Golgulsa and Girimsa, Gyeongju: A Cliffside Cave Temple, Sunmudo, and a Quiet Forest Monastery

Almost everyone who visits Gyeongju sees Bulguksa. Far fewer carry on over the ridge to the east, where two very different temples sit in the same forested valley on Hamwolsan.

Golgulsa is a cluster of caves cut into a limestone cliff, with a Buddha carved into the rock at the top and monks who practise a martial art called Sunmudo below. Girimsa, about 4 km further up the road, is the opposite: a large, quiet, wooden monastery with almost no one in it. Both are free to enter, and both are on the same bus route as Gyeongju’s east coast.

Visitor information at a glance

Checked against Gyeongju City tourism information, September 2026. Temple hours shift with the season and with Buddhist holidays — call ahead if you are making a special trip.

Golgulsa: the cave temple

Golgulsa is built into a cliff rather than onto a hillside. By temple tradition, an Indian monk arrived in Silla around the 6th century and cut twelve caves into the soft limestone face of Hamwolsan, which is why the place is sometimes called Korea’s Dunhuang after the Chinese cave-temple complex.

The caves are small — shrine niches rather than halls — and they are strung along a series of railed staircases that zigzag up the rock. Each holds an image and an altar, and you climb from one to the next.

At the very top, under a glass canopy that protects it from the weather, is the rock-carved seated Buddha — Treasure No. 581, and the reason the site is protected. It is carved in relief directly into the cliff, facing out over the valley.

The climb to the top shrine is short but steep, on metal stairs and open rock with handrails. It is not a difficult walk, but it is exposed, and it is not suitable for anyone unsteady on steps.

Sunmudo, the temple’s martial art

Golgulsa is the head temple of Sunmudo, a Buddhist practice that combines meditation with movement. It has five strands: Seon meditation, Seon yoga, Seon qigong, Seon gymnastics, and Seon martial arts. In practice it looks like a slow, controlled martial form rather than a combat sport.

Watching a demonstration

There is one public demonstration a day, at 15:00. It does not run on Mondays or Tuesdays. If seeing Sunmudo is the point of your visit, that timing decides your whole day — work backwards from it when you plan the bus.

Staying overnight

Golgulsa runs one of Korea’s better-known temple stay programmes, and it operates year-round. Alongside Sunmudo training, the programme typically includes sitting and walking meditation, chanting, 108 prostrations, archery, tea with a monk, and temple meals.

Indicative rates from Gyeongju City are 80,000 won for the day programme and 120,000 won for the overnight experience or rest programmes, per adult. The temple has an English-language page and is listed on the national Templestay portal’s English site, so booking from abroad is straightforward — but confirm which sessions are run in English when you book, as this varies by date.

Girimsa: the quiet one

Girimsa is the older and larger of the two, and almost nobody goes. It was founded in 643, during the reign of Queen Seondeok, under the name Imjeongsa; the monk Wonhyo is said to have renamed it Girimsa when he came to live here.

What survives is a full temple compound in a forest clearing, and it holds an unusual concentration of designated Treasures for a temple this quiet:

• Daejeokgwangjeon hall (Treasure No. 833), which enshrines a Vairocana triad.
• A dry-lacquer bodhisattva figure (Treasure No. 415) — a rare technique in Korea, built over a wooden frame wrapped in hemp cloth, with the core removed.
• The Vairocana triad in the main hall (Treasure No. 958) and the objects found inside the statues (Treasure No. 959).

Beyond those, there is a Yaksajeon hall, an Eungjinjeon housing five hundred arhat figures, and the Jinnamnu pavilion. The setting does most of the work: mature trees, stone walls, and very little noise.

How to get there

Both temples sit up the same valley road, Girim-ro, off the main eastern highway from Gyeongju to the coast.

By bus

City buses 100 and 150 both stop at Andong, Girimsa, Golgulsa (stop ID 02-090), roughly 45 to 55 minutes from the Gyeongju intercity bus terminal. From that stop it is a 15 to 20 minute walk to Golgulsa.

Girimsa is the catch. It is about 4 km further up the valley from Golgulsa, so from the same bus stop it is close to an hour on foot. By bus, treat Golgulsa as the destination and take a taxi if you also want Girimsa — or pick one.

City bus fares are 1,300 won for an adult, 1,700 won on seat buses, with a 50 won discount when paying by transport card.

By car

Driving is about 30 minutes from downtown Gyeongju and makes the pair easy: park at one, drive the 4 km, park at the other. Golgulsa has its own free lot; Girimsa charges 1,000 won for a car.

Distances from other Gyeongju sights

Straight-line distances calculated from official coordinates. Road distances are longer, especially over the ridge from Bulguksa.

Location map

Golgulsa, 105-5 Girim-ro, Munmudaewang-myeon, Gyeongju:

Fitting them into a day

These two sit on the road between Bulguksa and the coast, which is what makes them useful rather than a detour. With a car, a workable eastern day is Bulguksa, then Golgulsa for the 15:00 Sunmudo demonstration, then down to Gameunsa and Munmu Daewangneung for the late afternoon light.

By bus, be realistic: one temple plus one coastal site is a full day. If you want to add Yangnam Jusangjeolli as well, you are better off driving.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an entrance fee?

No. Both temples are free to enter. Girimsa charges 1,000 won for car parking; Golgulsa’s lot is free. The temple stay is a separate paid programme.

Can I see Sunmudo without staying overnight?

Yes. There is a free public demonstration at 15:00 daily, except Mondays and Tuesdays. Arrive with time to spare, as the temple is a 15 to 20 minute walk from the bus stop.

Is the temple stay available in English?

Golgulsa maintains an English page and is listed on the national Templestay portal’s English site, and it is one of the more foreigner-friendly programmes in Korea. Confirm the language of your specific dates when booking rather than assuming.

Which should I choose if I only have time for one?

Golgulsa, for most visitors — the cave shrines and the rock-carved Buddha are the more unusual sight, and it is far easier to reach by bus. Choose Girimsa if you want an old wooden temple with no crowds and are travelling by car.

How long do I need?

About an hour at Golgulsa, more if you stay for the demonstration, and 45 minutes at Girimsa. Add roughly two hours of round-trip travel from downtown Gyeongju.

Conclusion

Golgulsa and Girimsa are what Gyeongju looks like once you leave the UNESCO checklist: a cliff full of small cave shrines with a martial art practised at its foot, and a thousand-year-old monastery in the woods with the doors open and nobody there.

Neither costs anything, both are on the road you would already take to the coast, and one of them will put you up for the night. For everything else worth your time in the city, see our theme-by-theme guide to Gyeongju.

Information verified against Gyeongju City’s official tourism pages and Korea Tourism Organization listings as of September 2026. Temple hours, demonstration times, bus timetables and temple stay rates change — confirm before travelling.

Sources

• Gyeongju Culture & Tourism — Golgulsa: gyeongju.go.kr
• Gyeongju Culture & Tourism — Girimsa: gyeongju.go.kr
• Gyeongju Culture & Tourism — bus 150 touring course: gyeongju.go.kr
• Templestay (English) — Golgulsa Temple: eng.templestay.com
• Korea Heritage Service — Girimsa dry-lacquer bodhisattva figure, Treasure No. 415: heritage.go.kr