The area around Busan is home to many stunning UNESCO World Heritage Sites. If you are short on time, as we were, luckily several companies offer full day bus tours where you can visit all the sites in one day. While I am usually not a fan of such trips, The one we took today was fantastic (booked through Klook). The bus zips through Busan to pick up other passengers, giving glimpses of life outside the central areas. We then visited Bulguksa Temple with its beautiful and serene gardens. It was absolutely bucketing down rain as we drove into Yangdong Village, but the clouds miraculously parted just as we parked the bus. Apart from the local residents, we were the only visitors to this traditional Joseon Dynasty village. We wondered through the streets before stopping for a fantastic lunch at a restaurant in town followed by one of the worse hot chocolates I have ever had. But honestly, who comes here for hot chocolate. The day ended at Daereungwon to visit the royal tombs and then walk along the nearby shopping and restaurant streets, one of the highlights of the day (stop at Gyeongju Restaurant for mind blowing gimbap). We spent sunset at Donggung and Wolji and after dark we stopped to see Woljeong Bridge all lit up.
Dogma Restaurant and Cafe, 122-1 Yangdongmaeul-gil, Gangdong-myeon, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. Hours: 10:00 – 17:00 most days.
