Walking Among 23 Silla Tombs in Gyeongju Daereungwon to Cheonmachong

23 Silla tombs gathered across 126,500㎡

Gyeongju Daereungwon is Historic Site No. 512, a tumulus park where 23 ancient tombs from the Silla period are gathered across a 126,500㎡ site. The Daereungwon area is a historic-heritage district in central Gyeongju that includes the Hwangnam-dong Ancient Tombs, as well as the Nodong-ri, Noseo-ri, Hwangnam-ri, Hwango-ri, and Inwang-ri Ancient Tombs.

Inside the park are tombs including Cheonmachong, Hwangnamdaechong, Geomchong, and the tomb traditionally identified as King Michu's Tomb. Although this is a place where visitors can see the enormous burial mounds up close, not all tombs can be entered; the only tomb open to the public is Cheonmachong.

The 1973 excavation turned Cheonmachong into today's exhibition space

Cheonmachong is Tumulus No. 155 and the only tomb in Daereungwon whose interior can be viewed. During excavation research in 1973, a painting of a heavenly horse was unearthed on a horse-cloth, along with a gold crown, a gold belt, and a gold crown cap, revealing aspects of royal Silla funeral culture.

The Heavenly Horse Painting is a Silla-period artwork painted on a horse flap, a board hung beside the saddle to prevent mud from splashing when riding. Cheonmachong was restored in the form of a representative Silla stone-piled wooden-chamber tomb, allowing visitors to combine a Daereungwon walk viewing the outside of the burial mounds with an examination of a tomb's interior structure.

The two mounds of Hwangnamdaechong form a paired tomb believed to belong to a couple

Hwangnamdaechong, whose scale stands out at Daereungwon, was excavated from 1973 to 1975. The Korea Tourism Organization describes it as the tomb of a presumed married couple and explains that its two connected burial mounds form a paired tomb.

Therefore, Daereungwon is not simply a park for viewing grassy hills; it is a place to compare the scale at which tombs of Silla's ruling class were built in central Gyeongju. The walking trail around Hwangnamdaechong and the pond is worth seeing before or after visiting the interior of Cheonmachong, but it is not intended for visitors to climb onto the burial mounds.

Free admission from 09:00 to 22:00; only Cheonmachong has a separate fee

The outdoor area of Daereungwon operates from 09:00 to 22:00 according to the 2026 visitor information and is open year-round. Admission to Daereungwon is free, and ticket sales close at 21:30 according to the guidance. Although Daereungwon admission fees were abolished on May 4, 2023, Cheonmachong remains a separately ticketed attraction.

Individual admission to Cheonmachong is 3,000 won for adults, 2,000 won for youths, and 1,000 won for children. Group admission is 2,400 won for adults, 1,600 won for youths, and 800 won for children. If you plan to see only the outdoor tombs, you can enter free of charge, but you must pay the Cheonmachong admission fee separately to view the interior structure and excavated artifacts.

• Main telephone: 054-750-8650
• Official information: https://www.gyeongju.go.kr/tour/page.do?area_uid=203&cmd=2&funnel_id=WP_584976&funnel_source=content_article&mnu_uid=2292

From a city bus in Gyeongju to Wolsung-dong Community Center

When traveling from central Gyeongju to Daereungwon, visitors can take buses 10, 11, or 600, get off at the Wolsung-dong Community Center stop, and walk for no more than 10 minutes. Foreign travelers can enter both the bus route number and stop name into a map app to make it easier to confirm the destination.

Daereungwon's lot-based address is 31-1, Hwangnam-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, and its road-name address is 9, Gyerim-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do. The entrances are Information as three locations—the main gate, rear gate, and east gate—so you can choose the closest one depending on your accommodation or the activities before and after your visit. No specific subway station or exit number is provided in the official information for Gyeongju Daereungwon.

Parking at the main gate is paid; Jjoksaem temporary parking is free

If you arrive by car, you can use the Daereungwon public parking lot in front of the main gate or the Nodong Public Parking Lot near the rear gate; both are listed as paid facilities. The Korea Tourism Organization lists the parking fee for small vehicles as 2,000 won, while Gyeongju City information also lists 4,000 won for large vehicles.

If you need free parking, the Jjoksaem temporary parking lot, accessed via Wonhwa-ro 181beon-gil, is listed as an option. Since the available parking spaces at Daereungwon itself and detailed time-based fee standards are not provided in the information materials, it is safer not to plan an itinerary relying only on the main-gate parking lot during weekends or the magnolia blooming season.

• In front of the main gate: Daereungwon Public Parking Lot, paid
• Near the rear gate: Nodong Public Parking Lot, paid
• Access via Wonhwa-ro 181beon-gil: Jjoksaem Temporary Parking Lot, free

After March 20, expect to wait in line at the magnolia photo spot

Daereungwon has a photo spot with magnolia trees standing between two gently curved burial mounds. Gyeongju City information gives the magnolia blooming period as late March, after the 20th, so visitors planning spring photographs can use this period as a reference.

Official tourism information introduces the photo spot as a place where photography queues may become long. If photographing the magnolias is your main goal, expect crowds; adding the walking trail between the cherry-blossom-covered Tomb of King Michu and the burial mounds allows you to change your route if the wait at one spot becomes too long.

Food, pets, and electric vehicles are restricted inside the park

To protect the cultural heritage, bringing food and beverages into Daereungwon is restricted. Pets and electric vehicles are also restricted, so travelers planning to bring snacks or pets should divide their itinerary and spend those activities outside the park.

The interior of the ancient tomb park is flat and its walking paths are well maintained, so wheelchair and stroller access is described as relatively easy. Wheelchairs and strollers can be rented at the main-gate ticket booth, and information is provided about an accessible restroom, a dedicated parking lot, and ramps at the main entrance and along the paths. There is no nursing room.

From a 30-minute walk to 1.5 hours including Cheonmachong

Visitor reviews repeatedly report that touring Daereungwon takes approximately 30 minutes to 2 hours, while itineraries including Cheonmachong are recorded as taking about 1.5 hours. Viewing only the tomb exteriors and walking paths can be quick, but including the interior of Cheonmachong and the photo spot increases the time spent there.

Daereungwon is easy to combine with heritage sites in central Gyeongju, including Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, Cheomseongdae, Wolseong, the Gyeongju National Museum, Woljeonggyo Bridge, and Gyochon Village. It is also introduced as a place illuminated at night, but specific events, such as the 2023 Daereungwon Media Art event, ran for a limited period. At that time, the media art event operated from May 4 to June 4, 2023, from 19:30 to 22:00, with admission ending at 21:30.

A Daereungwon route that first-time visitors may easily overlook

First-time visitors may easily mistake the free outdoor area and paid Cheonmachong for attractions covered by the same admission fee. After entering the ancient tomb park free of charge through the main gate, visitors can decide whether to tour Cheonmachong. To save money, you can choose to walk around viewing only the exteriors, while those who want to see the inside of a Silla tomb should prepare the separate adult Cheonmachong fee of 3,000 won.

Daereungwon is in the Hwangnam-dong urban area, but the itinerary involves walking outdoors between ancient tombs. Taking advantage of the 09:00–22:00 operating hours, 21:30 ticket-sales closing time, and year-round opening, you can divide your visit by seeing the magnolias and burial mounds during the day and adding the illuminated scenery after sunset. The official information does not specify whether English information or audio guides are available, nor does it state which interior areas prohibit photography or restrict tripods.