Busan to Gyeongju, Korea: KTX, the Donghae Line Train and the Bus Compared — Fares After the 1 October Bus Rise, Times and Which Station You Arrive At

Last updated: 1 October 2026. Train fares and timetables are the national rail timetable data published by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (국토교통부) through the public data portal, read for travel on 1 October 2026; book in the Korail+ app (코레일+) to confirm. Bus fares, departure times and the boarding bay are from Busan Dongbu Bus Terminal (부산동부버스터미널), which runs the intercity side of Busan Central Bus Terminal at Nopo, read on 1 October 2026 — the first day of the new fares. The 9% rise is from the ministry's 26 August 2026 release and the terminal's own notice of 3 September 2026.

Ask how to get from Busan to Gyeongju and most English answers say "take the KTX to Singyeongju, it's half an hour." Three things in that sentence are now out of date. Singyeongju Station no longer exists by that name — since 28 December 2023 it has been called Gyeongju Station (경주역), and the old downtown Gyeongju Station that some guides still send you to closed at the end of 2021. Second, the KTX is not the only train any more: the Donghae Line from Busan's Bujeon station now runs ITX-Maum and KTX-Eum trains into the same station. Third, today, Thursday 1 October 2026, intercity bus fares in Korea went up 9%.

So here is the trip with the numbers as they stand this morning: what each option costs, how long it really takes, and — the part the fare tables hide — where each one drops you.

For Gyeongju's tombs, temples and the Busan side of the trip: Lonely Planet Korea (13th edition), on AmazonAffiliate link. As an Amazon Associate, EpicKor earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Quick Guide: Busan to Gyeongju on 1 October 2026

The line that matters most: the bus is now only ₩1,700 cheaper than the KTX, but it is the only option that ends in downtown Gyeongju, a walk from the tombs. Every train ends at Gyeongju Station, and from there you still need a 30–40 minute city bus. Choose by where you start in Busan and where you sleep in Gyeongju, not by the fare.

The station name trap: "Singyeongju" is now Gyeongju Station

Gyeongju had two railway stations until 2021. The old Gyeongju Station sat in the city centre, in Seongdong-dong, and served slow trains on the Jungang and Donghae lines. Singyeongju (신경주, "New Gyeongju") opened on 1 November 2010 for the KTX, in Hwacheon-ri, Geoncheon-eup, well west of the centre.

At the end of 2021 the Jungang and Donghae lines were rebuilt and rerouted, and the old downtown station closed. Every passenger train now stops at the former Singyeongju, which was renamed Gyeongju Station (경주역) on 28 December 2023, after the ministry confirmed the change in February 2023. Its address is 80 Gyeongjuyeok-ro (경주역로 80).

What this means on the ground:

• In the Korail+ app and on the departure boards, look for 경주 (Gyeongju). There is no "Singyeongju" to select any more.
• Do not walk to the old station downtown expecting a train. Map apps can still show the old building because the site is still there.
• Seogyeongju (서경주) is a different, small Donghae Line station on the west side of the city. A few slow trains stop there; it is not where the KTX goes.

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By KTX from Busan Station: fastest, ₩10,100

Busan Station (부산역) is the KTX station in the old centre, on Busan Metro Line 1 (station 113), two stops from Nampo. For 1 October the national timetable lists 28 KTX and KTX-Sancheon departures to Gyeongju, the first at 05:19 and the last at 22:16. The ride is 27 to 35 minutes; it is the first stop for some trains, the second for others.

The standard adult fare is ₩10,100. Before Korail and SR merged their high-speed operations on 1 September 2026, the same seat was listed at ₩11,000; the merger moved KTX fares to SR's lower fare scale. Standing or unreserved tickets are listed at ₩8,600.

Coming back, the timetable shows 32 departures from Gyeongju to Busan Station, from 07:16 to 23:12 — later than the last Donghae Line train (22:11).

Two practical notes. The KTX is a long-distance train, so seats on Friday evenings and on Saturday mornings can sell out, especially in autumn foliage season; since 1 October Korail sells tickets two months ahead (our guide to the new booking window). And because the trip is so short, a standing ticket is a reasonable fallback, not a disaster.

You might like: Korea Train Tickets Open Two Months Ahead From 1 October 2026 — and Buses Rise 9%: Seoul–Busan KTX vs Bus

By the Donghae Line from Bujeon or Haeundae: slower, and not cheaper

The Donghae Line (동해선) runs north up Busan's east side and along the coast to Ulsan before turning inland to Gyeongju. Since the line was electrified and extended, Korail runs three kinds of train on it from Bujeon (부전), the terminus in central Busan:

On 1 October the timetable lists 21 trains a day from Bujeon, first 05:11, last 19:40, and only two of them are Mugunghwa (06:00 and 13:38). From Sinhaeundae (신해운대), the Donghae Line station for the Haeundae area, there are 13, with the last at 18:18. Centum (센텀) has eight.

The honest verdict: from central Busan, the Donghae Line is slower than the KTX and not cheaper. The ITX-Maum costs exactly the same ₩10,100 as the KTX and takes three times as long, because it follows the coast through Haeundae, Gijang and Ulsan. Only the Mugunghwa is cheaper, and there are two a day.

It earns its place in three cases:

• You are staying in Haeundae or Centum. Sinhaeundae to Gyeongju by KTX-Eum is about 52–55 minutes for ₩10,900, with no trip across town to Busan Station first — but only three of the 13 trains are KTX-Eum (06:09, 12:21 and 14:58 on 1 October); the rest are ITX-Maum at ₩8,700 and 71–79 minutes, plus two Mugunghwa.
• You are staying near Seomyeon or Bujeon and the KTX times do not suit you. Korail's Bujeon station is next to Bujeon (120) on Metro Line 1, one stop beyond Seomyeon.
• You are continuing north to Pohang, Yeongdeok or the Gangwon coast later; the ITX-Maum carries on to Gangneung.

But note what the Donghae Line does not change: it arrives at the same Gyeongju Station as the KTX, outside the city.

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By bus from Nopo: ₩8,400 from today, and it ends downtown

Buses to Gyeongju leave from Busan Central Bus Terminal (부산종합버스터미널) in Nopo-dong, at the northern end of Busan. The building houses two operators: the express-bus side, and Busan Dongbu Bus Terminal (부산동부버스터미널), which runs the intercity buses. Gyeongju is an intercity (시외) route, so it belongs to the second.

On 3 September the terminal posted its notice: under the ministry's raised fare cap, all intercity routes go up 9% from Thursday 1 October 2026, the first rise since 11 July 2023. Its route page this morning shows the new Gyeongju fares:

The daytime adult fare was ₩7,700 in the July schedule listings; ₩7,700 plus 9% is ₩8,393, so ₩8,400 is the full rise, rounded. Every departure is listed as a deluxe (우등) bus with wide recliners. Some of these buses run through to Pohang after Gyeongju.

The timetable is dense: 49 daytime departures from 06:20 to 21:30, every 10 to 30 minutes, plus the 22:00 night bus. Buses leave from bay 27 (27번 승차홈). The ride takes about 50 minutes by EpicKor's estimate (the terminal does not publish a running time); it uses the expressway, so a Friday evening or a foliage-season Saturday can add to that. Listings show a similar number of buses running back the other way.

Tickets: at the counter or machines in the terminal, or online through T-money's intercity booking service (txbus.t-money.co.kr, or the T-money GO app). The Busan terminal itself says it only publishes the timetable; refunds for online tickets go through T-money (1644-3070).

The catch is the Busan end. Nopo is station 134, the last stop on Line 1: 21 stops from Busan Station and 15 from Seomyeon. Add most of an hour on the metro if you are staying in the centre or the south of the city.

Where you arrive decides the real journey time

This is the part the fare comparison hides.

By train, you arrive at Gyeongju Station in Geoncheon-eup, outside the city. City buses 50, 51 and 70 run from the station toward downtown and the Gyeongju express and intercity bus terminals in Noseo-dong; since July 2026 the routes serving the station make about 211 runs a day between them. Budget 30–40 minutes on the bus. For Bomun Lake and Bulguksa, look for the 700 and 711, and check the route in Kakao Map or Naver Map before boarding.

Do not take a taxi from Gyeongju Station into town unless you have checked the fare. Gyeongju applies a 55% "combined surcharge" (복합할증) (set in 2019 and not changed when Gyeongbuk raised base taxi fares in December 2025) on taxi rides that start or end outside a radius of roughly 5 km around the Gyeongju Arts Center — and the station is outside it. Korean users put the station-to-downtown fare at around ₩20,000, and more to Bomun. That is double the KTX ticket.

By bus, you arrive at Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal (경주시외버스터미널), next door to the express bus terminal on the western edge of the centre. From there Daereungwon (the big royal tombs) and Hwangnidan-gil are roughly 1.2–1.5 km away, a walk of about 15–20 minutes by our estimate, and most local buses to Bulguksa and Bomun leave from the stops outside.

Here is what that does to door-to-door times. These are EpicKor estimates built from the timetables above, metro running times and the city-bus figure; real times depend on connections.

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Day trip or overnight: what the last departures allow

Gyeongju works as a day trip from Busan, but the last departures decide how long your day is:

• Last KTX, Gyeongju → Busan Station: 23:12. The latest train of the night, but leave time for the city bus to the station. Gyeongju's city buses do not run as late as the trains, so a late evening at Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond may mean that taxi after all.
• Last Donghae Line train, Gyeongju → Bujeon: 22:11.
• Buses back to Nopo run about as often as the buses out; check the last departure at the Gyeongju terminal when you arrive, and remember Nopo is a long metro ride from the south of Busan late at night.

If you want Bulguksa and Seokguram as well as the central tombs, that is two clusters of sights a long bus ride apart, and an overnight stay is the calmer plan. Our 7-day Seoul, Gyeongju and Busan itinerary gives Gyeongju two days for this reason.

You might like: 7-Day Korea Itinerary: Seoul, Gyeongju, and Busan by KTX

Mistakes to avoid on this route

• Searching for "Singyeongju" in the booking app. It is 경주 / Gyeongju now. A ticket to "Gyeongju" is the right one.
• Assuming the Donghae Line is the budget option. Only the two daily Mugunghwa trains are cheaper than the KTX; the ITX-Maum costs the same and takes an hour longer.
• Assuming the bus is the slow option. At about 50 minutes to downtown it can beat the KTX door to door, if you start in the north of Busan or sleep near the tombs.
• Taking a station taxi to Bomun. The combined surcharge makes it one of the dearest short rides in the region.
• Quoting yesterday's fare. English sites listing ₩7,700 for the bus are now ₩700 short; the 22:00 night bus is ₩10,100 — the same as the KTX.

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FAQ

Q: How much is the KTX from Busan to Gyeongju? A: ₩10,100 for a standard adult seat from Busan Station to Gyeongju Station in the national timetable data for 1 October 2026, down from ₩11,000 before the KTX–SRT merger on 1 September. The trip takes 27 to 35 minutes, with 28 departures that day between 05:19 and 22:16.

Q: How much is the bus from Busan to Gyeongju after the 1 October 2026 fare rise? A: ₩8,400 for an adult on the daytime deluxe buses from Busan Central Bus Terminal at Nopo, up from ₩7,700, and ₩10,100 on the 22:00 night bus. The Busan Dongbu Bus Terminal, which runs the route, lists 49 daytime departures between 06:20 and 21:30 from bay 27, taking about 50 minutes.

Q: Is Singyeongju Station the same as Gyeongju Station? A: Yes. The KTX station opened in 2010 as Singyeongju and was renamed Gyeongju Station (경주역) on 28 December 2023, after the old downtown Gyeongju Station closed at the end of 2021. All KTX and Donghae Line trains from Busan stop there, in Geoncheon-eup, 30–40 minutes from downtown by city bus.

Q: Should I take the Donghae Line train from Busan to Gyeongju? A: Only if you start in Haeundae or Centum, or want the cheap Mugunghwa. From Bujeon the ITX-Maum costs ₩10,100, the same as the KTX from Busan Station, and takes about 90 minutes; the KTX-Eum is ₩12,500 and about an hour. From Sinhaeundae the KTX-Eum takes under an hour for ₩10,900, but only three run a day; the ITX-Maum is ₩8,700 and about 75 minutes.

Q: Which is better, train or bus, from Busan to Gyeongju? A: The KTX if you start near Busan Station or are staying at Bomun Lake; the bus if you start in the north of Busan or are staying near the tombs and Hwangnidan-gil, because the bus ends downtown and the trains do not.

Sources

• Train fares, departure counts and times for 1 October 2026: national rail timetable data published by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport through the public data portal, as displayed by train.asamaru.net (Busan Station, Bujeon, Sinhaeundae and Centum to Gyeongju, and return), data dated 1 October 2026. Confirm in the Korail+ app before travel.
• Bus fares, departure times and bay number: Busan Dongbu Bus Terminal (부산동부버스터미널) route information for 동부산 → 경주, read 1 October 2026, and its notice "2026년 10월 1일부 시외버스 요금 인상 안내", 3 September 2026 (9% on all intercity routes; previous rise 11 July 2023). Previous ₩7,700 fare: Nopo–Gyeongju schedule listing updated 12 July 2026 (bustime.co.kr).
• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, "시외·고속버스 운임 상한 조정", 26 August 2026: 9% cap rise for intercity and express buses from 1 October.
• KTX–SRT merger and fare reduction from 1 September 2026; extra Gyeongju Station services: Kyongbuk Maeil (경북매일), 2 and 6 August 2026.
• Singyeongju renamed Gyeongju Station from 28 December 2023: Kyongbuk Maeil, 29 December 2023; old Gyeongju Station's closure at the end of 2021: Seoul Shinmun, 17 August 2021.
• Gyeongju taxi combined surcharge of 55% outside about 5 km of the Gyeongju Arts Center: Kyongbuk Maeil on the 2019 taxi fare revision, and its 4 December 2025 report on the Gyeongbuk base-fare rise; station bus routes (about 211 runs a day since July 2026): Financial News, 9 July 2026; station bus routes and the station-to-downtown taxi estimate: Namu Wiki's Gyeongju Station article (Korean), read 1 October 2026.
• Busan Metro Line 1 station numbers: Busan Transportation Corporation line data.

The short version: from Busan Station, take the KTX and the city bus; from the north of Busan, or for a bed near the tombs, take the ₩8,400 bus and step off downtown.