Traditional Hanok stay in Seoul: Experience Authentic Korea

Striking off your bucketlist when you are in South Korea is definitely experiencing traditional Hanok stay in Seoul. Staying in an authentic traditional Hanok stay is definitely a different kind of experience as compared to staying in a Hotel or Airbnb.

If time allows, visit Jeonju Hanok Village (Inclusive of Hanok Stay) instead when you opt for a 2 day 1 night package trip. Jeonju is a well-known city where about 800 authentic hanok houses can be found!

As compared to Bukchon hanok village, Jeonju Hanok village is a better option to visit as the hanok houses are clustered in a single area and surely more instaworthy pictures can be taken with pretty hanok houses!

Due to time restraint, it’s still pleasing to experience Hanok stay in Seoul. There is a feeder minibus from Anguk station to this Hanok stay, Bukchon Maru. Bukchon Maru is situated near Bukchon hanok village and reachable within 5 mins with the mini bus.

Bukchon village is also an ideal place that takes you back to the Joseon period where plenty of traditional Hanok could be found! Remember to rent Korean traditional Hanbok to wear~

Where to stay in Seoul

Authentic Traditional Hanok stay near Bukcheon Hanok Village

I chose my hanok stay at Bukchon Maru as their hanok house looks traditional to me enough to provide me with a quality authentic traditional hanok stay.

I still remember being so excited for my first hanok stay experience in Seoul before my trip.

Luckily there is a minbus service from Anguk station so we don’t have to drag our heavy lugagges up the slope, phew~

Traditional pots and displaying cute traditional korea figures creating the traditional hanok ambience.

Climbing up the stairs are unavoidable, as the guestrooms are on the rooftop. However, the guesthouse owner will be here to help you with your luggage so need not to worry about it much.

The interior of Bukcheon Maru. I like how Bukchon Maru tried to preserve the traditional hanok design in the house, even the doors.

This is the traditional fish lock used to lock our hanok room doors. It’s just so cute, you may even buy this lock as a souvenir.

Where to Stay in Seoul: Our Hanok room

We have booked a double room with a shared bathroom for a night to experience our hanok stay. I chose to book Bukchon Maru’s hanok stay is because of their authentic hanok stay experience. We get to sleep on the korean floor mattress just like in the korean dramas.

Not all hanok stay provide the korean floor mattress, some of the hanok stay provide beds which I would not consider for a hanok stay experience.

The elderly koreans believe that sleeping on the floor can improve blood flow, relieve back pain and neck pain.

Actually sleeping on the korean floor mattress is really comfortable. The mattress are so fluffy that you can’t actually feel that you are sleeping on the floor.

As we visited korea in October, it’s autumn and the weather is getting colder. Bukchon maru’s hanok rooms have equipped with traditional Korean ondol (Heated floor) to keep our feets warm and warm enough for us to hide in the korean floor mattress and sleep on the floor.

Bukchon Maru Hanok Stay: Shared Bathroom

We were a little reluctant about the idea of the shared bathroom initially but we decided to give in since we really wanted to experience the hanok stay. Fortunately, the bathroom was really clean, hygienic and spacious.

Traditional homemade korean breakfast is served in the morning between 8.30am and 9am. Those chopsticks are called the common chopsticks to be used to take the food so it’s more hygienic. Their homemade korean breakfast was really tasty but I secretly wish they can serve more.

Right after breakfast, Bukchon Maru provides their in-house traditional hanbok experience at no cost. For guests to wear and take photos around the hanok.

Do not expect their hanbok varieties to be as much as those hanbok rental shop. Bukchon Maru do provide guests with hanbok rental for a few hours or a day at a lower cost. If interested, do ask the guesthouse owner for more information.

Other than trying their hanbok costume, you can try exploring the neighbourhood where you can find many other hanok houses and feel the ambience.

Walking pass a korean school nearby with many students going to school in the morning

I really like my first time hanok stay experience at Bukchon Maru, even though it’s only for a night. I would really recommend you to try hanok stay in Seoul if you have time constraint. It is a unique and different experience from staying in a hotel or airbnb. You get to interact with the guesthouse owners too.

I would really like to visit Jeonju Hanok village during my next trip to South Korea. If you would like to have a 1 day  trip to Jeonju Hanok village accessible, you may consider  Jeonju 1 Day Tour: Hanok Village, Hanbok Rental, Watermelon / Peach Picking, Mediterranean Village  Seems like a great steal to experience fruits picking in korea~

 

Bukchon Maru

152 Changdeokgung-gil (2-164 Gye-dong) Jongno Gu, Seoul, South Korea

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For More South Korea Travel Guide:

• Jeju Travel Guide

• Busan Travel Guide