During my walks around Seoul, I visited two historical complexes featuring traditional-style buildings. The first was Bukchon Hanok Village, located in the central part of the city. In my opinion, it’s one of the most popular attractions among visitors, and on the day of my visit, it was extremely crowded. My impressions of this place were mixed: while the area is undeniably linked to the city’s history, the experience of walking through it was far from comfortable. Let me explain why.
Walking Through Bukchon Hanok Village
The neighborhood where these traditional-style houses are located was once home to the city’s aristocracy. The area is about 600 years old, and its name, Bukchon, translates to “northern village.” For many years, the district remained largely unchanged. In the 1930s, several Seoul-based developers purchased land here and built houses that would later become the foundation of today’s tourist hotspot.
Bukchon Hanok Village consists of several blocks of hanok—traditional Korean houses. The district is considered unique because the homes here are still residential.
There are online lists of the best photo spots in Bukchon, but honestly, I can’t imagine what time of day you’d have to visit to get a shot without people in the frame. I was there around midday, and every street with a scenic view was packed with groups of travelers.
Another thing that made the visit uncomfortable was the fact that people actually live in these homes. Many tourists in Bukchon can be quite loud, and although there are constant requests to keep quiet, the sheer number of visitors makes these warnings ineffective.
The village is open to visitors from 10 AM to 5 PM, and on Sundays, entry is restricted for tourists.
How to Get There
I walked to Bukchon from Anguk Station on the Orange Line of the subway. The walk took about ten minutes. Interestingly, Google Maps doesn’t allow you to plan walking routes in Seoul, so I had to use the Naver app for navigation.
Entry to Bukchon Hanok Village is free, and my walk around the area took about 45 minutes.
In my next article about Seoul, I’ll share my experience visiting the Namsangol Hanok Village. While this attraction is similar to Bukchon in that it showcases traditional Korean architecture, I found Namsangol to be much better suited for a comfortable visit.
Have a nice trip!
