Golgulsa Temple

TravelMunmudaewang-myeon, Gyeongju

Golgulsa Temple골굴사

A cliffside cave temple on Hamwolsan, head center of the Seonmudo martial art and nicknamed Korea's Shaolin Temple.

Checked Oct 18, 2026

At a glance

Good to know now

Templestay and Seonmudo training are offered. Parking is available; there is no stroller rental. Information: 054-744-1689.

Hours

08:00–18:00. Call the temple for details.

Closed

Open every day of the year.

Booking

A day trip from Seoul that stops at Golgulsa between Bulguksa and Hwangnidan-gil is sold on KKday.

Golgulsa sits on Hamwolsan in eastern Gyeongju. Tradition says Gwangyu and his companions, who came from India some 1,500 years ago, founded it together with nearby Girimsa as a cave temple on the Indian model, and KTO calls it the oldest cave temple in Korea. Twelve caves are cut into a towering tuff rock face, with a Buddha carved in relief at the top, and the temple is the head center of Seonmudo, a Buddhist practice that joins martial arts and meditation.

Book ahead

Paid links · These are affiliate links: when you book through them, K for All earns a commission at no extra cost to you. Booking, payment, cancellations and refunds are handled by the booking site — check its final terms before you pay.

Places to stay nearby

Paid links · Expedia links are affiliate links: when you book through them, K for All earns a commission at no extra cost to you. Distances are rough straight-line figures. Pick your dates on Expedia for live prices, and check each property's cancellation policy before you book.

Pension

Cell27 SPA Pension

East of Golgulsa Temple

About 6.3 km away

See it on Expedia

Resort

Sajo Resort Gyeongju

West of Golgulsa Temple

About 7.6 km away

See it on Expedia

Pension

Gampo Eun Sol

East of Golgulsa Temple

About 7.7 km away

See it on Expedia

Map

Numbers match the list. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

KakaoMapNaver MapGoogle Maps

Tips

  • If you want to try Seonmudo or stay overnight, contact the temple ahead about its templestay and training schedule.

Nearby

Facts and main photo: Korea Tourism Organization (TourAPI). The photo is used under KOGL Type 1 (Korea Open Government License, attribution). KOGL

Sources (2)

Korea Tourism Organization (TourAPI)KKday

Checked Oct 18, 2026

TravelAll travel courses