Bukchon Hanok Village hosts Seoul Hanok Week from 2 October
Published on 10/04/2026 at 07:49 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Bukchon Hanok Village is hosting Seoul Hanok Week from 2 October to 11 October 2026 in Seoul, bringing exhibitions, tours, performances and hands-on activities to one of South Korea's best-known hanok districts. The festival takes place across Bukchon and Seochon, with the Bukchon Traditional Culture Center among its venues.
Seoul Hanok Week brings 82 programmes to Bukchon
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is organising the fourth Seoul Hanok Week as a ten-day cultural programme. The official schedule lists 82 programmes, including 17 exhibitions, 15 tours, 29 hands-on activities, nine performances and 12 special events.
In Bukchon, the programme includes a traditional joinery class with a daemokjang, or master carpenter, on 3 October 2026. The city also lists self-guided visits to public hanok on 3 October and 10 October, while selected tours and workshops require advance reservations through the Seoul Hanok Portal. The Seoul Hanok Week programme identifies activities open to foreign visitors.
The festival's official portal gives the overall period as 2 October to 11 October 2026. Its theme, Daily Lives of Hanoks, presents traditional houses as lived urban spaces rather than only as historic scenery. The official festival calendar provides the dates and reservation guidance.
Bukchon's residential history shapes the festival
The district stands between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace, with traditional hanok arranged along its streets and slopes. Seoul's official hanok portal says the present residential clusters in Gahoe-dong, Samcheong-dong and Gye-dong were established mainly in the 1930s, when medium-sized urban hanok were built on subdivided plots.
This history explains the connection between the festival and the place. Seoul Hanok Week uses public facilities such as the Bukchon Traditional Culture Center, Bae Ryeom's House and Hong Geon-ik's House for exhibitions, music and craft activities, while the surrounding lanes remain a residential neighbourhood. The official history of Bukchon records its development as a traditional housing area within the modern capital.
The district also contains historic sites and cultural properties from the Joseon and modern periods. Its rising northern terrain creates sloping lanes, and the area extends between major palaces, mountain foothills and central Seoul streets.
Visiting Bukchon Hanok Village: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Seoul Hanok Week runs from 2 October to 11 October 2026 across Bukchon and Seochon. The Bukchon programme includes a traditional joinery class on 3 October and public hanok visits on 3 October and 10 October.
- Some workshops and guided tours require advance reservation through the Seoul Hanok Portal. Visitors should distinguish those activities from the wider festival programme in the district.
- Bukchon lies between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace in central Seoul. The official travel guide identifies Anguk Station on Subway Line 3 as a transport point for the village.
- The area is a residential district with sloping lanes and narrow streets. Visitors are asked to keep noise low, avoid photographing house interiors and respect residents while walking between venues.
- The official language is Korean and the currency is the South Korean won.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Bukchon Hanok Village
When does Seoul Hanok Week take place at Bukchon Hanok Village?
Seoul Hanok Week runs from 2 October to 11 October 2026, with activities in Bukchon and Seochon.
Where is Bukchon Hanok Village and how do you get there?
The district is between Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul. Anguk Station on Subway Line 3 is an identified access point.
What is Bukchon Hanok Village?
It is a residential historic district of traditional Korean hanok, with neighbourhoods including Gahoe-dong, Samcheong-dong and Gye-dong.
