The Korea Buddhist Cultural Corps is running its Happy Double Temple Stay, offering one-night, two-day temple stays for KRW 30,000 per person at 100 participating temples nationwide from 1 to 30 November. The event is being held in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korea Tourism Organization’s Travel Month campaign for the second half of 2026. A total of 7,800 Korean nationals can benefit on a first-come, first-served basis. Following the first round of bookings in mid-October, 43 more temples opened bookings at 1pm on the 26th.
Limited to 7,800 people; one booking per person, card payment only
Bookings are accepted only through the Temple Stay booking website (www.templestay.com). Applicants must register as members, and each person may take part only once. Up to four people, including the lead booker, can be booked at a time; the mobile phone numbers of accompanying participants must also be entered.
Payment is accepted only by online debit or credit card. Bank transfers and on-site payments are not accepted, and Temple Stay vouchers cannot be used. The event is available only as a one-night, two-day stay; there is no day-trip option. Foreign nationals are not eligible to apply.
Applications initially enter a booking-pending state. As the temple must assign rooms, it takes three to four days, excluding public holidays, for a booking to be confirmed after card payment. Minors may need to be accompanied by a guardian or provide a guardian’s consent form; requirements vary by temple.
43 temples added on the 26th, including Ssanggyesa in Hadong and Donghwasa in Daegu
The first round of bookings opened on 14 October for Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Chungcheong and Sejong, followed on the 15th by Gangwon, Jeolla, Gyeongsang, Daegu and Busan, and on the 16th by all regions. Event bookings were temporarily closed from the 23rd until 1pm on the 26th, when additional bookings reopened.
A total of 43 temples are accepting additional bookings. In Seoul and Gyeonggi, these include Suguksa, Yeonjuam, Myojeoksa, Beopryunsa, Sujinsa, Yongjusa and Yukjijangsa; in Gangwon, Naksansa, Samhwasa, Seoraksan Sinheungsa and Yongyeonsa. Also included are Magoksa and Sudeoksa in South Chungcheong, Geumsansa in North Jeolla, Daeheungsa and Bulgapsa in South Jeolla, Donghwasa in Daegu, and Ssanggyesa in Hadong, South Gyeongsang. Golgulsa in North Gyeongsang, Mireuk Daeheungsa in North Chungcheong, Bodeok Gwaneumsa and Heungguksa in Goyang, Gyeonggi, and Munsuam in South Gyeongsang are also on the additional list. Participating temples may change depending on circumstances.
The first-round booking availability guide shows that Jogyesa, Bongeunsa and Hwagyesa, all in central Seoul, are also taking bookings on some dates in November. As there are only a few dates available at these city temples, it is best to check remaining places on the booking page first.
47 temples admit visitors on Wednesdays, 17 on Sundays: the date changes the choice
A date-by-date look at the booking availability guide, revised and posted by the organisation on 13 October, shows that the number of temples admitting visitors varies considerably by day of the week. The busiest date is Wednesday 18 November, when 47 temples admit visitors. On Wednesday 11 and 25 November, the figures are 43 and 45 respectively.
There is less choice at weekends than might be expected. Between 34 and 40 temples admit visitors on Saturdays, but only 17 to 20 do so on Sundays. Just 17 temples are taking bookings for Sunday 1 November, and eight for Monday 30 November, the final day of the month. If you can take a day’s annual leave during the week, you will have a much wider choice of temples.
In November, daylight hours grow shorter in the mountain temples. Winter opening hours may vary from one temple to another, so check admission times and transport home in advance.
The same KRW 30,000, a different overnight stay at every temple
Although the participation fee is the same, each temple offers a different kind of overnight stay. Some fill the day with dawn services and meditation, while others focus on relaxing with a walk through the forest and tea with a monk. Schedules for each temple are available in the attachments to the notices on the booking website and on each temple’s booking page.
In an age when information pours in without pause, it can be difficult to sit in meditation for a long time from the outset. For such visitors, a night at a mountain temple offers a gentle introduction. Simply putting down your phone, walking a mountain path, taking your time over a communal meal and going to bed early can change the pace of your body. If sitting for a long time feels daunting, choose a temple with more walking and tea gatherings; if you want to experience the rhythm of Buddhist practice, opt for one with a programme of services and meditation. Neither is the right answer for everyone: the best way to choose a temple is first to ask what your body and mind need now.
Temple stays in Korea have become a leading programme for introducing K-meditation to foreign visitors. This November’s event is for Korean nationals only. This autumn, you can spend KRW 30,000 to experience a night at a mountain temple that may be close by, yet one you have never managed to visit.
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