Hostels in Gyeongju, South Korea

Gyeongju is a coastal city in the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang in South Korea. It is 370 kilometres southeast of Seoul and 55 kilometres east of Daegu. Gyeongju is one of the most prominent historic cities in South Korea; it was the capital of the ancient Shilla Kingdom and the Later Shilla (1st century BCE to 10th century AD). There are so many palaces, rock carvings, grottoes, temples, and more dating from prehistoric times to the present that Gyeongju is known as “the museum without walls.”

The closest airports to Gyeongju are Busan and Ulsan, both of which are only an hour away. Seoul is four hours by bus or five hours away by train. The intercity and regional bus network is extensive, so getting around here without a car isn’t a problem at all.

Gyeongju has quite a few hostels to choose from. There are several right near the train and bus stations, which makes them great for getting around to other parts of the city. There are also a few hostels on the east side of the city, near the city’s largest park. The Korean characters for “hostel” are “호스텔” - which is pronounced fairly similar to the English word. Also, most tourist kiosk staff will speak excellent English and can direct you to your hostel.

Gyeongju is one of South Korea’s largest tourist attractions. It has the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and a ton of other things to do. Don’t miss the National Museum, which is full of treasures from the Shilla Kingdom, or the Wolseong Yangdong Village, full of tile roof houses and thatched cottages. You can also view the tombs at Tumuli Park.

The two most popular attractions are in the hills outside of town - the Bulguk-sa Temple and Seokguram Grotto. They can be reached by public transport. Near both are extensive hiking trails to rock carvings, more grottoes, temples, and expansive views back to town.