Staying in Golgulsa Temple: Best Templestay in Korea (2024)

Are you thinking about spending the night at Golgulsa Templestay? It’s totally worth it! It’s one of the best Templestays in South Korea and you can experience Sunmudo, archery, the practice of 108 prostrations and meditation.

You can spend days, months and weeks here staying at the temple with monks, but you only need one night to enjoy Golgulsa Templestay. Read our guide to find out about our Golgulsa Temple stay review!

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What is a Templestay in Korea?

Templestay is a cultural programme unique to South Korea. There are many Buddhist temples over the country that allow guests to stay overnight and join in with meditation or other activities. It allows guests to experience the life of Buddhist monks in Korea, they’re all so welcoming.

The Templestay programme began in 2002 for the World Cup and after having great success, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism chose to make it stay. It is now one of the most successful culture and tourism programmes in Korea with many foreigners and Koreans staying in temples every year.

One of the best things to do in South Korea – The Temple stay experience in Korea will show you Korean traditional culture and Korean Buddhism, whilst allowing you to learn more about yourself through meditation or relaxation. It’s also possible to stay from one night to many months as they are open all year round.

There are 27 Templestays in Korea for English-speaking participants! (there are around 130 in total!), which means it may be hard to choose which temple you want to stay at. After much research, we managed to pick the temple that fitted us most and we’d love to show you what it’s like to stay at Golgulsa Temple!

Planning a trip to South Korea? Check out our 2 week South Korea Itinerary: Best Places to Visit (2024)!

Golgulsa Temple

Golgulsa Temple is beautifully located right in nature, just outside of Gyeongju City. The temple is one of the only ones in Korea to practise Sunmudo training. It’s also the only stone cave temple in Korea with a unique Buddha carved into the rock.

Their first overnight guests were back in 1992 when people were Sunmudo training on the weekend. Ever since Korea opened up the Templestay programme officially, Golgulsa Temple is one of the most popular temples to stay at.

Some of the activities you can experience whilst doing a Temple stay at Golgulsa Temple are Sunmudo, archery, chanting, tea with a monk, sitting and walking meditation and the practice of 108 bows (prostrations). You can also find out more here – Golgulsa Temple Sunmudo Website.

What is Sunmudo?

Sunmudo is a Korean Buddhist martial art. It was previously known as Bulgyo Geumgang Yeong Gwan, but in 1984 the Buddhist monk Jeog Un named the martial art Sunmudo.

Learning Sunmudo is a unique experience at Golgulsa Temple and the monks here will show you how they train. Honestly, it’s a lot of strength!

What to expect from Golgulsa Templestay

• Well-organised schedule of activities
• The Art of Meditation
• Sunmudo Training
• Early morning wake up
• To learn about Buddhism

How to book a Templestay in Korea

The Templestay website is the best place to book your Temple stay in Korea. Here’s the link to the list of temples you can book – Templestay Website.

How to book a Templestay at Golgulsa

On the same website, you can find Golgulsa Temple under the list of Templestays and simply hit the reserve button to find out more. There are a few things to consider before booking your Temple stay, but we’ll share more details below! Here’s the link for Golgulsa Templestay Reservations.

The price is 60,000KRW per night, per person. (30krw for a pre-schooler)

Golgulsa Templestay Contact Details:

• Address: Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea 101-5, Girim-ro, Yangbuk-myeon
• Phone Number: 054-775-1689
• E-mail: golgulsatemplestay@gmail.com

Do I need to book in advance?

Yes! It’s best to book any Templestay in advance so they can prepare for your arrival. We checked the website regularly the month before and decided to book it 2 weeks before we wanted to arrive. The spaces did not sell out, however, your spot needs to be booked online.

How to get to Golgulsa Temple

Golgulsa Temple is located near Gyeongju city and is easily reached by public transport from anywhere in South Korea. The first step you need to do is to make your way to Gyeongju!

How to get from Seoul to Golgulsa Temple (via Gyeongju)

KTX – You can book your train tickets online here – Korail Train Tickets. Once you have your ticket head to Seoul Station and get on your train to Singyeongju Station (around 2 hours) The KTX will cost around 45,000KWR for a one-way ticket.

If you’re travelling around South Korea, a Korea Rail Pass might work out more cost-effective! Check out Klook for more details!

Bus – Head to Express Bus Terminal and get a bus to Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal (4 hours) – You may need to book your bus in advance, you can do this online with a Korean phone number or purchase a ticket at the bus station when you first arrive in Seoul.

Once you’ve reached Gyeongju, you can catch a bus (150 / 100 / 100-1 around 50 minutes) to the Andong bus stop and from there, it’s a 15-minute walk to Golgulsa Temple. Alternatively, you can get a taxi to the temple from Gyeongju which is faster.

A car is also a great option to get to Golgulsa Temple as the temple has lots of parking spaces.

If you're visiting Seoul, here's a 5 Day Seoul Itinerary with info and tips!

Staying in Golgulsa Temple in 2024 (Our Templestay experience)

In this Templestay guide, we want to share our personal Golgulsa Temple Stay review and experience. We had an amazing time here, so only have positive things to say. We 100% recommend doing a Temple stay in Golgulsa Temple, so now you can decide if it’s something for you!

Arrival

Once you’ve made your way to the temple, it’s time to check in! You have to arrive at Golgulsa Temple before 14:30 to check in and change into your temple clothes. You will also be given your room for the night. (Female and male are separate) We share more info about accommodation below!

It’s important to know that you should be on time for all of your activities and you’ll be given a schedule of where you need to be.

Sunmudo Performance

The first activity on your schedule is to watch the Sunmudo Performance. These monks train daily to practise Sunmudo and as it’s something unique to Golgulsa Temple, it’s really amazing to watch! This performance was really inspirational for us and made us super excited about our stay!

Orientation

After watching the performance, the host will share with you the rules of the temple and the art of meditation. We learnt the best way to begin mediation, 108 bows and temple etiquette. They also shared some more information about Sunmudo and the history of Golgulsa Temple.

Sunmudo Training

This was probably the most physical part of our stay – Sunmudo Training. We thought it would be lighthearted as they make it look so easy in the performance! What we didn’t think about is how much strength the monks already have and how much they train to learn Sunmudo.

We practised balancing, running, climbing a rope, jumping through tyres and much more! We even walked on our hands and knees which was probably the hardest part, for us.

As we stayed overnight on a Saturday in June, the Templestay programme was quite busy! It was great for us to meet lots of new people, however, it meant that we were split into two groups (English speaking and Korean speaking)! This made it easier for the monks as there were definitely more Korean visitors.

108 Prostrations (Bows)

Buddhists bow 108 times to purify the body and free themself from the 108 defilements. During your Templestay in Korea, it’s possible to join in with these bows.

So just before dinner, the 108 prostrations take place. We missed the first part of this as we were still doing our Sunmudo training. So we only caught the end and it was impressive to know that so many bows take place.

Need portable Wifi on your trip to Korea? – It’s a great option if you want to connect your phone and laptop! Find a portable Wifi on Klook here! (£2 a day) Pick up from Seoul or Busan airport.

Templestay Dinner

Now it’s time for dinner! The temple serves a strict vegetarian diet – which will be a lot of rice and vegetables! It’s honestly delicious and they encourage you to only take what you will eat to avoid any waste. We all eat at the same time, including the staff and the monks.

Free Time & Sleeping Early

After dinner, you have a couple of hours of free time to do what you’d like. We walked around the temple complex talking about the day and breathing the fresh nature air. You have to be in your rooms at 9 pm, preferably getting ready to sleep as you have to wake up at 5 am the next morning. There was also no wifi in our rooms, which wasn’t really a problem. Although there is Wifi in the reception area of the temple.

Morning Chanting Service & Meditation

This was definitely the most interesting wake-up we’ve ever had! You wake up at 5 am to the sound of chanting from the monks and then you have to join them at 5:30 am for meditation. You don’t need to get properly ready for the day at this point as you’ll have more time after breakfast. The meditation was a good way to start the day and then we all joined in with walking meditation on the way to the dining hall.

Templestay Breakfast

As you can see from the photo above, breakfast is traditional Korean temple food. It’s definitely part of the experience to eat rice, tofu and vegetables for breakfast. (We already eat plant-based so it was perfect for us!)

After breakfast, you have a couple of hours of free time again. A few people chose to go back to sleep, get ready or explore the temple complex. We walked up to the highest point of the grounds, and took some beautiful morning photos!

Trekking & Hiking at Gampo Beach

At 9 am, it’s time for your next activity. This can change depending on the day of the week you visit. We visited on a Saturday over to Sunday, so our activity was on a special weekend. They took us to Gampo beach for walking and meditation.

It was amazing to explore somewhere that wasn’t on our South Korea itinerary, Gampo Beach was full of campers! People had put their tents anywhere and everywhere, right on the beach or in the car park.

We followed our host on a coastal walk through the steps to the beaches and practised meditation at two of the beaches. They also have huge hats for you to use if you didn’t bring a hat in the summer. It was so rewarding to have this experience with Buddhist monks here in Korea.

Templestay Lunch & Leaving

We arrived back at the temple around 11:30 am and had to pack up our things and return our clothes so they can prepare for future guests. As we woke up at 5 am, we were super hungry and excited for lunch!

Lunch was similar to the other delicious dishes, but we also got to try Injeolmi for the first time (Rice cakes with roasted soy bean powder).

We said goodbye to the host and the monks before leaving. They do offer to book a taxi for you back to Gyeongju, however, we opted on getting the bus. So that was the end of our Golgulsa Templstay review! There are a few more tips we mention if you want to keep reading!

Check out our Ultimate South Korea Bucket List: 20 Best Things To Do!

Golgulsa Templestay Overview

• 14:30 – Arrive at Temple
• 15:00 – Watching Sunmudo Performance (Expect Monday & Tuesday)
• 16:10 – Orientation (Temple Etiquette)
• 16:30 – Sunmudo Training
• 17:40 – 108 Prostrations
• 18:00 – Dinner
• 21:00 – Go to Bed

The next day:

• 05:00 – Get up
• 05:30 – Morning Chanting Service & Meditation
• 06:10 – Walking Meditation
• 06:30 – Breakfast
• 09:00 – Trekking & Meditation (Saturday: Mt.Hamweol & Sunday: Gampo Beach)
• 11:30 – Clean up your room & Lunch
• 12:00 – Check Out

Note – This is based on the ‘2 days, 1 night weekend’ schedule. Although other schedules are very similar. Also, activities can change depending on the weather!

The Food at Golgulsa Templestay

At Golgulsa Temple, the food is strictly vegetarian! It’s Buddhist temple food which consists of traditional Korean dishes with rice. It’s heaven for vegans (like us!) and other non-vegetarians doing the Templestay really enjoyed the food!

If you’re staying for one night, you’ll be given 3 meals. The first meal you have is dinner, followed by breakfast and lunch on the second day.

Everyone eats together in the dining hall and you help yourself to the buffet of amazing food. It’s very important to only take the food you’ll eat, as it’s not kind to leave any wasted food. As it’s buffet-style, you can simply come back up for more if you’re still hungry.

The breakfast was rice, kimchi with seaweed and vegetables. They also served toast, jam and cheese for those who can’t quite stomach rice for breakfast. The lunch and dinner were similar, but a variety of Korean dishes.

For more vegan food in South Korea, browse our Vegan in South Korea Guide – Best Restaurants & Snacks (2024)!

Accommodation at Golgulsa Templestay

The accommodation options at Golgulsa Temple are simple and exactly what you need for your stay. Females and males are both separate and you stay either in bunk beds or Korean style on the floor with bedding. Of course, you do stay inside a temple building but they look more like rooms from the inside.

Amy was given a bed in a 6-bed female dorm with a group of British girls and Dan was sharing a room with two Korean guys. You can also pay 20,000 KWN extra to have a private room. (total 80,000 KWN instead of 60,000 KWN)

Find your next place to stay on Booking.com or Agoda!

Want to switch to sustainble travel products before visiting South Korea? Check out our guide
- 18 Great Eco Friendly Travel Products You Need to Swap in 2024 - 

Is Golgulsa Templstay worth it?

Yes!! It was one of our favourite things we did on our 2 week South Korea trip. We would have definitely spent more days at the Templestay if we had more time in the country. Especially now that we know how peaceful and fun it can be to do a Templestay in Korea.

Different types of stays at Golgulsa Templestay

Weekend Golgulsa Templestay

We stayed on a Saturday night over to Sunday, so we enjoyed the beach trip on Sunday morning. It was definitely busier as it was a weekend, however, that was a bonus because we got to meet so many lovely people from both Korea and other places in the world. Book here – Golgulsa Weekend Templestay

Relaxation Templestay

You can stay at Golgulsa Temple all year round, which means you can come to the temple to relax and breathe away from the cities. You can book a relaxation Temple stay which is similar to our experience but you stay onsite. Book here – Relaxation Templestay

Long-term Templestay

It’s possible to stay for months here at Golgulsa Temple, there are so many benefits to spending such a long time here. You can truly practise meditation and learn Sunmudo which is great for the body and mind.

Special Occasion Templestay

Sometimes events happen in South Korea that makes being at Golgulsa Temple even more special, such as the Buddha’s birthday. Check the calendar to see if there are any special dates coming up that you might want to visit.

Other Templestays in South Korea

If you browse the Templestay website, you’ll notice there are many Templestays to experience in Korea.
Golgulsa Temple is known for Sunmudo training which is why it’s unique and popular! There are a few close to Seoul if you’re only visiting the capital whilst in South Korea.
We chose Golgulsa because of its amazing ratings and we were also very interested in the practice of Sunmudo!

Best Time to Visit Golgulsa Templstay

You can stay at Golgulsa Templestay all year round! They don’t close, which means you have four seasons to choose from.

There is no specific best time to visit Golgulsa Temple. However, it depends on what kind of time of year you want to visit South Korea. We visited at the end of May and it was hot, it was even warm at 6 am. It was really lovely, but our ideal time of year to go would be September or October when the leaves start to change!

What to bring to Golgulsa Templestay

Once you arrive at Golgulsa Temple, you’ll be provided with linen for the bed and clothes to wear for your stay (large baggy clothes). These are to help with Sunmudo training. We recommend wearing a t-shirt underneath they only provide you with a vest.

• Suncream in the summer / Hats & Gloves in the winter
• Toiletries
• Comfortable Shoes
• No Food

Here are a few more travel essentials for your Golgulsa Templestay:

• Joby GorillaPod 3K Pro Kit – GorillaPods are great for taking photos of yourself on your Golgulsa Templestay. They catch some of the best photos when there’s no one around to take a photo of you. We love our Joby GorillaPod and there’s also a Joby Phone Tripod to capture beautiful videos of your Templestay in Korea.
• Stainless Steel Water Bottle – The best way to keep hydrated!
• Amazon Basics Packing Cubes – Packing cubes are one of our favourite travel essentials!
• Anker Power Bank – A portable charger is handy any time you need more battery.
• Rain Mac in a Bag – A lightweight raincoat to help with the rain on your Templestay in Korea.

What to do after Golgulsa Templestay in Korea

Gyeongju – The closest city to Golgulsa Temple in Gyeongju! You can spend 1 or 2 days here looking at the sights, shopping or eating. There’s even a theme park here!
Busan – Busan is a short journey away from Golgulsa Temple stay, you’ll have to take a bus to Gyeongju and then a train or bus to Busan. There are many things to do here to spend 2 to 5 days exploring the big coastal city.
Seoul – There’s a high chance you arrived from Seoul, but if not, then your next stop should be here! The capital city of South Korea is filled with markets, trendy shops and more! Check out our Seoul itinerary!

Travel Insurance – SafetyWing Nomad Insurance

Don’t forget Travel Insurance! SafetyWing is a flexible monthly-rolling travel insurance to cover you when you travel away from home. You don’t have to be in your home country to start it and you can add months to your trip whenever you need to! Find out more here!

More South Korea guides:

• Ultimate 2 week South Korea Itinerary: Best Places (2024)
• 5 Day Seoul Itinerary – Best Things To Do (2024)
• 25+ Best South Korea Travel Tips: What to Know
• 3 day Busan Itinerary: What to do in Busan (2024)
• 11 Best Things to do in Gyeongju: Itinerary (2024)
• Ultimate South Korea Bucket List: 20 Best Things To Do
• Vegan in South Korea Guide – Best Restaurants & Snacks (2024)
• 10 Best South Korea Budget Tips + Travel Costs (2024)
• All our South Korea posts!

That’s the end of our Staying in Golgulsa Temple: The Best Templestay in Korea (2024)! Definitely worth adding to your bucket list for South Korea and if you need any more help planning – send us a message on Instagram (@thesunrisedreamers) or leave a comment below!

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