First-time perfume making in Bukchon after a hanok walk: Muhwawon

Where is Muhwawon, the Bukchon perfume workshop?

Muhwawon (무화원) is a perfume workshop in Bukchon, on the 3rd floor of a building at 23 Yulgok-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. It is open daily 12:00-22:00, and I'm sharing lots of tips along the way, so please keep them in mind when you visit :)

The shop is on the 3rd floor of the building!

The workshop vibe after a hanok village walk

I've always been into perfume and wanted to make my own someday, so this time I tried a perfume-making class at Muhwawon in Bukchon.

I came after slowly wandering around Bukchon Hanok Village, and the workshop's atmosphere was so lovely that my mood lifted the moment I walked in.

The space blends nicely with the hanok (traditional Korean house) feel, so it was quiet and comfortable, and the softly drifting scent felt healing as soon as I stepped inside.

Muhwawon has a really wide range of scents ready like this, haha

Is perfume making hard for a first-timer?

Even as a first-timer, I could follow the Muhwawon class without trouble. I arrived at my booked time, and the staff kindly explained the program, walking me through every step in detail.

Smelling floral, woody and musk scents

First we spent time smelling the scents one by one, and I was surprised by how many there were.

I smelled every single one of these!! I used to think of perfume as just "nice," but smelling them myself, even florals felt different from each other, and the woody and musk families each had a clear charm, so the process of choosing was really fun.

I liked that I could take my time and compare many scents instead of rushing.

Choosing a combination with staff advice

At first I agonized because I liked too many scents, but the Muhwawon staff asked what style I like and suggested combinations that suit it, which made choosing much easier.

Blending with 3 tests, changing the ratios

Combining scents one by one and tweaking the ratios little by little was the most fascinating part. I thought they'd be similar scents, but even a small change in ratio completely changed the mood, which was amazing, and hunting for the feeling I wanted felt like an experience in itself.

I got to test three times, and every slightly changed scent was so good that choosing was really hard, haha

I tested them one by one on scent strips like this, haha

I could write down the scents I liked, all organized, and set the ratios too.

Doing it in a beaker felt like a science experiment, which was fun, haha

My own perfume, finished at Muhwawon

Smelling the finished scent at Muhwawon, I felt it wasn't a scent you easily find in stores but one carrying my own mood, so I grew even more attached to it. Maybe because I made it myself, it felt more special than the perfumes I usually wear.

Even filling the bottle was done with care, so it felt like making a gift. When I held the finished perfume, it seemed that my taste was captured in that one small bottle, and I felt quietly proud.

Who is Muhwawon in Bukchon good for?

What I liked most is that Muhwawon isn't just a place to make perfume; it's a space to enjoy scents slowly and find one that suits you. It felt like a little break from a busy routine, and focusing on a single scent was more healing than I expected.

It would work as a date course, and I imagine it would be fun to pick scents for each other with a friend. I'd also recommend it for a day when you want to make special memories, or if you'd like to make a meaningful gift yourself.

If you're looking for things to do in Bukchon, a perfume-making experience at Muhwawon is a great choice rather than only stopping at cafés. I also loved that you can keep your travel memories in a scent, and I think every time I use the finished perfume I'll remember this day!!