UNESCO
Korean temples on the UNESCO World Heritage List
These 5 Korean temples are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. They fall under three listings: "Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea" (seven mountain monasteries), "Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple", and Haeinsa's Janggyeong Panjeon.
At Haeinsa the listed site is the Janggyeong Panjeon, the halls that hold the Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks, rather than the whole temple. Sansa monasteries that Seon does not cover are not included here; see the UNESCO World Heritage Centre for the full list.
Admission and English-friendliness in the table are the same checked values as on each temple page. Open a temple for opening hours, etiquette and a taxi card you can show a driver without speaking Korean.
| Temple | Region | Admission | English | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beopjusa Temple | Boeun (Chungbuk) | Free | High | Day visit or templestay |
| Bulguksa Temple | Gyeongju | Free | High | Day visit or templestay |
| Haeinsa Temple | Hapcheon (Gyeongnam) | Free | High | Day visit or templestay |
| Tongdosa Temple | Yangsan (Gyeongnam) | Free | High | Day visit or templestay |
| Buseoksa Temple | Yeongju (Gyeongbuk) | Free | Medium | Day visit only |
Beopjusa Temple 법주사
Home to Korea's only 5-story wooden pagoda (Palsangjeon) and a 33m Golden Buddha
A flat, peaceful forest stroll through Songnisan leading into a grand sanctuary featuring Korea's only wooden pagoda.
Getting there: Take an intercity bus to Songnisan Bus Terminal, then walk about 35 minutes (about 2.2 km) to Beopjusa. Check bus timetables with the operator.
Beopjusa Temple: Hours, etiquette and taxi card →Bulguksa Temple 불국사
The pinnacle of millennial Silla Buddhist art and stone architecture (UNESCO World Heritage)
Home to Dabotap, Seokgatap, and stone bridges embodying ancient Pure Land vision. Unrivaled historic gravitas.
Getting there: From the Gyeongju Station (KTX) stop outside KTX Gyeongju Station, express bus 1150 runs to the Bulguksa stop without a transfer (about 1 hour 5 minutes including walking, per Kakao Map). From the bus terminals in central Gyeongju, city buses 10 and 11 go to Bulguksa.
Bulguksa Temple: Hours, etiquette and taxi card →Haeinsa Temple 해인사
Home to the 81,258 wooden printing blocks of the Tripitaka Koreana for over 600 years
Deep in Gayasan mountain. The architectural ventilation genius preserving 80,000 scripture blocks is a world marvel.
Getting there: From KTX Dongdaegu Station, take Daegu Metro Line 1 (toward Seolhwa-Myeonggok) to Seobu Bus Terminal Station, then take the intercity bus to Haeinsa from Seobu Bus Terminal (about 1 hour 40 minutes) and get off in front of Haeinsa. The temple's timetable dates from July 2023, so check before you go.
Haeinsa Temple: Hours, etiquette and taxi card →Tongdosa Temple 통도사
One of Korea's Three Jewel Temples, enshrining actual Buddha relics without an altar statue
Enshrines genuine Buddha relics in its Diamond Altar instead of statues. The pine-scented Mupunghansong trail is sublime.
Getting there: From the stop outside KTX Ulsan Station, take bus 314 (or 13) to the Sinpyeong Terminal stop, transfer to bus Jisan 1, get off at the Jisan Village stop and walk to the temple (about 1 hour 20 minutes including walking, per Kakao Map). Check routes and frequency in a map app.
Tongdosa Temple: Hours, etiquette and taxi card →Buseoksa Temple 부석사
The sublime sunset view over Sobaeksan mountains framed by the famous wooden entasis pillars
Standing in front of Muryangsujeon Hall at dusk, watching mountain ridges ripple away into the golden sunset.
Getting there: From the stop outside KTX Punggi Station, bus 27 (or 127/327; 28 on holidays) runs to the Buseoksa stop without a transfer (about 1 hour including walking, per Kakao Map). From Yeongju Station, take bus 1 to the Sanga Market stop and transfer to bus 55 or 155 (about 1 hour 10 minutes).
Buseoksa Temple: Hours, etiquette and taxi card →