One of my ultimate travel bucket list items was to explore Korean folk villages & the Grand Palaces of Seoul while wearing a traditional hanbok. I have always dreamed of transporting back in time & pretend I was a Korean princess for a day! So when my parents finally crawled out of their comfort bubble & agreed to revisit their motherland with us, I placed hanbok rental on the priority list! It was a wonderful experience being able to recreate my own magical love story just like the ones I have watched in historical K-dramas! Continue reading to find out more about hanbok rentals in Seoul, what to expect, & where to take your epic pictures!

Initially I had believed it would be complicated & expensive as I already knew what a process it was just to put one on. I also knew how pricey these intricate hanboks were as my parents have checked out a number of studios in the states in search of one.

However, I later discovered that Korean hanbok rentals in Seoul were a very popular activity amongst many world travelers. Even the locals themselves loved to dress up for fun! During my recent visit, I was fortunate to rent a hanbok twice from two different studios. Though after pleading with my best puppy eyes, my husband gave in & dressed up only once. But at least he did it!

As an added bonus, when you visit any one of the five Grand Palaces, admission is free (generally costs 3,000 KRW = $2.50 for one adult)! Aside from that, I highly recommend renting a Korean hanbok to experience the historical sites from a different perspective. Not only will the locals appreciate the promotion of their culture, you will create once-in-a-lifetime memories with unique photos to prove it! 

History of the Korean Hanbok

Originating from the Joseon Dynasty nearly 1,600 years ago, the traditional Korean hanbok (한복) was mostly worn by commoners & made of earth-toned hemp or cotton. Aristocrats, known as yangban (양반), wore more elegant hanboks made of ramie, silk, or satin decorated in all kinds of embellishments.

Aside from the material, the colors of hanbok also differed according to one’s age, social position, & marital status. Children would wear bright colors that did not necessarily match. Whereas, adults wore more muted colors, coordinating the top & the bottom. In the olden days, single women used to wear warm shades of red & yellow, while married women wore cool shades of green & blue. 

As with any other fashion trend, the hanbok has evolved much over the years with slimmer, shorter, & modernized styles. Nowadays, Koreans only wear traditional hanboks during special occasions such as holidays, weddings & birthdays.

How to Wear a Korean Hanbok

The Korean hanbok top, jeogori (저고리), has a crop body with long sleeves & a long ribbon closure in the front. While the fabric is sheer, it is not transparent enough to show off your undergarments due to the hanbok’s many layers. The skirt, chima (치마), features beautiful patterns sometimes with sequins or metallic thread details. Most rentals will include a crinoline, which is a structured petticoat that helps “pouf” out the skirt & keeps it from dragging on the ground. 

For my first hanbok rental in Seoul, I chose to go pant-less under my chima as the weather forecasted temperatures in the high 80’s. Since I chose a dark shade of plum, I was far from concerned about the hanbok being too see-through. However, while the puffy chima kept me cool underneath, it had trapped mosquitoes inside like a net & my legs suffered several bites by the end of the day! After learning my lesson, I decided to wear leggings to my second hanbok fitting!

As for my husband, he (hesitantly) wore a hanbok that color coordinated with mine. Men wear a jeogori top along with loose-fitting pants called baji (바지), that is reminiscent of MC Hammer. Fortunately, because he was fully covered, no mosquitoes got to him.

Traditional Korean Hanbok Hairstyles & Accessories

In Korean custom, women’s hair were often styled into a single, straight braid & tied with a long ribbon daenggi (댕기). Back in the day, single women would always wear their hair like this. Upper class women would add decorative ornaments or a flower headband to add a bit more flair.

Once a woman marries, she would wear her hair in a tight, low chignon at the base of the neck called a jjokjin (쪽진) & secure it with a binyeo (비녀) pin. I had asked both hanbok rental studios in Seoul if they could style my hair into a jjokjin as I felt it would make my overall look more mature. However, both owners said they did not know how nor have the special accessories to do so. This I thought was strange.

As for men, the most common headgear is the gat (갓), a lightweight hat made of black horsehair. As with many Asian cultures, Korean noblemen grew long beards to signify their rank & authority. Because my husband is one of the very few Korean men that can grow facial hair, he truly looked like a king!

Angella’s Recommendation: Hwa Su Mok Hanbok (화수목 한복)

Nearly on every block around the Great Palaces & all along the Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌 한옥 마을) there are endless Korean hanbok rental studios to choose from. I certainly did not have any trouble finding one last minute.

On our first day out in Seoul, I peeked into a couple top-rated studios but then quickly checked out as there was so much disorderly chaos. It literally felt as if I was about to enter a women’s department store during Black Friday madness. As with all of our travels, my husband & I opted to visit the lesser known areas & provide our business to the smaller shops. I highly recommend taking this route as it will guarantee a better hanbok selection & you can receive more personal, one-on-one guidance when it comes to choosing one.

As we continued to wander the streets of Seoul, we came upon a gorgeous red hanbok that was on display outside, advertising a rental studio named Hwa Su Mok Hanbok (화수목 한복). Tucked upstairs in a dark corner of an inconspicuous building, we entered the studio with caution. As I gaped in amazement at the rainbow of hanboks, the owner revealed herself & warmly greeted us. Now this was the type of customer service I had hoped for!

Most studios offer three different styles of hanbok: traditional (simple, one color), premium (elaborate), & theme (queen/king, gisaeng, or wedding). I came fully prepared, having browsed hundreds of hanboks on Pinterest & pinning my favorites. After determining the chima length, the owner allowed me to choose from hundreds of different colors & designs. My personal tip is to wear a vibrantly colored chima so you stand out in your photos!

Once I made my selection, the owner assisted me with putting on the hanbok & then proceeded to style my hair. I stored my clothes along with my belongings in the backroom & packed only the essentials in a matching purse that was provided. After one final glance in the mirror, my husband & I were ready for our K-drama debut!

Pricing for Hanbok Rentals in Seoul

Most Korean hanbok studios offer options of renting for 2 hours, 4 hours, or even an entire day. Because I didn’t want to burden my parents (& make my husband suffer) with me acting as princess all day long, we chose the 4 hour package. If you are going with a larger group, I recommend renting for a whole day as there will be a lot of picture opportunities & time spent goofing around. The price difference between the packages are not that significant. Also, most studios are pretty generous in adjusting the start time of your rental (in case you are indecisive in selecting your hanbok).

For a 4 hour session, our couple’s hanbok rental came out to 33,000 KRW ($28.00). My hanbok cost 20,000 KRW ($17.00) & my husband’s was 13,000 KRW ($11.00). However, after the owner learned that this was our first hanbok experience together as newlyweds, she gave us an extra hour at a discount of 30,000 KRW total! So sweet!

Please note that many traditional hanbok rental studios may ask for a copy of your passport plus a deposit fee, in case of any damages. In our instance, the owner waived those requirements.

Our Memorable Fairytale K-Drama Experience

Feeling like royalty in our beautiful hanboks, we began our stroll towards Changdeokgung (창덕궁) & its neighboring Changgyeonggung (창경궁), as the more popular Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) was not open that day. The former two palaces close on every Monday while Gyeongbokgung closes on every Tuesday. For our second hanbok outing, we visited the Bukchon Hanok Village, which closes on Sundays (separate blog post to come). Keep this in mind for your hanbok rental as some of the main attractions close on certain days of the week.

It took us about 10 minutes to reach the palace gates & we began to notice other people arriving in their hanbok attire. As my husband & I wandered around the palace grounds of Changdeokgung, we spied many people taking pictures of us. Although my husband & I are full-blood Korean, we certainly do not look it. Many locals believed we were of Japanese descent & I had a sense that was the reason why we received so much attention. Nevertheless, amongst the initial awkwardness, a little tourist walked up & shyly asked if she could take a photo with me! In that moment, I forgot all about the hard stares & truly felt like a Disney princess! 

What to Bring With You for Korean Hanbok Rental

• In cooler weather, wear a white-colored thermal shirt to keep you warm or protect you from hungry mosquitoes!
• Wear comfortable walking shoes, as they will not be provided (we wore matching Converse)
• Mirrored compact (for touch-ups)
• Extra hair tie
• Money
• Phone/camera

Address for Hwa Su Mok Hanbok: 96, Donhwamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Phone number: 02-766-1507

Email: qwesd21@hanmail.net

Angella’s Travel Tips

• During peak tourist seasons of summer & fall, I recommend booking an appointment with the hanbok rental studio of your choice. If you choose to visit a smaller shop without a reservation, you may still have a good chance of being tended to right away.
• Hanboks are first-come, first-serve & you can’t reserve a particular style ahead of time. Most studios also limit the number of fittings, usually to two try-ons. If you are an indecisive person, you may need to pay extra to try on a third hanbok!
• Do your own makeup prior to arrival. Very few higher end studios provide professional makeup, but at a price & only with an appointment. Majority of studios will have hair styling & accessories available, but they may charge you extra. Others will include it in their all day rental packages or provide it for free (as was in our case).