Jogyesa Temple
The head temple of the Jogye Order, Korea's largest Buddhist denomination, Jogyesa sits centrally near Insadong and Gyeongbokgung, making it easy to combine with a palace-district day. It's a working temple with regular services, not a museum piece, and hosts major lantern festival displays around Buddha's Birthday each year.
Bongeunsa Temple
Set incongruously among Gangnam's glass towers (see our Gangnam guide), Bongeunsa offers one of the most striking contrasts in the city — traditional temple architecture with a modern skyline as a direct backdrop. It's also one of the more accessible temples for visitors interested in trying a templestay program.
How to visit respectfully
- Dress modestly — covered shoulders and knees are the general expectation.
- Keep voices low, especially near active prayer halls.
- Check posted signage before photographing inside halls — some interior spaces restrict photography out of respect for active worship.
- Bowing is not expected of visitors, but is welcomed if you choose to participate respectfully and quietly.
Tip: Visiting during a Buddha's Birthday lantern festival period (dates shift yearly with the lunar calendar) adds an entirely different, much more visually spectacular layer to a temple visit if your trip happens to align with it.