# Jongno perfume workshop: make a Korean-scent perfume at Muhwawon - By Jaeha (https://superchart.com/en/@day-off-corners/) - Written Sep 11, 2026 - Local places › Things to do › Jongno, Seoul - Sponsored: This post was written after receiving a complimentary in-store experience. - English edition: https://superchart.com/en/@day-off-corners/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-d7b1/ - Also in: [한국어](https://superchart.com/ko/@day-off-corners/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-d7b1/index.md) ## In short Muhwawon (무화원) Bukchon Perfume Workshop is a perfume workshop near Changdeokgung in Jongno, Seoul. I sampled 48 scents, including Korean-inspired notes, and made a 50ml perfume after five blending tests with a perfumer’s guidance. Verdict: a memorable 1.5-hour activity to pair with a Bukchon stroll. ## Good to know - **Number of scents**: 48 - **Finished perfume volume**: 50ml - **Experience duration**: About 1 hour 30 minutes - **Parking**: Changdeokgung Palace Parking Lot No. 1 directly across the street *as written by the visitor on Sep 11, 2026* Muhwawon (무화원) Bukchon Perfume Workshop is a unique space where you can sample 48 scents yourself and make a perfume that is entirely your own. It was especially fun because Korean-inspired scents such as hanji (traditional Korean paper), mountain mugwort, and seonhyang (incense) were available too, making it feel different from an ordinary perfume-making class. ![Muhwawon perfume-making experience space](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-01-vbofi-966.webp) ![Bukchon Muhwawon perfume workshop experience](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-02-1lqf1-966.webp) It is close to Changdeokgung Palace, so it also made a nice Bukchon date course with time to explore the neighborhood after making perfume. Let me share my experience at Muhwawon, from choosing scents myself to finishing my own perfume. ![Muhwawon perfume-making process](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-03-1ttqf-966.webp) ## Muhwawon, a Seoul Perfume Workshop at a Glance > Muhwawon Perfume Workshop, right in front of Changdeokgung Palace Muhwawon is right near Changdeokgung Palace, making it an easy perfume workshop to reach on foot from Anguk Station. ![Muhwawon perfume workshop near Changdeokgung Palace](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-04-af7hj-1200.webp) The brand name means “a fragrance blooming like mist in a garden,” and I heard it was inspired by mist rising from Changdeokgung’s Secret Garden. It was also special because Muhwawon reinterprets Korea’s distinctive scents in a modern way: I could encounter fragrances that evoke Korean nature, including hanji, herbal medicine ingredients, and incense. ![Scents evoking Korean nature](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-05-1aab3-966.webp) ![Muhwawon Korean-inspired perfume experience](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-06-1dt6z-966.webp) Changdeokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village are nearby, of course, but so are Ikseon-dong and Insadong, making this a great location to explore before or after the experience. ![Muhwawon location near Changdeokgung Palace](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-07-ezssb-966.webp) ![Changdeokgung Palace Parking Lot No. 1 information](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-08-1b2he-966.webp) *Changdeokgung Palace Parking Lot No. 1 is directly across the street.* ## Finding My Preferences Among 48 Scents The experience began with a brief explanation of perfume composition on a tablet. ![Perfume-composition explanation on a tablet](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-09-1wmoz-966.webp) Before starting, I filled in detailed information through a questionnaire, including how much guidance I wanted from the perfumer, my previous perfume-workshop experience, and whether I wanted photos taken during the session. ![Experience photo taken by the perfumer](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-10-1wsc4-966.webp) *A photo taken by the perfumer :)* The format lets you find your own preferences, but the perfumer checked my combinations one-on-one whenever I needed help. Even first-timers can join without finding it too difficult. ![Experience process for finding a perfume combination](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-11-cudo7-966.webp) ![Muhwawon perfume workshop experience](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-12-1p94u-966.webp) First, I looked over the perfume notes, sampled each of the 48 prepared scents, and marked the ones I liked. ![Perfume notes and sampling 48 scents](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-13-866ck-966.webp) Whenever my nose started to hurt—or haha, when I could not smell anything at all—I refreshed it by smelling coffee beans. ![Refreshing with coffee beans during scent sampling](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-14-12oqa-966.webp) Alongside top, middle, and base notes, there were Korean-inspired scents unique to Muhwawon, including hanji, mountain mugwort, and seonhyang incense. ![Hanji, mountain mugwort, and seonhyang Korean-inspired scents](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-15-mviy6-966.webp) It was fascinating that scents I thought I usually liked were sometimes different from the ones that actually drew me in when I smelled them, and that combining several scents changed the feeling again. It was a perfume-making process, but also time to discover what kinds of scents I like, so it was more fun than I expected. ## Blending My Own Perfume by Hand After choosing the scents I liked, it was time to make my own fragrance in earnest. ![Making a sample with selected scents](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-16-15qv6-966.webp) I first made a sample with my selected scents and smelled it, then adjusted the scents I wanted more or less of little by little while talking with the perfumer. Rather than deciding on the scent in one go, I blended it repeatedly to find the combination and ratio I liked best. You use three capsules as the basis for finding a test combination. I chose my final fragrance after five tests. The perfumer gave me such helpful guidance on the scent combinations along the way, and after five tries, I finally found my own scent! ![Process of deciding the final perfume formula](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-17-iwxqn-966.webp) Once the final formula was set, I measured each fragrance ingredient myself with an electronic scale to complete my own 50ml perfume. ![Measuring fragrance ingredients with an electronic scale](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-18-3316s-966.webp) ![50ml perfume blending process](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-19-1j1uw-966.webp) Once the blending was done, I had to stir it more than 100 times. I could even give the finished perfume any name I wanted. ![Finished perfume with a name](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-20-fyjz6-966.webp) From the perfume bottle to the packaging, everything looked clean and luxurious. Making a perfume for myself was lovely, but I also thought it would be meaningful to make one as a gift for an anniversary or special day. ![Finished perfume bottle and packaging](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-21-wpm2b-966.webp) ![Finished perfume suitable as a gift](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-22-1mf5k-966.webp) As part of a Naver Place review event, they made me a small mini diffuser using the capsules from my third and fourth test combinations. Since those were combinations from before the final choice, I did not expect much, but when I opened the diffuser at home, I was surprised that it was actually exactly the scent I like. They said it is best to let the perfume mature for about two weeks before using it, so I am still waiting without opening it. I am looking forward to seeing how the scent changes after two weeks, too. ## Why It Made a Great Bukchon Date Course You can simply buy perfume, but the process of smelling many scents yourself, finding your preferences, and shaping them into one fragrance was really enjoyable. ![A custom perfume made by hand](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-23-j79ct-966.webp) In particular, being able to blend Korean-inspired scents such as hanji, mountain mugwort, and seonhyang myself was one of the most memorable parts of Muhwawon. ![Perfume-making experience for a Bukchon date](https://img.superchart.com/images/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-24-bhtot-966.webp) The experience takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, so it is easy to pair with a walk around Changdeokgung Palace or Bukchon. If you continue on to Seosulla-gil or Ikseon-dong, it also works well as a half-day Bukchon date. If you are looking for an unusual Seoul date where the two of you make something together instead of just having a meal and going to a café, this perfume-making experience is worth trying at least once. ## Where it is - Muhwawon (무화원) Bukchon Perfume Workshop (무화원 북촌향수공방) - 23 Yulgok-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea - 서울특별시 종로구 율곡로6길 23 3층 - 37.5762005, 126.9894158 - Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/search/%EB%AC%B4%ED%99%94%EC%9B%90%20%EB%B6%81%EC%B4%8C%ED%96%A5%EC%88%98%EA%B3%B5%EB%B0%A9/@37.5762005,126.9894158,17z --- Superchart · https://superchart.com/en/@day-off-corners/bukchon-perfume-workshop-muhwawon-d7b1/ · https://superchart.com/llms.txt