If Singapore has their own Mural photo spots, Korea also has ten instagramable mural villages, and we’re lucky to visit two of them: Busan Gamcheon Culture Village 부산 감천문화마을, and Ihwa-dong Mural Village 이화벽화마을 which located in the heart of Seoul, Korea, yay! And if you’re a huge fan of K-dramas, this is the place for you because both mural villages have been featured in numerous Korean dramas like Rooftop Prince, and Bring It On, Ghost.
Located in Naksan Park, Ihwa-dong Mural Village features a series of walkways lined with colorful murals, mosaic-tiled staircases, and metal sculptures. In December 2006, the “Naksan Public Art Project” was carried out to improve the village atmosphere. There are about 60 artists who participate in painting the walls and installing artwork around the area, and since then, Ihwa-dong came to be regarded as one of the most beautiful villages in Seoul. Not just locals, foreign tourists also regularly visit the park.
There were cute cafes and shops along the way selling pretty accessories when we walk to Ihwa-dong Mural Village and guess what? We ended up spending 3 hours in this area, strolling around and took lots of pictures haha… Of all the nine mural photo spots, we could only find 3 of them, but it was all fun!
Tips For Walking Tour at Ihwa-dong Mural Village
To get there, you need to take the subway and get down at Hyehwa Station (Line 4), Exit 2. Walk further up to Naksan Gongson-gil then walk until you reach Naksan Park. There you’ll find the first mural spot (a dog and a man), and a walking tour map of Ihwa-dong Mural Village.
Because Ihwa-dong is located at the west foot of Naksan Mountain, we need to travel up the mountainside to take photos with the murals, so I suggest you wear comfortable shoes and clothes so that you won’t get tired quickly.
What we enjoyed most about this area was that the autumn vibes felt so real. The leaves turned yellow, not so many tourists on that day, and most importantly, I found the famous Flower Staircase which has been featured in many Korean dramas since 2013, but unfortunately, the pretty flowers weren’t there anymore because it was removed by the residents in April 2016.
I saw some locals Koreans – young couples, dressed in school uniforms, then I figured out there are some stores where you can rent Korean school uniforms for photo taking in this area. I think it’s kinda cute, but we didn’t have a chance to rent a costume because it was getting dark already and we wanted to reach the high wall at Naksan Park at the end of our walking tour. It’s also one of the shooting locations of King 2 Hearts.
Ihwa-Dong Mural Village – photo spot number 1: a gentleman and dog walking towards the sky
Ihwa-Dong Mural Village – photo spot number 2
Ihwa-Dong Mural Village – photo spot number 7: the wings of an angel
Flower Staircase, one of the most popular photo spots
Naksan High Wall and filming location of King 2 Hearts K-Drama
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I’m still compiling the full itinerary for your reference, meanwhile here’s some stories of our fun experience of our SOUTH KOREA trip October – November 2017
and from our recent trip to Seoul 13 November 2019 – 1 December 2019 as follow:
~ [KOREA] Instagramable Hanok-theme Cafe Must Visit in Seoul
~ [KOREA] 2D Cartoon Instagramable Cafe Must Visit in Seoul
~ [KOREA] JEJU Island 3 Days Itinerary Guide – Best Places to Eat & Top Attractions
~ [KOREA] Street Food You Should Try at BIFF Square Busan
~ [KOREA] Playful Raccoons and Welsh Corgi at Blind Alley Cafe, Seoul
~ [KOREA] Mr Holmes Bakehouse, The Famous Cruffin in SEOUL
~ [KOREA] Cuteness Overload at Line Friends Store & Cafe Flagship Store at Garosugil, Seoul
~ [KOREA] Autumn at Nami Island (NAMISEOM) Travel Guide
~ [KOREA] Kakao Friends Biggest Store & Ryan Cafe at Gangnam, Seoul
~ [KOREA] Rent Korean Traditional Dress Hanboknam and Explore Gyeongbokgung
~ [KOREA] Food Guide – Top 15 Food Must Try in Seoul
~ [KOREA] Things To Do in Gamcheon Culture Village, Busan
~ [KOREA] Oryukdo Skywalk Busan, Walking in The Sky (오륙도 스카이워크)
~ [KOREA] Busan Complete Itinerary & Guide – Top Things to Do & Best Places to Eat
Ihwa-dong Mural Village
Ihwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Admission Fee: FREE
Operating Hours: anytime, but it’s best to visit before sun down
