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South Korea
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Busan
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Tours & Activities
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Private Korean Cultural Heritage Tour Including Seokguram Grotto, Bulguksa Temple and Cheonmachong
1 day
Private
About this activity
After pickup at your hotel in Busan, settle into your comfortable, private minivan for the 1.5-hour drive to Gyeongju, an ancient kingdom of the Silla Dynasty. En route, discuss your interests with your guide who can tailor commentary accordingly.
Your first stop is Seokguram Grotto, a hermitage that belongs to Bulguksa Temple — each composing a UNESCO World Heritage site. View one of the finest Buddhist shrines in Asia, including a serene stone statue of the Buddha gazing out at the East Sea.
From here, move on to the main complex of Bulguksa, meaning ‘Temple of the Buddha Land.’ Built during the 8th century on the slope of Mt Toham, Bulguksa is one of the most renowned Buddhist temples in Korea. With your guide, discover important Silla relics, including two stone pagodas.
After lunch, served at a local restaurant with delicious Korean food, head to Tumuli Park, which contains more than 20 tombs from the Silla period. View Cheonmachong, meaning ‘Heavenly Horse Tomb,’ which marks the grave of an unknown Silla king. It’s name dates back to a painting that was discovered during its 1971 excavation, along with a gold crown and other valuable ornaments.
Then stop by an amethyst factory to pore over Korea’s beloved gemstones, followed by a trip to Cheomseongdae, whose name means 'Star-Gazing Tower.' Learn how the oldest existing astronomical observatory in Asia was used to observe the stars in order to forecast the weather.
Your final visit is to the Gyeongju National Museum, where you can further explore Silla traditions through the many archeological and historical artifacts on exhibit. Afterward, you’re returned to your hotel by private vehicle.
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Your first stop is Seokguram Grotto, a hermitage that belongs to Bulguksa Temple — each composing a UNESCO World Heritage site. View one of the finest Buddhist shrines in Asia, including a serene stone statue of the Buddha gazing out at the East Sea.
From here, move on to the main complex of Bulguksa, meaning ‘Temple of the Buddha Land.’ Built during the 8th century on the slope of Mt Toham, Bulguksa is one of the most renowned Buddhist temples in Korea. With your guide, discover important Silla relics, including two stone pagodas.
After lunch, served at a local restaurant with delicious Korean food, head to Tumuli Park, which contains more than 20 tombs from the Silla period. View Cheonmachong, meaning ‘Heavenly Horse Tomb,’ which marks the grave of an unknown Silla king. It’s name dates back to a painting that was discovered during its 1971 excavation, along with a gold crown and other valuable ornaments.
Then stop by an amethyst factory to pore over Korea’s beloved gemstones, followed by a trip to Cheomseongdae, whose name means 'Star-Gazing Tower.' Learn how the oldest existing astronomical observatory in Asia was used to observe the stars in order to forecast the weather.
Your final visit is to the Gyeongju National Museum, where you can further explore Silla traditions through the many archeological and historical artifacts on exhibit. Afterward, you’re returned to your hotel by private vehicle.
Included
- Entrance fees
- Lunch
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transport by private air-conditioned minivan
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
Not included
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities (recommended)
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- A maximum of 6 people per booking
- A moderate amount of walking is involved. Please wear a comfortable pair of shoes
- Tour is subject to change without notice due to the local conditions
Features
Tourism
95%
Cultural
90%
Reviews
Structure of the tour: The structure/schedule was well planned and communicated. Our tour guide, Jade K, was very well versed in English and his verbal communication was excellent. Timing: The overall time taken for the tour and time spent in each attraction was reasonable and comfortable. Food: Our guide was very helpful in suggesting and taking us to the right restaurant for lunch where we enjoyed traditional Korean food. Content: The tour took us to four different sites and our guide provided very good history of the place and interesting tidbits. Jade was very knowledgeable and conveyed the importance of the places very well. Jade was courteous, knowledgeable, patient & fun to be with through the tour day. We enjoyed our day and learnt many new things about Korean culture. It was a very good trip and we would recommend this tour and guide to our friends.
This private tour of the Gyeongju region the region is culturally rich and often referred to as a museum without walls was filled with interesting and unforgettable experiences such as the spiritual visit to the Seokguram Grotto Tip: an early morning visit to this serene shrine fills one with peace and the culturally rich Bulguksa Temple the simple beauty of this Heritage site which has faced so many damages and reconstruction is a proof of the undeniable human spirit and its belief in the divine. The Cheonmachong Tomb of the Silla Dynasty kings at the Daereungwon Tomb Complex is an interesting insight into the belief this dynasty had in the after-life and the related practices they followed. An equally great experience was interacting with our Tour Guide, Ms Michelle very pleasant personality!, who was knowledegable, patient and made the whole Tour seamless and effortless for us we particularly appreciate her answering all our queries regarding the various sites. The Tour is well paced giving one time to absorb and appreciate the different sites. A truly amazing experience and one of the Top Highlights of our South Korea visit!! Must Visit!!
It was a great trip.