How far is the Kolon Hotel from Bulguksa?

A walk. The hotel stands on the same slope of Tohamsan, below the temple gates, with Seokguram further up the mountain.

Which airport is closest to the Kolon Hotel?

Ulsan, about forty minutes by car, for domestic flights. From abroad, Gimhae near Busan is the usual arrival, about an hour and a quarter away by our estimate.

Did Xi Jinping stay at the Kolon Hotel?

Yes. The Chinese delegation took the hotel during the APEC summit in October 2025, and the Chinese president stayed here.

Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Gyeongju?

Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Gyeongju, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.

Four-star Near Bulguksa, Gyeongju

Gyeongju Kolon Hotel

Gyeongju's first luxury hotel, opened in 1978 on the slopes of Tohamsan, a walk from the gates of Bulguksa. In October 2025 it housed China's delegation to the APEC summit.

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Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.

Opened: 1978
Rooms: 305
Golf: Nine holes, par 34, in the grounds
From the airport: About 40 minutes from Ulsan

The hotel

The hotel under Tohamsan.

Kolon Hotel opened in 1978 as the first luxury hotel in Gyeongju, on the lower slopes of Tohamsan, the mountain that holds Bulguksa and the Seokguram grotto. The Kolon group still runs it. The grounds take in a nine-hole public golf course with a driving range, an outdoor pool for the summer and a forest walk, and the sauna on the fifth floor draws its water from 453 metres underground.

In October 2025 Gyeongju hosted the APEC leaders' summit, and the Chinese delegation took the hotel. Xi Jinping stayed here on his first visit to Korea in eleven years, behind four rings of police checkpoints; the press put the choice down to the mountain setting. Before the summit the hotel replaced its cooling plant and enlarged its restaurants and banquet rooms, and part of the ondol rooms were renewed in 2025.

Bulguksa on foot The temple gates are a walk away, close enough for an early start at the temple, with the Seokguram grotto further up the mountain.
Golf in the grounds A public nine-hole course of 2,029 metres, par 34, with self-drive carts and a fifteen-bay driving range.
Deep-water sauna On the fifth floor, filled with sodium bicarbonate water pumped from 453 metres below the hotel.

Rooms & suites

Beds or ondol floors.

The hotel lists more than twenty room types, from Western rooms with two double beds to ondol rooms where you sleep on a heated floor in the Korean way.

Korean style Terrace Ondol An ondol room with a large terrace, set up with camping gear and a wine or beer set.
Families Imperial Suite 3 A traditional suite with a hanok room alongside a twin room with double beds.
VIP Zamione The top room, with its own reception room for visitors.

Dining

Korean cooking and a bakery.

Venues as listed by the hotel. The MICHELIN Guide does not cover Gyeongju. Shown for information.

Deohan Gonggan Korean Third floor
Deochanran Breakfast buffet Second floor
Dalbit Pocha Pub food and draught beer Evenings, third floor
Olon Bakery Cafe Bakery and coffee Third floor

Good to know

Before you go.

Arrival Check-in from 3 pm, check-out by 11 am.
Pool and sauna The outdoor pool opens in summer only, and both the pool and the sauna are charged separately, with a reduction for hotel guests.
Children Welcome. Some rooms are fitted out for children, and a pizza workshop runs for young cooks in the afternoon.

Getting there

Flying to Gyeongju.

Ulsan airport is about forty minutes away by car and Pohang Gyeongju about forty-five, both for domestic flights. International flights and private jets land at Gimhae, on the edge of Busan; allow about an hour and a quarter by road, our estimate.

Business & First Class Airline flights International flights arrive at Gimhae or at Incheon, near Seoul. Pohang Gyeongju is linked to Gimpo, Seoul's domestic airport, by Jin Air; hills at both ends of its runway and sea fog make cancellations more frequent there than elsewhere in Korea. Request a fare Private Jet Private aircraft Private jets from abroad clear customs at Gimhae, which shares its runways with an air base and closes to civil movements from 23:00 to 06:00. During APEC 2025 Pohang Gyeongju opened temporarily to international jets, with customs on site; outside such events it is a domestic airport, so ask your operator before planning around it. Request a jet

Approximate flying time by midsize jet to Gyeongju

Seoul 45 min
Tokyo 1 h 40
Beijing 1 h 55
Hong Kong 3 h 00
Singapore 6 h 20

Questions

What guests ask first.

How far is the Kolon Hotel from Bulguksa?: A walk. The hotel stands on the same slope of Tohamsan, below the temple gates, with Seokguram further up the mountain.
Which airport is closest to the Kolon Hotel?: Ulsan, about forty minutes by car, for domestic flights. From abroad, Gimhae near Busan is the usual arrival, about an hour and a quarter away by our estimate.
Did Xi Jinping stay at the Kolon Hotel?: Yes. The Chinese delegation took the hotel during the APEC summit in October 2025, and the Chinese president stayed here.
Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Gyeongju?: Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Gyeongju, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.

Also in Gyeongju

Other hotels worth the trip.

Staying at Gyeongju Kolon Hotel?

Book the room, then the flight.

Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Gyeongju, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.

Book with the hotel for Gyeongju Kolon Hotel (opens in a new tab)

Business & First Private Jet

Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.