Gyeongju UNESCO World Heritage Sites and History Full-Day Tour with Lunch
4.5
Gyeongju UNESCO World Heritage Sites and History Full-Day Tour with Lunch
By Busan Tourism Center
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About
Complete your Gyeongju bucket list without breaking a sweat on a full-day small-group tour. With lunch, entrance fees, and transportation included, there’s no need for you to fuss over logistics. Enjoy interactive and immersive guided visits at each attraction, plus free time to take photos. Imagine what life was like in the former capital at Gyochon Traditional Village. Visit UNESCO listed Bulguk Temple and Seokguram Grotto along with other historical sites.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99, max of 15 per group
Duration: 8h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: Korean, English
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Highlights
- Get the personalized experience of a small group
- Have a traditional Korean lunch during the tour
- Visit multiple UNESCO-listed sites in South Korea
- Enjoy courtesy admission to all visited locations
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Professional guide
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan
- Guaranteed to skip the long lines
- Bottled water
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Entry/Admission - Gyeongju
- Entry/Admission - Gyeongju
- Entry/Admission - Seokguram
- Entry/Admission - Bulguksa Temple
- Guaranteed to skip the lines
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.Pickup details
- We will inform you exact pick up time few days before depends on other tourists' location and your location via email/viator message.
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 35385P5- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Adult pricing applies to all travelers except those aged 4 or under, who go free of charge
- Please wear comfortable shoes (high heels are not recommended)
- Sun screen is recommended
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travellers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 35385P5
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AU$304.19
per adult
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Jay A0 contributionsJust OKMusic was too loud, fireworks was lame. View was good and felt taken care of well bc cold. Extra blankets helped. Personal driver was great. Staff did well for safetyWritten 15 December 2024
- Mark421390 contributionsSteve was Awesome! Great Tour!I had a really wonderful experience on this tour. Steve communicated with me prior to the tour, was very friendly, helpful and informative throughout the tour, and really gave me a wonderful tour of Busan! He went above and beyond visiting Haeundae Beach and dropping me off for a ceremony at the UN cemetery. Thank you for an awesome tour!Written 29 November 2024
- louiskL3595YV0 contributionsExactly as advertised!Steve was an excellent guide. Had a great time. Not only did he share interesting information about all places we visited but he also answered any questions I had about the time I would be spending in Korea. He went so far as to tell me to message him if I needed any help which is so reassuring when you are traveling solo.Written 10 November 2024
- _P2387TF0 contributions2024년 부산 아름다운 감천문화마을 축제와 행사I recently visited Gamcheon Culture Village in Busan, and it was an unforgettable experience. The village is a colorful blend of art and culture, nestled on a hillside with stunning views of the city. Walking through the narrow alleys, I was captivated by the vibrant murals and unique sculptures that adorned the houses. Each corner of the village tells a story, and I enjoyed discovering the local artists' work. It felt like stepping into an open-air gallery. I also had the chance to try some delicious local food at the charming cafes, which added to the overall experience. The sense of community was palpable, and I appreciated the effort to preserve the village's history and culture. I highly recommend visiting Gamcheon Culture Village for anyone looking to explore the artistic side of Busan. It's a perfect spot for photography, relaxation, and soaking in the local culture! I'm planning to visit Gamcheon Culture Village from October 25 to 27, 2024, when they will be hosting an exhibition on the village's history, a photo exhibition, and various cultural events and booths. I'm really looking forward to experiencing the beautiful Gamcheon Culture Village!Written 7 October 2024
- Adeline S0 contributionsBeware of credit card fraud when making Busan tour booking ! Just happened to me !!!!!I recently reviewed my experience with this tour from Busan very positive ! But when I got back to the United States , my credit card company alerted me to several fraud charges from the same card that I used to book the tour ! The tour has a customer service number and I spoke with this Philipino agent Danny ! He was helpful n answers all my questions abt the tour ! He offers to help me booked but I told him w many credit card frauds I rather book directly myself ! He sent me the link uNader Viators n I immediately made the booking ! Everything seemed legit as there was follow up email n next day the tour operator contacted me with meeting points etc ! Upon returning home , I realized that’s one card which I only used for the tour charge was compromised ! Luckily I knew it has to be from the tour booking as I only used that card once for that purpose ! So anyone booking and experienced similar credit card fraud recently ?Written 23 September 2024
- yoshikoo3640 contributionsKorean food tour just fun!It was just fun . The guide introduced a variety of local food an we enjoyed a lot. If you are interested in Korean food, I recommend this tour.Written 11 September 2024
- najumaa20190 contributionsShort Evening AdventureThe tour was as described. Chris picked us up on time and was very engaging as we traveled to pick up the others. The cruise was just a ride out to sea with some fireworks. It was an experience, but it wasn't anything more spectacular than I just described. The stop at the film festival place was quick and painless. The last spot which was a view from the top of a mountain had a beautiful view. The stay there was also quick and painless. I'd recommend this tour for anyone who doesn't want to be committed to a full day. The short evening hours were just enough to fill our evening. I would not recommend this for young children as I think they'd be bored with everything after the boat. But as far as the boat, even with a life jacket, you'd really have to hold onto them while the boat goes to sea.Written 8 July 2024
- grpresto0 contributionsAll the HighlightsI got to see all the Highlights (Gamcheon Culture Village, the fish market, the international market, the observatory, the sky walk, and the temple) in one day. Steve was my tour guide; he was knowledgeable and professional and easy to talk to. Great price for a full day with lots of shopping time built in.Written 5 July 2024
- PoosieMelbourne0 contributionsWhat a great night!We had such a brilliant night with Steve! Steve was thoughtful enough to suggest a different day for our tour, to ensure we got the best weather, he was spot on! Steve looked after us the entire time, and answered plenty of our questions about living in Korea. He also gave us a few suggestions for things to do in Busan in poor weather, which we appreciated very much (and his suggestions were great!) 5 starsWritten 2 July 2024
- shirlenep20140 contributionsCool evening on a yachtEnjoyed the evening on the yacht. Cool breeze n nice views. We booked with Yacht Holic weekday 7pm. At end of trip around 8pm, the sky is not completely dark yet so the fireworks set off by the crew member was not that nice. Recommend to book weekend 730pm. Then get to see sunset n night views.Written 17 June 2024
- Andy J0 contributionsA great evening tour of BusanMy wife and I had a great evening tour of Busan with our tour guide Steve. We took a one hour harbour tour at sunset that included fireworks. Then we went to the Cinema center where the annual Busan film festival is held every October. We capped off the evening with a view over the city from a mountain top overlooking Diamond bridge. He was very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English.Written 23 May 2024
- 939russellm0 contributionsGreat viewsPicked up from hotel, a little tour around the east of the city, cruise was fun, great view of the bridge and all the buildings. Fantastic view of the city from Mt Busan. Our guide was great. Recommended.Written 15 May 2024
- maritzam6830 contributionsA great experience with a great tour-guide!Busan is such a large city with so many places to visit , hiking trails, a rich culture and gastronomy. I spent most of my time hiking and had little time left to know the city/region. I booked this small -group tour with a local guide:a great experience, excellent guide. 👍👏👏 If you are into Arts and don’t mind the crowds, the Gamcheon Culture Village is an interesting spot. We visited the Fishmarket, the turtle island with a great view to the Skyline of the coast, there was an observation point to the diamond-bridge, a wow -view of the city with very very few visitors 😁..O guess this is one of the hidden spots only locals know 👌. The tour included lunch, Busan-BBQ. The van-ride through the city showed the infrastructure of the city, which really impressed me. Stephen, many thanks for this great tour!Written 6 May 2024
- maritzam6830 contributionsBusan from a different perspective, noice!Positive surprised , this city is even nicer at night. We crossed the diamond- bridge , and the ride from the hotel, close to Busan Station , to the east part, showed the modern part of the city, a wow infrastructure and at night, espectacular.Written 3 May 2024
- ivonh20240 contributionsDelightful tourOverall, this tour was good. The tour guide was Chris and he was very friendly and talkative. The cruise was nice given that I went on a Saturday and there was a drone show on Gwangalli Beach so I was able to watch that from the yacht. I went as a solo traveler and I had fun. Chris is very nice and will help you take photographs if you wish to take any.Written 31 January 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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4.5
24 reviews
Excellent
21
Very good
1
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Kenny K.
Philadelphia, PA6 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
Long overdue but here goes. We had Steve as our tour guide and he was absolutely the best. We weren't originally sure what to expect for this tour as I had been to Gyeongju as a child while my partner (from America) had never been to Korea before. Steve, who was completely fluent in both English and Korean, gave us such a fun tour and we are so glad we signed up last minute. For someone who did not grow up in Korea, Steve was extremely knowledgable and had a lot of interesting facts that you normally might not get from touring the city on your own even if you were educated in Korea. Steve is very easy-going, thoughtful, and makes sure that the tour he gives fits the agenda you are looking for that day. Whether you are Korean or not, speak the language or not, or knowledable in Korean history, we would absolutely recommend hiring Steve for the day and you can relax while you let him take you around. As the historic capital of Korea, he definitely had an impact on how we viewed the city by the time we left in the hopes of younger generations sticking around to keep the history alive in such a beautiful historic city.
Written 12 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jay W
1 contribution
July 2024 • Family
We took a one-day small-group tour of Gyeongju with the Busan Tourism Center, which included lunch and all the main tourist attractions. Since no other families registered, my family was given a private tour in a nice air-conditioned Hyundai Staria van. We had an absolutely wonderful experience with Chris Choi as our tour guide! His English was fluent, knowledge of Gyeongju was impressive, and he shared fascinating stories and insights that brought history and culture to life. He was attentive to our needs, answered all our questions with patience, and went above and beyond to ensure we had an enjoyable time. His passion for the job truly shined through, making our tour both educational and fun. Highly recommend Chris Choi to anyone looking for an exceptional tour experience.
Written 19 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nikole T
6 contributions
Oct 2023 • Friends
Steve was great. Two very different groups and he managed both well. We saw a ton in a day and we would not have been able to enjoy all of the sites without Steve. He had bottled water for us and all tickets were included. It was a great day!
Written 9 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Milk M
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Couples
Our tour in Gyeongju started early (we were picked up at 7:30am) but it also ended really early as well (we headed back to Busan at 3:07pm and arrived at our hotel at 4:37pm).
Considering the hefty price we paid (Sgd 270 per head!!!) for this tour, I am utterly disappointed. Our tour guide, Chris, passed by Bulguksa while driving around 3pm and noted the long queue of cars heading to go in. Despite it still being rather early in the day, he simply mentioned that "the queue was too long, we probably will take 30 minutes to enter" and then drove past it and sent us home on our way. Note that they use the terms "guaranteed to skip the long lines" so this can in fact be considered false advertising.
And more importantly, considering we paid so much to be able to visit all of the famous attractions in Gyeongju, I am very upset that we were unable to visit what was arguably the most famous one of them all (Bulguksa) which also happened to be the one being shown as the main photo for this tour. This is pretty much false advertising as well.
Also considering the price we paid, I expected our tour to be more in depth and hands on. For most of the attractions, Chris gave us some short history about it at the start (5-10 minutes) and then waited for us near the entrance while we were left to explore the rest of the place on our own. I noticed that most of the overly positive reviews mention another tour guide "Steve" instead, so I'm not sure if it would have been the same had he been the one to be our guide for this disappointing tour.
I do not think my expectations are entirely unreasonable. There were local Korean tour groups and the guides were present even within the attractions to provide explanations about the details of the place.
Overall, the tour was a huge disappointment for the price we paid and I would not recommend it. You are much better off taking a group tour with a bus (see the tours available on Klook) for less than half the price of this tour or even just renting a car and driving on your own. The only benefit I can think of was the fact that the tour was rather unpopular so we had the car all to ourselves.
Considering the hefty price we paid (Sgd 270 per head!!!) for this tour, I am utterly disappointed. Our tour guide, Chris, passed by Bulguksa while driving around 3pm and noted the long queue of cars heading to go in. Despite it still being rather early in the day, he simply mentioned that "the queue was too long, we probably will take 30 minutes to enter" and then drove past it and sent us home on our way. Note that they use the terms "guaranteed to skip the long lines" so this can in fact be considered false advertising.
And more importantly, considering we paid so much to be able to visit all of the famous attractions in Gyeongju, I am very upset that we were unable to visit what was arguably the most famous one of them all (Bulguksa) which also happened to be the one being shown as the main photo for this tour. This is pretty much false advertising as well.
Also considering the price we paid, I expected our tour to be more in depth and hands on. For most of the attractions, Chris gave us some short history about it at the start (5-10 minutes) and then waited for us near the entrance while we were left to explore the rest of the place on our own. I noticed that most of the overly positive reviews mention another tour guide "Steve" instead, so I'm not sure if it would have been the same had he been the one to be our guide for this disappointing tour.
I do not think my expectations are entirely unreasonable. There were local Korean tour groups and the guides were present even within the attractions to provide explanations about the details of the place.
Overall, the tour was a huge disappointment for the price we paid and I would not recommend it. You are much better off taking a group tour with a bus (see the tours available on Klook) for less than half the price of this tour or even just renting a car and driving on your own. The only benefit I can think of was the fact that the tour was rather unpopular so we had the car all to ourselves.
Written 29 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike G
London, UK319 contributions
Simply amazing to see these green mounds in the middle of a built up area
Easy access by bus from KTX station
Helpful tourist info at KTX Station
Mounds and museum and more mounds and palace
Easy access by bus from KTX station
Helpful tourist info at KTX Station
Mounds and museum and more mounds and palace
Written 28 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
echo9ine5
Mississauga, Canada5 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
An excellent tour of this UNESCO heritage site. We enjoyed spending the day with Beth our guide and Chung our driver. Both Beth and Chung have studied abroad so they speak excellent English. We were picked up punctually at our Hotel in a van. The tour is geared toward small groups so you don't get lost in a crowd. Beth was a very enthusiastic and a knowledgeable guide. Our tour was almost a private tour since there were only three of us and the tour was often tailored to our needs and requests. Chung went out of his way to drop us off at an unplanned location at the end of the tour as per our request. It was also fun to get the perspectives of two young Korean nationals (Beth and Chung) on the culture and politics of modern day Korea as well as the historic Korea which was the focus of the tour. It was a very memorable, interesting and informative tour. Highly recommend it.
David C MD CCFP
David C MD CCFP
Written 21 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rola L
278 contributions
We booked a tour via TripAdvisor. Originally meant to be a shared tour, but as it was off peak we ended up having a great day out in a private tour with just our family. Our tour guide, Steve, was fantastic. He let us go at our own pace, was super friendly and very knowledgeable. He also knew where the best photo ops were and made the day fun and engaging. We were picked up and dropped off at our hotel in Gyeongju in a really comfortable mini van. The whole booking process was really easy as well and they were really good about confirming our tour times. The company has very good English and were super responsive on email.
Written 10 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Saurav G
Washington DC, DC52 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
My wife and I recently took a tour of Gyengju with Beth from Busan Tourism Center. We had a really fun day touring the sites, including the Bulguksa temple and the Seokguram grotto. We were somewhat lucky in that we booked a group tour but we were the only clients that day, so it was effectively a private tour all day. Beth was very helpful in explaining the sites we were visiting, and that added to our enjoyment of the temples and sites. She was great about taking our picture - a nice thing when it's just two of you and you're always getting pictures of each other. We had a traditional korean lunch in between the sites, which was great. Would highly recommend this tour!
Written 31 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RobMN
London, UK29 contributions
The tour includes everything from cave shrines through to buddhist temples and subterranean burial sites. Our guide was wonderful, lunch was good and the all-round service was first class. Highly recommended.
Written 26 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wanderfast
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia13 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
Second trip to Busan this year with the wife, and we decided to do our tour a second time with Steve of BTC (not to be confused with the lesser known k-pop band, BTS). He did not disappoint, and Gyeongju is a great day out from the city. A small and easy paced tour, there are plenty of interesting things to see and learn. Steve managed the time well again, arriving and leaving each site just before the descending hordes, and the vehicle and drive was very safe & comfortable. Highly recommended.
Written 2 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Will this tour start from Gyeongju, not Busan? I wonder whether I will be picked up at the hotel in Gyeongju where I will be staying.
Written 23 June 2023
I am planning to visit during december, will this tour operate during this period as it will be winter?
Written 10 August 2019
Obviously winter is a low season. Durning my visit to Gyeongiu last October I did not see any tour groups. I suggest that you check out the avalability of (English) tours in the time frame you plan to go. A tour group serves a good purpose. You get to see more places with guidance and you don't have to worry about transportation. At the Ancient Tomb Complex on a weekend it was very difficult to find a cab to get back to downtown. I still have a Gyeongiu map (a bit worn). I can mail it to you if you want it. However this map is in English. As I pointed out most Koreans do not speak English.
Written 11 August 2019
I have booked and paid for this tour already. Yet I still wonder if I will be permitted to go on it because I am just a solo traveler. Is the minimum two passengers a strict rule or is it flexible? My payment was not rejected so am I okay as a solo traveler on this trip?
Written 4 February 2019
You need to ask the company. I waa booked for a second different tour, but because they only had my reservation, they asked if I wanted to pay for a solo private tour which was double the cost. I declined.
If they haven’t contacted you re: this, then perhaps you are okay. However, to be certain, you need to check with them.
Written 4 February 2019
Around what time do you return to Busan after the tour?
Written 17 January 2019
Around 4:30/5:00, if I correctly recall. You're not rushed on the tour, and go to an excellent Korean buffet lunch where you can try a lot of different Korean dishes, some that I have never seen at a luncheon (I'm Korean American). I don't remember the name of my guide, but he was great.
Written 17 January 2019
Can solo travelers take this tour? The information provided does say a minimum of two passengers is required to book. Is this a strict rule or is it flexible?
Written 3 December 2018
I was a solo traveler. They let me book and then said it may be canceled if other travelers do not join. Other travelers didn't join, so I paid as if there were 2 people since I still wanted to go on the tour.
Written 27 May 2019
Is the Busan Tourism Center day-long tour pre-programmed, or can you ask to be taken to sites more to your personal interest? If not, is the Gamechon Culture Village part of the tour?
Written 2 October 2018
I took the Busan day tour last spring. The tour was pretty flexible within the pre-programmed schedule, and the Gamechon culture village was a part of the tour.
Written 3 October 2018
I am staying at the Millennium Seoul Hilton. Does it make sense for me to get a hotel in Busan the night before>
Written 5 May 2018
The tour will start at 8 or 9 am so u won’t be able to get from Seoul to busan by Ktx before the day starts
Written 6 May 2018
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