Ask five people for a hanok neighbourhood in Seoul and you will get five answers. The traditional house, hanok, shows up in more than one place, and each place has a different mood.

So here is a quick test. Pick the one that sounds like you.

1. Bukchon: the famous one

북촌 (Bukchon, "the north village") is the one on every postcard. Tiled roofs step down a hill between two palaces. It is beautiful, and it is also where people actually live.

That is why the busiest lane is open to visitors only from 10:00 to 17:00, with a ₩100,000 fine outside those hours. Go early, keep your voice down, and do not block the lane for photos.

2. Ikseon-dong: the cute one

익선동 (Ikseon-dong) is a block of small hanok from the 1920s. The same developer, 정세권 (Jeong Se-gwon), is credited with Bukchon's hanok as well, according to Korean reports.

A redevelopment plan fell through, so owners rented the old houses to cafés and small restaurants. A few years later it was one of Seoul's trendiest lanes. It is probably the most popular hanok spot right now, so expect a crowd.

3. Insadong: the artsy one

인사동 (Insadong) is a street of galleries, tea houses and craft shops. Honestly, it is not mostly hanok houses. But it feels old Seoul, and it is the easiest place to buy a gift.

4. Namsangol: the one you can walk into

The 남산골한옥마을 (Namsangol Hanok Village) is a garden with five old hanok. Reports say they were moved here from around Seoul, and the village opened in 1998. Nobody lives here, and entry is free.

And this is the one place on our list where you can go deep inside a hanok. In Bukchon you only see the outside, because people live there. Here you can step into the houses and look around the rooms, which are shown furnished the way their owners lived.

Each house has its own story. Reports say one belonged to a military officer, one to a master carpenter, and one was a family shrine house.

A small warning: some houses have steps at the entrance, so it is not easy with a wheelchair or a pushchair.

There is even a time capsule, buried in 1994. It is meant to be opened in the year 2394. We will not be there.

Reports say the village is closed on Mondays, but opening days and hours can change, so check the official site (hanokmaeul.co.kr) before you go.

So, which one are you?

🗺️ Our Hanok Villages walk connects Bukchon, Ikseon-dong and Insadong in one day. ›

Our verdict: Bukchon in the morning, Ikseon-dong for a coffee, and Namsangol when you want to step inside a hanok for real.

Which one are you? Tell us on the Contact page.