Gyeongju World
A long-running theme park in Gyeongju’s Bomun district whose modern identity is built around major coaster formats, alongside family rides, a summer water park and winter snow facilities
Roller coasters, Draken Valley, family rides, full-day amusement-park visits, summer water-park use, winter snow play, restaurants and seasonal events
A large Bomun theme-park campus with major thrill rides distributed across several zones, family attractions and dining, plus separately operated seasonal California Beach and Snow Park facilities
Gyeongju World has repeatedly changed its ride technology. Phaethon brought Korea its first inverted coaster, Draken added the country’s first 90-degree dive coaster, and Sköll & Hati introduced Asia’s first single-rail coaster, establishing a present thrill-ride identity alongside the park’s family and seasonal attractions
Character
On Sköll & Hati, each rider sits in a single-file train on one narrow rail. Gyeongju World identifies it as Asia’s first single-rail coaster, following earlier first-of-type coaster formats at the park
The pattern predates that ride. Phaethon is Korea’s first inverted roller coaster, with the train suspended below the track and riders’ legs hanging free. Draken later introduced a 90-degree dive from 63 metres; Gyeongju World describes it as Korea’s first and the world’s sixth coaster of that type. Phaethon puts riders below the track, Draken sends them down a vertical dive, and Sköll & Hati narrows the train to single-file seats on one rail: three visibly different coaster systems rather than one escalating ladder of height and speed
Gyeongju World opened in May 1985 on roughly 80,000 pyeong inside the Bomun tourism district. The operator now lists about 30 rides; Draken and Sköll & Hati occupy the later Draken Valley zone, while Phaethon remains elsewhere in the park
Family rides, restaurants and the Bazaar area occupy the amusement park alongside the large coasters. California Beach operates as a large summer water park, while Snow Park adds winter sledding and snow play
The experience
A visit is shaped by attraction priority more than by a fixed route. The large coasters have their own height restrictions and operating status, while family areas and lower-intensity rides remain available elsewhere in the park. The operator publishes individual ride closure schedules only several days ahead, so the available lineup can differ from one open day to another
Draken and Sköll & Hati sit within the themed Draken Valley area. Phaethon belongs to a different part of the park, so the headline coasters are not concentrated in one zone. A thrill-focused day therefore involves movement between Draken Valley and other sections of the grounds
Season changes the broader offer. California Beach opened in 2008 as a separate 33,000-square-metre water-park operation and runs during the warm season; Snow Park provides a winter counterpart. Their presence explains why Gyeongju World functions as more than one fixed ride lineup across the year
The main amusement park also includes family attractions. VISITKOREA describes the Bazaar District as a concentration of rides, restaurants and visitor facilities
History
Gyeongju World was established in the Bomun tourism complex in May 1985. The park grew as part of the modern leisure infrastructure around Gyeongju’s resort district, decades after Bomun itself had been planned as the recreational counterpart to the historic city
A major later change came through investment in distinctive ride systems. Phaethon established the inverted-coaster benchmark; Draken introduced the 90-degree dive format; Sköll & Hati added single-rail track technology. VISITKOREA’s current theme-park coverage still identifies those three among the park’s defining rides
California Beach opened in June 2008, adding a large water park to the same resort operation, while Snow Park extended seasonal use into winter. The operator now presents Gyeongju World as a combined amusement and resort-leisure facility
Before you go
Operating hours change by date. The official calendar publishes daily opening and closing times, and individual ride closures are posted separately, so an open park day does not guarantee every attraction is running
From Gyeongju KTX Station, the operator lists direct buses 1150, 700 and 710 to Gyeongju World·California Beach stop. From the intercity/express bus terminal, several city routes also serve the same stop
- Hours
- Hours vary by date. Gyeongju World publishes a daily operating calendar; the current September 2026 schedule is generally 10:00–18:00 on weekdays and 10:00–20:00 on weekends, with exceptions on specific dates
- Admission
- Current one-day tickets: adults ₩54,000, teenagers ₩47,000, children ₩39,000. Afternoon/evening tickets are cheaper; children under 36 months enter free with proof of age
- Access
- Individual ride closures are published separately and may change; the operator’s attraction pages post closure schedules up to six days in advance
- Transit
- From Gyeongju KTX Station, direct buses 1150, 700 and 710 serve Gyeongju World·California Beach stop; the operator lists about a 3-minute final walk. Multiple city routes also serve the park from the intercity/express terminal