Namsangol Hanok Village (남산골한옥마을)

1.4Km 2025-07-14

28 Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

Namsangol Hanok Village opened in 1998 on the northern side of Namsan Mountain in the center of the capital. This village has five restored hanok (traditional Korean house) premises, a pavilion, a traditional garden, a performance art stage, and a time capsule plaza, making it a perfect spot for locals and tourists to take a leisure walk. Upon entering from the front gate, visitors will get a taste of Korea's traditional life while escaping from bustling city life. The traditional garden with its pavilion and old houses creates a peaceful ambiance before the forested Namsan Mountain. A time capsule commemorating Seoul’s 600th anniversary was buried in 1994 at the highest point of the village and is scheduled to be reopened 400 years later in 2394.

The five hanok premises at Namsangol Hanok Village once belonged to aristocrats and government officials of the Joseon dynasty. Each house was originally located in a different neighborhood, but they were all moved to this area and restored to their original form. The houses were rebuilt using their original materials, except for one house, where the materials were too old and deteriorated to be reused. The premises were carefully restored and replicated according to their original form to depict the owners’ social class and personality. These buildings are now used as an exhibit to portray the living environment during the Joseon dynasty and as a venue for educational and cultural programs for children and tourists.

Some of the unique programs and activities to participate in include wearing hanbok, folding hanji (traditional Korean paper), writing in Korean, traditional tea ceremony, traditional etiquette school, and herbal medicine experience. There are also taekwondo demonstrations and other various performances held around the village. Visitors can also try traditional games such as yunnori (traditional board game), or understand more about the area through a guided tour.

Beautiful Tea Museum (아름다운 차박물관)

1.5Km 2022-07-26

19-11, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-735-6678

Located in Insa-dong, The Beautiful Tea Museum aims to promote Korean tea culture. It preserves and exhibits tea related utensils and items, featuring those from the ancient Gaya and Joseon period as well as items from abroad such as China and Tibet. The museum also displays original tea pots and other ceramics made by young artists and ceramists. Inside the museum is a tea house named "Tea Story," serving a wide variety of teas. Visitors can also purchase tea leaves from all over the world at the Tea Shop.

Alive Museum (Insa-dong Branch) [박물관은 살아있다(인사동점)]

1.5Km 2024-03-15

(B1 and B2, Daeil Building), 12, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-2-1544-8506

The Alive Museum is a media theme park located in Insa-dong. The exhibition here is made up of optical illusion art, large objet, and digital media pieces, which allow you to delve into the land of mystery. It is made up of different sections like the Insadong Photo Studio, Game Village, and the Toy Village.

Dynamic Maze (Insa-dong) (다이나믹 메이즈 (서울 인사동점))

1.5Km 2024-03-15

12, Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-1544-8506

Dynamic Maze is an indoor space in Insa-dong dedicated to an exciting adventure: A maze filled with obstacles, requiring participants to work together and overcome the barriers through quickness and focus. Go through the hall of mirrors, climb the wall, and cross the suspension bridge to finally escape from the maze.

Jogyesa Temple (조계사(서울))

1.5Km 2024-10-25

55 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

As the main temple as well as the district head temple of the Jogye order in Seoul, Jogyesa Temple is the center of Korean Buddhism. The temple was built in the late 14th century during the Goryeo period but was completely destroyed in a fire. It was rebuilt under the name of Gakwangsa Temple in 1910 with the effort of many respectful monks, namely Han Yong-un and Lee Hee-gwang. The temple was given a role as the head temple of Korea’s Buddhism and renamed to Tegosa Temple in 1936. In 1954, a purification drive took place to eliminate Japanese influence and revive traditional Buddhism, which established the present day Jogyesa Temple as a result.

Jogyesa Temple plays an important role in Korean Buddhism as the head temple of the Jogye order. Jogyesa Temple’s Dharma Hall serves as the main venue for several Buddhist events, holding rituals, lectures, ceremonies, and other events all year long. The annual lantern festival in celebration of Buddha's birthday also takes place at this temple.

Insa Chilgi - Insa Branch [Tax Refund Shop] (인사칠기 인사)

1.5Km 2024-04-22

5, Seolleung-ro 162-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

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National Souvenirs Center [Tax Refund Shop] (한국관광명품점)

1.5Km 2024-04-23

14, Insadong 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

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Seoul International Writers' Festival (서울국제작가축제)

1.5Km 2025-07-30

26 Insadong 9-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
+82-70-8826-5207

Seoul International Writers' Festival was founded in 2006 with aims to lay a foundation for connecting Korean literature and international literature. This year's theme is "() Meets the Eye," inviting attendees to explore the beauty of literature that is much more than meets the eye.

Insadong Cultural Street (인사동 문화의 거리)

1.5Km 2023-12-26

Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul Metropolitan City

Insadong Cultural Street is a popular tourist destination for visitors from all around the world, thanks to its numerous art galleries, restaurants serving Korean table d’hote, traditional teahouses, and street vendors lining the streets. Its most recognizable feature is the use of Hangeul (Korean script) in storefronts, which allows the visitors to really see just what makes this place so special. Unlike the nearby Ikseon-dong Hanok Street, Insadong Cultural Street has larger streets with wider stores, so it is much easier to traverse. On evenings and weekends, one can find buskers performing on the side of the road.

Korea House (한국의집)

1.5Km 2025-10-23

10, Toegye-ro 36-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul

The Korea House was opened in 1981. It is a traditional Korean building that introduces the culture and lifestyle of Koreans, where you can experience traditional architecture and a classical atmosphere. The building was built in the style of the Joseon Dynasty's Jagyeong-jeon building at the Gyeongbok Palace. It is the only building built in the traditional architectural style. You will feel its antiquity as you enter the building.

It is divided into the Haerin-gwan (a space for people to get acquainted with each other), the Traditional Theater, and three annex buildings (Munhyang-ru, Nokeum-jeong and Cheongwu-jeong). At Haerin-gwan, you can enjoy traditional music at Garak-dang and try traditional food at Sohwa-dang. In the square of Garak-dang you can view a traditional wedding (on the weekends) or people playing folk games. Also, at the Traditional Theater, about 156 seats are available, and in the afternoons Human Cultural Assets or members of the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts and the National Corps members present traditional music and dances. Sinayui, Salpuri, Pansori, the Drum Dance and the Bongsan Mask Dance are the most popular programs for foreigners. The programs are all explained in English and Japanese.

In the Cultural Gift Shop you can view various crafts made by traditional craftsmen. It is always open and the crafts are for sale as well. There are pottery, ceramics, golden crafts, knots and embroidery etc; approximately 500 pieces of artwork made by craftsmen from 20 different fields. Next to the House of Korea is the Namsan-gol Hanok Village where visitors can explore traditional houses.

Namsangol Hanok Village (남산골한옥마을) - Area information - Korea travel information