Iksan (익산) is a city of 307,000 people (2016) in North Jeolla, with large farming plains and several remnants of Baekje dynasty.

Understand

Stone Pagoda at Mireuksa Temple Site

Iksan
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       0     3 −5       0     5 −3       0     10 1       0     17 7       0     22 12       0     26 18       0     29 22       0     30 22       0     26 17       0     20 10       0     13 4       0     6 −2 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm Average high and low temperatures recorded in Iksan
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       0     37 23       0     41 27       0     50 34       0     63 45       0     72 54       0     79 64       0     84 72       0     86 72       0     79 63       0     68 50       0     55 39       0     43 28 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

Iksan is in the northwest of Jeollabuk-do, and Cheonhosan Mountain and Mireuksan Mountain form a beautiful mountain. It also has fertile plains. Train stations and roads are well constructed, making it a transportation hub. There is the largest precious metal complex in Korea in Iksan Industrial Complex, and the number of tourists visiting it is increasing every year.

Climate

Iksan has a large annual temperature difference and monthly variation in precipitation, and coastal and mountainous climate characteristics are mixed. The best time to visit Iksan is from the end of May to the end of June, and from the end of August to the end of September.

Main road through Iksan

Get in

By train

1 Iksan Station (익산역). Iksan is a major rail junction in South Korea. Honam and Jeolla KTX stop at Iksan Station. (updated Feb 2021)

By bus

2 Iksan Bus Terminal (익산공용버스터미널). (updated Dec 2022) can take a bus from bus terminals in cities such as Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Daegu, and Busan to Iksan Bus Terminal.

Get around

Many of the Iksan's tourist destinations are sparsely separated from the city center and buses have few schedules. So using a taxi or renting a car can be a better option. During the weekends or holidays, there is a city tour bus that starts at Iksan Station (Timetable (in Korean), ₩4000 for adults).

See

Mireuksa Temple Stone West Pagoda after restoration

museum

• 1 Jewelry Museum (익산보석박물관). Iksan Jewelry Museum houses 119,000 rare jewels and fossils. The Jewel Museum provides tourists with a complex culture and exhibition where history and culture coexist, allowing tourists to enjoy the benefits of various cultures. (updated Dec 2022)

• 2 National Iksan Museum (국립익산박물관) (next to Mireuksa Temple site). Tu-F 09:00-18:00, Sa Su 09:00-19:00. This museum used to be known as Mireuksaji Museum, and was reopened as national museum in 2020. It stores many treasures from Mireuksaji Temple and Baekje artifacts from Iksan and Gunsan region. Free. (updated Dec 2022)
• 3 Prison filming location (익산교도소세트장), 154-4, Wacho-ri, Seongdang-myeon. If you have ever watched a prison scene in a Korean film or drama, then chances are it was filmed here, in the country's only purpose built prison set. (updated Oct 2015)

• 4 Garam Literature Museum (가람문학관), Garam 1-gil 76, Yeosan-myeon, ☏ +82 63-832-1891. Mar-Oct: 09:00-18:00, Nov-Feb 09:00-17:00. Closed every Monday. Garam Byung-gi Lee (Garam is his pen-name) is a scholar of Koran literature who established theory of Modern Korean Sijo (traditional three-verse Korean poem). This literature museum is founded to commemorate his achievement related Korean literature. (updated Sep 2019) (updated Oct 2019)

Historical site

• 5 Wanggung-ri Relics Museum (왕궁리 유적), 631-30 Wanggung-ri, Wanggung-myeon. It is a relic presumed to be a royal palace. It was used as a palace during the Baekje period, but it is presumed that it was changed to a temple in later generations, and then the temple was destroyed and turned into a ruin over the years. (updated Dec 2022)
• 6 Mireuksa Temple Site (미륵사지) (take a bus 41, 41-1, 60, 60-1, 60-3 from Iksan station). This UNESCO Heritage Site was the largest Buddhist temple in Baekje, and was established in 6th century by King Mu of the Baekje. The temple is believed to be destroyed during the late Joseon Dynasty, but west and east pagoda and cornerstones still exist. West pagoda is the largest stone pagoda in East Asia, and shows the transition of materials from wood to stone. Pagoda was very unstable even after Japanese made a concrete support, so it went through restoration and was opened to public in 2019. Restoration took 18 years, because rushed reconstruction of east pagoda caused many controversies. Free. (updated Feb 2021)
• 7 Nabawi Cathedral (나바위 성당), 146, Nabawi 1-gil, Mangseong-myeon. Nabawi Cathedral is a unique type of building that combines Korean and Western architecture. The front of the cathedral is decorated with a Gothic three-story vertical bell tower and an arched entrance, and the roof and walls maintain the traditional wooden hanok shape. (updated Dec 2022)
• 8 Iksan Soil Castle (익산토성), san 52-2 Seogodori, Geumma-myeon, ☏ +82 63-859-5797. It is a fortress with a circumference of about 714 m and is a theme-type earthen castle built using both soil and stone. Facilities such as south gate, water polo, and building sites remain in the earthen castle. (updated Dec 2022)

  

  Nabawi Cathedral

Do

Experience

• 1 Experiencing Prisoners in Prison (교도소체험), Hamnang-ro 207, Seongdang-myeon, ☏ +82 63-859-3836. 10:00-17:00. The set consists of the first and second floors, and the interior and exterior walls of the building are equipped with phrases necessary for edification. Although it is an experience, you will see how precious freedom is. free. (updated Dec 2022)
• 2 Experience making red pepper paste (고스락고추장만들기체험), 1424-14 Iksan-daero, Hamyeol-eup, ☏ +82 63-861-2288. You can see more than 3,500 traditional jars on 20,000 pyeong, and you can experience making red pepper paste using only organic ingredients. ₩15000. (updated Dec 2022)

Festivals

• 3 Iksan Jewelry Festival (익산보석대축제), 8 Hoban-ro, Wanggung-myeon, ☏ +82 63-834-5100. April, October. You can buy jewelry at reasonable prices as well as watch 60 jewelry companies' colorful jewelry and heartfelt works. In addition, there are various attractions such as the Royal Palace Jewel Theme Tourist Site and the Baekje Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (updated Dec 2022)
• 4 Chrysanthemum Festival (천만송이국화축제), Hamaro 322, ☏ +82 63-859-4977. Various events will be held, including outdoor chrysanthemum exhibitions, promotion and sales of agricultural products, national chrysanthemum product contests, and cultural performances. (updated Dec 2022)

Buy

• 1 Maeil Market (매일시장), 13, Jungang-ro 3-gil, ☏ +82 63-855-1522. Iksan Maeil Market was selected as an excellent market among 1,600 traditional markets nationwide at the 2008 National Excellent Market Fair. It sells a lot of food and specialties. (updated Dec 2022)

Eat

• 1 East and West Octopus, 530-1, Yeongdeungpo-dong, ☏ +82 63-854-1446. M-Sa 11:30-21:00, closed on Sunday. an octopus restaurant with a waiting room. ₩30,000. (updated Dec 2022)
• 2 KwakMangeun Braised Ribs & Rib Soup (곽만근갈비찜&갈비탕), Gobong-ro 309, ☏ +82 63-842-9400. (updated Dec 2022)
• 3 Tofu Cafe (뚜부카페), 23 Godo 9-gil, Geumma-myeon. A local restaurant that sells soft tofu stew, etc. (updated Dec 2022)
• 4 Sanchon garden (산촌가든), Yeongdeungpo-dong 380-1, ☏ +82 63-856-4656. 11:00-21:00. A local restaurant that sells Braised Spicy Chicken. (updated Dec 2022)
• 5 mud garden Herb duck (흙가든허브오리). 10:00-21:00. A restaurant that sells traditional Korean duck dishes. (updated Dec 2022)

Drink

• 1 Spring Day 35, 2nd floor of 291-12 KR, No. 1, Yeongdeungpo-dong. 10:00-22:00. There is a greenhouse garden cafe, a cat. have a good view of the picture. ₩3,500. (updated Dec 2022)
• 2 noondlejae (눈들재), Eoyang-dong 65-33. 10:30-22:00. (updated Dec 2022)

Sleep

• 1 Top Cloud Hotel Iksan, 183-1, Inhwa-dong 1-ga, Top Cloud Hotel Iksan Branch, ☏ +82 10-9957-2422. Cost-effective business hotel. High breakfast satisfaction. Room condition is good. ₩70,000. (updated Dec 2022)
• 2 Western Life Hotel (웨스턴라이프호텔), 18-3 Yakchon-ro 10-gil, ☏ +82 63-720-3000. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. ₩200,000. (updated Dec 2022)
• 3 Dasom Bed and Breakfast (다솜민박), 655-1 Donggo-ri, Geumma-myeon, ☏ +82 10-8154-1435. (updated Dec 2022)

Go next

• Gunsan