You arrive in the afternoon, change into grey cotton, eat in silence, and go to bed at nine. At half past three a monk walks past with a wooden clapper. Most guests say it was the best night of the trip; a few say it was the hardest. Both can be true.
Hour by hour
14:00
Arrive
A typical overnight programme. Each temple runs its own timetable [verify].
- 14:00
Arrive
Check in, change into the loose temple clothes provided. Phones go on silent.
- 15:00
Orientation
How to put your palms together (hapjang), how to bow, where to walk, what not to touch.
- 16:00
Temple walk
A volunteer or monk explains the halls, the paintings and the shrines.
- 17:30
Supper
Temple food: rice, soup and vegetables, no meat, fish, garlic or onion. Some temples teach baru gongyang, the formal bowl meal, where nothing is left.
- 18:30
Evening ceremony
The drum, the wooden fish, the cloud-shaped gong and the great bell, then chanting in the main hall.
- 19:30
Tea or meditation
Seated meditation, or tea with a monk who answers questions through an interpreter.
- 21:00
Lights out
You sleep on a thin mattress on a heated floor, usually in a shared room.
- 03:30
Wake
A monk walks the courtyard with a moktak (wooden clapper).
- 04:00
Dawn ceremony
Chanting in the dark hall. The bell is struck many times verify count.
- 05:00
108 bows
Optional and hard on the knees. Some temples have you thread a bead for each bow.
- 06:00
Breakfast
Rice porridge and vegetables.
- 07:00
Communal work
Sweeping paths or leaves, together and in silence.
- 08:30
Forest walk
A walking meditation on the hill above the temple.
- 10:30
Depart
Change back into your own clothes. Most overnight stays end by late morning verify.
Drum,gong,wooden fish,bell
Evening ceremony
Mountain temples, South Korea
Photo William Warby / Unsplash
Which temple first
We match the temple to the person. For a first stay, we look for a shorter programme, English support and a temple that is easy to reach. Programmes change; we confirm each one before booking [verify].
gentle moderate demanding
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Jogyesa 조계사
Central Seoul
Easiest first step
Head temple of the Jogye Order, in the middle of the city. Short programmes make it a gentle introduction before a mountain temple verify programme.
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Bongeunsa 봉은사
Gangnam, Seoul
First-timers short on time
An old temple surrounded by towers. Day and overnight programmes in English on set days verify.
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Sinheungsa 신흥사
Seoraksan
Mountains and a gentle schedule
At the entrance to Seoraksan National Park. Pair it with a walk the next morning.
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Golgulsa 골굴사
Near Gyeongju
Active first-timers
Known for Sunmudo, a Buddhist martial art taught to guests, and a Buddha carved into the cliff verify programme.
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Magoksa 마곡사
Gongju, Chungcheong
Quiet, after a first stay
One of the mountain monasteries on UNESCO’s Sansa list verify. A river runs through the grounds.
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Haeinsa 해인사
Gayasan, Hapcheon
Serious, for a second stay
Home of the Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks verify. A working monastery with a stricter schedule.
Before you go
Do I need to be Buddhist?
No. Temples welcome guests of any faith or none. You are asked to follow the routine and to be quiet, not to believe anything.
What do I wear?
The temple lends loose trousers and a vest. Bring warm layers for the dawn ceremony, socks for the halls, and shoes you can slip on and off.
Will I share a room?
Often, yes, by gender. Couples and families can sometimes have a private room; we ask when we book verify per temple.
What about food?
Temple food is vegan in practice: no meat, fish, eggs, garlic or onion. Tell us about allergies; we pass them on in Korean.
Can I skip the 3:30 start?
You can sleep through the dawn ceremony at most temples, but it is the part most people remember. Go to bed early.
How do I book?
Through the official Templestay programme, either directly or through us. Popular temples fill at weekends and in autumn verify booking window.