Travel Highlights

      • Explore the Surroundings of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Hanbok

        • 04/15/2024

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  • Gyeongbokgung Palace is one of the most recognizable cultural heritage and tourist sites in Korea. Once a palace where the kings of the Joseon dynasty resided and ruled the kingdom, its shining presence can still be found amid majestic buildings in the heart of Seoul. The area surrounding the palace is full of experience spaces, exhibition halls, and restaurants beloved by Gen Z. This area can broadly be divided into Seochon and Bukchon areas, centered around different themes. Considering the area’s historical significance, wearing a hanbok as you explore the area can enrich your memory of the visit even further.

    1. Explore the sensibilities of small alleyways in the Seochon area

    An alleyway in Seochon (Credit: Korea Tourism Organization)

    Seochon is a village west of Gyeongbokgung Palace and can be accessed through Yeongchumun Gate, the western gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Once a village occupied by artists, Seochon has a rather humble, unique atmosphere with small, single-story buildings lining the narrow alleyways, in contrast to the glittering splendor of central Seoul. In recent days, Seochon has begun to draw a large crowd of younger visitors with chic and elegant boutiques, galleries, and cafés that renovate the old buildings with contemporary sensibilities.

    • Groundseesaw Seochon’s central garden(Credit:DANIM 7th Gen. Lee Chae-eun)
    • Groundseesaw Seochon’s central garden(Credit:DANIM 7th Gen. Lee Chae-eun)

    The first stop in this Seochon trip is Groundseesaw Seochon. This exhibition space became prominent with hip and interesting exhibitions like “Photographs by YOSIGO: Holiday Memories” and “Accidentally Wes Anderson: Inspire. Discover. Adventure Awaits.” The building itself impresses with its architectural merits, which were recognized by the 2020 Seoul Architecture Award. Going inside, one can find a pond and a garden built at the center of the building, creating a peaceful ambience like that in a forest. Just visiting the building, in that sense, is an experience that exceeds one’s expectations.

    • Tote bag produced in-house at Ofr.
    • Foreign language books sold at Ofr. (Credit: 0fr. Séoul Instagram account, @ofrseoul)

    When emerging from the complex net of alleyways, one finds a two-story residential building with a small signboard. This building houses the Korean branch of “Ofr.,” a French independent bookstore. This seemingly mundane residential building houses a treasure trove of chic and quirky items waiting to be discovered by the discerning shopper. From rare edition books from abroad casually arranged in piles to design posters hung up on walls with peeling paint and colorful tote bags thrown around the space, the interior space exemplifies the casual yet chic ambience that has captivated many members of the Korean Gen Z. For travelers, Ofr. offers T-shirts made in-house, cute accessories, and interior decorations that make for great souvenirs.

     Dae-o Bookstore’s façade demonstrating its historicity (Credit: Kim Jeong-heum)

    In a village awash in retro sensibilities, Dae-o Bookstore stands out as the most analog of its spaces. From the peeling paint of its signboard to the worn organ once belonging to the elderly couple who owned the bookstore, earthenware pots, and furniture adorned with jagae (mother-of-pearl and lacquer craft), this old hanok (traditional Korean house) building contains numerous stories that have accumulated in it since 1951. Its unique ambience led to the interior being featured in the jacket photograph of singer-songwriter IU’s first cover album, “A Flower Bookmark.” Today, Dae-o Bookstore functions as a book café, open to those who order beverages.

    • Tongin Market’s Coin Lunchbox (Credit: Korea Tourism Organization - MY PICTURES
    • Korea Tourism Organization - Lee Beom-su)

    A two-minute walk from Dae-o Bookstore brings one to Seochon’s famous Tongin Market, a local market with a hundred-year-long history. The delicious smell from the market makes it difficult to just go past the market. The most famous dish served in the market is the oil tteokbokki, rice cakes seasoned and stir-fried in a hot pan. Unlike other tteokbokki, oil tteokbokki has a thick sauce. The rice cakes become crispy flavor bombs dense with savory flavors, culminating in a unique gourmet experience. Another option is to go for the “Coin Lunchbox,” a DIY lunchbox you can assemble with different dishes offered in Tongin Market. The coins used in exchange replicate the coins used in the Joseon period. Multilingual signage makes the experience accessible to international visitors as well.


    Seochon Area Information

    [Groundseesaw Seochon]

    • Address: 18-8 Jahamun-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 자하문로6길 18-8)
    • Inquiries: +82-70-4473-9746
    • Directions: 224 m from Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station (Seoul Subway Line 3)
    • Operating hours: 10:00–19:00 / Closed on the first Monday of the month
    • Website: groundseesaw.co.kr

    [Ofr. Séoul]

    • Address: 11-14 Jahamun-ro 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 자하문로12길 11-14)
    • Inquiries: +82-2-722-9357
    • Directions: 489 m from Exit 3 of Gyeongbokgung Station (Seoul Subway Line 3)
    • Operating hours: Tuesday–Sunday 11:00–20:00 / Closed on Mondays and the last Thursday of the month
    • Instagram: @ofrseoul

    [Dae-o Bookstore]

    • Address: 55 Jahamun-ro 7-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 자하문로7길 55)
    • Inquiries: +82-2-735-1349
    • Directions: 545 m from Exit 2 of Gyeongbokgung Station (Seoul Subway Line 3)
    • Operating hours: 12:00–21:00

    [Tongin Market]

    • Address: 18 Jahamun-ro 15-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 자하문로15길 18)
    • Inquiries: +82-2-722-0911
    • Directions: 500 m from Exit 2 of Gyeongbokgung Station (Seoul Subway Line 3)
    • Operating hours: Tongin Market stalls every day 07:00–21:00 / Closing depends on the stall

    *Coin & Lunchbox Café

    • Location: Lunchbox Café, 2nd floor, Tongin Market Customer Service Center
    • Coin sales hours: Weekdays 11:00–15:00; weekends and holidays 11:00–16:00 / Closed on Mondays and the third Sunday of the month
    • How to use:
      ① Purchasing coins
      - 500 won per coin; Coins are purchasable for amounts exceeding 10,000 won (refund available for remaining coins).
      - Payment accepted by card, cash, bank transfer
      ② Purchasing food from the market using coins
      - Coins cannot be used to purchase food in stores not participating in the program, so check the eligible stores via the “Tongin Market Coin Lunchbox Map” QR code found in the Lunchbox Café.
      - Note that multilingual services (English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese) are available via the “Menu Translation” service, accessed through the QR code found in the Lunchbox Café.
      ③ Bring the lunchbox back to the Lunchbox Café and enjoy the food. (Food can be enjoyed on the 2nd and 3rd floor spaces; utensils and water are provided free of charge.)

    2. Take the pic of the day, with hanok buildings as a backdrop, at the Bukchon area

    Bukchon features immaculately preserved traditional hanok buildings (Credit: Getty Images Bank)

    Bukchon is another tourist site that one can visit in conjunction with Gyeongbokgung Palace. Compared to Seochon, the hanok buildings in Bukchon tend to be much better preserved, and Bukchon also has parks, a café street, and other interesting sights. The gate that originally led to Bukchon was Geonchunmun Gate, the eastern gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace, but today, visitors must use the entrance of the National Folk Museum of Korea instead.

    The photo spot to capture Namsan Mountain and hanok buildings in a single frame (Credit: Getty Images Bank)

    The centerpiece of the Bukchon area is Bukchon Hanok Village. Originally a historic neighborhood occupied by the members of the royal family, yangban (aristocracy), and state officials in the Joseon period, most hanok buildings in the village follow the urban format, which eschews the open arrangement of traditional hanok buildings that reveals the central courtyard to the beholder, instead featuring higher walls that ensure greater privacy. The photo spot at the top of the hill allows one to capture the unique scenery of the hanok buildings and Namsan Seoul Tower at a distance in a single frame. Bukchon Hanok Village is a residential neighborhood, so one should not disrupt the residents’ privacy or enter the residents’ houses without permission.

    • GRANHAND. Bukchon façade
    • The interior of the shop with GRANHAND. products on display (Credit: ⓒGRANHAND.)

    When starting from Gyeongbokgung Palace and coming up the road via the Bukchon Hanok Village Information Center, one soon finds a curiously fragrant spot at the entrance to an alleyway. The fragrance comes from the brand shop “GRANHAND.,” a hip Korean fragrance brand that enjoys considerable popularity among the members of Gen Z in Korea. GRANHAND. has eight stores across Seoul. Bukchon’s branch, established in 2014 as the brand’s first store, is also the only GRANHAND. store set in a hanok building. The store offers a range of fragrance products, from perfumes to diffusers, candles, and oils. GRANHAND. is famous for describing its fragrances like works of literature. Unfortunately, these descriptions are not available in languages other than Korean. Visitors can test the fragrances to search for their favorite among the many offered in the store. The earthenware pot-shaped candle, in particular, is only offered in the Bukchon branch, so it makes for a great souvenir or a gift.

    • Interior space retains the iconic exposed rafters of hanok buildings
    • ANAM’s signature menu, pork and rice soup (Credit: ANAM Instagram page ⓒ anam_inanguk)

    One can find a unique restaurant serving gukbap (rice soup), a Korean soul food, at the alley that leads to the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul. It is ANAM, a Bib Gourmand restaurant included in the MICHELIN Guide Seoul 2024. Koreans often associate “pork and rice soup” with white or red soup, but the one served in ANAM is green in color, which comes from the oil used to flavor the soup. In winter, the oil is made with Cheongyang chili pepper and kale, while in summer, the oil features Cheongyang chili pepper and pigweed. The oil imbues the soup with a rich fragrance of vegetables. One can also add cilantro to taste.

    • Onion Anguk, housed in a renovated hanok
    • Baked goods at Onion Anguk (Credit: Korea Tourism Organization)

    After a meal, head to Onion Anguk for sweet desserts and tea. This bakery café is housed in a hanok space refined with contemporary sensibilities. There are terrace and table seats, but the most popular seats in the café are those in the wood-floor hall, where one can sit on the floor. Another claim to fame is its baked goods menu, represented by the Pandoro and Ang Butter (bread with red bean paste and thick butter slices). Add an iced Americano or their signature milk tea to add a layer of richness to the desserts.


    Bukchon Area Information

    [Bukchon Hanok Village]

    • Address: 37 Gyedong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 계동길 37)
    • Inquiries: +82-2-2148-4151
    • Directions: 485 m from Exit 2 of Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3)
    • Operating hours: Monday–Saturday 10:00–17:00 / Alley closed on Sundays *Please respect the residents of the area by adhering to the opening hours.
    • Hilltop photo area location: Banyaro Institute for the Korean Way of Tea, 57 Bukchon-ro 11-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 북촌로11길 57 반야로차도문화원)

    [GRANHAND. Bukchon]

    • Address: 19, Bukchon-ro 11-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 북촌로11길 19)
    • Inquiries: +82-2-333-6525
    • Directions: 618 m from Exit 2 of Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3)
    • Operating hours: 10:30–19:30
    • Website: granhand.com (English)

    [ANAM]

    • Address: 10 Bukchon-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 북촌로5길 10 안암)
    • Inquiries: +82-507-1463-8189
    • Directions: 313 m from Exit 2 of Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3)
    • Operating hours: Tuesday–Sunday 11:30–21:00 (Weekday break time 15:00–17:00 / Closed on Mondays
    • Instagram: @anam_inanguk

    [Onion Anguk]

    • Address: 5 Gyedong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 계동길 5)
    • Inquiries: +82-507-1424-2123
    • Directions: 69 m from Exit 3 of Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3)
    • Operating hours: 07:00–22:00
    • Website: onionkr.com
    • Instagram: @cafe.onion

    Tip: Enter Gyeongbokgung Palace for free by wearing a hanbok!

    Hanbok rental can be a good idea for visitors who plan to tour royal palaces in Seoul. That is because wearing hanbok grants one free entrance to the four royal palaces of Seoul. Don’t miss the Gyeongbokgung Palace Special Evening Admission, which will be held until May 4, 2024.

    Recommended Hanbok Rental Services
    [Hanboknam Gyeongbokgung Palace] Nearly 8,000 reviews from international visitors testify to Hanboknam Gyeongbokgung Palace’s services, offering a wide range of hanbok from traditional hanbok to character and modern hanbok. The website provides multilingual services, and one can also contact the store through their KakaoTalk Channel.

    - Address: 133-5 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 사직로 133-5)
    - Inquiries: +82-10-6485-8507
    - Directions: 61 m from Exit 4 of Gyeongbokgung Station (Seoul Subway Line 3)
    - Price: Traditional hanbok 4 hours - 20,000 won, one-day - 30,000 won; theme hanbok 4 hours - 40,000 won, one-day - 50,000 won
    - Website: hanboknamglobal.com (English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese) / KakaoTalk Channel ID: Hanboknam

    More info

    • 1330 Korea Travel Helpline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Malay)

    * This column was last updated in April 2024, and therefore information may differ from what is presented here. We advise you to confirm details before visiting.