So you want to spend a day walking around traditional streets and wearing traditional clothes in South Korea?
- Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을) is the place to go!
(http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=561382)
This place is a must see for anyone traveling to Korea. I recently spent an afternoon here walking around with my husband. Bukchon Hanok Village features many streets with traditional homes called "hanok."
- Yes, people actually LIVE in these homes.
Can you imagine, posing in front of this persons home for a picture. When, suddenly, they open their door. The exchange would be SO awkward hahaha.
Near the entrance to the Hanok Village, there are tons of shops that offer hanbok (traditional clothing) rental. We ended up spending 20,000 WON (~$18 USD) for a 3 hour rental...for 2 people!! I couldn't believe how cheap it was. There are some themed coffee shops sprinkled all over Korea that charge WAY more for a 1 hour rental (and you can't wear it outside).
The shop we went to had hundreds of options available. I mean, the racks of hanbok were almost endless! I picked out the top and bottom that I liked and then the staff assisted me with putting it on.
So if you are looking for a deal, Hanok Village is the place to go!
- Pro tip: The palace in Seoul is very close to Hanok Village. If you are wearing a hanbok, you can get free entrance into the palace!
Fair warning though...
It is usually packed with tourists. So if you are looking to get beautiful pictures WITHOUT people in the background....well good luck! Gotta find those angles!
And just a splash of goofing off~
