Hanbok Renting in Seoul: Your Complete Guide

Last Updated on July 31, 2024 by Alex

While researching my first 3 days in Seoul trip, I always stumbled upon one activity worth having: renting a hanbok in Seoul.

I guess I shouldn’t tell you that I’ve followed all the recommendations and did it. For one half-day, we were the perfect princesses strolling the streets of Seoul.

Spoiler alert! I liked it so much that Alex and I did it again after we moved to South Korea.

Based on my experience, I’ll share all the information you need to make the right decision and choice regarding the place you want to rent your hanbok from and the prices (the cost to travel in Korea might not be very low, but you can optimize it).

This post contains affiliate links to products and services that I may be compensated for, at no extra cost to you. Read more about it on our disclosure page here.

Renting a hanbok in Seoul – is it worth it?

Traditional Korean hanbok – a short introduction

I won’t judge you if this is your first time hearing about the hanbok. It was my first time as well. And I wasn’t aware you could rent one, walk the streets of Seoul in it, and take amazing pictures in it.

The Korean hanbok is a semi-formal or formal dress for traditional occasions. The term literally means “Korean clothing,” but today’s term refers to clothing worn during the Joseon dynasty.

The hanbok consists of a “jeogori” – the upper garment, which covers the arms and upper part of the body both for men and women; and a “chima” – the wrap-around skirt or “baji” – when it comes to the men’s costumes.

You will see that the men’s costumes usually also have a big hat (“gat“) made from horsehair.

Children’s hanbok usually consists of:

Jeogori – a jacket
Jokki – a vest
Bokgeon – a peaked cloth hat
Hogeon – peaked cloth hat with a tiger pattern

ONE DAY HANBOK RENTAL EXPERIENCE - best hanbok rental experience in Seoul, Korea. Is renting a hanbok in Seoul worth it? Find out all here!

Hanbok types

Nowadays, hanboks are classified based on their purpose:

hanboks for everyday use
ceremonial dresses – the ones people wear for special ceremonies and occasions
special dresses – such as the ones for weddings

I can say that the hanboks we tried at Oneday Hanbok Rental were the more traditional kind with a straight skirt and the more modern ones which would accentuate your waistline. Also, at this particular shop, we found mainly “cheaper” hanbok options.

After moving to Seoul, I took my husband for a photo shoot in a hanbok, and we chose to rent premium hanboks. They cost a little bit more, but the fabric is much better, and the clothes look nicer. Especially if you pay for a professional photo shoot, you will want to choose the best hanboks, right?

Another fact I was not aware of is that the color of the hanbok symbolized social position and marital status. Engravings such as dragons, phoenixes, cranes, and tigers were only for royalty and high-ranking officials.

Is it socially acceptable to rent a hanbok?

This question might come to mind whenever you think about having a traditional experience in a new place.

And while in my head, I thought it would feel a bit awkward wandering around on the streets of Seoul wearing such a dress, the experience was different.

Thus, I encourage you to look into this and actually rent a hanbok, if only for a few hours. People won’t look at you strangely; on the contrary, they will be happy to see you value their tradition.

Furthermore, wearing a hanbok gives you free access to some tourist attractions in Seoul, including all five Seoul Palaces.

How much does it cost to rent a hanbok in Seoul?

While I was planning our trip, we booked our 4-hour one-day hanbok rental on Klook.com and paid around 30 USD for two costumes for 4 hours. This adds up to roughly 17.000 Won per costume, including all the accessories (hair accessories and handbags).

If you want to rent it all day and have more time to explore Seoul and take pictures, it will cost 28,000 Korean Won (around 24 USD).

Of course, there are plenty of options and locations, and usually, booking online gets you a discount.

After moving to Seoul, I had the same experience with my husband and rented a more sophisticated hanbok at Arang Hanbok. They have princess-like hanboks and can also offer 2-in-1 photoshoots and hanbok rental services. Indeed, they are not a budget-friendly option, but this can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience worth spending a bit more on.

Since this place is usually booked way in advance, you can check out other premium hanbok options at more affordable prices online. If you rent your princess dress from here, you will pay around 27 USD for 3 hours.

If you have decided to have your pictures taken by a professional local photographer, you can book your session with the hanbok. This is a combo, and you won’t have to worry about finding a photographer, booking an available time slot, renting the hanbok separately, or more. See more about the experience here!

Where to rent a hanbok

When it comes to where to rent a hanbok in Seoul, things are relatively simple:

You can go directly to most of Seoul’s tourist areas, with plenty of options and shops. Especially in the Bukchon Hanok Village area
Or, as we did, you can rent your hanbok online beforehand. This way, you don’t have to wander around looking for places and can arrange everything in advance, enjoying a potential discount.

Between the 2, I would always choose the second option. While there are plenty of options around Bukchon Hanok Village, the best ones that offer nice hanboks are usually hidden and sold out in advance.

We had to provide an ID for both hanboks and pay 10.000 won as a deposit for each dress.

How was renting a hanbok like

Since we booked the hanbok for 4 hours, we started the day by taking the dresses.

As I said, finding the place was straightforward, and its location was close to the main picture-perfect spots we would visit later.

After climbing a few steps and checking in at the reception, we were guided to the main room, which had hundreds of colorful hanboks in the wardrobes. Even though it was around 10 a.m. and winter in Seoul, the room was still filled with women trying on different hanboks.

The ladies let us choose which two dresses to try on before selecting the final option. I must say this was the most challenging part!

If you don’t decide after the 2nd option, you will have to pay an additional tax for further trying on other hanboks.

Choosing between tens, if not hundreds, of beautiful, colorful hanboks and wearing only one was tricky!

After trying on one traditional dress, I saw this modern baby blue hanbok with beautiful pale pink embroidery. It was love at first sight!

Once we had chosen the hair accessories and purses to wear, we went off to take some of the most incredible pictures in Seoul.

Judging this based on my second experience of renting a hanbok in Seoul, I would say that going premium is worth it also for the accessories and attention you get. The ladies did my hair the second time and used adorable accessories. We even got to wear traditional shoes, and the photographer brought props to use during the photo session.

Best picture spots for your hanbok photography

Since most hanbok rental places are conveniently located in one of the best picture spots in Seoul, you can just step outside, walk a few hundred meters, and start shooting.

However, we want it all and chose 4 locations for our pictures in a hanbok, all conveniently located close to one another, so that you can have an easy itinerary:

Gyeongbokgung Palace
National Folk Museum of Korea
Bukchon Hanok Village
The tea house in Bukchon Hanok

Get some other picture perfect spots in Seoul from my complete list of Instagrammable places!

Don’t stress out too much if you cannot visit more palaces. They look pretty much the same, and the pictures will be lovely if you catch the right angle.

However, if you don’t have the best equipment to shoot or want pictures of couples, the best option is to hire a professional photographer.

Not only will the person know the perfect places for taking pictures in a hanbok, but they will also know how to make it happen—the right angle and the right light.

And you’ll have some beautiful pictures in a hanbok you will never forget.

Check out photoshoot options here and book your session in advance!

Is renting a hanbok in Seoul worth it in the end?

My final verdict: TOTALLY! Book your hanbok rental when you have enough time in Seoul.

Not only did we feel like princesses for a few hours, but we also had a lot of fun and some really great pictures to remind us of our trip to Seoul.

We somehow felt like celebrities because many people took pictures of us and wanted to take photos with us. It is worth considering if you don’t like the attention.

Most importantly, we loved the dresses and had a great time. In conclusion, I highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Seoul.