Seoul, Korea: Insadong & Bukchon Hanok Village

We were starving after exploring Gyeongbokgung Palace, so we had lunch first at Insadong. We wanted to eat Korean BBQ so we just tried the first restaurant we saw which was this one:

bbq time!

side dishes

happy tummy

After we had our fill, we then decided to go to Bukchon Hanok Village. Based on what I read online, it was just walking distance from Insadong. Well, we had a map but we were still pretty confused where to go. And again with the steep streets! Anyway, I guess I really wasn't sure what to expect from the village. Like I didn't know if there was an admission fee or anything so at first we were looking for like the main entrance.

But the thing was, Bukchon Hanok Village is a residential neighborhood where people actually live. So we were walking around not realizing that we were already there gets? To be honest, I didn't really find it that interesting. We took a couple of pics but all the streets with hanoks, or traditional Korean houses, pretty much looked the same anyway... I read some reviews where people were raving about the place saying they spent hours exploring the village. But I guess this just isn't my cup of tea. 

We started to walk back to Insadong and passed by this beautiful church in the neighborhood. We went inside to pray and decided to check out the top floor which had a beautiful view of the village.

We got back to Insadong where we went souvenir shopping... The main street is Insadong-gil which has alleys on each side filled with art galleries, shops, cafes, and restaurants. We actually went inside some art galleries which was pretty interesting. Anyway, this is where we bought our pasalubongs, like t-shirts, magnets, and other trinkets.

the main road, Insadong-gil

some guy doing a bubble show on the corner of the street

the super popular ice cream snack in a tube cone

lots of street food everywhere

a free concert around the area

Anyway. this is the last of my Korean travel diary and I have to say, I'm missing Seoul so much! I definitely have to plan another trip here during the spring or autumn season so I can experience another side to this beautiful country. :)