When wearing a hanbok and visiting our country’s palaces, you can enter without paying an admission fee. Thanks to this policy, it has become easy to spot tourists wearing hanboks inside and around the palaces.
For more related information, you can check the link below:
- Free Admission to Palaces When Wearing Hanbok: Hanbok Adorned: Explore Palaces for Free
I had the opportunity to visit Gyeongbokgung Palace again after a long time. This time, I visited with foreign students who came to Korea to experience Korean culture through scholarships provided by the U.S. Department of State.
“Hanbok Experience and Gyeongbokgung Palace Tour”
The purpose was to take some time to understand Korean culture by experiencing hanbok and touring Gyeongbokgung Palace with a guide.
Nowadays, hanbok experiences are well-known, and many tourists intentionally choose to wear hanboks and tour the palaces, even from abroad. To accommodate this demand, you can find various hanbok rental shops near the palaces.
During this visit, I was with about 40 American high school students, so I couldn’t rely on just one hanbok rental shop. The hanbok rental shops I used this time were “Hanboknam Gyeongbokgung Branch” and a shop called “Yes Hanbok.”
“Gyeongbokgung Hanbok Rental Shop: Hanboknam Gyeongbokgung Branch”
Hanboknam Gyeongbokgung Branch is located close to Gyeongbokgung Palace. After exiting from Exit 4 of Gyeongbokgung Station on Line 3, you can find Hanboknam Gyeongbokgung Branch by entering the alley next to Sambekjip. In the alley, you can find various hanbok rental shops, not just Hanboknam.
The distance from Hanboknam to Gyeongbokgung Palace is not far. After crossing one street, you can enter Gyeongbokgung Palace, and it takes about 8 minutes to walk to Gwanghwamun, which can be considered the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace.
“You Can Find Colorful Hanboks at Hanboknam Gyeongbokgung Branch”
Since Hanboknam is a store specializing in hanbok rentals, you can find a variety of hanboks there. Rentals are done by the hour, and the fees vary slightly depending on the type of hanbok.
For the hanbok typically chosen by tourists, there are two categories: traditional hanbok and themed hanbok. The costs for each category based on time are as follows:
“Traditional Hanbok”
- 1 hour 30 minutes: 10,000 won
- 2 hours 30 minutes: 15,000 won
- 4 hours: 20,000 won
- 1 day: 30,000 won
“Themed Hanbok”
- 1 hour 30 minutes: 20,000 won
- 2 hours 30 minutes: 30,000 won
- 4 hours: 40,000 won
- 1 day: 50,000 won
Generally, people tend to choose themed hanboks over traditional ones. It seems that recently, there’s a trend towards selecting modified hanboks.
“After Choosing a Hanbok, Finish with Hair Styling”
On this day, after selecting a hanbok I liked from the various options, I finished by having my hair styled after changing. Since about 20 out of the 40 students visited at once, and it was a Saturday, it took longer than expected due to overlapping with regular customers.
If you’re planning to operate a program with a group, it’s a good idea to consider in advance that choosing and changing into hanboks, as well as hair styling, can take a considerable amount of time.
“Gyeongbokgung Hanbok Rental Shop: Hanboknam Gyeongbokgung Branch”
- Address: 133-5 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Postal Code: 03044)
- Phone Number: 010-6485-8507
- Operating Hours: Daily 09:00 AM – 07:00 PM
- Website: www.hanboknam.com