Iced Americano near Gyeongbokgung on a Seochon hanok café walk: Oldsse Seochon

A café I stumbled on near Gyeongbokgung while walking through autumn Seochon: Oldsse Seochon ☕️

Why autumn Seochon is such a good neighborhood for walking

As soon as the weather cooled off, I suddenly wanted to walk around Seochon. Mornings and evenings are really getting chilly now. Autumn Seochon is genuinely great for walking.

Walking slowly from the Gyeongbokgung stone wall path into the alleys, you spot little concept shops one after another, and browsing them you start finding things you want to buy haha. There are so many good restaurants too that a lunch trip easily turns into a café trip. That day I hadn't set any tight schedule either —

I just wandered around like an autumn Seochon stroll. Seochon is more fun when you don't fix a destination and just walk in wherever catches your eye. The concept shops tend to be small spaces rather than big stores, so browsing them is its own little pleasure, and restaurants and cafés are mixed in throughout the alleys, so the mood keeps shifting even after just a short walk. Maybe that's why a trip that started as "just going out for coffee" ends up turning into a much longer walk.

The iced americano I had at Oldsse Seochon

So the place I ducked into for a quick rest was Oldsse Seochon, a café near Gyeongbokgung in Seochon. As soon as I walked in and checked the menu, I just went with an iced americano that day.

When the weather is awkwardly warm like these days, I still can't give up iced drinks. 😆 After picking up my coffee and sitting down, I finally felt some ease after all that walking around. The iced americano was clean and easy to drink, a flavor that felt light enough for a break mid-walk.

Honestly, that day I wasn't out looking for a café specifically — I just naturally wandered in while walking through Seochon, which made it feel even more comfortable. It was crowded so I got it to go, but the dancheong-patterned chairs were so pretty that I wanted to sit and drink it in the store next time.

Why autumn is the season to slowly wander around Seochon

Seochon alleys where concept shops, restaurants, and cafés sit side by side

In Seochon, it's more fun to just slowly wander the alleys than to plan out one or two spots. Browsing a concept shop, you find a little item you like,

then walk a bit more and check out the menu outside a restaurant, and keep walking and discover a pretty café. That's the fun of Seochon, I think. Especially in autumn, when it's less hot and good for walking, this kind of wandering is perfect. Starting near Gyeongbokgung, heading into the Seochon alleys, eating something good, and stopping by a café is more than enough for a half-day course.

It's a neighborhood that's good with kids, good with friends, and good for wandering alone slowly, too. That day I just walked around, had a coffee at Oldsse, and went back out to keep browsing the alleys.

A Seochon outing that felt just right once I'd had a coffee too

Wrapping up a half-day Seochon outing

Every time I visit Seochon, I spot a new shop, so it's fun even without much planning. Especially since the concept shops, restaurants, and cafés are packed together throughout the alleys, one outing ends up lasting longer than expected. That's why it's nice to have a place to grab a coffee partway through.

That day at Oldsse, I had an iced americano, rested a bit, and headed back into the autumn Seochon alleys. Once I'd had coffee too, I found myself walking on wondering where to look around next. I went out with no particular plan, yet still ended up seeing restaurants, browsing concept shops, and drinking coffee at a café. On an autumn day, just wandering around Seochon like this is enough to fill up a whole day. Next time I come back to Seochon, I'll probably still start by slowly walking the alleys. And if I want coffee, an iced americano at Oldsse. ☕️

A café worth remembering as part of an autumn Seochon walking course.

• 📍 Oldsse Seochon — 35-3 Pilundae-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• ☕ Ordered that day — Iced americano