Temple Stay Korea Part 1: Wellness and Mindfulness Escape in Seoul & Beyond
Korea Travel • Korean Culture• Food & Drink
Korean temple stays are one of the most accessible wellness retreats in Korea, combining meditation, rest programmes, nature, and mindful eating. This guide explains how a temple stay supports stress relief, emotional reset, and mental clarity, especially for travellers seeking a quiet escape from Seoul.
The moment you realise you need a reset
There is a specific moment in adult life. Usually after juggling work, family chats, dinner plans, TikTok spirals, and someone asking “Can you just jump on a quick call?” when you suddenly think
“I need to disappear for a bit.”
Not forever. Just long enough to reset the part of your brain that has been running on low battery for the last… two years? Ten? Who knows anymore.
Seoul does not really help with that feeling. I love this city. It is fast and exciting and full of things to do. That is exactly why you sometimes forget what your own breathing sounds like. Everyone around you is thriving, hustling, glowing, multitasking and pretending the exhaustion is aesthetic.
And then, randomly, my foreign friend from London sends me a message.
She used to work in the magazine world. Proper glamorous chaos. She burned out so hard she left for India, learned yoga, travelled across countries and somehow landed in Mallorca teaching CEOs how to breathe again. She is one of those people who can sense your stress through a text message.
Her voice note said:
“Have you ever done a temple stay in Korea? You need it.”
It was slightly embarrassing that a foreigner was reminding me about something so deeply Korean. But she is usually right about everything related to burnout and healing. So I listened.
And that is how I found myself looking up temple stays not as “content research” or “maybe I should write about this later” but as someone genuinely craving quiet. Actual quiet. The kind that feels like a long exhale.
- Price
Most temple stays cost ₩60,000–₩70,000 for 1 night 2 days and around ₩100,000–₩120,000 for 2 nights 3 days. Experience programmes are slightly higher, while weekday rest programmes can be cheaper. - Best Time To Go
Spring: flowers, soft weather, ideal for first timers.
Autumn: famous mountain colours and perfect temperatures.
Winter: peaceful and quiet but cold.
Summer: lush scenery, best for ocean temples like 낙산사 (Naksansa Temple). - Temple Food Background
Korean temple cuisine avoids garlic, onion and other stimulating ingredients (often called the “five pungent vegetables”) to calm the senses for meditation. It is plant based, seasonal and prepared slowly. You take only what you can finish, eat in silence and wash your own bowl as part of mindful eating culture. - How to book a temple stay
The easiest way is through the official Templestay website, which has English and Korean booking pages. Some larger temples also allow booking directly on their own sites, so it is worth checking both.
Note before we start. For this post, I am not pretending I have visited every temple in Korea. No one has. What I am sharing is a mix of my own experiences, places I have been, temples my friends swear by, and stories from foreign travellers who came to Korea specifically for this kind of healing. Think of this series as a curated conversation rather than a checklist.
The unexpected magic of temple stays
The funny thing is. Temple stays were never marketed as wellness retreats. They existed long before mindfulness apps, digital detox or silent retreats in Bali became trendy. But somehow they became the answer everyone was secretly looking for.
Foreigners describe temple stays as this blend of ancient tradition, minimalist beauty, clean air and gentle structure. Koreans describe them as the one place where their mind shuts up long enough for them to hear themselves again.
For me, it was the first time in years that silence felt like a soft blanket, not a punishment.
Temple stays slow you down automatically. You eat slowly. Walk slowly. Think slowly. Even swallow slowly. Your phone signal disappears somewhere between the mountain road and the temple gate. Almost symbolic, like Korea saying:
“Shh. Just be here.”
Choosing a style: rest vs experience
When you book, they ask you to choose between 휴식형 (rest) or 체험형 (experience). The names sound stiff, but the difference is actually simple.
휴식형(rest) is for people like me. Tired but still functioning adults who want to lie down in a quiet room without their phone buzzing every five minutes. It is peaceful and spacious and feels like your brain finally got a holiday.
체험형(experience). is for the curious ones. The people who want to try 108 bows, ring a giant drum, fold lotus lanterns, chant at dawn or copy monks’ slow, steady walking meditation. It is fun in a “wow, my life is usually so noisy” kind of way.
I have experienced both styles at different moments in my life. For Part 1, the wellness chapter, let us stay with the restful kind. The kind where you stare at a pine tree for twenty minutes and think, “Maybe this is what happiness feels like.”
Temple food. Surprisingly emotional
I did not expect temple food to change anything in my life.
But something happens when you sit on the floor with a simple wooden bowl, no phone, no music, no conversation and food made with intention rather than seasoning.
Temple cuisine avoids garlic and onion because they “excite the senses” and suddenly you realise how overstimulated your life normally is. The flavours are gentle, earthy and calming. You take what you can finish and you finish everything you take. Then you wash your own bowl. Slowly.
It is almost funny how emotional it gets when you are not rushing.
Foreigners often say the same thing:
“You taste food differently when you are not performing life.”
The hour that stays with you
Ask anyone who has done a temple stay. Korean or foreign. Their favourite moment is almost always the same.
“After sunset.”
Right after the tourists go home, when the temple grounds empty out. When the sky turns navy blue and lanterns begin to glow. When the mountain cools, the air becomes soft and you suddenly hear the world settle.
You sit on a bench, wrapped in that beige cotton uniform they give you, and you realise your breathing has changed. Slower. Softer. Kinder. Like your body is exhaling the exhaustion you forgot you were carrying.
That moment. More than the chanting, more than the meditation, more than the 108 bows. That is the reason people keep coming back.
So… where should you go for your first wellness stay?
I will keep it honest and simple. Not a list. Just vibes. Collected from me, my friends, locals I trust and travellers who have done these programmes more than once.
If you want the easiest entry point:
금선사 (Geumsunsa). It is in Seoul but feels like you climbed out of the city without breaking a sweat. The view alone resets your nervous system.
If you want nature to hug you:
화엄사 (Hwaeomsa). The mountain energy here is deep. Forest trails. Fresh air. Calming in a grounding, old soul way.
If the ocean heals you:
낙산사 (Naksansa). Wave meditation is literally sound therapy, nature version.
If your body needs movement therapy:
골굴사 (Golgulsa). Foreigners love it. Think martial arts, mindfulness and caves.
Each place has its own personality. Just like people.
What the wellness begins to change
Something happens after a day or two. You stop chasing time. Your brain stops sprinting. Your body stops negotiating with stress.
I remember standing outside before sunrise, breath turning into small clouds in the cold air, thinking:
“I did not come here to find myself. But somehow, I feel closer to myself.”
That is the beauty of temple stays. They do not teach you how to live. They simply give you space to feel your life again.
Part 2 is coming next: The Aesthetic and Architectural Magic of Temple Stays.
Think golden light, old wood, curved roofs, hidden paths, early morning fog and temples that look like living paintings.
Temple stay Korea FAQ
Is a temple stay suitable for first-time visitors to Korea?
Yes. Many programmes are designed with beginners and foreign visitors in mind, especially rest type stays in places like Geumsunsa or Naksansa. Basic explanations are often available in English and the schedule is gentle rather than intense.
Do I need to be Buddhist to join a temple stay?
No. Temple stays are open to anyone interested in calm, culture and mindfulness. You join the routine, respect the space and follow simple etiquette, but there is no pressure to convert or perform religious rituals you are uncomfortable with.
What should I pack for a wellness focused temple stay?
Keep it simple. Comfortable layers, socks, basic toiletries, a small towel, any personal medication and maybe earplugs if you are a light sleeper. Most programmes provide uniforms, simple bedding and shared facilities, so you do not need anything fancy.
Is temple food very spicy or difficult to eat?
Temple food is usually mild, plant based and seasonal rather than spicy. If you are used to Korean restaurant food, it will feel calmer and lighter. If you have allergies, you can mention them when you book or at check in so staff know in advance.
- Written by Soyomoment, a design led storyteller moving between Seoul, the UK and Sweden, collecting slow Korean moments and turning them into practical travel notes for curious readers.
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