TEMPLE ADDRESS:
Golgulsa,
San 304, Andong-Ri, Yang-buk Myeon,
Gyeongju, GyeongBuk Province,
South Korea, 780-890
Telephone: 82-54-775-1689
Fax: 82-54-746-1689
E-mail: d-kumkang@hotmail.com
Skype ID: yani8497
(The main temple office is open from 08:00 to 6:00, Korean time)
(Check in to the templestay office is between 2 and 5pm)
Here is a map with our location
Bigger map
First things first, you must get to Gyeongju City, which is nestled in the historical Gyeongsanbuk Province on the southeast coast. After you arrive in Gyeongju, you must then take either a taxi or a local bus to the temple (approximately 40-60 minutes).
GETTING TO GYEONG-JU:
By Bus
Buses depart for Gyeongju fairly regularly from most Korean cities. Buses leave from Seoul’s Gangnam Express Bus Terminal (Subway line 3) every 30 minutes during the day. The bus ride is usually around 4 1/2 hours.
There is also an inter-city bus leaving four times a day directly from the Incheon International Airport near Seoul. For more details check http://www.airport.kr/airport/traffic/bus/busList.iia?flag=E, or ask Tourist Information Center at the airport.
If you are coming from Busan, it should take just over an hour to travel to Gyeongju by bus.
All buses arrive at Gyeongju’s Inter-City Bus Terminal (터미날).
By KTX
The KTX is more expensive than taking the bus, but it cuts the time in half, taking 2 hours to travel from Seoul and a mere 20 minutes from Busan. You can book KTX tickets online at www.korail.com. There’s an ‘English’ button in the top right-hand corner of the site. Note that you will be going to SinGyeongju Station (신경주역). “Sin” means “new” in Korean. We recommend to book the reservation in advance.
If you take the KTX to SinGyeongju Station, you will have to take a 15-minute bus into downtown Gyeongju. As you walk outside the train station, turn right, where you will see a bus stop. There are both bilingual route signs and an information booth. The bus will cost 1,500won and will go by both Gyeongju Terminal (터미날) and Gyeongju’s old train station (경주역).
By Car
Take the Gyeong-ju I.C.(exit) passing Bomun Lake Resort Complex and proceed towards Gampo. From Gyeong-ju, take the 4th road and drive for 26km towards Gampo on the east coast. It takes about thirty minutes from downtown.
Along the way you will pass through a tunnel called “Chulyoung Tunnel” (추령 터널). About 10 minutes after exiting this tunnel, you will see a three-way intersection with a road turning off to the left (and farm fields on the right). There will be signs for both Golgulsa and Girimsa. At this intersection, turn left.
After about 500m, you will see the signs for Golgul Temple. There will be brown road signs on the right of the road, and a big stone sign with Korean letters on the left. Turn left and pass through the main gate. There is a parking area just inside the temple gate.
GETTING TO THE TEMPLE:
After you’ve arrived in Gyeongju, you can either take a taxi, or grab a local bus.
Bus 100 or 150
Both bus 100 or 150 (1,500won) run to Golgulsa every 30 minutes or so. The bus will take about 45 minutes, after which, you will need to walk for another 10 or 15 minutes.
To get the bus from the bus terminal, first you must find the tourist information kiosk. This is just outside the bus terminal. The bus stop is directly across the street from the kiosk. Hop on bus 100 or 150, and tell the driver you are going to Golgulsa. He should tell you when to get off. If you are near Gyeongju Station (the old train station, in the heart of downtown Gyeongju), find the tourist kiosk there. The staff inside can direct you to the nearest bus stop– it is just a minute down the road.
Once you are on the bus, stops are announced, so if you listen carefully you can hear the announcement for “Girimsa, Golgulsa, and Andong Sam Giri”.
Note that the bus will leave downtown Gyeongju, pass by Bomun Lake resort area, and continue through the rolling countryside. About 30 minutes after you leave downtown Gyeongju, the bus will pass through a tunnel. The stop for Golgulsa is about 5 minutes after the tunnel. So once you go through the tunnel, keep your ears open for our stop.
When you get off the bus, you will find yourself at a three-way intersection. You will see a road on the left, perpendicular to the road you are on when you get off the bus. Turn down this road. There will be signs, in English, pointing you towards Golgulsa.
After you’ve turned left, walk down the road for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye out for the temple’s main gates on your left. The Templestay office is just inside the gate; it’s the first building on the right. You can’t miss it.
Taxi
This is easy, and if you are travelling in a group, it can be fairly economical, considering the ease and quick timing of grabbing a taxi. A taxi will cost around 35,000won from downtown Gyeongju to inside the temple gates.
Just tell the taxi drive you want to go to “Golguram” or “Golgulsa”. Pronounce it clearly, as most people will assume you are saying “Bulgulksa”. Throw in the words “Sunmudo” and “Girimsa”, and they’ll clue in. 99% of taxi drivers will know how to get here. On the off chance that they don’t, just try a different taxi.
Note that if you are leaving from Bomun Lake Resort Complex, it should be a bit cheaper, as Bomun Lake is situated just outside of downtown Gyeongju, in the same direction as the temple.