Published on Nov, 2023
This was an amazing one day tour, and Tagy Travel Korea has done a great job in making this a very smooth and enjoyable experience for anyone based in Seoul, despite the fact that the destination is at the opposite end of the country. We we picked up at our hotel in Seoul, taken to the train station, and guided to our car and seats on the high speed KTX train. (If you have seen the movie “Train to Busan” this will be an extra treat.) The travel time is little over two hours with a lot of great scenery, and we were met in Gyeongju by Mr. Solomon, who was a very capable tour guide, who not only showed his enthusiasm for the region, but also went out of his way to spare us unnecessary walking when finding parking spaces on what was a pretty busy tourist day.
Gyeongju is one of the most important (and enjoyable) tourist destinations in South Korea, with much older sites that you will find around Seoul. It is also a gorgeous destination in the fall (first week of November for us.) The only thing I would do differently for this tour would be to schedule it on a weekday, since so many people were out to see the fall foliage when we went on a Sunday. The first two stops on the tour, (the Seokguram Grotto and the Bulguksa Temple) were simply jaw-dropping when combined with the fall colors. Another highlight of the tour (which was NOT part of the tour description) was Mr. Solomon’s lunch suggestion at a well-known restaurant specializing in “Temple Food”, which was nearly all vegetarian. We had was must have been a 15-course meal with an incredible variety of dishes. Vegetarian restaurants are rare in Korea, but I’d recommend this very strongly.
The Tumuli Park not only has a huge collection of funeral mounds, but also a stunning collection of different types of flowers. Mr. Solomon also timed our visit to the Anapji pond as it was getting dark, allowing us to take some incredible photos, and still make the train station in time for the return trip. We we met on the train platform in Seoul as we stepped out of the train car for the return back to our hotel— so there were no moments of uncertainty in getting back. I would STRONGLY recommend this tour for anyone based in Seoul who really wants to see another (and beautiful) side of South Korea.