Seoul to Gyeongju, Korea by KTX, Train or Bus: ₩44,500 vs ₩36,700, Which Station You Arrive At and the Last Train Back

Last updated: 4 November 2026. Train fares and times are the national rail timetable data that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (국토교통부) publishes on the public data portal (data.go.kr), read on 4 November for Thursday 5 November 2026. The ₩44,500 Seoul–Gyeongju fare is also in the 1 September fare table reported by Kyongbuk Maeil (경북매일). Express and intercity bus fares and times are the same portal's bus timetable data, last updated between 27 October and 1 November 2026, after the 1 October fare rise. Gyeongju city-bus and taxi figures come from our where to stay in Gyeongju guide, read on 10 October 2026. Dollar figures use ₩1,325 = US$1 (Federal Reserve, 23 October 2026). Check your train in the Korail+ app (코레일+) before you travel.

The quickest way from Seoul to Gyeongju is the KTX from Seoul Station: about ₩44,500 ($34) and two hours and ten minutes on most trains, with 29 departures on a weekday. From Suseo in Gangnam the same trip is ₩42,900 and about two hours. The express bus from the Seoul Express Bus Terminal costs ₩36,700 (about $28) on a deluxe seat and takes about 3 hours 46 minutes. That is only ₩7,800 less than the train for almost twice the time.

There is a catch that the fare tables do not show. Every train arrives at Gyeongju Station (경주역), the station English guides still call Singyeongju. It is in Geoncheon-eup, outside the city, about 10 km of road from the royal tombs. You need another 30–40 minutes on a city bus. The bus from Seoul drops you downtown, but the extra two hours on the road cancel that out.

For the tombs, temples and museum once you arrive: 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: Seoul to Gyeongju, compared (weekday, 5 November 2026)

The line that matters most: for a day trip, take the KTX. Choose Seoul Station or Suseo by which is closer to your hotel. The bus only makes sense if you are staying overnight near the tombs and want to save ₩7,800, or if the trains are sold out.

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Which station? "Singyeongju" is now Gyeongju Station

This is the part most English guides get wrong.

Gyeongju used to have two stations. The KTX station opened in 2010 as Singyeongju (신경주, "New Gyeongju"), in Geoncheon-eup on the western edge of the city. The old Gyeongju Station was in the city centre and served slow trains. At the end of 2021 the Jungang and Donghae lines were rerouted, the old downtown station closed, and on 28 December 2023 Singyeongju was renamed Gyeongju Station (경주역).

So today there is one station for every train, and it is the former Singyeongju:

• In the Korail+ app, book to 경주 (Gyeongju). "Singyeongju" no longer exists in the app.
• The high-speed KTX from Seoul Station and Suseo comes down the Gyeongbu high-speed line and stops here before Ulsan and Busan.
• The Jungang Line (중앙선) trains from Cheongnyangni, through Wonju, Andong and Yeongcheon, also stop at this station. Since the line was finished in December 2024 they continue to Busan's Bujeon station. So a KTX-Eum "to Gyeongju on the Jungang Line" ends at the same platform as the KTX, not at the old downtown station.
• The old station building downtown is now the Gyeongju Culture Hall (경주문화관), a stop on city buses 10 and 11. No trains run there.

Gyeongju Station is about 9.4 km in a straight line from the Gyeongju Arts Center, the centre of the city's taxi fare zone, and about 10 km by road from Daereungwon. That distance shapes every plan below.

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By KTX from Seoul Station: about ₩44,500, about 2 hours 10

Seoul Station (서울역) is the default. It is on subway Lines 1 and 4 and the Airport Railroad. For Thursday 5 November the national timetable data shows 29 departures to Gyeongju, the first at 05:13 and the last at 21:33.

The standard adult fare is about ₩44,500 ($34). That is the figure in the 1 September fare table, the first day after Korail and SR merged their high-speed services and cut KTX fares by about 10%. One timetable mirror we read shows ₩44,600 for the same trains. The price the Korail+ app shows at checkout is the one that counts.

Most trains take 2 hours 1 minute to 2 hours 21 minutes. The fastest that Thursday was the 19:20, at 2 hours 1 minute, and the 05:13 and 07:50 took 2 hours 2–3 minutes. Check the running time before you book, because two kinds of train are slower:

• Four KTX trains on a slower routing (08:12, 10:12, 18:53 and 19:48 on 5 November) take 2 hours 47 to 2 hours 53.
• Four KTX-Eum trains start at Seoul Station and run via Cheongnyangni and the Jungang Line (08:57, 10:59, 12:55 and 16:11). They take 3 hours to 3 hours 17. Book these only if nothing else is left. We could not confirm the Seoul Station fare for this routing; the app will show it.

Coming back, the data shows 29 trains from Gyeongju to Seoul Station, from 05:20 to the last at 22:38, which arrives at 00:42. The 22:03 arrives at 00:11. Arriving after midnight, you may miss the last subway home. Our Getting Around Korea guide has the last-train times.

By KTX from Suseo: ₩42,900, and better for Gangnam

Until 31 August, trains from Suseo (수서) in south-east Seoul were the separate SRT. Since the 1 September merger they are sold as KTX and KTX-Sancheon in the same Korail+ app. They still leave from Suseo and still run on the Suseo–Pyeongtaek high-speed line.

For Thursday 5 November the data shows 10 trains from Suseo to Gyeongju, the first at 05:30 and the last at 21:00, each taking 2 hours 1 to 2 hours 17 minutes. The fare is ₩42,900 (about $32), ₩1,600 less than from Seoul Station. The useful morning departures are 07:05, 07:25, 08:05 and 09:20.

Coming back there are 12 trains, the last at 22:51, arriving at Suseo at 01:06. A more comfortable last choice is the 19:26, arriving 21:29.

Which Seoul station? Use the one closer to where you sleep. Suseo is on Line 3 and the Suin–Bundang Line, so it is better for Gangnam, Jamsil and the south-east. Seoul Station is better for Myeongdong, Hongdae, Jongno and the old city. The two are roughly an hour apart by subway, which costs more time than the ₩1,600 difference saves. Suseo has about a third as many trains, so if your time is fixed, check Seoul Station too.

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By KTX-Eum from Cheongnyangni: slower, rarely the right choice

Cheongnyangni (청량리) in north-east Seoul is the terminus for the Jungang Line. On Thursday 5 November the data shows nine KTX-Eum (KTX-이음) trains to Gyeongju, 05:40 to 19:00, taking 2 hours 34 to 2 hours 56, at ₩42,900. They run through Yangpyeong, Wonju, Andong and Yeongcheon.

That is the same fare as from Suseo for 40 minutes more. It is only worth it if:

• You are staying near Cheongnyangni or Dongdaemun, so you don't have to cross the city first.
• You want to stop in Andong for Hahoe Village on the way down (our Andong guide) and go on to Gyeongju the same day.
• The Gyeongbu KTX is sold out on a busy weekend.

Three slow ITX-Saemaeul (ITX-새마을) trains a day (06:38, 07:03 and 14:48) are the cheapest train at ₩31,600 (about $24), but they take 4 to 5 hours. That is as long as the bus and for not much less money. Coming back, the last KTX-Eum from Gyeongju to Cheongnyangni is the 20:22, arriving 22:58.

By bus: ₩36,700 and 3 hours 46, but it ends downtown

From the Seoul Express Bus Terminal (서울고속버스터미널) — the Gyeongbu building at Express Bus Terminal station, Lines 3, 7 and 9 — the timetable data lists nine buses a day to Gyeongju Express Bus Terminal (경주고속버스터미널):

The data gives every trip a scheduled 3 hours 46 minutes. That is the timetable figure, not a promise; Friday evenings, Sunday afternoons and the autumn-foliage weekends on the Gyeongbu Expressway can add an hour. Coming back there are 11 buses, from 06:30 to 21:30; the last deluxe is the 18:30.

Intercity and express bus fares in Korea went up 9% on 1 October 2026 (our Getting Around Korea hub has the background). In the timetable data, the deluxe fare went from ₩33,600 in July to ₩36,700 now, and the standard fare from ₩22,700 to ₩24,700, both rises of about 9%. English sites quoting ₩33,000-something are out of date.

From Dong Seoul Bus Terminal (동서울종합터미널), next to Gangbyeon station on Line 2, six intercity buses a day (07:00 to 18:10) run to the Gyeongju Intercity Bus Terminal (경주시외버스터미널). They take about 3 hours 31 minutes and cost ₩36,400 (deluxe). This is useful only if you are staying in the east of Seoul, around Gwangjin-gu or Jamsil.

Where the bus is better than the train: both Gyeongju terminals stand side by side on the western edge of the old town. From there, Daereungwon and Hwangnidan-gil are about 1.2–1.5 km, a 15–20 minute walk by our estimate. You skip the 30–40 minute city bus from the station. That saves about an hour of the two-hour gap, not all of it.

Tickets: at the terminal, or online at kobus.co.kr and in the T-money GO app for express buses. Dong Seoul's intercity buses are sold through T-money's intercity booking site (txbus.t-money.co.kr).

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Gyeongju Station to the old town: bus 70, ₩1,450, 30–40 minutes

When you step off the train, you are 10 km from what you came to see. Your options, as we read them on 10 October 2026 for our where-to-stay guide:

Three things to know:

• Use a T-money card. It works on Gyeongju buses, gives you the ₩50 discount and a free transfer within 30 minutes. Children and teenagers ride free with a card.
• The station taxi is surcharged. Gyeongju taxis add a 55% "combined surcharge" (복합할증) to rides that start or end outside about 5 km of the Gyeongju Arts Center, and the station is outside that zone. With two people the taxi is still reasonable, but for one person it costs almost half the KTX fare.
• Use Kakao Map or Naver Map for live bus times. Since 15 July 2026 the routes serving the station run on a new road, and some printed timetables are older than that. Google Maps' Korean transit directions are unreliable (our map app guide).

Can you drive from Seoul to Gyeongju?

Yes, but a day trip by car is not a good plan. The drive is down the Gyeongbu Expressway, roughly 4 hours each way in normal traffic by our estimate, and more on a Friday evening or a foliage weekend. That is eight hours behind the wheel for one day. We have not confirmed the current expressway toll for this trip; the Korea Expressway Corporation (한국도로공사) toll calculator gives the exact figure for your entry and exit points. Foreign drivers also need an International Driving Permit.

A car does make sense inside Gyeongju over two or three days, because Bulguksa, Seokguram and the east coast are spread out and the buses there are infrequent. If that is the plan, take the KTX down and rent a car near Gyeongju Station. Do not drive from Seoul.

A timed Gyeongju day trip from Seoul

This plan uses the 5 November weekday timetable. Check your exact trains in Korail+, and book the return when you book the outward train. Evening trains back to Seoul fill first on Fridays and Sundays. Since 1 October tickets go on sale two months ahead.

That is about eight and a half hours in Gyeongju for about ₩89,000 in train fares (about $67) plus four city-bus rides. Notice what it leaves out: Bulguksa and Seokguram. Bulguksa is 30–37 minutes from Hwangnidan-gil on city buses 10 and 11 (28 runs a day each), and Seokguram is a further bus ride up the mountain. You can swap the museum and Cheomseongdae for Bulguksa. You cannot add it without losing Wolji Pond at dusk.

Our honest advice: Gyeongju works as a day trip from Seoul, but it is better with one night. More than four hours on trains and over an hour on station buses take a big piece of a single day. With one night in the old town you get the tombs and Wolji Pond on the first day and Bulguksa early on the second, before the tour buses. Our 7-day Seoul, Gyeongju and Busan itinerary gives Gyeongju two days for this reason. If you are going on to Busan, the Busan–Gyeongju guide has that leg: ₩10,100 by KTX or ₩8,400 by bus.

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Mistakes to avoid on this route

• Searching for "Singyeongju" in the app. Book to 경주 (Gyeongju). There is only one Gyeongju station now.
• Walking to the old downtown station. It has had no trains since the end of 2021. Map apps may still show the building.
• Booking a three-hour train by accident. The KTX-Eum trains from Seoul Station and some regular KTX trains take 40–65 minutes longer. Look at the running time, not just the departure time.
• Crossing Seoul to save ₩1,600. Suseo is cheaper, but not if it costs you an hour on the subway.
• Treating the bus as a day-trip option. Seven and a half hours on the road leaves little time in Gyeongju, and the last deluxe bus back leaves at 18:30 (a premium bus at 21:30 arrives at 01:34).
• Forgetting the station-to-town leg. Add 30–40 minutes each way to every train time you see.
• Using last month's prices. KTX fares fell on 1 September and bus fares rose 9% on 1 October.

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FAQ

Q: How much is the KTX from Seoul to Gyeongju? A: About ₩44,500 for a standard adult seat from Seoul Station, in the fare table that took effect on 1 September 2026 when KTX fares were cut about 10%. From Suseo it is ₩42,900. Most trains take about 2 hours 10 minutes.

Q: Which station do I arrive at in Gyeongju — Singyeongju or Gyeongju? A: They are the same station. Singyeongju was renamed Gyeongju Station (경주역) on 28 December 2023, after the old downtown station closed at the end of 2021. Every KTX, KTX-Eum and other passenger train stops there, in Geoncheon-eup, 30–40 minutes from the old town by city bus 70, 51 or 50.

Q: How long is the bus from Seoul to Gyeongju, and how much is it? A: The timetable says about 3 hours 46 minutes from the Seoul Express Bus Terminal, and ₩36,700 for a deluxe seat since the 9% fare rise of 1 October 2026 (₩24,700 standard, ₩38,200 premium). Nine buses a day, 06:50 to 20:05. From Dong Seoul there are six intercity buses at ₩36,400, about 3½ hours.

Q: Can I do Gyeongju as a day trip from Seoul? A: Yes, by KTX. Leave Seoul Station at about 07:50, arrive at 09:52, and return on the 20:13 (arriving 22:26), and you get about eight and a half hours in Gyeongju. That is enough for the tombs, Hwangnidan-gil and Wolji Pond at dusk, but not Bulguksa as well. One night is better.

Q: What is the last train from Gyeongju to Seoul? A: On the weekday timetable we read, the 22:38 KTX to Seoul Station, arriving at 00:42, and the 22:51 to Suseo, arriving at 01:06. The last KTX-Eum to Cheongnyangni leaves at 20:22. Leave time for the 30–40 minute bus from the old town to the station.

Q: How do I get from Gyeongju Station to the old town? A: City bus 70 (₩1,450 by card, 30–40 minutes) via the bus terminals and Hwangnidan-gil, or bus 51 or 50 to the terminals. A taxi costs about ₩18,000–20,000 by our estimate, because the station is outside the city's normal-fare zone and a 55% surcharge applies.

Sources

• Train times, departure counts and fares for Thursday 5 November 2026: national rail timetable data (국토교통부, Korail and SR) on the public data portal (data.go.kr), as republished by info.koreacharts.com — Seoul → Gyeongju, Gyeongju → Seoul, Cheongnyangni → Gyeongju, Gyeongju → Cheongnyangni — and by train.asamaru.net for Suseo → Gyeongju and Gyeongju → Suseo (Suseo fares). All read 4 November 2026. Confirm in the Korail+ app.
• Seoul–Gyeongju ₩44,500 in the 1 September 2026 fare table, and the merger fare cut: Kyongbuk Maeil (경북매일), 25 August 2026; Kyongbuk Maeil, 2 August 2026. Background: EpicKor on the KTX–SRT merger.
• Express bus fares and times: express bus timetable data (data.go.kr) via transportation.asamaru.net, Seoul Express Bus Terminal → Gyeongju (updated 30 October 2026) and Gyeongju → Seoul (updated 27 October 2026); July fares (₩33,600 deluxe, ₩22,700 standard) from the same listing's earlier version. Intercity bus: Dong Seoul → Gyeongju (updated 1 November 2026). All read 4 November 2026; confirm at kobus.co.kr or txbus.t-money.co.kr.
• 9% bus fare-cap rise from 1 October 2026: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, "시외·고속버스 운임 상한 조정", 26 August 2026.
• Singyeongju renamed Gyeongju Station on 28 December 2023: Kyongbuk Maeil, 29 December 2023. Old station closure, Jungang Line and station details: EpicKor's Busan–Gyeongju guide and where to stay in Gyeongju, with their own sources.
• Gyeongju city-bus fares, routes and run counts, the 55% taxi surcharge zone and taxi estimates: Gyeongju City Traffic Information Center and the bus operator, read 10 October 2026, and Kyongbuk Maeil on the taxi tariff, as compiled in EpicKor on where to stay in Gyeongju. Buses 10 and 11 to Bulguksa: same.
• Daereungwon free admission from 4 May 2023: Gyeongju city announcement of 19 April 2023, reported by Kyongbuk Maeil. Cheonmachong remains ticketed. Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond hours (09:00–22:00, last tickets 21:30) and ₩3,000 adult admission: Korean travel listings, not an official page; check on arrival.

The short version: book the KTX to 경주 from whichever of Seoul Station or Suseo is nearer your bed, take bus 70 into town, and if you can, stay the night.