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Full day Private Gyeongju UNESCO Heritage Tour : a glimpse into Silla
4.9
46 Ratings
Gyeongju
Experience a full day private tour of Gyeongju's UNESCO Heritage sites and dive into the rich history of the Silla Dynasty. Visit top attractions like Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, and more with a knowledgeable guide. No shopping stops, just quality exploration.
Duration:
11 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Bulguksa Temple - Visit Bulguksa, a UNESCO World Heritage site celebrated as “a masterpiece of Buddhist art in the Far East.” In spring, the temple grounds are adorned with blooming cherry blossoms, and in fall, vibrant foliage.
- Seokguram - At the Seokguram Grotto, marvel at the statues of devas, bodhisattvas, and disciples intricately carved into the surrounding walls.
Afterward, enjoy a lunch of Tteokgalbi (grilled short rib patties).
- Shilla Arts and Science Museum - Watch an animated film about the thousand-year-old Silla Kingdom and explore exhibits that rival the national treasures of Gyeongju.
- Daereungwon Tomb Complex - Discover the large ancient tombs of Silla Kingdom kings and nobles at the Daereungwon tomb complex.
- Cheomseongdae Observatory - Located near the tomb complex, Cheomseongdae Observatory is the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in Asia, its name meaning star-gazing tower.
- Gyeongju Gyochon Traditional Village - Around Cheomseongdae Observatory, explore Gyeongju Gyochon Hanok Village, a blend of historical buildings and newly constructed hanok. Experience traditional life and visit numerous handcraft shops and cafes.
- Gyeongju National Museum - Discover relics spanning a thousand years from the Silla Kingdom.
- Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond - From the tomb complex, your guide will lead you to Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, also known as Anapji. Enjoy Gyeongju’s most stunning nightscape, evoking the sensation of nighttime in the Silla Dynasty. Your guide will share the intriguing history of this site.
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Hotel pickup and dropoff (Gyeongju and Busan)
- KTX - Korean bullet train from Seoul (Seoul option)
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- Professional Guide
- Entrance fees included in the itinerary
What's Not Included
- Gratuities(optional)
- Other activities not on the tour plan
- Lunch
Additional Information
Are you intrigued by the illustrious history of the Shilla era that spanned a millennium? This tour takes you through the primary tourist attractions in Gyeongju, such as the Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Tomb Park, Cheomseongdae observatory, Anapji (Dongung and Wolji), and more. Learn about the Shilla dynasty from your knowledgeable tour guide. If you have an appreciation for ancient cultures and customs or simply desire a respite from South Korea’s bustling city life, consider a day tour to Gyeongju - it’s like time-traveling back to the Shilla era!
Our tour guides, with their friendliness, adaptability, and expertise, will ensure your Korean trip is extraordinary and unforgettable. They will even guide you to local eateries! As this is a private tour, you have the freedom to tailor your itinerary in consultation with your guide!
Moreover, Here Korea Travel is committed to providing superior tour programs without any mandatory shopping detours, allowing you more time to enjoy the actual tour locations!
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Please add country code to your phone number at time of booking
Location
Bulguksa Temple
Bulguksa 385 Bulguk-ro,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(46 Ratings)
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Rogerio_r
May 20, 2024
Amazing Experience - It was a wonderful experience, from the moment we were picked up from our hotel in Seoul by Alicia, who was very empathetic and supportive. We were then met by our guide Min in Gyeongju. Min guided us throughout the park, with a deep knowledge of the area and of Buddhism, adding significantly to the quality of the experience. Our lunch was at a typical Korean restaurant, which we loved. Min made us feel very welcome and was an excellent guide.
Review provided by Viator
Stephanieu358
May 14, 2024
A glimpse of the glory of ancient Korea - Guided by our knowledgeable and attentive guide, Mimi, our group of 9 spent 4 hours touring UNESCO city of Gyeongju. While we enjoyed weaving in and out through the lanes of Yangdong Traditional Village and stepping into the homes, Mimi provided interesting commentary. After that, we visited the impressive tomb park, Donggung & Wolji and a bridge. These ancient relics provided a rare glimpse into the royal life in the Silla dynasty. Our group, aged 4 to 70, were impressed with the cultural heritage of the korean people. We wished we had allocated more time in Gyeongju! Definitely not to be missed on your tour of South Korea!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Emily_n
May 14, 2024
100% reco seeing Gyeongju - Larry was a great guide. He drove us around to various historical sites. Explained the history and background. We enjoyed the day with him. You should definitely visit Gyeongju! Make sure to go in the tomb and see the Buddha in the cave. It’s on the activity list but apparently some say no. Totally recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Mirandam988
May 4, 2024
Best tour ever! - We couldn't have asked for a better tour and guide. Mimi was knowledgeable, friendly and flexible, taking us to all the best places at all the best times. A special day we will always remember. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alexar9218yl
Apr 29, 2024
Worth the time and money - Excellent guide and nice spots! Suggestions: see the remains of the old Dilla palace at night with suggestive illumination.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarah_j
Apr 20, 2024
Experience the History of the Silla Dynasty - Wonderful guide, “Jones”, shared knowledge while leading us through Gyeongju’s famous temples and grotto, palace grounds, and a delicious lunch of traditional tteok-galbi (which shared a parking lot with Ryoku bakery offering delicious house-made pastries. Our guide did an incredible job connecting dots between Korea’s three kingdoms and making everyone feel comfortable.
Review provided by Viator
Ana_c
Apr 11, 2024
Excellent tour - Erick was an excellent tour guide. Very friendly and kind.
My kids had an amazing day with him.
I strongly recommend him.
Review provided by Viator
Stacey_b
Apr 2, 2024
Great tour - We had a wonderful time seeing the sights in Gyeongju. The tour takes you to several locations that are must see places. We were also very lucky with the timing - there were Cherry blossoms everywhere!
Review provided by Viator
Elena_k
Apr 6, 2024
Super interesting, great guide - Fantastic trip. My whole family enjoyed it very much. We got very lucky with the guide - Paul spoke excellent english, was super pro-active and very flexible to show us things that weren’t strictly on the itinerary but also happy to skip sites we didn’t want to see. Great driver too. He made this trip highly memorable! Well done!
I gave 4 out of 5 stars only due to the extortionate cost, which was highly exaggerated and I assume little went to the actual guide.
Review provided by Viator
Cynthiamontano
May 20, 2024
Tour was delivered incomplete - Transportation was great, tour group was only for we two (nice as it became a “private” tour), pick up punctuality was perfect.
The itinerary was not followed, since the first stop we asked for the order of the itinerary since the first stop was different as what’s advertised, driver mentioned that not all the stops listed were to be completed because that’s not the instructions he got from his company, therefore not all the stops listed in description were visited, driver said that in the time allocated (11hrs) was not feasible.
Driver had presented himself as a certified tour guide, unfortunately explanations were few, very short, limited and vague due to poor English language skills.
Driver yawned a lot while driving.
We end up calling what destination stop to go next instead of getting that from an expert to make the most of our time.
Driver proposed to drive us back to the drop spot earlier vs. the itinerary, we had insisted to walk around the village listed in itinerary and used the rest of the time to have dinner at that village, that’s the reason we had completed the 11 hrs duration of the tour (as described in the expectations of the tour listed), if it were for the driver recommendation we were to finish 2 hrs earlier.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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