A Trip Down Memory Lane: Gyeongju Revisited
Starting to write this on September 8th, 2025, reminiscing about my trip to Gyeongju on November 28th, 2024...!!
In early October 2024, we wanted to travel and were discussing where to go when the most exciting memory from our school days popped into our heads: "School Trip"!
Among them, Gyeongju, our first ever school trip, came to mind most vividly.
Perhaps the title of "school trip," as opposed to just a retreat, held a powerful memory.
We went to different elementary schools, but our memories of Gyeongju were almost identical.
However, since we were so young, we didn't remember much accurately. So, we chose Gyeongju with the intention of creating new memories as adults.
And so, finally, after 10 months, here begins the first day of our Gyeongju trip!
On November 28th, at 9 AM, I picked up P from their house and we headed straight to Hwangridan-gil. It took about 4 hours to get there.
Our first meal in Gyeongju: "Ryoko"
We went to Ryoko, a restaurant in Hwangridan-gil, as our first stop. There was no parking lot at the restaurant, so we used a nearby public parking lot. The price was very affordable because it was public.
Actually, this wasn't supposed to be our first stop. It was meant to be for day 2, but we forgot and went there on day 1...
Ryoko Katsu / Ryokki Noodles / Ryomu Rice in order.
My partner and I always order three main dishes when we travel. It's because we don't get to come often, and we think, "When else will we get to try this?"
Actually, that's just an excuse. We just want to eat them.
Hwangridan-gil is frequented by couples and young people, so the quality of the food seems to be excellent.
The taste of the food is great, but the presentation is so beautiful that it's a feast for the eyes as well.
After our meal, we started our historical exploration, fitting the school trip theme.
Our first visit was to Daereungwon Tomb Complex. It wasn't far from Ryoko, where we had lunch, so we took a walk to digest and explore Daereungwon.
Daereungwon was very large and had a lot to see. Just taking a walk there, the scenery was so beautiful that it made us feel refreshed.
Photos taken inside Daereungwon
The tree you see in the last picture is famous as a photo spot on Instagram. At first, we tried to set up a tripod and take pictures ourselves, but the wind was so strong that the tripod kept falling over. So, we asked someone nearby who was carrying a camera to take pictures for us.
As expected, since they were carrying a camera, they took great pictures very quickly, which was amazing.
Inside Daereungwon, there's Cheonmachong (Heavenly Horse Tomb). There's an entrance fee, but it's affordable, and there was a lot to see inside, which was great.
Inside Cheonmachong
The exhibits inside were so well done that the artifacts were very well preserved.
After looking around Cheonmachong, we walked to Cheomseongdae Observatory nearby. The temperature itself was okay, but the wind was so strong that it was a bit chilly.
Too windy, so the photos aren't great! (Mosaic!)
Looking at Cheomseongdae as an adult, it was even more impressive. I couldn't help but think how amazing our ancestors' wisdom was to think of and create something like that.
Our itinerary for the 3 days and 2 nights was very tightly packed, so after looking around Cheomseongdae and taking pictures, we went near the parking lot to eat Gyeongju's famous 10-won bread before heading to Bulguksa Temple. I don't remember the name of the store...
Betrayal of the 10-won Bread
I ordered one mozzarella 10-won bread and shared it with P. As soon as I took a bite, I felt something was off, but it was so delicious that I just ate it. And within a minute, an allergic reaction started. Just in case, I went back to the store and asked, "Does it contain buckwheat?" They said it did, so I bought allergy medicine nearby and took it. Other 10-won bread doesn't contain buckwheat, but Gyeongju's 10-won bread must be different... Is the real one different? P and I were so dumbfounded that we just laughed.
Dabotap Pagoda and Bulguksa Entrance
We prefer to see things with our own eyes rather than taking pictures, so we didn't take many pictures, but we did take a picture of Dabotap Pagoda. It was a bit damaged, which was a shame, but it was truly magnificent, as befitting a World Heritage Site. If we had more time, we would have looked around more, but we were short on time, which was a big shame.
It was dinner time, so we went back to Hwangridan-gil to eat.
We were looking for a place to eat dinner when Shilla Jemyeon came to mind. It's because we failed to visit when the Anguk branch opened before, so it suddenly popped into my head.
So, we parked the car in the public parking lot again and quickly walked to Shilla Jemyeon. Fortunately, we were number 1 on the waiting list, so we only waited a little.
Shilla Jemyeon Entrance
When we went to the entrance of Shilla Jemyeon, the interior was so pretty that I thought, "No wonder so many people come here."
Shilla Jemyeon Food Shot
First, you eat all the noodles and some of the octopus, and then you mix the rice you see next to it with the sauce and eat it. The taste was good, but I didn't think it was worth waiting so long for. It's worth eating if there's no waiting, but if the wait is over an hour, I wouldn't eat it.
After finishing our meal, we headed to Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond for our next destination.
There was an entrance fee, but it wasn't a waste at all. Most entrance fees in Gyeongju seem to be worth it.
Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond / Me taken by P
This place is also very large, so it would take a while to see everything.
So, we were going to take a walk to digest when I saw something like a shooting star, but P didn't see it, so I was the only one who saw it. It was amazing.
After our walk, it was getting late, so on the way to our accommodation, we saw a pretty bridge and stopped for a moment to take pictures.
I'm not sure if it's Woljeonggyo Bridge.
We took pictures of the bridge, presumed to be Woljeonggyo Bridge, from a distance and looked around for a while before going to our accommodation.
Our accommodation was Art in Tiara Pension.
We booked a Hinoki room, so we soaked in the water to relieve our fatigue and ended the day.
End of Day 1 in Gyeongju~
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