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Checked · Researched, not yet visited · travel times are our map estimates · Takumi Yamada
Some twenty great royal tombs of Silla rise as grass hills in the middle of Gyeongju. Cheonmachong is the one you can walk into: it was dug in 1973 and held a gold crown and a saddle flap painted with a flying horse, the Heavenly Horse of its name. Replicas fill the burial chamber; the real crown is in the national museum.
The tombs are the centre of a short walk. The ssambap houses line the outer wall, Hwangnidan-gil’s cafés and bakeries are by the west gate, and Cheomseongdae, the stone observatory, stands in the fields to the east.
Three things the plaques won't tell you
- Eat first: the ssambap street is along the wall.
- Cheonmachong is the indoor part, useful in rain.
- Taxis back to the port: agree the return with the driver who brought you, or book a car for the day through the ship.
The ssambap houses line the outer wall, Hwangnidan-gil’s cafés and bakeries are by the west gate, and Cheomseongdae, the stone observatory, stands in the fields to the east.
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Questions people ask here
Is Daereungwon free?
The park is free. Cheonmachong, the tomb you can enter, is ₩3,000 for adults, ₩2,000 for youths and ₩1,000 for children.
What are the opening hours?
The main gate is open 09:00–22:00 with last entry at 21:30; the back gate and Cheonmachong 09:00–21:30. Open every day.