Autumn date perfume class in Bukchon, Seoul: 'fall 2026' at Muhwawon

Muhwawon: bottling my memory of autumn in Bukchon

Lots of you probably love Bukchon's mix of past and present. I live in Gyeonggi Province, so it's not exactly close, but Bukchon has a charm that keeps pulling me back regularly.

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop (무화원 북촌향수공방) is at 23 Yulgok-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Suite 301, and is open daily 12:00–22:00. Groups are welcome, you can reserve, and parking is paid.

This time I wanted to keep Bukchon's relaxed mood and the memory of that day as a scent, so I went to Muhwawon.

Since it's a place that works with scents, it's very clean, and the temperature and humidity are well controlled, so it feels comfortable. Even though it's a one-day class, a Bukchon date like this feels less about learning and more about taking time to relax. I'd especially recommend the experience of giving each other scents as gifts.

How is Muhwawon different from other perfume workshops?

Unlike other perfume workshops, every seat at Muhwawon has a tablet and a headset, so you hear the basic theory and the blending process explained first, before you start. Nobody works at the same speed, so there's no awkward moment of missing the explanation and having to ask again, and no flustered scrambling.

Classes are mostly done in pairs, so sitting side by side and getting absorbed in finding your own scent becomes a healing time in itself.

Everything is set up at your seat, so you only get up to fetch the scent materials. There are pencils instead of pens so you can easily correct things, and the scratchy sound of a pencil is lovely to hear. We hardly ever use pencils these days, so even this little thing felt meaningful, haha.

You put on the headset and listen to the basic theory lesson. Muhwawon adds short but impactful knowledge about perfume and blending, making it a Seoul perfume workshop that teaches you something. Knowing what you're doing is different from just charging in blindly.

What scent materials does Muhwawon have?

These are the scent materials you can smell. Playing to Bukchon's character, this Seoul perfume workshop has Korean-style scents. If you want to capture Bukchon's fragrance and memories, why not add a scent with a Korean touch? It would make a good gift for a foreign friend, too.

Apparently the nose tires easily. If you keep smelling, there comes a moment when everything smells alike. That's when you sniff coffee beans to refresh~

What are the steps of blending at Muhwawon?

Set a mood, smell, and choose scents with the perfumer

I decided on the mood I wanted, smelled the sample scents on the table, and picked the ones I liked. Then the perfumer looked them over and removed any that didn't match the direction I wanted or would stick out instead of blending in. I think this is where blending succeeds or fails. The perfumer chose quickly and accurately, with explanations that made sense to me.

Getting closer to the mood in 3 blends

Bringing back the chosen scents and blending them is the highlight of perfume making, isn't it? I mixed each scent in equal ratios, increased the ones that worked better, took out the ones that didn't fit, and added other scents to get closer to the mood I wanted. That made 3 rounds of blending.

You put a drop of the blend on a scent strip, let the alcohol fade a little, and then smell it. Amazingly, the scent differs before and after blending, and changes again once the alcohol has faded. I think that's the charm of perfume. Here I got the perfumer's help again so no single scent stuck out, and finished a scent of my own that blends together nicely and softly.

Weighing and stirring 100+ times

The perfumer calculated the blend ratio of the scents I chose, I weighed them on a scale into a beaker, and was told to stir more than 100 times. I stirred without thinking, but even that was fun. And the scent while stirring was so good, but of course it is, since it's made to my taste, right?

Next you pour the well-stirred blend into a pretty bottle. I shook out every last drop, haha.

Packaging, label, and the finished 'fall 2026' perfume

They gave me a packaging box and shopping bag that fit the classy atmosphere of this Seoul perfume workshop perfectly. The packaging is good enough to give as a gift right away.

You write down the name you've chosen for your perfume and they print a label for you. Stick it in a good spot and it's done! To remember this year's autumn mood in Bukchon, I named mine 'fall 2026'.

Is Muhwawon a good Bukchon date?

If a married couple or a couple makes perfumes for each other at Muhwawon, wouldn't they recall the mood of that day every time they wear it? A ready-made perfume is fine, but I really love the charm of a perfume you blended yourself, reflecting your own taste.

The perfumer doesn't interfere too much and lets your taste lead, yet guides you properly so you don't go astray, so I was very satisfied with the result. That was Muhwawon, a Seoul perfume workshop and a Bukchon date course for making fragrant memories.