Bukchon Hanok Village is one of those places that everyone has on their itinerary, but everyone has trouble navigating. Unlike the nearby palaces or areas like Insadong, Bukchon Hanok Village has its origins as a residential neighborhood. And, while there are plenty of cafes and galleries now, it’s still 80% residential.
So, we’ve put together a short half-day itinerary to help you spend a few hours in Bukchon Hanok Village, and explore some of what the neighborhood has to offer. First, let’s start with lunch.
Samcheongdong Sujebi (삼청동 수제비)
Samcheongdong Sujebi is one of our favorite restaurants in the area. And, with its placement on the Michelin Guide, we’re not the only ones. As you might have guessed, their signature dish is sujebi, a rich and hearty soup usually made with an anchovy based broth and a hand full of vegetables like potatoes, carrots, zucchini and green onion. It’s pretty similar to kalguksu (칼국수) except instead of cutting the dough into noodles, they’re simply hand torn into bit sized pieces and tossed into the soup.
We recommend one order of sujebi per person (9,000 KRW) and either the potato pancake (감자전, 11,000 KRW) or green onion pancake (파치전, 16,000 KRW) if you’re in a party of 2 or more.
This local haunt has been serving up sujebi since the 80’s, so you know it’s legit. It’s also constantly flooded with locals, especially around lunch time. So, If you plan to drop by, we highly recommend getting there around 11:00am~11:30am to avoid the inevitable queue.
- Address: Jongno-gu 101-1 Samcheong-ro
The Famous Bukchon Hanok Village Alley
Bukchon Hanok Village is located just across the street and up the hill from lunch. The obvious draw to Bukchon Hanok Village are all the beautiful hanok (taditional Korean houses) that the village is comprised of. Bukchon was traditionally a residential area of the nobility during the Joseon period some 600 years ago. Now, there are over 900 privately owned renovated hanok in the area with roughly 3,534 residents.
While the entire area is filled with beautifully designed homes, there’s one alley in particular that visitors flock to thanks to how picturesque it is. From a specific spot on a hill, you can get a photo of the tiled rooftops, wooden beams and Namsan Tower all in one shot. But, thanks to photographers, tour groups, and TikTok, it’s nearly impossible to get a clean shot without anyone in the background unless you get there early in the morning. That being said, we’re not going to gatekeep the location so we’ve dropped a pin for you here.
While some of the buildings have been converted into small galleries, museums, workshops, restaurants and cafes, many of them are still homes. So it’s important to remember to be mindful and respectful of the people who live there.
- Address: Jongno-gu 31-103 Gahoe-dong
Granhand Lab
We’ve been going to Granhand since 2016 to purchase their signature scents and candles. They’ve since expanded from their Bukchon Granhand Lab location to multiple locations in the area with two others located on the east and west sides of Gyeongbokgung.
Aside from hoarding their products for myself, they also make amazing gifts or souvenirs. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sent their perfumes and candles back home as birthday gifts. They are always a big hit! The perfumes can even be hand stamped with any name. My mom and sister are both finicky when it comes to scents but, hands down, the Marine Vacth scent is their favorite.
Don’t forget to get your name stamped on any bottled scents that you buy for that extra personal touch.
- Address: Jongno-gu Bukchon-ro 11gil 19
Osulloc Tea House
Osulloc Tea House is always on our list when we’re in the area because it’s hands down our favorite tea. All their teas are made in country with tea leaves grown on their farm in Jeju-do. They’re so fragrant and delicious and make for the best souvenirs. My family is always asking me to send them more.
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On the first floor is a small shop with a rather wide selection of their teas to purchase. They have teabags, looseleaf and all sorts of special gift boxes and even snacks. They had a special Gyeongseong Creature collaboration that smelled wonderful (and apparently it’s on Amazon, too). They even have little tubes of tealeaves to smell and even cups of brewed tea to sample. If you’re not sure which ones to get, we recommend the Wedding Green Tea (Amazon) and the Moon Walk Tea (Amazon). The boxes are 15,000 KRW each, but there are cheaper options as well.
The actual teahouse on the second floor where you can enjoy menu items exclusive to this location like a rice cake set, which I highly recommend. They serve traditional hot teas, milk teas, and coffee-tea drinks as well as modern interpretations of Korean snacks. We recommend the Rice Cake & 4 Sauces along with Rooibos Milk Tea. The Matcha Forest & Coffee Spanner is especially good for anyone who wants a dirty matcha.
We visited on a weekday and had to wait 10 minutes for a seat to open up. Weekends are somehow worse, so expect to wait no matter when you visit.
- Address: Jongno-gu Bukchon-ro 45 Osulloc
The House of Sulwhasoo
If you’re into high-end luxury Korean makeup and skincare, it doesn’t get any better than Sulwhasoo (IMHO). The House of Sulwhasoo is a beautiful blend of tradition and modern aesthetics, which I think captures the essence of the brand really well. It’s part museum, part store and completely lovely.
You can look around and try many of their products, or talk to their friendly staff if you have any questions. These products will cost you more than the average Olive Young purchase, but are worth every penny especially for more mature skin types.
I picked up their Perfecting Cushion (W Concept). Sulwhasoo is a bit high-end, so the cushion costs 89,000 KRW but comes with 1 free refill. I also had my purchase beautifully wrapped in a traditional bojagi style. If you do decide to do some high-end K-beauty shopping, you’ll definitely be walking away with some samples or freebies.
- Address: Jongno-gu Bukchon-ro 47
And that’s it! Depending on when you started, you’ll finish either in the late afternoon or early evening giving you time to recharge at your hotel or maybe power through into Insadong.
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