TOURSIN KOREA
ES

STAY

Admit one · No. 01 of 07

Templestay

템플스테이

An afternoon or a night inside a working Buddhist temple.

Rows of coloured lotus lanterns over the main hall of Jogyesa in Seoul at dusk, its golden Buddha lit inside and visitors with umbrellas in front
Lotus Lantern Festival at Jogyesa, Seoul.jpg · Ken Eckert Photo credit

Templestay opens Korea's Buddhist temples to visitors of any faith or none: morning chanting, seated meditation, a temple meal eaten in silence, tea and conversation with a monk. Day programmes take an afternoon; overnight stays follow the temple's day from the evening service to the early-morning bell.

In central Seoul, Jogyesa, the head temple of the Jogye Order beside Insadong, is listed as a temple for foreign visitors and runs daytime programmes. For a night, choose a temple on the official site with an English-language programme.

Before you go

  • Temples lend a programme uniform; bring socks and layers for cold floors.
  • Meals are vegetarian temple food, and the rule is to leave nothing in the bowl.
  • Day programmes start at a fixed time; arrive before it.

Sources