain can almost be considered a cultural asset because of the many stone pagodas and Buddha statues that can be found here. The Bulguk district is home to many of Gyeongju’s most well-known attractions such as Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Gyeongju Folk Village, Silla Arts and Science Museum, and Goereung.

In the Bomun district, there are plenty of recreation facilities surrounding Bomunho Lake. Other attractions in the area include Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park, Gyeongju World, and Silla Millennium Park.

[Gyeongju Special Tourist Zone]
Areas included: Downtown area, Bomun Lake Resort, and Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
Area size: 32,650,000㎡
Tourist Attractions: Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Daereungwon Tomb Complex, Namsan Mountain, Bomunho Lake, Shilla Millennium Park, Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park, etc.

Gyeongju Expo Park (경주엑스포공원)

7.4 Km 42121 2024-02-27

614 Gyeonggam-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Gyeongju Expo Park is located in the Bomun Tourist Complex in Gyeongju, offering a thematic experience of Korean culture through exhibitions, performances, and hands-on activities showcasing the art and culture of the Silla dynasty (BC 57-AD 935). The park features various attractions such as Gyeongju Tower, Timeless Media Art, Solgeo Art Museum, Lumina Night Walk, Cheomseongdae Film Hall, and Asadal Sculpture Park.

Gyeongju East Palace Garden (Donggungwon) (경주 동궁원)

7.4 Km 33 2016-03-04

74-14, Bomun-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-779-8725, +82-54-777-7200

Gyeongju East Palace Garden re-creates Korea's first zoo and botanical garden in the image of a modern Donggung Palace and Woliji Pond. The garden is comprised of botanical garden, agricultural experience facility and Bird Park. In particular, the greenhouses in the botanical garden are built with the design of traditional building from the Silla period but are made entirely of glass, providing this garden with a unique atmosphere.

Gyeongju Bird Park (경주 버드파크)

7.6 Km 11714 2024-02-28

74-14 Bomun-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-777-7200

Gyeongju Bird Park, located in the Bomun Tourist Complex, is a bird-themed park designed in the shape of a bird's nest. It houses around 900 birds of 250 species, along with various plants and flowers. Visitors can interact with the birds and enjoy hands-on experiences at the educational center. The first floor features an ecological experience hall with birds, reptiles, fish, and small animals, while the second floor includes exhibition halls and outdoor experiential spaces.

Bomunho Lake (보문호)

7.7 Km 24260 2022-09-08

424-33, Bomun-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-745-7601

Bomunho Lake is a man-made lake 1,652,900 m² in size. It was built on the site of an old fortress in Myeonghwalsan Mountain in the east of Gyeongju in accordance with the Gyeongju Bomun Tourist Resort development plan. There are many leisure facilities and parks around the lake, including an international hotel and Gyeongju World. Bomunho Lake is very popular among bikers and walkers.

Unlike other cities or towns where cherry trees are only found in certain areas, Gyeongju is packed with cherry blossoms. In spring, the whole cityscape turns pink with the beautiful blossoms. The combination of the stunning trees reflected in the waters of Bomunho Lake and the trees of Bulguksa Park gracefully adorning the nearby temple make for particularly stunning sights. When a light breeze blows, cherry blossoms gently flutter down like satin snow flakes. The Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Marathon is held in April when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

Gyongju Folk Craft Village (경주민속공예촌)

7.7 Km 34877 2024-02-27

230 Bobul-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

Gyeongju Folk Craft Village, nestled at the foot of Tohamsan Mountain in Gyeongju, is a traditional folk craft village consisting of around fourty Korean traditional houses including thatched-roof and tiled-roof houses. Skilled artisans proficient in traditional arts and crafts gather here to produce and sell ceramics, woodcrafts, jewelry, hanbok, stone crafts, and more. Visitors can also participate in hands-on crafting experiences. The village's Silla Art and Science Museum showcases artifacts from the Silla dynasty, while nearby attractions include the Bomun Tourist Complex, Bulguksa Temple, and Seokguram Grotto.

Maetdol sundubu (맷돌순두부)

7.8 Km 35612 2024-02-23

7 Bukgun-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
054-745-2791

Maetdol sundubu, located at the entrance of the Bomun Tourist Complex in Gyeongju, is renowned for its homemade dubu (bean curd) dishes, crafted using domestic soybeans. The highlight of its menu is the maetdol sundubu jjigae (stone-ground soft bean curd jjigae), a savory concoction featuring sundubu (soft bean curd), shrimp, and clams. The dish is typically served in a ttukbaegi (hot pot), and customers have the option to add a raw egg to the boiling mixture. This sundubu restaurant is popular for its delicately flavored dishes.

Silla Arts and Science Museum (신라역사과학관)

7.8 Km 27594 2023-04-07

33, Hadonggongyechon-gil, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-745-4998

Silla Arts and Science Museum, opened in 1988, displays miniature models of scientific cultural assets in order to explore and educate how these assets are formed and preserved.

Hilton Gyeongju (힐튼 경주)

7.8 Km 18819 2020-04-14

484-7, Bomun-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-745-7788

Located next to Gyeongju’s beautiful Bomun Lake, Hilton Gyeongju features 330 rooms, banquet halls of different sizes for various occasions, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and Wooyang Gallery, located inside of the hotel, displays world famous modern art works. It takes only 30 minutes from Singyeongju Station (KTX Station) and 1 hour 30 minutes from Gimhae Airport.

Hwang Ryong Won (황룡원)

7.8 Km 0 2022-07-26

40, Expo-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-760-0500

This unique architecture is a reinterpretation of the Hwangryongsa nine-story pagoda format from the Silla period using modern science technology and architecture methods. The building has become a new landmark in Bomun Tourist Complex and is also used as a training institute by offering various programs like meditation. There are simple one-hour programs or overnight tour courses available through prior reservation.

Gyeongju-si Special Tourist Zone (경주시 관광특구) - Area information - Korea travel information