Travel
Essentials • Last updated: February 21, 2026

Korean Temple Stay (2026): Escaping Seoul for Mountain Monasteries

There is a specific moment during a Korean Temple Stay when you realize you are entirely out of your element. For
me, it was at 4:00 AM, shivering in the freezing mountain air outside a centuries-old wooden hall in the Jirisan
mountains, listening to the rhythmic, hypnotic tolling of a massive bronze bell.

South Korea is famous globally for its hyper-modern, neon-drenched cities and blistering fast internet. But
hiding deep within the mountains are thousands of active Buddhist monasteries. Over the last decade, the Jogye
Order of Korean Buddhism has opened their doors to outsiders, allowing foreigners to live alongside monks for a
night or two. Doing a korean temple stay is the ultimate digital detox, but it is not a luxury
spa retreat. It is a genuine immersion into a rigid, ancient monastic lifestyle.

If you are planning a trip to Korea in 2026 and want to experience something profoundly different from the cafes
of Hongdae or the shopping malls of Gangnam, this guide breaks down exactly what to expect, how much it costs,
and how to survive the infamous 108 prostrations.

The Two Types of Temple Stays

When you book your stay online, you will immediately have to choose between two fundamentally different types of
programs. Understanding this difference is crucial to ensuring you get the experience you actually want.

1. Experience-Oriented (The Active Route)

This is a highly structured program designed to teach you about Buddhist culture actively. Your entire day is
scheduled down to the minute. You will wake up at 4:30 AM to chant with the monks, participate in formal tea
ceremonies (Dado), learn how to string lotus lanterns, and perform the physically demanding 108 prostrations.
You will have a designated monk or English-speaking coordinator guiding your group. If it is your first time at
a temple, you should absolutely choose this option.

2. Rest-Oriented (The Independent Route)

This is essentially a monastic bed and breakfast. The only mandatory activities are showing up for the communal
vegan meals. You are free to sleep in, wander the mountain trails, read a book on the porch of your hanok, or
meditate completely silently on your own. There is very little interaction with the monks. Choose this if you
are deeply burned out and just need absolute, unstructured silence.

What Does a Temple Stay Cost in 2026?

A temple stay is arguably one of the most cost-effective lodging options in all of South Korea, considering it
includes a night of accommodation, three meals, and cultural activities.

In 2026, a standard one-night, two-day “Experience-Oriented” stay usually runs between 50,000 KRW and
80,000 KRW (about $35 to $55 USD). High-end programs at highly sought-after temples—like cooking
stays with Netflix-famous nun Jeong Kwan at Baekyangsa Temple, or the intense martial arts (Sunmudo) training
program at Golgulsa near Gyeongju—can run upwards of 120,000 KRW ($85 USD).

Booking is handled centrally through the official government-sponsored website, Templestay.com.
The portal is in perfect English and filters exactly which temples offer English programs during your travel
dates. Do not try to book through third-party travel agencies; they will simply upcharge you for using the exact
same public website.

The Daily Schedule: What to Expect

If you choose the Experience-Oriented program, your day is going to be regimented. From the moment you arrive and
change into the mandatory comfortable temple uniform (a matching set of baggy cotton pants and a vest), you are
on monastic time.

Surviving the 108 Prostrations

This is the part of the itinerary that terrifies most travelers. In Buddhist tradition, there are 108 earthly
desires or defilements (like anger, jealousy, or greed). By physically bowing 108 times, you are actively
shedding those desires and seeking spiritual clarity.

You start in a standing position, drop your knees to your mat, place your hands and forehead on the ground, turn
your palms upward to the sky, and then push yourself all the way back up to a standing position. Then you
immediately do it 107 more times.

Do not panic. You are not forced to finish. While the monks will push you gently to complete the ritual to earn
your string of 108 wooden beads, if your knees are failing or you feel dizzy, you can absolutely stop and merely
spectate. If you do finish, your thighs will be screaming the next day, but the sense of accomplishment is
incredible.

The Reality of Temple Food (Barugongyang)

Korean temple cuisine is fiercely protected. It is entirely vegan. Furthermore, it strictly prohibits the “five
pungent roots/spices” (oshinchae): garlic, green onions, leeks, chives, and onions. In traditional Buddhism,
these ingredients are believed to generate excessive heat and anger in the body, which disrupts meditation.

Instead, the food relies heavily on deeply fermented soy sauces, rich soybean pastes (doenjang), mushrooms, kelp,
and incredibly fresh seasonal vegetables grown right on the mountain. It is subtle, clean, and surprisingly
filling.

What to Pack (And What Not To)

The temple provides the uniform, the sleeping mats, and the food. You are essentially bringing toiletries.

You must bring your own towel. Korean temple showers are communal, and they do not provide fluffy white hotel
towels. Bring a toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash, and shampoo. Deodorant is essential, but leave the heavy
perfumes and colognes at home—the strong chemical scents disrupt the natural smell of the incense and the
forest.

Most importantly, bring slip-on shoes. Crocs, Birkenstocks, or slides are perfect. You will be taking your shoes
off and putting them back on twenty times a day as you step from the dirt paths onto the wooden porches of the
various shrine halls. Tying hiking boots every single time will infuriate you within the first hour.

Final Thoughts

A temple stay is not easy. You sleep on an ondol (heated floor) with a relatively thin mat that might aggravate
your back. The 4:00 AM wake-up bell is physically jarring. The vegan food might taste bizarrely plain if your
palate is used to hyper-processed foods.

But when you sit on the wooden veranda of your hanok at 9:00 PM, watching the mist roll off the mountain peaks as
the entire complex falls into perfect, absolute silence, you realize why people do it. It forces you to stop
scrolling, stop moving, and just exist. In 2026, finding a place that completely cuts you off from the noise of
the world is a rare luxury. Embrace the quiet.