Gyeongju café with sumakse cookie gift sets: Cafe Bonghwangdang

Today I'm bringing you a review of a place I really wanted to visit on my Gyeongju trip — Cafe Bonghwangdang on Hwangnidang-gil. It has floor-to-ceiling windows right in front of Daereungwon, a stylish interior inspired by Silla relics, and pretty dessert sets perfect for gifting — I'm still thinking about this café even now that I'm back home 🥰 It's in such a great spot for a stop before or after walking around Daereungwon that you won't regret adding it to your Gyeongju itinerary.

Cafe Bonghwangdang location, hours and parking

• Location: 737 Taejong-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk, South Korea
• Hours: Daily 08:30-22:00 (closed Tuesdays)
• Parking: No on-site parking; free public parking lot about 30m east of the café

How to get to Cafe Bonghwangdang from Hwangnidang-gil

Bonghwangdang sits between Daereungwon and Hwangnidang-gil, so it's just a 3-minute walk from Daereungwon. It's a great stop before or after touring the tombs, and also perfect for a quick rest while wandering Hwangnidang-gil. However, since we visited on a weekend, the public parking lot was full, so we had no choice but to park near Wolseong Elementary School a bit further away, in the last spot available. If you're planning a weekend visit, I'd recommend giving yourself plenty of extra time for parking!

The window view of the Daereungwon tombs at Cafe Bonghwangdang

The moment I walked in, the view outside the window grabbed my attention first. On one side was a panoramic view of the thousand-year-old burial mounds rippling like waves, and on the other, a charming street view of Gyeongju's shops — the variety of views let us soak in a really tranquil kind of beauty.

It's a two-story building with floor-to-ceiling windows, so the view was really great — which is probably why all the seats are arranged facing the windows.

The interior is filled with props that evoke traditional relics, so it felt like a space where a time-traveling kind of novelty coexists with modern comfort.

What is on the menu at Cafe Bonghwangdang?

Looking at the menu, besides the usual coffee drinks, signature items like Bonghwang coffee, floral berry milk tea, milk tea parfait, and matcha parfait caught my eye. There was also a wide smoothie lineup, from cup patbingsu (shaved ice with sweet red beans) to strawberry, mango yogurt, blueberry yogurt, and watermelon smoothies. The latte selection was varied too — chocolate latte, matcha latte, chestnut latte, black sesame latte — and for brunch, there were croissant jambon sandwiches and egg mayo croissant sandwiches.

I was drawn to the chocolate latte since it looked special, but I'd eaten way too much lunch and was still full, so I ordered iced peppermint tea instead, while my husband picked the refreshing blueberry yogurt smoothie. We also ordered a box of the sumakse cookie set as a gift. I thought it was a nice touch that they even had an English menu for foreign visitors.

• Iced peppermint tea ₩6,000
• Blueberry yogurt smoothie ₩8,000
• Sumakse cookie gift set ₩26,000

Sumakse cookie gift set: a Gyeongju souvenir worth buying

Bonghwangdang is a café, but honestly its gift set packaging was so stylish I wondered for a moment if it was a Gyeongju souvenir shop. With yeonhwagwa (lotus-shaped rice cookie) sets, sumakse cookie sets, cheesecakes, and more, it's really a great place to pick up a gift for a Gyeongju trip.

While browsing, the shopping bags and boxes were so pretty that I ended up buying one as a gift after all 😆 Both the box and the bag had that luxurious mother-of-pearl lacquerware feel! If you're trying to decide on a travel souvenir, I'd definitely recommend picking up a gift set from Cafe Bonghwangdang.

The sumakse cookie set we chose is made in the shape of sumakse, the round roof-tile ends that are a symbol of Silla — the shapes are really cute and felt special. The flavors were varied too — Earl Grey fig, white chocolate yuzu, strawberry chocolate matcha, pecan chocolate, chestnut mugwort, and hwangchi cheese lemon — so it looked great for picking whatever suits your taste.

How the blueberry yogurt smoothie and peppermint tea tasted

Drinking our drinks by the window overlooking Daereungwon was completely healing. The peppermint tea was exactly the clean, familiar mint tea we know, and the blueberry yogurt was packed with blueberries with a tart yogurt tang that felt like it washed away all our travel fatigue! Both had generous portions too, which I loved.

Who should visit Cafe Bonghwangdang

• Anyone who wants to relax while enjoying the window view of Daereungwon
• Anyone who wants to pick up a pretty souvenir or gift on a Gyeongju trip
• Anyone who loves a stylish interior blending tradition and modernity
• Anyone who wants to try a special signature drink among the cafés of Hwangnidang-gil in Gyeongju

Overall verdict on Cafe Bonghwangdang

If you're looking for a café on Hwangnidang-gil in Gyeongju, I really recommend Bonghwangdang. Sipping a drink with that gorgeous full view of Daereungwon was healing in itself. The drinks and desserts were great quality, but above all, the package design was something else, adding an extra layer of specialness to the trip. If you're planning to visit Daereungwon, be sure to stop by here too!