K-Drama Filming Locations Tour: Seoul's Best Spots in One Day

How to Use This Tour Guide

This guide splits Seoul's top 10 K-drama filming locations into two half-day courses. Course A covers the historic Jongno and Bukchon area in the morning, while Course B moves south through Jung-gu and finishes at the Han River in the evening.

Each stop includes the dramas filmed there, a photo tip, suggested visit time, and directions — Stop 1 lists routes from major accommodation hubs, while Stop 2 onward gives walking or subway directions from the previous stop.

You can follow both courses in a single day, or pick just one if you're short on time.

Course A is best started by 9AM; Course B pairs perfectly with the late afternoon golden hour and evening fountain shows.

Download Naver Map before you go — it gives more accurate Seoul subway directions than Google Maps, including real-time train arrivals.

Course A: Jongno & Bukchon (Morning to Afternoon)

This morning course takes you through the historic heart of Seoul — the royal palace district and the traditional neighborhoods that have appeared in dozens of beloved K-dramas.

Start at Gyeongbokgung when it opens at 9AM to beat the crowds, then make your way northeast through Samcheong-dong, Bukchon, and Insadong before finishing at Cheonggyecheon Stream in the early afternoon.

📍 Stop 1: Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁)

Featured in: Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, Kingdom, My Demon, Mr. Queen

Korea's most iconic royal palace is also one of its most-filmed K-drama locations. The sweeping courtyard of Geunjeongjeon (the throne hall) appeared as the royal court in Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, while Kingdom used the palace grounds for its Joseon-era zombie thriller sequences.

If you arrive at opening time, the morning light hitting the main gate is extraordinary.

Rent a hanbok from one of the shops on Hyoja-ro — it grants free entry and makes for incredible photos against the traditional architecture.

📸 Photo Spot: Hyangwonjeong Pavilion (향원정) — the wooden pavilion over the lotus pond in the rear garden, best at 9AM before crowds arrive.

⏱ Suggested Time: 1.5–2 hours

Getting There (from accommodation):

• From Myeongdong: Line 4 → Chungmuro → Line 3 → Gyeongbokgung Station, Exit 5 (21 min)
• From Hongdae: Line 2 → Euljiro 3-ga → Line 3 → Gyeongbokgung Station, Exit 5 (30 min)
• From Gangnam: Line 3 direct → Gyeongbokgung Station, Exit 5 (30 min)

🚶 Next Stop: Walk 5 min north along Samcheong-ro toward the National Folk Museum gate →

📍 Stop 2: Samcheong-dong (삼청동)

Featured in: Coffee Prince, Goblin, My Mister

The cobblestone streets of Samcheong-dong were where Choi Han-gyul's café stood in Coffee Prince, and the neighborhood's moody autumn atmosphere matched perfectly with Goblin's bittersweet tone.

Today it's lined with indie cafes, contemporary art galleries, and small boutiques tucked into traditional buildings.

Walk slowly — the best spots are in the side alleys off the main road, not on Samcheong-ro itself.

Stop for a coffee and a window-seat view of the mountains behind.

📸 Photo Spot: The forked alley at Bukchon-ro 5-gil junction — traditional wall on one side, café awnings on the other.

⏱ Suggested Time: 45 min – 1 hour

Getting There (from Gyeongbokgung):

• Walk 5 min north along Samcheong-ro from the National Folk Museum gate — Samcheong-dong's main street begins where the palace wall ends

🚶 Next Stop: Walk 5 min east up the hill along Bukchon-ro →

📍 Stop 3: Bukchon Hanok Village (북촌한옥마을)

Featured in: Personal Taste, True Beauty, Love in the Moonlight

The steep alleyways of Bukchon Hanok Village — with their grey tiled rooftops stretching toward the mountains — have become one of the most recognized images of Korea abroad.

In True Beauty, the heroine walks these lanes in her natural face for the first time, and the location captured the vulnerability of that moment perfectly.

This is a living residential neighborhood, so please keep noise to a minimum and avoid visiting before 8AM.

The most photographed viewpoint is at Gahoe-dong Alley (북촌 8경 2경), where the lane descends steeply with a perfect row of hanok rooftops on each side.

📸 Photo Spot: Gahoe-dong Alley viewpoint — face north for the classic postcard shot with rooftops and mountains behind.

⏱ Suggested Time: 45 min – 1 hour

Getting There (from Samcheong-dong):

• Walk 5 min east up the hill from Samcheong-dong main street along Bukchon-ro — the alley viewpoint is signed from the Anguk-ro intersection

🚶 Next Stop: Walk 10 min downhill southwest toward Anguk Station, then south along Insadong-gil →

📍 Stop 4: Insadong (인사동)

Featured in: Lovely Runner (Sunjaega Tuieo), Coffee Prince, Reply 1994

Insadong's pedestrian street was where Ryu Sun-jae and Im Sol wandered together in Lovely Runner, the drama's warm color grading matching the neighborhood's earthy palette of pottery, wooden signs, and lantern-lit alleys.

Browse traditional craft shops for Korean souvenirs — hanji paper notebooks, celadon pottery, and handmade accessories.

The courtyard complex Ssamziegil has indie crafters and a rooftop with good views. Try hotteok (a sweet, crispy pancake stuffed with brown sugar and nuts) from the street stalls — ₩2,000 and unmissable.

📸 Photo Spot: Ssamziegil inner courtyard — the spiral ramp and hanging lanterns frame beautifully.

⏱ Suggested Time: 1–1.5 hours

Getting There (from Bukchon):

• Walk 10 min downhill southwest from Gahoe-dong Alley toward Anguk Station — Insadong-gil starts just south of the Anguk intersection. The pedestrian street is clearly signed.

🚶 Next Stop: Walk 15 min south along Insadong-gil to Jongno, turn right and continue to Cheonggye Plaza, or take Line 3 Anguk → Euljiro 3-ga → Line 2 → Euljiro 1-ga (8 min) →

📍 Stop 5: Cheonggyecheon Stream (청계천)

Featured in: City Hunter, W: Two Worlds Apart, Healer

Cheonggyecheon is an 11km urban stream that cuts through downtown Seoul, restored in 2005 after being buried under a highway for decades.

In City Hunter, Lee Yoon-sung and Kim Na-na's quiet moments beside the stream contrasted powerfully with the thriller's explosive action sequences.

The stream runs below street level, creating a surprisingly peaceful pocket of nature in the middle of the city.

Walk east from the Cheonggye Plaza fountain — the stretch between the 1st and 5th bridges is the most scenic, with weeping willows and lantern installations.

Come back here on your last night in Seoul for the evening glow.

📸 Photo Spot: Gwangtonggyo Bridge area at dusk — the illuminated bridge reflects beautifully on the water.

⏱ Suggested Time: 45 min – 1 hour

Getting There (from Insadong):

• Walk 15 min south along Insadong-gil to Jongno, then continue south to Cheonggye Plaza at the stream's western start
• Or take subway: Line 3 Anguk → Euljiro 3-ga → Line 2 → Euljiro 1-ga, Exit 3 (8 min)

Course B: Jung-gu & Yongsan (Afternoon to Evening)

This afternoon course moves through central and southern Seoul, ending at the Han River for the evening fountain show.

Start Course B around 2–3PM to arrive at N Seoul Tower and Banpo Hangang Park at their most atmospheric — dusk and after dark.

DDP is also worth seeing twice: once in daylight for architecture photos, and again at night when the LED installations come alive.

📍 Stop 6: Deoksugung Doldam-gil (덕수궁 돌담길)

Featured in: Goblin, The King: Eternal Monarch, My Love from the Star

The stone wall path beside Deoksugung Palace is one of Seoul's most romantic walks — and one of its most dramatically filmed.

In Goblin, Kim Shin and Ji Eun-tak's bittersweet meetings along this path became one of the drama's most iconic recurring images, the stone wall a metaphor for the ancient distance between them.

The path is about 900 meters long and passes Seoul City Hall and the old Canadian Embassy.

In autumn, the row of ginkgo trees turns brilliant gold and drops a carpet of yellow leaves on the path.

Even in other seasons, the contrast of warm stone against the palace walls is deeply atmospheric.

📸 Photo Spot: The midpoint of the path near Jeong-dong Theater — face toward the palace wall with trees overhead.

⏱ Suggested Time: 30–45 min

Getting There (from Cheonggyecheon):

• Walk 10 min west along the stream from Gwangtonggyo Bridge toward Cheonggye Plaza, then continue west along Sejong-daero to City Hall — Deoksugung Doldam-gil begins at the City Hall plaza corner
• Or take subway: Line 2 Euljiro 1-ga → City Hall, Exit 2 (2 min)

🚶 Next Stop: Line 1 City Hall → Jongno 3-ga → Line 5 → Dongdaemun History & Culture Park (12 min), or Line 2 City Hall → Dongdaemun History & Culture Park (8 min) →

📍 Stop 7: Dongdaemun Design Plaza — DDP (동대문디자인플라자)

Featured in: My Love from the Star, Heirs, Doctor Stranger

Zaha Hadid's silver-white curved building looks like it landed from another planet — which is exactly why it appeared in My Love from the Star, a drama literally about an alien.

The 85,000 square meter structure has no straight lines and no right angles; from every angle it looks different.

Visit the outdoor LED Rose Garden (best from 7PM onward) and walk around the full perimeter for architecture photos.

The basement levels have design exhibitions (some free, some ticketed). The surrounding Dongdaemun market area means the whole neighborhood stays lively until 5AM — this stop works at any hour.

📸 Photo Spot: The LED Rose Garden installation at night — bring a wide-angle lens or use portrait mode for the full galaxy effect.

⏱ Suggested Time: 1–1.5 hours

Getting There (from Deoksugung):

• Line 2 City Hall → Dongdaemun History & Culture Park, Exit 1 (8 min)
• Or Line 1 City Hall → Jongno 3-ga → Line 5 → Dongdaemun History & Culture Park, Exit 1 (12 min)

🚶 Next Stop: Line 4 Dongdaemun History & Culture Park → Hyehwa, Exit 2 (5 min) →

📍 Stop 8: Ihwa Mural Village (이화동 벽화마을)

Featured in: Rooftop Prince, Reply 1997, Neighbourhood

Perched on the slope of Naksan Mountain, Ihwa Mural Village is a maze of steep alleyways covered in murals and street art.

In Rooftop Prince, the time-traveling Joseon crown prince and his three guards stumbled through exactly these kinds of narrow lanes in modern Seoul — the disorientation captured perfectly.

The neighborhood's most famous mural is the giant carp staircase (잉어 계단 벽화), a flight of stairs painted to look like swimming fish.

From the top of the village, there's a panoramic view of central Seoul that very few tourists find.

This area is genuinely residential and much less visited than Bukchon — keep noise low.

📸 Photo Spot: The carp staircase mural at eye level — shoot from the bottom of the stairs looking up for the full effect.

⏱ Suggested Time: 45 min – 1 hour

Getting There (from DDP):

• Line 4 Dongdaemun History & Culture Park → Hyehwa, Exit 2 (5 min) — from Exit 2, walk 10 min uphill along Naksan Park-ro toward the mural village entrance

🚶 Next Stop: Line 4 Hyehwa → Myeongdong (8 min), then walk 15 min uphill or take the cable car →

📍 Stop 9: N Seoul Tower (N서울타워)

Featured in: My Love from the Star, Boys Over Flowers, You Who Came from the Stars

Perched 479 meters above sea level on Namsan Mountain, N Seoul Tower is visible from almost anywhere in central Seoul — and it's appeared in so many dramas that it's become shorthand for "Seoul" itself.

In Boys Over Flowers, Jun Pyo brought Jan Di here to attach a love lock on the famous fence outside the observatory.

Thousands of padlocks now cover every available surface, many with messages from fans who visited after watching the drama.

Take the cable car up from Myeongdong (₩14,000 return) or hike the 40-minute trail. Time your visit for sunset — the tower at golden hour, then the city lights spreading out below after dark, is genuinely one of the best views in Asia.

📸 Photo Spot: The Love Lock wall at the observatory entrance — frame the tower behind you for a classic shot, or turn around for the city panorama.

⏱ Suggested Time: 1.5–2 hours

Getting There (from Ihwa Mural Village):

• Line 4 Hyehwa → Myeongdong, Exit 3 (8 min), then walk 15 min uphill along Namsan-ro toward the cable car station
• Or take the Namsan cable car from Myeongdong (₩14,000 return) — the cable car station is a 10-min walk from Exit 3

🚶 Next Stop: Take cable car or walk down to Myeongdong Station → Line 4 → Chungmuro → Line 3 → Express Bus Terminal (20 min) →

📍 Stop 10: Banpo Hangang Park (반포한강공원)

Featured in: Goblin, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Descendants of the Sun

The Han River scenes in Goblin — Kim Shin standing at the water's edge as fireworks burst overhead, Ji Eun-tak running along the riverbank — were filmed at Banpo Hangang Park, and they gave this stretch of the river a permanent association with longing and magic.

The Banpo Bridge Rainbow Fountain (반포대교 달빛무지개분수) runs every evening from April to October, shooting colored water in arcs off both sides of the bridge while music plays.

It's free to watch from the riverbank and runs for about 20 minutes per show.

Bring a picnic blanket, pick up convenience store snacks from the 7-Eleven on-site, and sit on the grass to watch.

This is the most local thing on the tour — and a perfect way to end the day.

📸 Photo Spot: Stand level with the bridge during the fountain show — the arcing water reflects on the Han River below for a mirror-like effect.

⏱ Suggested Time: 1–2 hours

Getting There (from N Seoul Tower):

• Take the cable car or walk down to Myeongdong Station, then Line 4 → Chungmuro → Line 3 → Express Bus Terminal, Exit 8-1 (20 min)
• Or taxi from Namsan base — approximately ₩8,000–12,000, 15 min depending on traffic

Tips for K-Drama Fans

• Visit on weekdays to avoid crowds at popular filming spots — Bukchon and Samcheong-dong especially get very busy on weekend afternoons
• Rent hanbok near Gyeongbokgung (₩15,000–₩30,000 for 2–4 hours) for free palace entry and far better photos
• DDP and Banpo are best visited at night — the LED installations and fountain show only happen after dark
• The Banpo Rainbow Fountain runs April–October (check the official schedule for exact show times — usually 8PM and 9PM)
• Download Naver Map for Seoul subway directions — it's significantly more accurate than Google Maps for Korean transit, including real-time delays
• Be respectful at Bukchon and Ihwa Mural Village — these are residential areas, not theme parks. Keep voices down, especially before 10AM
• T-money card (available at any subway station, ₩3,000 deposit) works on all metro lines, buses, and some convenience stores — far easier than buying individual tickets
• Carry cash for street food stalls at Insadong and Cheonggyecheon — many small vendors don't accept cards