Gyeongju Tourguide

#1Perfect in Every Season: The East Palace Garden

According to Samguk Yusa (history book of the three kingdoms), Donggung and Wolji were the first botanical garden and zoo in Korea. The 30th monarch of Silla, King Munmu, created a detached palace where he dug an immense pond, planted beautiful trees and flowers, and kept rare birds and animals. The Gyeongju East Palace Garden, located near the mouth of the Bomun Tourist Complex, is the perfect destination all year round. Built in 2013, the East Palace Garden was inspired by the legend of Donggung and Wolji. The Garden features the Donggung Botanical Garden and Bird Park, as well as other facilities such as the agricultural research experience facility, outdoor gardens, and music fountain. The “Donggung Botanical Garden” was built in a Hanok-style that would have been popular during the Silla Dynasty, and consists of a main hall along with a secondary hall. The main building uses elements from other Silla's cultural heritage items and relics, including Cheonmado, Jamaejeong, and Wolji, and incorporates them into the with five Silla-themed gardens. Donggung Botanical Garden’s secondary hall opened in June 2016, and is a modern garden with medicinal plants and flowers.

Shaped like a bird’s nest, the flower and bird garden “Bird Park” is home to more than 250 species of rare birds (total 3,000 birds). The Bird Park is unique in that it puts the birds first. To ensure safety, all enclosures are designed with either glass panels or wiring to give the birds plenty of space to fly. Unlike other similar venues, Bird Park was designed to be spacious so that birds can carry on as they would in the natural environment. Bird Park also gives visitors a chance to get up close and personal with the birds with its bird feeding program. There is also the Agricultural Experience Zone which is designed to facilitate interaction between urban-rural areas. You can actually take part in a few agricultural activities to see what life might feel like in rural areas. Depending on the season, there are greenhouses in which you can pick cherries, blueberries, and other fruits as well. Adjacent to the botanic garden, there is a beautiful music water fountain by which you can sit and relax.

#2Activities on Land, on Water, or in the Air at Bomun Lake

Bomun Tourist Complex is a good place to enjoy leisure activities on water, on land, or in the air. There are a number of duck and swan shaped pedal boats, which are easy to operate, and electric boats, which can give you a thrilling time as you glide over the silvery lake surface. In March 2020, other dynamic leisure activities such as jet skiing, wakeboarding, and fly-fishing are expected to become available at Bomun Lake as well.
On land, you can enjoy some racing. Add some fun to your trip with an off-road ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle), or try one of the go-kart races one the lakeside.

If you’re not interested in anything on land or on water, take it to the skies. Get on a hot air balloon and take in the million-dollar view of the Bomun Tourist Complex from above. Hot air balloons using helium gas can rise to, on average, 100m off the ground. In some cases, you might get up to 150m in the air. Once you reach peak altitude, take a 360-degree turn and enjoy the breathtaking panoramic view of the Bomun Tourist Complex.
(※Note: As of September 22, 2019, the hot air balloon was damaged in the aftermath of a typhoon and the service is temporarily suspended. Bomun Tourist Complex expects to resume the hot air balloon program as soon as repairs are complete)

Boating and Duck Boat Information

• Location : 424-34 Bomun-ro, Gyeongju
• Opening Hours : 09:00 – 18:00 (Recommended visit after inquiry)
• Price
  • 4-person Duck / Swan Pedal Boat 40 min per boat 20,000 won
  • 4-person Electric boat 40 min per boat 30,000 won
  • Inquiries : 054 745 6200

[ATV Experience Information] Gyeongju Leisure

• Location : 180-2, Bukgun-dong, Gyeongju
• Hours of use : Flexible, please inquire before visiting
• Price
  • Kart Racing 1 passengers 20,000 won, 2 passengers 25,000 won
  • ATV 30 minutes service 20,000 won per ATV
• Inquiries : 010 2582 0600

[ATV Experience Information] Bobul ATV Information

• Location : 60-7 Cheongun-dong, Gyeongju
• Hours of use : Flexible, please inquire before visiting
• Price : 30,000 won for 2 people running ATV 40 minutes
• Inquiries : 010 2473 5566

Flying Gyeongju Information

• Location : 132-23, Bomun-ro, Gyeongju
• Opening Hours : 10:00 – 18:00 (Flexible operation according to weather conditions, please inquire before visiting)
• Price : Adults 18,000won / Teenagers 17,000won / Children 15,000won
• Inquiries : 054 741 1230

#3Bomunjeong: The Beautiful Scenery at the Bomun Tourist Complex.

Once you’ve enjoyed all of those exciting activities, you’ll likely want to find a quiet spot to take a break. Bomunjeong is a peaceful spot with a small pond and a beautiful pagoda. Its stunning view was impressive enough to make it to CNN’s list of “Beautiful scenic locations in Korea.” The pagoda and two ponds are surrounded by cherry blossoms that bloom in spring, maple trees, and water lilies bloom that bloom in summer. Beautiful in any season, Bomunjeong is a popular attraction for professional and amateur photographers.

Bomunjeong Information

• Location : 150-1, Sinpyeong-dong, Gyeongju-si
• Opening Hours : No fixed time
• Entrance Fee : Free

#4Music Trip: K-POP Museum

Adjacent to Bomunjeong is the K-POP Museum , an exhibition hall covering the history of Korean pop music. Like Bomunjeong, this place was also recommended as a “must-see” attraction in Korea by CNN. It was featured on the TV show “The Dictionary of Useless Knowledge,” which gave the museum a glowing review for its exhibits. The Museum became even more popular after RM, the leading member of the famous boyband BTS, took several selfies during his visit.

From the basement level one to the third floor, the entire building is packed with music. The main exhibits starts on the second floor, summarizing 100 years of pop music in Korea. You can find a wide variety of music from the first pop songs to the latest hits in pop music. The Museum has headsets that allow you to listen to the music on display. Before you know it, you might end up hours just listening to all the music.

The third floor features a sound museum that covers 100 years of audio in Korea. It starts with the first films with sound to hit the cinemas in the 1920s using speakers introduced by Western Electric. The third floor also showcases a wide variety of rare sound devices from around the world, including Eurodin, Ampex, Altec and Tannoy. The best place to wrap up your visit to the Museum, may be the Music Room. Here, you can select your favorite music or song, and listen to it with the best equipment you’ll ever see.

#5Enjoy All That Culture: Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park

The Gyeongju Expo Park is famous for hosting the inaugural “Gyeongju World Culture Expo” in 1998 to encourage interaction and harmony between people from all over the world by sharing in each other’s culture. Since the inaugural event, Gyeongju Expo Park has hosted the Gyeongju World Culture Expo on eight separate occasions. Each year, new technologies and items are added to the exhibitions, performances, and experiences offered at the Expo, which is now heading towards its 30th anniversary. In addition to the Expo, the Park is open all year round from spring to early winter, and hosts several permanent exhibitions and experience-based activity centers such as the Gyeongju Tower, 3D Animation World, Jurassic Fossil Museum, Tobot Junk Art Museum, and Solger Art Museum.

Gyeongju Expo Park is also a major attraction as simply a park. There are many places to enjoy picnics and walks near the Gyeongju Tower, including the Silla Wanggyeong Forest, Hwarang Square, Apyeongji and promenade, Asadal Sculpture Park, and Time Garden. “Gyeongju Tower,” which features the silhouette of the Hwangryongsa 9-Story Wooden Pagoda Tower, is the signature landmark of the Gyeongju World Culture Expo and a must-see attraction in Gyeongju. Gyeongju Tower rises 82m above the Bomun Tourist Complex, giving visitors a great view of the entire area.

#6A Morning Walk along the Bomun Lake Walking Trail

At 7km long, Bomun Lake Walking Trail circles around Bomun Lake and takes roughly two hours at a leisurely pace to complete a loop. Along the trail, you’ll find small parks such as the Mulneoul Park and Love Park, in addition to bridges like the Mulneoul Bridge and Hoban No.1 Bridge. Also, you’ll come across picnic tables and benches throughout the area. You can walk the entire trail or simply complete part of it. Most visitors like to walk from the Bomun Lake Performance Stage, which is where most of the hotels, condominiums and resorts are located, to the Hoban No. 1 Bridge near Gyeongju world (2km one-way). The trail is donned with beautiful cherry trees that create a spectacular view, and the tall cherry trees lining the shores of Bomun Lake create a magnificent view, and the expansive view of the lake looks beautiful no matter which season you visit.

#7Gyeongju World

Opened in 1985, Gyeongju World is the second oldest amusement park in Korea. Originally named Doturak World, Gyeongju World was renamed in 1992. It has two sections, “Gyeongju World Amusement Park” and a water park called “California Beach.”

The main feature of the Gyeongju World Amusement Park is “Draken Valley,” which is home to the Draken. As the first dive coaster in Korea, the popular Draken boasts a 90-degree vertical drop designed by professional roller coaster design company B&M. Aside from the Draken, Draken Valley has hands-on interactive programs where you can take part in adventures against a backdrop inspired by Nordic mythology. More specifically, Draken Valley is home to the Snow Park (Treasure of Water), Krak (Treasure of Fire), Dragon Race (Treasure of Wind), Fenley Rock (Treasure of Earth), and Draken (Treasure of Love). Another popular section is the “X-Zone,” which is full of thrilling and popular attractions such as “Mega Drop” (falls from a height of 70m) and “Python” (an inverted roller coaster).

Water park California Beach opened in 2008. It features a wave pool powered by a complex hydraulic wave machine that lets you feel the thrill of riding strong ocean waves. California Beach also has a pneumatic wave device that allows you to enjoy softer waves, a large water slide, and a splash zone for families to enjoy together. In winter, Gyeongju World opens a Snow Park where both adults and children can sled down the longest ski-sledding slope in Korea (250m-long) on a either a ski-sled or standard sled.