Ikseon-dong Hanok Street
익선동 한옥거리
A cluster of urban hanok alleys from the 1920s, converted into cafés and restaurants, with retro and trendy shops hidden in the narrow lanes.
Ikseon-dong is one of the oldest surviving urban hanok neighborhoods in Seoul. Built in the 1920s, more than a hundred small hanok houses are packed into its narrow alleys. In recent years they have been converted into cafés, dessert shops, restaurants, retro photo studios and select shops, combining traditional wooden beams with modern decor, and it has become a photo spot for young people. The alleys are very narrow, and on weekend afternoons they are crowded, with popular shops requiring queues, so visiting on a weekday is recommended. Most shops open around 11:00, and the atmosphere is especially charming after the lanterns light up in the evening. It is a 3-minute walk from Exit 4 or 6 of Jongno 3-ga Station on Subway Lines 1, 3 and 5, and only a few minutes from Insadong and Jongmyo.
Opening hours
Shops approx. 11:00–22:00
Nearby sights
- Jongmyo Shrine
- Insadong
- Changdeokgung Palace
- Changgyeonggung Palace
- Jogyesa Temple
- MMCA Seoul
- Gwangjang Market
- Bukchon Hanok Village