Seoul Hanok Week 2026 Reservations Open Sept. 18 — How to Book Rare Hanok Tours

Booking opens: Sept. 18, 2026
Festival: Oct. 2–11
Where: Bukchon and Seochon, Seoul
Admission: Many public programs; selected tours require advance application and are allocated by lottery

Seoul Hanok Week 2026 returns with 82 programs across Bukchon and Seochon, and advance applications open on Sept. 18 through the Seoul Hanok Portal. For travelers interested in Korean architecture, the most useful reason to book early is access to spaces that are not normally easy to visit.

What is worth booking

Guided open-house routes include historic and contemporary hanok-related sites such as Unhyeongotaek and the Embassy of Switzerland in Korea, where Korean and Swiss architects reinterpreted the traditional courtyard. Other programs cover Seoul-designated exemplary hanok, exhibitions, performances and hands-on cultural activities.

For international visitors

Bukchon and Seochon are central Seoul neighborhoods that pair naturally with Gyeongbokgung, Samcheong-dong and the galleries and cafés around Seochon. Some self-guided Bukchon public-hanok routes will provide English audio-guide links. Program language varies, so check the individual booking page before applying.

Reservations for selected programs are lottery-based rather than strictly first-come, first-served, but Sept. 18 is the key date to review the newly opened booking options. Bukchon is also a residential neighborhood, so visitors should follow local quiet-zone and access rules.

Official information: Seoul Hanok Portal and the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Seoul Hanok Week announcement.