Insadong: A Guide To The Traditional Artsy Fun Neighborhood In Downtown Seoul
Insadong is a popular neighborhood in Seoul, Korea that is known for its mix of traditional and contemporary and being near must see spots like Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village means it’s easy to find and caters to tourists as well as locals in downtown Seoul. There are traditional tea houses and art galleries, fun photo-zone spots and restaurants galore.
Whenever I have a visitor we invariably end up in Insadong at some point and it’s definitely the district to buy all of those Korean souvenirs if that’s what you need to take home. Some popular souvenirs include the traditional masks that you can see worn in Andong, Korea as well as beautiful Korean mother of pearl products, utensils and beautiful decor items.
The area may seem easy to navigate at first glance, but there are actually a ton of hidden alleys with cafes and tea houses and more to be found… if you know where to look. Here is a guide for what to do in Insadong, what to see and the tea houses in Insadong you just have to find!
Want to skip around? Here are the sections to check out in this post:
- How To Get To Insadong
- What To Know About Insadong
- Where To Stay In Insadong
- Things To Do In Insadong
- Cafes & Tea Houses In Insadong
- Where To Eat In Insadong
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How To Get To Insadong
The main street of Insadong is just 700 meters long and alleys weave this way and that all running into this main thoroughfare at some point. These directions will get you to that main street in the area and from there… wander wander wander.
By Subway: Make sure to have your T-Money card purchased and topped off to make getting around Seoul easier. You can find Insadong by going to Anguk Subway Station, exit 6. Walk straight less than 200 meters to find the Insadong main street on the left just after the Information Center. The main Insadong Street is not for cars usually and has shops on either side and black pavers. Follow this street all the way to the end where you can find Tapgol Park.
PRO TIPS: If you’ll be traveling via the Seoul City Hop On/Hop Off Bus, know that it also stops here. You can buy the ticket for this bus here. And to get more information about the bus, here is a guide to the Hop On/ Hop Off Bus In Seoul. It’s a great way to get to the right spots and not be confused with the regular buses that make way more stops and don’t have as many language options.
Also look into getting the Discover Seoul Pass which is made specifically for tourists to help them see the top spots. You can also get at on of discounts at the souvenir shops in Insadong with the pass. Find out how to maximize the Discover Seoul Pass in this guide.
What To Know About Insadong
- During the Joseon Dynasty, the buildings in this area was owned by merchants, bureaucrats, and government officials. The National Department of Painting was located here which explains why today visitors can find so many traditional arts galleries and vendors.
- Insadong is THE best place to find calligraphy materials, folk crafts and souvenirs, and Hanji (traditional paper). If you’re looking for things to do with kids for holidays like Chuseok, you can get supplies in this area too. There are also ceramics and pottery and some of it dates back hundreds of years. Visitors will easily spot the vendors with carts on the main road selling antiques. These are real, so if you’re interested, buy!
- The main streets and alleys in the area are blocked to vehicles on Saturdays from 2:00pm to 10:00pm and Sundays from 10:00am to 10:00pm. During the week, there really isn’t a ton of traffic or people that WANT to drive through this bustling neighborhood, though some cars will try to get through.
Where To Stay In Insadong
Nine Tree Premier Hotel Insadong
This hotel was just opened in October of 2019 and is directly across the street from Jogyesa Temple and in a new mall in the Insadong district. The location couldn’t be better if you were looking for something in Insadong with easy access to public transportation and new new new. There is a 24 hour front desk, fitness center, and all of the amenities you want in a great stay.
You can book a stay here easily on Booking.com or on Agoda.com
Hotel Aventree Jongno
At the end of Insadong culture street is the Hotel Aventree. This sophisticated hotel is easy to access with multiple subway stations nearby and the spacious rooms are perfect for travelers who want to get out and about but also relax in style. Staff is super friendly and hospitable and the breakfast buffet is on point. This is definitely a hotel to check out while you’re in the area.
You can book a stay here on Booking.com or on Agoda.com
Things To Do In Insadong
Today there are more than 100 unique art galleries in the Insadong area as well as vendors with traditional Korean art paintings, paint brushes, sculptures and more. Some are easy to find and others tucked away here and there. There are fun spots for kids and adults alike and experiences to be had. Here are some of the best things to do in Insadong.
Make your own Korean Name Stamp
Have you heard of Korean name stamp? This unique items has been used since ancient times as a signature and Koreans still use them today. In Insadong, there are numerous shops where you can have your own Korean name stamp, or dojang made. Stop in, choose the design that you like, and then let them know what you want them to engrave for you. If you want something more updated and not a stamp, be sure to stop into the Monami Concept Store which you can also get personalized.
The other option, is to carve your own. Sit with local craftsmen and create your own dojang. These make great souvenirs to take home from Korea.
- Handmade Stamp Engraving on Klook: Work with traditional tools to carve your own dojang in Insadong.
- Yhlayuen Jeongak Academy on kkday: Another great place to learn how to carve your own name stamp in Insadong.
Buy Souvenirs
Insadong is the best place to find everything you could want in terms of souvenirs. There are a ton of stores and stalls to choose from and everything from antiques to KPop socks and everything in between.
There are traditional masks like the ones you can find in Andong, Korea and calligraphy sets to practice those Korean symbols. There is pottery and t-shirts, metal chopsticks and just so much more. Walk in, walk around, and buy buy buy! This is the easiest spot to get all of those gift needs for the friends and family back home who couldn’t make the trip.
Color Pool Museum (컬러풀뮤지엄)
Not really a museum, but super colorful, Color Pool Museum just opened when the new building Annyeong Insa opened in Insadong. It’s a fun photo-op spot with various rooms filled with play balls, bouncy spots, and other fun colorful things to jump on, slide on, and play with. It’s not necessarily a kid spot, but my kid loved it. If you like color and fun, don’t miss Color Pool!
- Address: 6th floor, Annyeong Insadong Building, 49 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 인사동길 49 안녕인사동 6층)
- Hours: Every day: 10:00am ~ 9:00pm
- Admission: Adults: W15,000; Children: W12,000
Geumokdang (금옥당)
Yanggaeng, another traditional sweet treat, is a jelly like dessert that is traditionally made from red beans. An especially good place to find the jelly treat, but in a beautiful-design that has become popular is Geumokdang (금옥당).
Geumokdang has 16 flavors of yanggaeng including red bean, chestnut, green tea, walnut, raspberry, milk tea, jujube, sweet pumpkin, black sesame, cranberry, and pistacchio, among others. They make for beautiful gifts as the packaging features traditional Korean paintings of flowers, birds, and insects.
- Address: 49 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 인사동길 49)
- Hours: Every day: 10:30am ~ 8:20pm
Museum Kimchikan (뮤지엄김치간)
Want to learn about Korea’s most well known food item that graces every table come every meal time in the country? Visit Museum Kimchikan. This museum was actually selected by CNN as one of the World’s Top 11 Food Museums. Learn about the health benefits of kimchi and then play some games. You can also make some of your own and eat it too!
Do you know how many varieties of kimchi there are? While I live in Seoul, I personally love Jeollanam-do kimchi but we get Busan style kimchi shipped to us every other month from my Korean mother-in-law. Want to know what the differences are? Head to the museum.
- Address: 35-4 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 인사동길 35-4)
- Admission: Adults: W5,000; Children: W3,000. Buy tickets on Klook to get a discount.
- Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00am ~ 6:00pm
Jogyesa Buddhist Temple
Most Buddhist temples in Korea are located outside of the cities up in mountains so it’s no wonder that Jogyesa Temple, being centrally located and easy to get to is one of the most popular Buddhist temples in Korea. The temple also hosts gorgeous lantern installations around Buddha’s Birthday, a lotus flower garden in the summer and continues to change what hangs above the courtyard throughout the year.
There’s always a bit of time to stop in to see what’s going on and appreciate the beauty of Korean Buddhism. It’s just one of the gorgeous temples in Korea but it is one of the most famous and most popular for tourists in Seoul. If you want something a little off the beaten path though, look into Suguksa Temple. Trust me.
- Address: 55 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 우정국로 55)
Ssamziegil (쌈지길)
This unique shopping complex has around 70 small boutiques and if you’re looking for something interesting and unique to take back home, you’ll probably find it here. The building stands out because of the fact that you can walk up a spiral walkway from the first floor and end up on the rooftop without using steps. There are four floors so you can see how quite intriguing that is.
This is also where the very popular Poop Cafe Seoul is. Picture ice cream and waffles and lattes in commodes. It’s very funny and kids love it particularly.
- Address: 44 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 인사동길 44)
The Alive Museum (박물관은살아있다 인사동점)
The Alive Museum is a trick art museum that makes for a fun afternoon if it’s raining or you want to do something a bit different with your friends. This museum has tons of photo zones and none of those “Do Not Touch” signs you’d find in other art museums. The artworks are fun and cute and some are even more traditional and they’re all great for all ages.
- Address: 12 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 인사동길 12)
- Hours: 9:00am ~ 8:00pm
- Admission: W12,000; You can easily buy your tickets online here and get a discount when you do.
Ara Art Center (아라아트센터)
Down an alley with an entrance that is behind the main street so a bit tricky to find, the Ara Art Center hosts some great exhibitions and should definitely be on the list to see what is going on. It may not be a traditional spot in this traditional area, but it’s fun and family friendly. We checked out this awesome Queen exhibition and it was so worth the hunt to find the door! If you like more contemporary exhibitions, then this is the spot for you in this traditional area with all manner of traditional artworks too.
- Address: 26 Insadong 9-gil Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 인사동9길 26)
- Hours: 10:00am ~ 7:00pm
- Admission: Depends on the exhibition.
- Website: http://www.araart.co.kr/
Tapgol Park
Tapgol Park is a small park at the southern end of Insadong street and features a beautiful 10 story stone pagoda that is housed in a large glass encasement. The pagoda is National Treasure No. 2 and was completed in 1476. King Sejo had the pagoda built “after he experienced the wonder of the sarira incarnation,” reads the sign.
There are also stone tablets with artwork depicting the March 1st Movement, a fight for Korean independence from Japan. This park is actually most famous as the the site where the first declaration of independence was read. It’s an extremely historic site that also happens to be a great place to take a seat on a bench or some steps for a rest. The west gate of this park is also where you can find the bus to take you out to Nami Island if you’re going out there.
- Address: 38-1 Jongno 2-ga, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 종로2가 38-1)
- Hours: 6:00am ~ 8:00pm
- Admission: FREE
- Amenities: Public Restrooms
Cafes & Tea Houses In Insadong
Korea is well known for some amazing teas and far more than the most popular, green tea. There are flower teas, herbal teas, root teas, grain teas, and just so many more. To help you understand what they are and what to order when you visit a traditional cafe, check out this guide to Korean teas. You probably won’t find drinks like dalgona coffee in the area, but what you will find is soooo good.
Beautiful Tea Museum
Visit this renovated tea house with a name that will welcome anyone on the road passing by. The Beautiful Tea Museum, which is more of a cafe and less of a museum as the name would suggest, has a tea shop when you first enter and then tables that welcome guests to stop and try teas from the numerous collection.
There are traditional standards but the teas to try here are from the pu-er teas, or the oxides black teas. These teas are anywhere from 20 to 30 years old. I tried the 1992 Pu-er Zhuan Cca tea which costs just W12,000. If you’re a tea connoisseur, this is a must visit.
- Address: Jongno-gu Insadong 9-gil 193-1 (서울 종로구 인사동9길 193-1)
- Hours: 11:00am ~ 10:00pm
The 47th Street Tea House (47번가찻집)
This beautifully renovated Hanok house features a lovely tea house with floor seating similar to what you’d find in a more traditional setting. There are also more modern tables and chairs should you want though. The tea is handmade and everything else on the menu is made in house too. This is a secret gem of a cafe in the neighborhood.
- Address: 47-9 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 인사동길 47-9)
Where To Eat In Insadong
Imun Seolnongtang (이문설농탕)
Opened in 1904, it’s considered the oldest restaurant in Korea. The restaurant is old and lived in but serves up some of the best ox bone soup in the city. Ox bones are boiled for 17 hours until the broth is rich milky. Listed in the Michelin Guide, it’s a must eat if you’re in the Insadong area.
While a lot of Korean dishes are spicy or strong, this soup has a more mild taste that most tourists can definitely fill up on. The soup is hearty and filling and perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The restaurant is off the beaten path and around a few corners, but the unassuming building has been and will continue to serve some of the best soup in the area.
- Address: 38-13 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul(서울특별시 종로구 우정국로 38-13)
- Hours: Monday – Saturday: 8:00am ~ 9:00pm; Sunday: 8:00am ~ 8:00pm
Gaeseong Mandu Koong (개성만두궁)
Run by a refugee from North Korea, this restaurant serves up delicious soups, stews, and lots of dumplings. This spot originally opened in 1970 by a Gaeseong native is now being run by the third generation of the family. Also mentioned in the Michelin Guide, the restaurant can get so busy that it runs out of food by the afternoon, so get there early if you want to ensure yourself a bowl of goodness. The dumplings here are large and prepared daily, filled with cabbage and bean sprouts.
- Address: 11-3 Insadong 10-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울특별시 종로구 인사동10길 11-3)
- Hours: Monday – Saturday: 11:30am ~ 9:30pm; Sunday: 11:30am ~ 8:00pm
Sanchon (산촌 본점)
This hidden temple food restaurant requires visitors to follow a bit of a maze through alleys looking for signs with arrows but the seekers that do find it are rewarded with a healthy vegan Korean meal served in 16 courses. Sanchon, which means “Mountain Village” uses fresh vegetables and wild plants from the fields and deep mountains of Korea to create a variety of dishes that are inspired by Buddhist temple food. Head to the restaurant for dinner and you’ll also get to see a Korean dance performance which is done every night at 8:00pm.
- Address: 30-13 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 인사동길 30-13)
- Hours: 11:30am ~ 10:00pm
- To Make Reservations, Visit Their Site: http://www.sanchon.com/
Miss Lee’s Cafe (별다방미스리 인사동점)
This retro cafe serves up food in a dosirak, Korean lunch box, and sticks to the basics with rice, kimchi, a fried egg and does it well. Handwritten notes are tacked to the walls from top to bottom and visitors can see what those who have come before have written. When you get your meal, don’t forget to shake it first and then eat! If you want to see what old school Korea was like, this is the best place to eat on the street.
- Address: 59 Insadong-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 인사동길 59)
- Hours: 10:00am ~ 11:00pm
Balwoo Gongyang
Located on the fifth floor of the Temple Stay Information Center building just across the street from the beautiful Jogyesa temple is this 1 Michelin star Buddhist temple cuisine restaurant. If you want something just a bit more gastronomically inspiring, find Balwoo Gongyang. Opened in 2009, this restaurant serves vegan dishes with a real flare.
- Address: 56 Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 우정국로 56)
- Hours: Lunch: 11:30am ~ 2:00pm; Dinner: 6:00pm ~ 8:00pm
- Reservations: http://eng.balwoo.or.kr/
Oh Sae Gyae Hyang (오세계향)
This was one of the first restaurants I visited years ago when I had a friend who asked if I could find a restaurant that didn’t serve meat and it’s still a winner. This restaurant is now a rather famous vegetarian friendly spot in the area and serves traditional meals with all of the veggie delights.
There are a variety of dishes to choose from like the standard bibimbaps that every tourist must try to some soups made of greens I’m sure they haven’t. All of the dishes I’ve tried have been authentically Korean and even better that they’re vegan and vegetarian friendly.
- Address: 14-5 Insadong 12-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 인사동12길 14-5)
- Hours: Weekdays: 11:30am ~ 9:00pm (break time from 3:30pm ~ 5:00); Weekends: 11:30am ~ 9:00pm (break time from 4:00pm ~ 5:00pm)
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2 Comments
Tamar Lipszyc
Thank you for all the details!
Hyejin
Wow!! There are so many things to do in Insadong and I love it! WIll add these to my bucket list.