Rak-Ko-Jae

Top choice in Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu


This beautifully restored hanok, with an enchanting garden, is modelled after Japan’s ryokan. The guesthouse’s mud-walled sauna is included in the prices, as is breakfast, but dinner (₩30,000 to ₩50,000) must be booked in advance. The en suite bathrooms are tiny.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu attractions

1. Bukchon Traditional Culture Center

0.08 MILES

There's an informative exhibition about hanok homes and the Bukchon area, housed in this larger-than-average hanok. It's generally unstaffed but sometimes…

2. Bukchon Hanok Village

0.13 MILES

Meaning ‘North Village’, Bukchon, between Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, is home to around 900 hanok, Seoul’s largest concentration of these traditional…

3. Gahoe Minhwa Workshop

0.14 MILES

Housing a large collection of amulets and folk paintings this combined house museum and cultural centre also offers classes teaching traditional painting,…

4. Jeongdok Public Library

0.18 MILES

The small quiet park in front of the public library is a great spot for viewing cherry blossoms in spring and the yellowing leaves of ginkgo trees in…

5. Artsonje Center

0.21 MILES

Founded in 1998, Artsonje supports experimental art, runs workshops and has lectures as well as an annual Open Call for new works. Also here is a cafe and…

6. Simsimheon

0.22 MILES

This modern hanok was rebuilt using traditional methods on the site of two older ones to create a home with museum grandeur that gives a rare opportunity…

7. Arario Museum in SPACE

0.24 MILES

Korean business magnate and contemporary-art collector Kam Chang-il has found the perfect home for jewels from his collection at this ivy-clad brick…

8. World Jewellery Museum

0.24 MILES

The well-lit displays of this private jewellery collection prove that small is beautiful. The pieces were amassed from around the world over three decades…