How do you get from Busan to Gyeongju by train or bus?

Busan to Gyeongju at a glance

Last checked 27 October 2026. Fares are approximate; dollar figures convert at our committed exchange-rate snapshot.

Planning more legs? Use the route finder.

Know which Gyeongju station you are going to

This trips people up because older guides are out of date. The old downtown Gyeongju Station closed on 28 December 2021. The station that now carries the name Gyeongju Station is the high-speed station that used to be called Singyeongju, south-west of the city. All trains from Busan, KTX and slower Donghae Line trains alike, now arrive there.

From the station, city buses including 50, 60, 61, 70 and 700 run towards the Express Bus Terminal and downtown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Route numbers have been reorganised in recent years, so check the stop board or Naver Map on the day. A taxi to Daereungwon is quicker and the obvious choice for a group of three or four.

Option 1: intercity or express bus from Nopo (best for a day trip)

Where: Busan Central Bus Terminal (Busan Jonghap Bus Terminal) at Nopo, the last stop at the northern end of Metro Line 1. From Seomyeon allow about 35 to 40 minutes on the metro; from Nampo or Busan Station, nearer 50.

Journey: about 50 minutes to 1 hour to Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal or the Express Bus Terminal next to it, on the west edge of downtown. From there it is a walk of about 10 to 15 minutes to Daereungwon and Hwangnidan-gil.

Frequency and price: departures roughly every 20 to 30 minutes through the day, with fares typically around ₩7,500 to ₩12,000 (≈ $5.7–9.0) depending on standard or premium coach, according to 2025 and 2026 timetable listings.

Booking: buy at the terminal machines or counter, or on the Korean T-money bus booking apps. Walk-up seats are usually fine on weekdays; on weekend mornings and holidays, buy the return when you arrive in Gyeongju.

There is also a bus from Busan Seobu (Sasang) terminal, about an hour, handy if you are staying near Sasang or the airport, and seasonal services from the Haeundae area, around ₩10,500 (≈ $7.9) in 2025.

Option 2: KTX from Busan Station (fastest on paper)

Where: Busan Station (Metro Line 1) to Gyeongju Station.

Journey: about 27 to 35 minutes. Timetable listings for 2026 show around 34 trains a day between Busan Station and Gyeongju, KTX and SRT combined, from around 05:20 to 22:20.

Price: about ₩11,000 (≈ $8.3) for a standard KTX seat, ₩10,000 (≈ $7.5) on SRT, with unreserved or standing tickets slightly cheaper.

Booking: on Korail's official site or app, or the SRT app for SRT trains. Book ahead on Friday evenings and Sundays, when the trains are full of Seoul passengers. A Korea Rail Pass only pays off if you are also doing long legs like Seoul to Busan.

Total time to downtown Gyeongju, including the city bus, comes out similar to the Nopo bus. The KTX wins if you are staying near Busan Station or Nampo, or if your Gyeongju plans start at Bulguksa, which you can reach by taxi from the station without going through the centre.

Option 3: Donghae Line trains from Bujeon (cheapest)

Since the Donghae Line was electrified, Bujeon Station (near Seomyeon, Metro Line 1 Bujeon) has regular trains to Gyeongju Station via Haeundae area stops such as Centum and Sinhaeundae, then Taehwagang in Ulsan.

For a weekday in late October 2026, timetables show 23 trains a day from Bujeon to Gyeongju, first around 05:10 and last around 20:50:

• KTX-Eum: about 1 hour 5 to 1 hour 17 minutes, about ₩12,500 (≈ $9.4).

• ITX-Saemaeul: about 1 hour 30 minutes, about ₩10,100 (≈ $7.6).

• Mugunghwa: about 1 hour 35 to 1 hour 45 minutes, about ₩6,800 (≈ $5.1), the cheapest rail fare.

These suit you if you are staying in Haeundae, where boarding at Sinhaeundae or Centum saves a long crosstown metro ride to Nopo or Busan Station. They arrive at the same out-of-town Gyeongju Station, so add the city bus.

Taxi or driving

Gyeongju is about 75 to 90 km from central Busan by expressway, roughly 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes without traffic. A taxi is expensive for this distance; ask for the fare before you set off or use Kakao T. Driving makes sense only if you want to add Yangdong Folk Village or the coast at Gampo in the same day, which buses serve poorly. Weekend traffic out of Busan can be slow.

Doing it as a day trip, and getting back

A day trip works. Take a bus by 08:00 or 08:30 from Nopo, walk the centre in the morning, and either do Bulguksa in the afternoon or stay downtown for Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond lit up after dark. The full plan, with tickets and timings, is in our Gyeongju day trip from Busan guide; this page only covers the transport.

Returning after the pond at night, the downtown buses back to Nopo run into the evening; check the last departure at the terminal when you arrive. If you miss it, the last trains from Gyeongju Station run later, but you need a taxi to reach the station.

For Bulguksa, buses 10 and 11 run from downtown in about 45 minutes; a taxi from Gyeongju Station is quicker if you arrive by train. Dress and visiting rules are in the Bulguksa guide.

Honest advice from our route: we gave Gyeongju three nights, and one day only covers half of it. If you can, move your bags there instead of returning to Busan. Pay for buses and metros with a T-money card; see T-money and the subway. For the rest of the south, see our Busan guide and Busan to Jeju.

Frequently asked questions