I wasn’t sure I needed to do a hanbok experience in Seoul, South Korea. I had seen the photos – colourful traditional dresses, hanoks/palaces in the background. It looked fun but also felt like one of those touristic activities you do because you’re suppose to do whilst in Seoul.

Disclosure: I paid for this experience myself and wasn’t hosted or compensated for this review. 

So I had to see what the hype was all about… We had booked the experience through AirBNB – combining hanbok rental, walking tour and a professional photoshoot. As it turned out, it was one of my favourite experiences in Seoul. We spent the morning exploring Gyeongbokgung Palace in traditional Korean dress, feeling like we’d stepped back in time. The experience was far better than I expected. Our photographer, Nick, was efficient and by the end of the day, we had more than enough photos of us time travelling back to the Joseon Dynasty.

So, curious to see what the whole experience was like? Read on to find out what’s included and whether I’d recommend adding a hanbok experience to your Seoul itinerary.

Disclaimer: Some links earn me a small commission – same price for you, slightly less tragic bank balance for me.

At a glance: Hanbok Experience Seoul

Location:Daehan Hanbok Rental + Gyeongbokgung Palace
Start: 8 am
Experience duration: Approx 3 hrs
Price: Approximately £100 / $135 / €115 for two people
Hanbok rental: Included – until 18hrs!
Hairstyling: Included
Professional photographer: Included
Walking tour: Included
Photos received: over 1200 photographs taken across the group
My rating: 5/5
Airbnb booking experience link

What is a hanbok experience in Seoul?

First off, what is a Hanbok?

Hanbok is South Korea’s traditional clothing with roots stretching back thousands of years. The style we recognise today was developed during the Joseon Dynasty (1392 – 1910). There are two parts to a hanbok. The women’s hanbok traditionally pairs a jacket (jeogori) with a skirt (chima). Historically, colours and design reflect status, age and occasion.

You’ll notice in the photos that my mom’s and my jeogori are different. According to the staff, the hanbok I had chosen was the more traditional option, previously reserved for royalty. Whereas my mom’s shorter jeogori is an everyday style and more modern.

What’s included in the hanbok experience?

Today, the hanbok is mostly worn for special occasions and cultural events. However, in recent times, renting one has become a popular activity… thanks to the popularity of historical era K-dramas. There are plenty of places nearby hanok villages or palaces where you can simply rent a hanbok for a couple of hours and explore the area yourself. Particularly popular around the Gyeongbokgung Palace. You’ll see visitors dressed in everything from fairly traditional designs to elaborate, colourful and modern versions.

However, that wasn’t quite what I did. Our experience combined a hanbok rental, a walking tour and a professional photoshoot. Rather than just hiring the clothes and figuring it out ourselves, we had a photographer-guide taking us around and capturing the experience for us. This distinction is kinda important (for me) because the photographs and context are what made it feel more than just a “costume rental”.

Is it okay for tourists to wear hanbok?

If this is something you’re wandering about before booking, you’re not alone… Hanbok rental has become a common tourist activity around Seoul’s historic palaces and hanok villages – where you’ll see plenty of people wearing it.

For me, the important thing was treating it as a traditional Korean clothing rather than a “costume”. Which meant treating the hanbok with respect. The experience itself helped put what we were wearing into context… Nick and the staff explained some history and significance of the palace and clothing.

Our hanbok experience in Seoul, South Korea

Our morning started with meeting at the hanbok rental shop at 0800hrs. Picking out a hanbok was probably harder than I expected because there was an incredible amount of options. Different colours, patterns and accessories meant you could go as traditional or as elaborate as you wanted. Honestly, I had no idea what I wanted! Naturally, I allowed myself to be drawn to a hanbok and got input from the staff. Once you are fitted into your hanbok, you’re taken upstairs to get your hair done and pick out any other accessories. By 0900hrs, we were out of the door and on our way to Gyeongbokgung Palace.

The package included a choice of hanbok (premium options included) & a hangbag, petticoat, hairstyle and shoes, if you really wanted them.

Walking around Seoul in a hanbok

We didn’t explore the whole of Seoul in our hanboks. However, we did stroll some streets. It’s quite a surreal feeling walking through the city dressed in traditional clothing. You’re still surrounded by all the modernisation and people going about their day you’re also suddenly getting people stopping to look, taking photos and smiling at you…

Of course, since you had until 1800hrs to keep your hanbok, you could explore different parts of Seoul in a hanbok, feeling the contrast between the capital’s modern skyscrapers and historical garb.

It wasn’t just a photoshoot

Okay, a big part of this experience was the photographer taking beautiful shots of us in different locations. However, we also walked around the area together as he talked us through some of the history and places we were seeing. He actually gave me more context about the palace than just this is a palace building, this is another. Some facts I learnt were that the more gargoyles a building had, the more important it was… also every building has a dragon on its roof apart from the Kings and Queen’s bedroom building, since they are the dragons (evident from the dragon crest on their hanboks).

There was also two assistants with the group, which made the whole thing more organised. They helped arrange people for photographs, answered our questions, gave us more background if we needed it, while the photographer could concentrate on actually taking the pictures. Sounds like a small detail but it made the difference. There wasn’t the awkward feeling of Right… what to do while I’m waiting?.

Is a professional photographer worth paying extra for?

I am perfectly capable of taking photographs. Also perfectly capable of handing my phone to my mom and asking her to take a photo for me. The resulting photos are less reliable, admittedly my phone is old so the quality just isn’t as good! Having a professional photographer meant I could turn off my brain and enjoy the experience rather than thinking where I need to stand, whether the background was good or what pose I needed to do.

They knew exactly where to put me, how to position me and where the best backgrounds were. I still brought my camera but more for photographing the palace. While other people were being photographed, we could also wander around rather than standing around waiting for our turn. More than 1200 photos were taken across the group during the experience. I wasn’t expecting that many! We received our photos at the end of the day through a link and they looked so much more natural and the standard tourist photos I had originally imagined. 

How long does the Seoul hanbok experience last?

The organised experience itself finishes at around 1100hrs. However, you could keep your hanbok until 1800hrs and continue exploring the palace or other parts of the city. And honestly, I think this is one of the best parts of the experience. We did this experience mid August and the weather wasn’t very agreeable – it was extremely humid and we had bursts of showers throughout the day. So it got a little uncomfortable wearing the hanbok once it was after midday. We ended up keeping ours until around 1330hrs before deciding we’d had enough.

What is in the package?

As of Mid-August, we paid ±£100 for two people for our experience… Keep in mind that this is only a guide price as it’s always changing. It’s worth checking their website for updated pricing. Our experience included:

• • Hanbok rental
  • Premium hanbok choices
  • Petticoat
  • Handbag
  • Hairstyling
  • Shoes, if wanted
  • Guided walking tour / historical commentary
  • Professional photographer
  • Two assistants
  • Photos from the photoshoot
  • Use of the hanbok until 6pm
  • We also received some free skincare courtesy of Daehan Hanbok Rental. Thought this was a lovely touch.

Things to know before booking a hanbok experience in Seoul

Book an early start

I think you can opt for different timings off the Airbnb experience – our 0800hrs start worked really well. We were one of the first groups on the palace ground and could enjoy the experience before it became too busy. It also gave us plenty of time after the experience was over to wander ourselves. It also helps with the weather!

Wear comfortable shoes

You’ll be definitely getting your steps in! Traditional shoes are available, but you don’t have to wear them. I’ve been told they can be uncomfortable and difficult to walk in especially on the cobble pathways. I wore my pair of Tevas, which I wasn’t sure was a good choice, but it didn’t actually matter. Sometimes you could see them peeking from under my dress but it didn’t bother me too much. Most people opt to wear sneakers.

You don’t need to book a walking tour

I know this post as been about the guided walking/photography tour – however, you don’t actually need to book that at all! You can simply hire a hanbok and explore Seoul yourself if you so decide to! This is the hanbok rental store I would recommend.

Don’t worry about knowing how to pose

I am very awkward. Initially I was a little worried because the only pose I know is to throw my hands up… but Nick, the photographer, will tell you what to do. Really useful if you’re not someone who normally enjoys having their photos taken. Just be open to direction and trust in the process!

Check the weather

Especially if you’re visiting South Korea in August, like we did. It’s rainy season and turns out – very humid. Wearing traditional clothing during this time of year was less than ideal. I got extremely sweaty during parts of the day and there’s not really a breeze to cool you down. If you’re visiting during this time, book early in the day if possible and bring an umbrella!

Give yourself enough time

Definitely don’t book something back to back with this experience. You might want to spend more time in your hanbok and walk around after the experience. Majority of our group actually went back to change right after the experience was over. So really depends on yourself!

Is a hanbok experience in Seoul worth it?

Absolutely, yes. I understand the hype of it now… Originally, a hanbok experience wasn’t something I’d put particularly high on my Seoul itinerary. It was one of those activities that I thought would be fun but perhaps a little too touristy? Instead, it became one of my favourite memories from Seoul.

And I actually think I prefer this format of the experience rather than just a hanbok rental. You could absolutely rent a hanbok yourself for less money – if your goal is just to wear one. But then you’d be responsible for organising everything – finding a rental shop, choosing where to go, taking your own photographs, trying to figure out angles, poses etc… There are plenty of rental shops so it’s not all that difficult to do yourself. I love doing things DIY especially if it saves me money. However for what we got out of this session, I think £100 was pretty reasonable for such a unique experience. It also gave us some beautiful keepsakes from the trip.

It gives you something to do, rather than simply something to wear. And if you’re travelling with your mum, partner, friend or family, having professional photos means you can actually get photographs of the two of you together without having to continually ask strangers to take them – which we all know can be a hit or a miss!