Korea · Temples & Trails
Korea’s most beautiful mountain temples
Seven cliffside hermitages and mountain sanctuaries where the real view beats any photo – and the hike to reach each one.
These are, for our money, the most beautiful temples in Korea – not the easy-access city ones, but seven mountain temples and hermitages where getting there is half the reward. Following the trekking channel Freedom & Mountain (자유와 산), the list runs from a Silla-era hermitage glued to a vertical cliff to the highest temple in the country, and you don’t need to be Buddhist to be moved by any of them.
We’ve turned the video into a practical, English-language guide: each temple, why it’s special, and exactly how to hike up – plus the best season to go.
Video by 자유와 산 (Freedom & Mountain) · Watch the original on YouTube. Embedded with credit; views go to the creator.
In this guide
Our take
What the video gets right
It skips the obvious and picks temples where the setting does the work – sheer cliffs, rock spires and ridgeline panoramas. Every one rewards the effort of the walk, which is exactly why they stay with you.
What we added
English names and Korean originals for each temple, where it actually is, the trailhead and rough difficulty, and the season that shows each one at its best.
Who it is for
Travellers who like to earn their views, anyone drawn to Korea’s mountain culture, and hikers looking for a more meaningful destination than just a summit.
The seven temples
1. Yaksaam, Geumosan (금오산 약사암) – Gumi, Gyeongbuk
A Silla-era hermitage that clings to a sheer cliff near the 976m summit of Geumosan, framed by jagged rock – a genuine ‘temple in the air.’ The hike from the Geumosan parking lot passes the 28-metre Daehye Falls (대혜폭포) and the cliff-set Doseongul Cave (도선굴) before a steep final climb. Under fresh snow, it’s spellbinding.
2. Oseam, Seoraksan (설악산 오세암) – Inje, Gangwon
Deep in Seoraksan, Oseam is ringed by towering rock so completely it feels like a hidden world. The path starts at Baekdamsa (백담사) and follows a calming forest trail toward Madeungnyeong. The hermitage itself is plain and quiet rather than grand; time it right and you might be offered a free bowl of seaweed-soup temple food – a welcome rest on a long mountain day.
3. Tongdosa (통도사) – Yangsan, Gyeongnam
One of Korea’s Three Jewel Temples and a UNESCO World Heritage site, Tongdosa enshrines relics of the Buddha in a hall of enlightenment (jeongmyeolbogung). It’s famous for Jajangmae (자장매), a 350-year-old red plum that’s one of the first blossoms of spring (mid-February to early March). Walk the 1.6km Mupung-hansol pine path (무풍한송로) from the gate, then wander up to the hermitages – Seoun-am (서운암), with its rows of fermentation jars, and Janggyeonggak (장경각) looking out over the Yeongchuksan ridge.
4. Tapsa, Maisan (마이산 탑사) – Jinan, Jeonbuk
Beneath the ‘horse-ear’ peaks of Maisan sit dozens of slender stone pagodas, hand-stacked by the hermit Yi Gap-yong over some thirty years in the late 1800s – and still standing after a century of wind and rain. With the twin peaks behind them, the effect is otherworldly, like a temple on another planet.
Temple-hopping across Korea? Travel light.
These sanctuaries are spread the length of the country, so you’ll move between regions. With Unboxing Korea, have your suitcase delivered hotel-to-hotel – or a new one sent ahead – so the long mountain days stay hands-free.
5. Saseongam (사성암) – Gurye, Jeonnam
Saseongam looks almost embedded in a vertical cliff on Osan, named for the four eminent monks – Wonhyo, Uisang, Doseon and Jingak – who are said to have practised here. From the top, the panorama takes in the winding Seomjingang river, the Pyeongsari fields made famous by the novel Toji, and the Jirisan ridgeline from Nogodan to Cheonwangbong. The entrance lot is tight, so on weekends park below and take the shuttle; spring, when cherry blossoms line the river, is glorious.
6. Boriam, Geumsan (금산 보리암) – Namhae, Gyeongnam
One of Korea’s three great Gwaneum (Avalokiteshvara) sacred sites – alongside Bomunsa on Ganghwa and Naksansa in Yangyang – Boriam is famous for a legend that a heartfelt prayer here grants one wish. Joseon’s founder, Yi Seong-gye, is said to have prayed 100 days here before becoming king, which is how the mountain earned the name Geumsan (‘brocade mountain’). The draw is the cliff-edge panorama over the South Sea’s scattered islands. It’s an easy ~1km walk from the Bokgok 2nd parking lot; carry on to the summit and the famous cup-ramen at Geumsan Sanjang.
7. Bongjeongam, Seoraksan (설악산 봉정암) – Inje, Gangwon
At 1,244 metres, Bongjeongam is the highest temple in Korea – a relic shrine whose hall, unusually, frames a window onto the outdoor stupa instead of a Buddha statue. Reaching it is a serious undertaking: about four and a half hours from Baekdamsa, up the Suryeomdong and Gugokdam valleys and over the aptly named Haetalgogae (‘liberation pass’). The reward at the stupa is a head-on view of Yongajangseong and the Gongnyong (Dinosaur) Ridge. Go in early October, when Korea’s first autumn colour reaches the peaks.
Plan your temple hikes
Getting around
These seven are spread across the country – Gyeongbuk, Gangwon, Gyeongnam, Jeonbuk and Jeonnam – so pick a region rather than trying to chain them all. A rental car is easiest; otherwise combine intercity buses or trains with a local taxi to each trailhead.
Match the temple to your legs
They range from gentle to gruelling. Boriam (~1km) and Tongdosa’s pine path are easy strolls; Yaksaam, Saseongam and Oseam are proper half-day hikes; Bongjeongam is a long, steep mountain day (many pilgrims stay overnight at its lodging to break it up). Plan accordingly and start early.
When to go
Tongdosa is best in mid-February to early March for the plum blossoms, Saseongam in cherry-blossom spring, and Bongjeongam in early October for the foliage. The others are rewarding year-round – just check mountain conditions in winter.
Temple etiquette
Dress modestly, keep your voice down in prayer areas, and ask before photographing people. Several Korean temples also offer Templestay programmes if you want to go deeper than a day visit.
FAQ
Which temple is the easiest to reach?
Boriam on Namhae – about a one-kilometre walk from the parking lot – and Tongdosa, which sits at the end of a gentle pine path.
Which is the hardest?
Bongjeongam in Seoraksan: roughly a four-and-a-half-hour climb each way from Baekdamsa, on steep mountain terrain.
Do I need to be Buddhist to visit?
Not at all. These are open to everyone, and most visitors come for the scenery and the atmosphere as much as the spiritual side.
When is the best time to go?
It depends on the temple – Tongdosa for late-winter plum blossoms, Saseongam for spring cherry blossoms, Bongjeongam for autumn foliage – but spring and autumn are the most reliable overall.
Can I stay overnight at any of them?
Bongjeongam offers simple pilgrim lodging that helps break up the long climb, and many Korean temples run Templestay programmes for an immersive overnight.
Ready to head for the mountains?
Korea’s mountain temples are some of the country’s most moving places to stand still. Pair this with our Korea travel tips and other video reviews to plan your route, and let Unboxing Korea move your bags between regions so the hiking days stay light – or have our personal concierge sort the transport and timings for you. For official travel information, see the Korea Tourism Organization.
This is an independent review and route guide. We do not reproduce the video’s narration; the facts are rewritten in our own words and verified separately, and the original video is embedded with full credit to its creator. We will gladly adjust or remove the embed at the creator’s request.
