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3-day Busan, Gyeongju Tour by KTX and Temple Stay
'Dynamic Busan, City of Tomorrow’ - slogan of Busan - is famous for its spectacular beaches, fresh seafood, the biggest film festival in Asia and the most exciting and desirable new urban center. Also, Busan was a rare piece of territory not captured by North Korea during the Korean War, that is why lots of refugee villages were created on the hills. The villages are still just as they were in the old days. After 1.5 days exciting Busan tour, You are supposed to experience Templestay at Beomeasa temple in Busan. templestay is a cultural experience program for a better understanding of Korean traditional culture and Korean Buddhism. This short templestay including chanting, meditation, conversation over tea, Buddhist meals will give you a new perspective on your life. We hope you can find your peace of mind and feel the great atmosphere of over 1,300-year-old antiquity of Beomeosa. After templestay, you will head to Gyeongju, which was once the capital of the ancient Korean Kingdom of Silla (57 BCE – 935) for about one millennium and contains a great wealth of heritage sites and relics that reflect its remarkable cultural achievements.
With the assistance of our guides, catch a glimpse of some of the traditional art & culture, and experience them yourself to feel the rich history of Korea.
Tour description
DAY 1
Seoul station
A pickup at your hotel starts your trip with a transfer to Seoul Station, where the train is ready to carry you to Busan. After the ride across the South Korean countryside, You will get to Busan station and meet your guide, set out to visit some of the most storied sights around.
Choi Min-Shik Gallery
Choi Min-Shik is the first-generation documentary photographer who photographed ordinary people with tough lives emanating from war and poverty. He aroused sympathy from the world by photographing ordinary people's tough lives and underprivileged people during the modernization of Busan with the theme 'Human'. His black/white photos capture the moments of people in a very vivid way. Every single one of his photographs is portraits that are Koreans in Busan streets. His gallery overlooks the Amidong Tombstone village from the top of the hill.
Amidong Tombstone Village
The stairs and the walls in this village are different from what you normally see. They are all tombstones. That's why the village is called Tombstone culture village. People began living here in tents since 1951 during the Korean War. When it became more settled, the tents became too small, so people began building on top of Japanese graves. This Village is right next to Gamchon culture village. From this village, the entire city of Busan can be seen.
Gamcheon Culture village
Gamcheon was a refuge for many people fleeing to Busan during the Korean War. The creative urban regeneration project started in 2010 and the success of the project attracts 1,400,000 Korean and foreign tourists to the village annually. It's earning this village the nickname of "Machu Picchu of Busan."
Jagalchi fish market
Jagalchi fish market mainly deals with live and freshly caught seafood. Fish and shellfish are caught daily and sold fresh to consumers, almost right off the boat. The area is lined with tanks containing all sorts of fish, eels, squid, shellfish, and mollusks. Some areas have workers preparing seafood for long term storage. You can watch as the fish get scaled, beheaded, chopped up, and dumped in a box of ice, all in record time.
UN Memorial Park
The UN Memorial Cemetery is a well administered, beautifully maintained final resting place for many allied soldiers who died during the Korean War. If you have time during your visit to Busan, drop in for a couple of hours and walk around this solemn but magnificent place.
DAY 2
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is situated on the coast of the north-eastern portion of Busan. This superb attraction offers visitors the rare find of a temple along the shore line; most temples in Korea are located in the mountains.
Haeundae Beach
Haeundae Beach is the most popular beach in South Korea, with 1 million visitors a day during the summer season. Offering various water sports activities, festivals, concerts, and parties, Haeundae Beach is a destination worth visiting for an exciting getaway!
Dongbaek Island
There is Dongbaek Island at the western end of Haeundae beach. Dongbaek is translated into Camellia which is growing in islands of southern provinces and southern coastal areas of Korea blossoming around March., of which the leaves are thick and glossy maintaining dark green color through 4 seasons. There is Nurimaru APEC house, around a three-story building exclusively built for the final summit meeting for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in the island.
Temple stay at Beomeosa Temple in Busan (Day 1) * This program is available on weekends.
Templestay is a cultural experience program for a better understanding of Korean traditional culture and Korean Buddhism. This short templestay including chanting, meditation, conversation over tea, Buddhist meals will give you a new perspective on your life. Do nothing but relax. The temple will become a shelter for your fatigued mind and body and will give you renewed energy. With the rest-oriented templestay program, stress-free vacation for your mind, you can have a chance to center yourself. Away from your busy daily routine, breathe in nature and restore your life force through meditation and Buddhist ceremonies.
DAY 3
Temple stay at Beomeosa Temple in Busan (Day 2) * This program is available on weekends.
Since Beomeosa is built on a mountain slope, the temple buildings are arranged on three elevations of the mountain, low, middle and high. As a result of this kind of geometric placement of the buildings, the temple has a certain coziness about it.
The first thing that you’ll notice as you step into Beomeosa is the substantial Iljoomoon (One Pillar Gate). The gate is built upon four gigantic foundation stones, and with a majestic roof crowning the top, from any perspective it looks just like a practicing monk, standing with an unmoving mind regardless of what appears. Once you set foot in the Daeoongjeon (Main Buddha Hall), you can really sense the devotion of many people over the years. It’s certainly true of the people you see ardently chanting and praying in the Buddha Hall, and it’s also true of the meticulously depicted wall paintings that cover every corner of the building’s interior. If you haven’t sat in the Buddha Hall and carefully examined the incredible details of the interior, you can’t really say you’ve been to Beomeosa
In accordance with the temple’s status as the main Seon temple in the region, Beomeosa’s Templestay program has practiced as its central focus. The standard program features chanting services, 108 prostrations, Dado (tea ceremony), and has a strong emphasis on meditation. Aside from these programs, there are hiking and other special Temple programs.
Tumuli park
After completing the temple stay program at Bangeosa Temple in Busan, it moves to Gyeongju, the capital of the ancient kingdom for a thousand years. Visit the Tumuli park. It has more than 20 large and small tombs from the Shilla period. The tombs are presumed to be those of kings and court officials. Most of them are earthen and mound-shaped. Some double gourd-shaped ones are for the joint burial of a husband and wife. As those excavated were all found to be stone-pilled wood-lined chamber type, most of the tombs here are presumed to be of the same type. During the excavations of chenmachong and Hwangnamchong , numerous artifacts (including a gold crown, gold girdles, gold and silver personal ornaments, horse fittings, and weapons) were uncovered.
Gyeongju National Museum
Arguably the best history museum in Korea, the Gyeongju National Museum is where you can appreciate the significance of this ancient city in one fell swoop. The main archaeological hall has dazzling displays of jewelry, weaponry and other ceremonial items from the Shilla dynasty, including a 5th-century gold crown
Bulguksa Temple
Declared a World Cultural Asset by UNESCO, the temple holds many national treasures that it accumulated throughout its long history. Bulguksa Temple, or the Temple of Buddha’s Kingdom, has so many meanings in every structure and every arrangement. According to the Buddhist point of view, each section of the temple represents the world of enlightenment; Daewoongjeon represents the World of Enlightenment where the Sakyamuni Buddha dwells, the Geukrakjeon area represents the Land of Happiness, and the Birojeon area the World of Lotus Sanctuary where the Vairocana Buddha dwells.
Seokguram Grotto
Seokguram Grotto is a hermitage that is part of the Bulguksa temple complex. The grotto overlooks the East Sea and rests 750 meters above sea level. It holds some of the best Buddhist sculptures in the world, including the main Buddha. Construction lasted from 742 to 774.
Inside the round-shaped main hall are the Bonjon Statue, Bodhi-sattva, and his disciples. The Bonjon figure wearing a generous smile is seated on the stage engraved with a lotus flower design. As the sunrise from this spot is quite beautiful, many people climb the mountain at daybreak.
Tour itinerary
Pricing information
Tour rate
Number of Guest / Price per Person
- 2Persons / USD818
- 3Persons / USD646
- 4Persons / USD538
- 5Persons / USD472
- 6Persons / USD427
- 7Persons / Inquiry
Inclusions
- 3 days Private tour
- All admission fees to tourists sites
- Local English or Chinese speaking tour guide
- Door to door private transportation with a private minivan
- Hotel Pick-up service in Seoul
- Hotel Pick-up & Drop-off Service in Busan
- Templestay Program fees including 1 dinner, 1breakfast, and accommodation for 1 night
Exclusions
- Accommodation
- Personal expenses
- Every meal
- Hotel Drop-off service in Seoul