Kyongsan Province Travel Guide

If you don't mind the early spring chill, there is a cherry blossom festival in late March-early April.  Besides the cherry blossoms, there is the festival atmosphere over the town, with an open-air bazaar and fireworks.  Be sure to go to the mobile food stalls -- you can get freshly-baked (as in right before your eyes) little cakes shaped like fish, with adzuki bean filling; or if you are more adventurous, some kind of insect stir-fried and served in a paper bag like popcorn.  In the market districts, you will find all sorts of seafood, including live softshell turtles, if you like that sort of thing.  Some of the vendors at the bazaar sell fun, colorful underpants!  Get a set of go-stop cards, and find a friendly local to show you how to play.  Oh, and be sure to stop into the 1000-won store to get yourself a set of stainless steel chopsticks -- the kind Koreans like to use.

Kyeongju (경주) is called by some a museum without walls, and so it is indeed! Extremely beautiful city with a whole lot of places to visit! One of the Kyeongju's main attractions are Pulguksa Temple (불국사), a place not to omit when touring in Kyeongju, one of the world's finest shrines and stone temples - Seokkuram Grotto (석굴암 석굴) and the Tumuli Park Belt which contains 23 royal tombs.
Probably the best way to sightsee in Kyeongju is a city tour, which is much cheaper than sighseeing on your own, and it saves you time as well (12000won/person [2007]).  The Kyeongju city tour's company name is 'Cheonma Tour' and I was very pleased with them. Their office is located right in front of Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal, tel.  054-743-6001.

Capital of the Shilla dynasty - worth a trip from Seoul on the KTX - the Korean speed train (extremely efficient, reserved seating, incredibly clean and always on time) and then short ride on a local train - go early morning, spend the day and return late evening or stay one night (Hyundai-Hotel was OK) - half-day tours offered - tourist guide did not speak a lot of English, but showed a DVD in the bus of all destinations which was in Korean and English. Best part of the trip - the local market next to the railway-station - great snacks for the way back