If getting dressed up in traditional South Korean clothing is on your bucket list, then you’ll have to check out the best hanbok rental in Seoul! After watching a plethora of Korean dramas during COVID, I knew that I had to find a place where I can rent a hanbok and go take pictures. I mean, how can you go all the way to South Korea and not, right? If you are one of those people that are afraid to try it or think it will be too much work, I’m here to tell you that it was the highlight of my Seoul trip! You don’t have to feel embarrassed either because EVERYONE will be doing it! Guys, girls, Koreans, and foreigners!
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What Hanbok Rental in Seoul Did You Go To?
The hanbok rental store that I went to was called 3355 Hanbok right next to Gyeongbokung Palace. I remember before our trip, I did a quick TripAdvisor search and bookmarked their page. I was really looking for a place that was friendly and understood a little bit of English since both my friend and I barely knew any Korean. I’m happy to report that they were amazing and incredibly nice! It felt like your mom and aunt trying to dress you up for the holidays.
What is 3355 Hanbok’s Hours of Operation?
3355 Hanbok has different store locations so be sure to check the hours of the location you are going to. We went to the one near Gyeongbokung Palace. Their hours are from 9:00 am-6:00 pm and they are closed on Tuesdays (and so is the palace so that makes sense). If you are going to the Bukchon Hanok location, they are closed Mondays.
IMPORTANT: You need to make sure you return the hanbok back BEFORE 6:00 pm. They close the store at that time and will charge you a late fee.
Do You Need Reservations?
When we went on a Monday, we did not need a reservation. But we also came in the later part of the afternoon around 2:00 pm so maybe that’s why we didn’t need one. There was only another group of two girls when we got there so it wasn’t crowded at all. I think most people go in the morning because they want to rent the hanbok for the whole day and take pictures at multiple locations.
I would request a reservation regardless on their website just in case it gets busy on the day you want to take pictures. There’s nothing worst than planning your whole day and then having to wait in line to rent your hanbok.
What is the Cost of the Hanbok Rental?
The cost of the hanbok depends on two factors: the type of hanbok and how much time you want to rent it for. For us, we wanted the more modern-looking hanbok so OF COURSE, it would cost more. The hanbok that I’m wearing was in Category A and I chose to rent it for four hours which came out to be 40,000 won (~$32) and I also added on the hair styling for an extra 5,000 won ($4).
As you can see, if we started in the morning, we could have just spent an extra 10,000 won ($8) and could have rented the hanbok for the whole day. But again, this was because we spontaneously decided in the middle of the day to do this so we really didn’t have a choice.
Photo Credit: http://go3355.net/
What Was Included In The Cost?
The hanbok, underskirt, and accessories (purses, shawl, etc.) were all included.
Extra Add-On Packages
Hairstyling
The hairstyling was only an extra 5000 won ($4 USD) and I HIGHLY recommend it. They give you a menu of hairstyles that you can choose from. They even let you combine hairstyles which is what I did. I did a combination of 1 and 2.
Photography Package
We didn’t do this package because obviously, I have my own camera, but for people who are interested, they do offer this service. I also think that you need to contact them ahead of time and make reservations for this since they need to book the photographer in advance for you.
How Long Should I Rent it For?
This is primarily up to you and where you want to take pictures. I rented it for four hours and that was plenty of time for us. Granted, we only went to one place to take pictures and it was freezing cold that day so we didn’t end up using the whole four hours. We went a little overboard with the time because they charge a late fee per hour if you return your hanbok late. So, we thought we would be safe and go a little over then try to race back to the store if we were to get stuck somewhere.
Where to Wear Your Hanbok for Pictures?
You pretty much can wear your hanbok all over Seoul if you really wanted to, but most people wear it to the historical villages or the five main palaces: Gyeongbokung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung, and Gyeonghuigung. Personally, I think the two main palaces where people take pictures the most are Gyeongbokung and Changdeokgung. If you want to do both palaces, make sure you rent your hanbok between Wednesday-Sunday. Gyeongbokung is closed on Tuesdays and Changdeokgung is closed on Mondays.
Where Do You Recommend Taking Pictures?
If you are limited on time, I think taking pictures at one palace is good enough and then maybe taking pictures in one of the historic villages. I would recommend doing Gyeongbokung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village since both are relatively close together and are within walking distance. I personally don’t think you should do multiple palaces only because all your pictures will probably look the same. It’s nice to have a variety of pictures in different settings.
Gyeongbokgung Palace Hours of Operation
The hours of operation depend largely on the month that you are going so it’s important that you check the website before your own trip. The most important thing is that it is CLOSED ON TUESDAYS. We almost made the mistake of going to the palace on Tuesday but luckily we checked that Monday before and rushed over that day to the palace and the hanbok rental. We were leaving Wednesday so Monday was our only chance.
Photo Credit: http://www.royalpalace.go.kr:8080/html/eng_gbg/guide/guide01_tab01.jsp
Changdeokgung Palace Hours of Operation
We didn’t get a chance to go here since it’s CLOSED ON MONDAYS so keep this in mind!
Photo Credit: http://english.cha.go.kr/html/HtmlPage.do?pg=/royal/RoyalPalaces_infomation_3.jsp&mn=EN_02_03_04
If You Wear a Hanbok, Admission is Free
One of the great things about getting dressed up in a hanbok and going to the palaces is that you get in free! All you have to do is go to the ticket window all dressed up and they will give you an admission ticket. With that said, the admission tickets aren’t that expensive, to begin with. Depending on the palace and your age, tickets range between 500-3,000 won ($.40-$2.40 USD). But hey, saving money is saving money!
Would You Do the Hanbok Rental Again?
Absolutely! We had so much fun getting dressed up and having our hair done. We actually would have taken more pictures that day around Seoul except that it was FREEZING COLD. Since we rented later in the day, the sun disappeared and the clouds moved in making it really unappealing to stay out any longer. We rented our hanbok for four hours and we returned it 1.5 hours earlier because we couldn’t stand the cold anymore. So, if I were to do this again, I would rent it earlier in the day or during the warmer months.
Hanbok Pictures
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