The 15 Best Temple Visits in South Korea

1.Mt Seorak + Naksansa Temple or Nami Island Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 422 reviews · 13 - 14 hours · from $68Our pick

Spend 13 to 14 hours beyond Seoul with a comfortable coach ride to Mt Seorak, several hiking routes, and your choice of Naksansa Temple or Nami Island. Guides such as Han, Sally, and Eric help with trail choices and timing, while free time lets you explore at your own pace. Cable car tickets and meals cost extra.

“the tour is mostly a transportation service, but it’s good. in seorak you can select which way you want to go among 5 different ones, so there is something for everybody. though going up to the top of the Rock formation is a bit sharp in term of schedule.... you better run!”

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2.Best Things to Do – Half Day Seoul Trip (Seoul Palace & Temple)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 190 reviews · from $38Top rated

Spend about three hours touring central Seoul by air-conditioned coach, with hotel pickup, an English or Chinese-speaking guide, Jogyesa Temple, Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Changing of the Guard, and Cheongwadae Sarangchae. Guides such as Judy, Henry, Lynn, and Sunny have been praised for clear explanations. Expect a commercial ginseng stop, and no hotel drop-off.

“Great brief tour. Our guide knows her stuff and helped us to quickly get perspective about the temple and palace.”

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3.Mount Seorak and Naksansa Temple One Day Tour from Seoul

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 167 reviews · from $71

Spend about three and a half hours in Seoraksan National Park, choosing between trails, viewpoints, or the optional cable car, then visit 1,300-year-old Naksansa Temple above the East Sea. English and Chinese speaking guides, including Han, Jason, Lucia, and David, lead the day. Expect a long coach ride, steep paths, and no included meals.

“Our experience would have great if it was not raining that day. It was raining the whole time we were there and so we were not able to see or do much except see the Buddha and the Biseondae Rock. One great thing that came out of the tour was that we meet some wonderful people during the trip.”

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4.Busan Tour: Gamcheon Village & Haedong Yonggungsa Temple + Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 119 reviews · from $159

Spend about eight hours seeing Busan’s major sights with hotel pickup, a separate driver, and a guide such as Steve, Chris, Jina, or CK. The day covers Gamcheon Culture Village, Songdo Skywalk, markets, Hwangnyeongsan Mountain, and Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, with Korean BBQ lunch and time to explore on foot.

“Great tour! The fish market was amazing to see!! Our tour guide, Chris, was fantastic!!! Gave great explanations. Courteous!”

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5.UNESCO Heritage Tour Including Bulguksa Temple

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 104 reviews · 8 hours · from $189

Travel by air-conditioned van with an English-speaking guide from Busan or Gyeongju to Gyeongju’s major Silla sites. You’ll visit Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, royal tombs, Cheomseongdae, Gyochon Village, and Wolji Pond, with lunch, entrance fees, water, and hotel pickup included. Guides such as Sue and Steve are known for clear stories and warm help.

“We started late so we kind of rush thru activities. We didn’t visit the last item in the itinerary but it was ok because we wanted to visit a village that we couldn’t make it otherwise. We thank them for their cooperation with us. Thank you.”

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6.Full Day Busan Tour Including Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 71 reviews · from $159

Spend about eight hours touring Busan by vehicle with a guide and a group of up to 10. Visit Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Haeundae, Dongbaek Island, Oryukdo Skywalk, Busan Cinema Center, and the UN Memorial Cemetery. Hotel pickup, transport, and a Korean lunch are included, with guides such as Steve, Beth, Chris, Sue, Young, and CK assigned depending on the date.

“Great tour and Beth our guide was very informative and lots of fun!”

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7.Private Busan tour with gamcheon culture village and the temple (Customizable)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews · from $274

Spend 8 to 9 hours exploring Busan by private vehicle with an English-speaking guide such as Jade, Jino, MJ, or William. Visit Beomeosa Temple, Gamcheon Culture Village, Jagalchi Market, Gukje Market, BIFF Square, and a mountain viewpoint. Your guide can adjust the day, suggest a local lunch, and help you fit major sights into one outing.

“Loved our day with Frank. He was an excellent host. Planned our itinerary and was very flexible when the ladies insisted on going cosmetic and cream shopping. Also found us a place for lunch and showed us around town.”

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8.Day Tour of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Starfield Waujeongsa Temple

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 61 reviews · from $54

Travel from Seoul with an English-speaking guide to Waujeongsa Temple, Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, Starfield Library Suwon, and a Hanbok Wearing Experience Center. You’ll make kimbap, try hanbok, learn about dried laver, and return to Hongik University or Myeongdong Station. Guides such as Andrew, Sean Kim, Kim, and SB are praised for clear historical stories and personal help.

“We had a wonderful day with our guide/ driver Sean Kim. We had a small group of 7, enjoying the sights and learning about the history of Suwon. Sean was helpful, informative and very friendly and went out of his way to make our day an enjoyable one.”

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9.Half day Morning Seoul City Tour(Temple & Gyeongbok Palace)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · from $32Best value

Start with hotel pickup at 8:30 a.m. and explore Jogyesa Temple, Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Folk Museum, and Gwanghwamun Square with an English-speaking guide. Guides such as Cathy, Molly, Rose, and KC have been praised for clear history and useful Seoul tips. Expect a fast pace and a short ginseng-shopping stop before drop-off in Insadong.

“Our tour with Lee (spelling?) was terrific. She was a great host and shared a lot of tips about the temple and palace we visited. The tour host and driver were very prompt and gave us a good lunch and shopping recommendation for after the tour. I would use Viator again on my next trip to Seoul!”

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10.Seoul Mountain Hike: Temples, Folklore & Traditional Meal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 42 reviews · from $141

Join guide Shawn, or another professional guide, for a six-hour Bukhan Mountain hike capped at six people. Expect a steep opening climb, forested valleys, wide views, Buddhist temples, shamanic folklore, and a Korean mountain meal with drinks. The trail can be adjusted, but moderate fitness is required.

“Shawn is ab amazing tour guide who is very experienced on this trail. Taking this tour you can expect a fun climb, spectacular views, interesting heritage sites and absolutely amazing stories told in a great way by Shawn.”

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11.Korean Palace and Temple Tour in Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace and Jogyesa Temple

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 38 reviews · from $40

Spend about three and a half hours exploring Seoul’s royal past and Buddhist traditions. Visit Gyeongbokgung Palace, the National Folk Museum, and Jogyesa Temple with an English-speaking guide such as AJ, Katie, or Grace. Air-conditioned transport and hotel pickup are included, but expect a ginseng shopping stop and no hotel drop-off.

“Our guide changed the itinerary and had us go to the Zen Buddism temple first instead of last. This made the time left for the rest of the tour short and rushed since we needed to get through the rest of the tour in order to not miss the changing of the guards. It was to be a 3.5 hour tour that at best was squeezed into 2.5 hours”

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12.Busan’s Best: Sea Temples, Yacht Tour & Sky Capsule Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 24 reviews · 510 minutes - 9 hours · from $89

Spend about nine hours seeing Busan by coach, Sky Capsule, and yacht. Visit Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, ride Haeundae’s glass capsule, enjoy time by Gwanganli Beach, and explore Gamcheon Culture Village with an English, Chinese, or Korean-speaking guide.

“The trip was really great, well organised. Our guide, Roy, told us about the history of the city and explained it very well. He answered all our questions and was really helpful and attentive. He gave us great advice for visiting the city! The yacht ride was lovely, we took a lot of pictures and it was peaceful! I highly recommend!”

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13.Danyang Tour:Guinsa Temple & Bobaljae & Cheongpung Cable Car

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 15 reviews · from $105

Travel from Seoul with an English or Chinese-speaking guide to Guinsa Temple, Bobaljae Observatory, and Cheongpung Hoban Cable Car. Expect temple architecture, free vegetarian temple food, mountain roads, autumn views, and a cable car ride above Cheongpungho Lake. Guides may include Yohan, Jun, Michael, Mario, Edward, or K.

“The tour was wonderful. We were a small group, which made the experience even better. We visited the temple and had the opportunity to eat like the monks. The cable car ride was also an unforgettable experience, offering beautiful views of the landscape. Our tour guides, Michael and Mario, were fantastic. They provided us with lots of interesting information.”

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14.Jeonju Hanok Village and Maisan Tapsa Temple Day Tour From Seoul

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · from $60

Travel from Seoul to Jeonju and Maisan with guide Dos of Dream Journey Korea. Wear a basic hanbok for 1.5 hours, visit Gyeonggijeon Shrine, Jeondong Catholic Church, and Pungnammun Gate, then see Tapsa Temple’s unusual stone pagodas. The small group is limited to nine people, with transport and entrance fees included.

“This is so far the best experience I had in Korea for a guided tour. First off, I thought the tour was going to be cancelled since I was the only participant (others cancelled). I’m very thankful to Dos for doing the tour even though it was only me. Read more”

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15.Gyeongju UNESCO Tour 7 Highlights with Bulguksa

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 5 reviews · 10 hours · from $80

Spend 10 hours exploring Gyeongju with an English or Chinese-speaking guide, visiting Bulguksa Temple, Gyochon Village, Woljeonggyo Bridge, Daereungwon, Hwangnidan-gil, and Wolji Pond. Choose a shared, small-group, or private option, with pickup in Daegu and optional drop-off in Busan.

“The visit is stunning and our driver was perfect, always is time and caring, but our guide was not very professional. He was nos particularly fluent in English and did not provide any detailed explanations (google was more useful). Lunch time was a bit messy since we joined other group that seemed to have priority though we arrived before. We would have appreciated some advice on how to prepare the bulgogi, for instance, or information about the food, which is part of the cultural experience. Contact through whatsapp vas very useful”

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