Naksansa [낙산사] is a coastal temple situated 20 minutes south of Seoraksan National Park in Yangyang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea. Renowned as one of the country’s most beautiful temples, it is a must-visit if you are in the Sokcho or Yangyang area.

Naksansa is one of Korea’s four major Gwaneum Prayer Centers, alongside Hyangilam Temple in Yeosu, Boriam Temple in Namhae, and Bomunam Hermitage on Ganghwa Island near Incheon. These temples tend to be in or near national parks, so I’ve written guides for these coastal temples that make great additions to hiking or outdoor adventures. Be sure to check out my guides to Hyangilam Temple and Boriam Temple!

In 2023, after hiking Seongindae just outside Seoraksan National Park, which offers views of Seoraksan’s Ulsanbawi rock formation, I visited Naksansa Temple. I’ve written a detailed guide to hiking Seongindae, which is a short enough hike to tackle in the morning, leaving the afternoon free to explore Naksansa Temple.

The famous view of Ulsanbawi from Seongindae hike.

Transportation & Lodging

Naksansa Temple is just a 5-minute drive from the Yangyang bus terminal and a 15-minute drive from the Sokcho bus terminal. From Seoul, take the express bus to Yangyang and then transfer to bus 9, 9-1, 94, or 95 to reach the temple. Alternatively, you can take a short taxi ride. If you’re coming from Sokcho, the easiest option is to take a taxi, which takes 15-20 minutes and costs about 17,000 won. Both the temple area and the surrounding vicinity are well-populated, so taxis are readily available for your return trip. Or, you can also take bus 9 from the Sokcho bus terminal, which is a 15-minute ride.

Accommodations in Sokcho

To do this trip right, I would recommend staying for 1 or 2 nights. This allows you to comfortably arrange the trip and incorporate mountain, ocean and temple elements. To visit this temple, I would recommend staying in Sokcho and then traveling to Yangyang to see this temple.

In Sokcho, I previously stayed with Blue Door Hostel, which is a cheap hostel by the beach, and enjoyed my experience there. For the best of the best beach option, I would recommend the beachside Ramada.

If you are pairing this trip with another Seoraksan National Park adventure, such as hiking to Ulsanbawi,, Towangseong Waterfall, or Seongindae or even just to ride the Seoraksan Cable Car, I would suggest staying in a location with easy access to the park, either at the Kensington Hotel (only a 5 minutes walk to the main entrance of the park) or the less expensive Smile Resort. Both of these options let you walk to and from the park, cutting down on wait times and extra transportation expenses.

Exploring Naksansa Temple

Unlike most coastal temples in Korea, Naksansa Temple is a proper complex with multiple areas. See the below map for the full layout. There isn’t much English on the maps, but there are information signs that have been translated into English.

My favorite spots were the viewing area at #6 with the giant statue and the ocean walking path between #9 and #10. The main parking area is in the lower left corner, but there is a walkable road labeled as “차도” on the map that connects the two parking lots and takes only about 10 minutes to walk. This makes it convenient so you don’t have to double back within the temple complex.

History of Naksansa’s reconstruction

Like many Korean temples, much of the original structure has been destroyed by fires and war, so what stands today is a reconstruction.

Most of Naksansa was destroyed by a forest fire in 2005. The temple had previously been destroyed by fire during the Mongolian invasion in the 13th century. During the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), it was repeatedly reconstructed and expanded by royal decree in 1467, 1469, 1631, and 1643. The pre-2005 structures were built in 1953 after being destroyed again during the Korean War (1950–53).

Exploring the temple complex

In this article, my goal is to provide just enough information and insight into the temple to spark your curiosity and make you want to visit, without revealing so much detail that you feel like you’ve experienced it all just by reading.

Entering the complex and walking from the parking lot to #3 (사천왕문), there is a little bit of elevation gain, but I don’t consider it a hike. Most of the walking areas are compacted dirt roads.

Exploring sections 3-5. There are numerous buildings with classic Korean temple architecture. But what stood out to me were the doors and archways.

Section 7 is visible from 3-5, as can be seen in the below image with the blue-green roof. Peaking out above the trees is the 15 meter tall Buddhist statue which caps the peak of this ocean/mountain temple.

#6 marks the peak of Naksan mountain

Mount Naksan is crowned by the Haesugwaneumsang (해수관음입상), a Buddhist statue of the Bodhisattva of Mercy, also known as the goddess Gwanseum-Bosal. This majestic statue faces southeast and stands 15 meters tall. It is the largest Buddhist statue of its kind in Asia.

This area had the most sweeping ocean views, with Sokcho and Seoraksan National Park visible to the north.

They sold water and ice cream here, which was perfect on a hot day as this whole area is sun exposed.

Arriving at the walkway between #9 (홍령암) and #10 (의상대) was the best section of the temple complex and made the trip here worth it. Only a couple meters from the ocean, the crashing waves and winds made this area feel more wild than the below images convey.