Seoul Travel : Samcheongdong Bukchon
Bukchon Hanok Village Tour : Bukchon 8 Views, Samcheongdong (Restaurant, Cafe, and Attraction)
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The 8 views of Bukchon are one of the tour spots that you must go to when you're visiting Korea. The "Bukchon Hanok Village" is an area which includes Samcheongdong, Gahoedong, and Sogyeokdong. Back in the Joseon Dynasty period, this was where the upper class people lived in. Time has passed, but there are still many people living here and there are certain spots that are not accessible to the travellers. If you are looking for somewhere peaceful to visit in Korea, Bukchon is definitely the place for you. Just grab your camera, maybe even try out the Hanbok, and take beautiful photos to bring back home. Just remember not to disturb the life and privacy of the actual residents in Bukchon.
Travel Korea : How to get to Bukchon Hanok Village and Samcheongdong
For those of you who wish to visit Bukchon and Samcheongdong, you can take the Seoul Metro Line number 3 to Anguk Station, Exit 2 and 3. The below is a detailed map of Bukchon Hanok Village for your reference. There are two main routes, one is the 8 Views area, and the other is the main gathering spot of Bukchon Hanok Village. If you wish to visit Bukchon, again, just keep in mind this one thing.
There are still people living in the Bukchon Hanok Village. Therefore, be careful not to litter, make too much noise, disturb the residents, break into houses, or breach the privacy of the residents. In short, you need to respect the locals' lives here. If you think you cannot abide by these rules, you might consider skipping Bukchon and look for another place to visit.
This is the detailed map of Bukchon
Travel Korea : Bukchon 8 Views
1. Changdeokgung (창덕궁)
Source : Hana Bank
2. Wonseo-dong Gongbang-gil (원서동 공방길)
Source: Ohmynews (김정봉)
Most of the 8 Views are in the same lane. It is not as majestic as its name may imply, but it still has the view of what a traditional Korean village looked like. You can follow the route, find historical traces, and learn how an ordinary local's life looked like back in the days.
3. 11 Gaheo-dong Area (가회동 11번지)
You'll be having a splendid view of Samcheongdong once you're up the hill.
4. 31 Gahoe-dong Hillside(Bukchon Hanok Village viewpoint)
If you want to go to the 4th sight from the 3rd one, you need to cross a road and keep going into the opposite direction. Follow the crowd, and walk along the main street until you see this big tree on your right. Turn right and go uphill. You will find the 4th View.
Here, you can see the Hanok roof from up close. It really is very impressive and traditional, but you might find it quite challenging to take photos here if you're not tall enough.
5. Gahoe-dong Alley (Uphill view)
The 5th and 6th View are in the same lane. You might notice that the Hanok exterior design here is somewhat different from the others in the Hanok Village.
6. Gahoedong Alley (Downhill view)
The 6th View is the view you'll see after you have climbed up from the 5th View spot. There are many visitors in the weekends, so if it's possible for you, try coming here early in the morning to avoid a massive crowd. (Again, be careful not to disturb the residents.)
7. 31 Gahoe-dong
You can see the Namsan Tower from the 7th View. Just go straight up and turn left from the 6th View point .
8. Samcheongdong Stone Way
From the 7th View follow the route on the map. The 8th View is on a stone steps. You can reach Samcheongdong if you follow this stone road. By now, you would have walked for over an hour and it would be the perfect timing for a coffee break. So let's scroll down to see the cafes and restaurants around Samcheongdong Village. Shall we?
Bukchon Restaurants
1. Kkangtong Mandu (깡통만두)
Address:5-6, Bukchon-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea (서울 종로구 북촌로2길 5-6)
Kkangtong Mandu (canned dumplings) is in a narrow alleyway in Bukchon, and was also featured on a tvN tv show "Wednesday Food Festival (수요미식회)". The best menus are the dumplings and cold noodles. Of course, other menus are amazing as well, so you can safely taste whatever you want!
Dumpling pot comes in two different flavours of dumplings and variety of vegetables. With its special seasonings, the taste is exquisite, different from other restaurants. The cold noodles are one of the finest noodles you can taste in Korea, nicely seasoned with lots of vegies and meat put inside. Although it seems red they are not too spicy, don't worry!
Creatrip Offers : Bukchon Restaurants :「Kkangtong Mandu」Tips
- It is crowded on weekdays 12:00~13:00 due to the lunch break of offices nearby. Avoid this time for a shorter waiting time.
- If you see the queue, don't just stand and wait but go to the manager and put your name on the list.
- If you are taking dumpling pot, do not start eating until the radish is fully cooked.
- For the dumpling pot, you can have it with rice or with noodles.
- When you choose noodles, ask the waiter to put the noodles in when you have two dumplings left in the pot.
- It's better if you put a little chilli sauce in.
- For Koreans, dumplings and Kimchi are a good combination. Try it!
Bukchon & Samcheongdong Restaurants : 「Kkangtong Mandu」is rather hard to find on Goolge Map. Go straight from Anguk station Exit 2 until you see this alley. You will see it when you walk into this alley. Or you can use the Naver Map that is commonly used by Koreans. Copy the Korean address and paste it in the APP. You will get detailed route to the shop. (Naver Map)。
Bukchon Restaurants
2. Mansu's Garden (만수의 정원)
Address :
- 35-2, Bukchon-ro 5ga-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea(서울 종로구 북촌로5가길 35-2)
This Korean restaurant has a beautiful garden in modern, yet traditional style. Also the Korean cuisine served here is delicious and authentic.
If you really want to taste authentic Korean cuisine, this is the place for you. The store is of course clean and tidy. If you are quite into the surrounding of the restaurants, you'll have a good time here. In addition to the main dish, all the side dishes are very nice.
I recommend that you order buckwheat noodle, as well as the rice with beef, which are all the best menus.
Bukchon Restaurant
3. Nun-namujip (눈나무집)
Address :
- 35-2, Bukchon-ro 5ga-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea (서울 종로구 북촌로5가길 35-2)
Samcheongdong is the home of many famous restaurants and cafes. Nun-namujip (Snow Tree House) is a gourmet restaurant that stands out even here. You can feel the family-like atmosphere. Also, you can see the autographs of celebrities on the wall, and the media broadcast that featured this great restaurant.
Nun-namujip serves kimchi noodles and bulgogi, which are very popular among locals. I won't say the food comes cheap here, but it has comfortable atmosphere where you can enjoy your leisure time at peace. You will see why this is a restaurant loved by the local Koreans.
Bukchon Cafes
1. Cafe 88st (카페 88st)
Address:
- 12, Palpan-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea (서울 종로구 팔판길 12)
The Cafe 88st features a very spacious interior compared to other small cafes. On the right side from the entrance is an art gallery where you can see paintings of various artists. Also there are seats for you to sit down and enjoy coffee. The space between seats is fairly large so you can privately talk with your friends quite freely.
Cafe 88st is where the Korean show Seondabang (선다방) was filmed. The owner of the Cafe also runs a homestay. If you are interested, you can ask the manager about it!
Bukchon Cafe
2. Cafe Bora (카페 보라)
Address : 149-5 Sogyeok-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 소격동 149-5)
Located in another alley of Samcheongdong, Bora is a very popular afternoon Cafe. It specialises in colourful and delicious desserts and ice-creams. Every afternoon, there's always a long line waiting. This cafe uses natural ingredients to make desserts which are both healthy and delicious. The most popular desserts are purple potato desserts which have won the hearts of so many girls Korean and foreign alike. This shop is a great place to take photos to nourish your instagram feed.
In addition to the beautiful appearance, the sweet taste is just perfectly balanced. You'll find a large variety of flavours such as red beans, strawberry, peanuts, and so on. All of them are very cute and eye-catching. It is the most popular coffee shop in the area and definitely worth a visit.
Bukchon
3. Garden where you drink tea (차 마시는 뜰)
Address:
- 26, Bukchon-ro 11na-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea (서울 종로구 북촌로11나길 26)
Since there are many Hanoks in Samcheongdong, the cafes are also often designed in the traditional style of Hanok. "Garden where you drink tea" is a cafe that has preserved the original Hanok interior and has a beautiful Korean style courtyard along with it.
Because it is not on the main street on Samcheongdong, it is easy to miss, but as long as you go in, you can see the beautiful Hanok and courtyard which are jaw dropping. You can see how much work the manager has put into the space. Teas were exquisite as well, as they were carefully brewed and served with beautifully designed cups. They also tasted very nice.
When the weather is nice, just sit at "Garden where you drink tea" and look out the window. In addition to the beautiful garden, you will also get a glimpse of Samcheongdong and Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Bukchon Cafe
4. JIYUGAOKA(지유가오카핫초메)
Address:
- 46, Yunboseon-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea (서울 종로구 윤보선길 46)
Located in Samcheongdong, Jiyugaoka is close to Princess Hanbok. It's a popular coffee shop in Bukchon. It is famous for its handmade cakes and small desserts. For people who wish to visit a beautiful cafe, this is the place for you.
Look at these beautiful cakes! Each pieces are a work of art. In addition, they have different flavours of bingsu, which is a great dessert to have with a friend when you want to cool off.
Also you can get discount coupons of Jiyugaoka through Creatrip, so you'd better add this store to your schedule when you visit Bukchon or Smacheongdong. :)
This posting was about the sights plus recommended cafes and restaurants near Bukchon & Samcheongdong, and the detailed routes to them. Please, keep in mind to respect the residents when you visit. Travel and take a look around as much as you want, but keep your volume down just a little bit. Also try not to litter.
Until next time! See you~