How to rent Hanbok – traditional Korean dress – when you’re in Seoul, Korea? Is there any Hanbok rental near Gyeongbokgung? Don’t worry, because we’ll share our experience of Korean hanbok rent with Hanboknam (Hanbok Rental) in Seoul. Wearing traditional Korean dress (Hanbok) while traveling to Seoul was the best thing to do, and we finally did it on our second trip to Korea last October 2017. As usual, we did some research on the internet for hanbok rental in Seoul. There are some hanbok rental shops in Seoul, but only two rental places that caught our attention; it’s either Hanboknam or One Day Hanbok.
Finally, we decided to rent the traditional Korean clothes from Hanboknam (Hanbok rental). Located in Samcheong Dong near Gyeongbok Palace, Hanboknam has a three story high building with spacious rooms and complete with traditional Korean backdrops set in a separate building. There’s a hidden entrance to the building, but you can pay attention and look for COFFEE FAKTORY from the outside. Hanboknam has over 500 clothing selections to choose from, and the good thing is, we were allowed to try two models before finally deciding on a dress.
Summary why we decided to rent Hanbok from Hanboknam:
+ near to the famous attraction, Gyeokbokgung (Gyeongbok Palace), Changdeokgung Palace and Hongik University or Jeonju Hanok Village
+ rental package already include with FREE hair-do styling
– rental price is more expensive than One Day Hanbok, starts from 10,000 Won for 1,5 hours (traditional hanbok), and 20,000 Won for 1,5 hours (themed hanbok).
Some plus minus why we didn’t rent from One Day Hanbok:
+ Low rental price which is starts from 15,000 Won for 4 hours and only 28,000 Won for a day.
– hair-do is not included
– the location is quite far from Gyeongbok Palace
Free Hairstyling at Hanboknam
How to rent a hanbok at Hanboknam?
1. Go to the registration desk, show your passport, and choose the package. The price of hanbok rental varies depending on the duration of your rental, and the type of Hanbok, and accessories you have selected.
2. Store your bags etc. in the locker, then head straight to the 2nd floor (fitting area)
3. Choose the Hanbok that you like, available from Traditional, Themed, Character, Wedding, Lifestyle, and Children Hanbok.
4. You can try two sets of Hanbok within 30 minutes.
5. Once you decide on Hanbok dress, you can go the hairstyling room next to it. There are five different hairstyles available for FREE (no additional cost).
*But you have to pay extra rental fees for hair accessories: Daenggi (Korean ribbon), Binyeo (Korean hairpins), traditional Korean socks, Uhwudong hats, Gat (traditional Korean hats), Women Clutch/handbags, etc.
Exploring Gyeongbokgung 경복궁 – the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty built in 1395)
The best place to take photos and experience more of Korean traditions and heritage in Seoul is definitely inside traditional palaces! There are 5 palaces in Seoul, from Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, and Gyeonghuigung. Of all the palaces, we decided to return to Gyeongbokgung in this 2nd visit. And guess what, for all visitors wearing hanbok, you can get access to all the palaces without paying the admission fee, even on holidays and on special event days. Yay!
Gyeongbokgung Palace – Operation Hours and Admission Fees
Gyeongbokgung is the largest of the Five Grand Palaces and in the early Joseon Dynasty was crucial to the king as it housed major government offices. The name Gyeongbokgung literally means “the greatly blessed palace.”
Overall, exploring the Gyeongbokgung (Gyeongbok Palace) and many alleys around the neighborhood with traditional Korean clothes like this was indeed a memorable experience for both of us! We spent a total of 45,000 Won (equal to IDR 562K) for two Themed Hanbok rental for 1.5 hours, one hat for my husband, and one handbag for me. If you come early to Gyeongbokgung, don’t miss to watch the Changing of the Guards ceremony in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace. Thank you for reading!
Hanboknam (Hanbok Rental)
109 Sogyeok-dong Jongno-gu, Seoul
Opening Hour: 09.30am – 20:30pm
Phone: +82-10-6485-8507
Price: starts from 20,000 Won (equal to IDR 250K)
NEW UPDATE: 24 November 2019
If you need more options, we recommend you try IN KOREA Hanbok Rental, which is strategically close to Gyeongbok-gung palace. You can easily find this place by following the map in the article below, and surprisingly, they also have a variety of hanbok at affordable prices, from traditional to modern hanbok for everyone. The service is also very quick, because based on my experience last week, it only takes 20-30 minutes to choose which hanbok to wear and to do hairstyling done by their staff. Some basic hair-do is FREE of charge, but if you want to use flower accessories or other accessories, there’s additional costs ranging from ₩4,000won-₩7,000won for the hair accessories. They provide locker rooms as well, so there’s nothing to worry about! Yay!
If you’re ready to dress like this for your once-in-a-lifetime transformation, definitely you need to wear a beautiful hanbok. Just choose from any of these conveniently-situated hanbok rentals, and create unforgettable memories as if you’re living in the Joseon Dynasty in Korea.
IN KOREA Hanbok
3rd FL, Jeokseon dong 19, Jongro gu, Seoul
Phone: 010-6547-3617
Price: starts from 10,000 Won (equal to IDR 120K)
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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] Ihwa-Dong Mural Village in Seoul, Famous K-Drama Filming Location
~ [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] Street Food You Should Try at BIFF Square Busan
~ [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
June 12, 2018
Hi dear , can I know is it far from the hanbok rental shop to Gyeongbokgung palace ? Is it walking distance ? Thanks in advance 🙂