Couples perfume workshop on Seosunra-gil: gift scents at Muhwawon

A perfume-making workshop as an indoor date in Seoul: Muhwawon (霧花園).

On a hot summer day, a long walk outdoors felt like too much, so while looking for an indoor date in Seoul I ended up at Muhwawon, a perfume workshop near Anguk Station. My boyfriend and I both love making things and trying hands-on classes, so this time we decided to each make a perfume with our own taste and give it to the other. If you're looking for a workshop date around Bukchon, Anguk and Seosunra-gil, here's a perfume-making class to consider.

Where is Muhwawon perfume workshop, and what can you make there?

Muhwawon is a perfume workshop at 23 Yulgok-ro 6-gil, 3rd floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul. A class takes about 1 hour 30 minutes on average, and you can make one of three things: perfume, a car freshener or a diffuser.

• Address: 23 Yulgok-ro 6-gil, 3rd floor, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• Class length: about 1 hour 30 minutes on average
• Class types: perfume, car freshener, diffuser

Where to park when driving to Muhwawon

If you come by car, it's easiest to use a public lot nearby such as the Changdeokgung No. 1 Parking Lot. After we booked, Muhwawon sent us a text message with the parking lot closest to the shop before our visit.

• Changdeokgung No. 1 Parking Lot
• Address: 97 Unni-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul
• Fee: ₩1,200 per 10 minutes
• Daily fee: ₩25,000

It's close to Anguk Station, Bukchon, Changdeokgung, Insa-dong, Ikseon-dong and Seosunra-gil, so it's easy to pair the class with a café or a good meal before or after as a date course. That said, the alleys around Bukchon and Anguk Station are narrow and parking isn't easy, so you know how it goes.. you'll save yourself a wasted trip if you plan a Plan B and C ahead instead of searching on the day. For a happy date, couples, let's all remember to check the parking in advance.

If you're driving, I recommend checking the parking lot location before you set out.

How much is the Muhwawon perfume-making class?

The premium 50ml perfume class at Muhwawon is ₩49,000 per person, and we did the basic two-person perfume class for ₩98,000 in total. Besides perfume you can also make a car freshener or a diffuser, and the prices are below. Note that these are per-person prices.

• Premium perfume 50ml: ₩49,000
• Premium car freshener 120ml: ₩59,000
• Premium diffuser 230ml: ₩69,000
• Premium perfume + perfume: ₩79,000
• Premium perfume + car freshener: ₩89,000
• Premium perfume + diffuser: ₩99,000
• Premium diffuser + car freshener: ₩109,000

For a couples date, the perfume + perfume combo lets each of you make one, and for anniversaries or gifts a perfume and diffuser pairing also looked good. The perfume is 50ml, which is plenty to actually use after the class.

How does the Muhwawon perfume-making class work, step by step?

At Muhwawon you sit at a seat you like, then start with a booklet and a short video lesson.

It was explained so clearly that it got me interested, and I was already excited!

Smelling dozens of fragrance oils and marking favourites

The fun of smelling dozens of different scents one by one!

My boyfriend and I had clearly different tastes, which was kind of amazing.

First you smell the various materials and check the ones you like.

Smelling them one by one, I could tell which scents I really liked and which ones didn't suit me as much as I'd expected.

Choosing base, middle and top notes and blending the ratios

What I liked about Muhwawon is that it isn't just picking a scent: you choose the base note, middle note and top note yourself and blend them.

After that, you combine your own ratios to build the perfume in the direction you want.

I was worried blending would be hard at first, but following the explanations step by step, it wasn't as difficult as I thought. The staff steered us along the way so the scent wouldn't get too loud or heavy, so the result turned out much more balanced.

It's not just pouring scent into an empty bottle; you really feel that you chose and combined the scent yourself, so the class felt worth the money. Muhwawon says all of its fragrance materials are safety-certified, genuine ingredients.

They explained the process from start to finish and helped with the tricky parts along the way, so even without golden hands we ended up with a well-finished result.

Making perfumes for each other as a couple's gift

At Muhwawon, my boyfriend and I each made a scent we thought would suit the other and gave it as a gift. Making one to your own taste is nice too, but making a scent you'd like the other person to wear felt more meaningful.

Choosing scents involves a lot more back-and-forth conversation than you'd expect.

"This one suits you really well," "This one is too sweet," "This one smells like soap, I like it."

Matching each other's tastes like this was a lot of fun.

Is Muhwawon a good indoor date near Seosunra-gil and Bukchon?

If you're after a different kind of indoor date in Seoul near Seosunra-gil, Bukchon and Anguk Station, I'd recommend the Muhwawon perfume workshop. You can enjoy it comfortably in a cool indoor space even on a hot summer day, and the process of choosing and blending scents was quite meaningful as a couples date.

They guide you well from start to finish and help with the difficult parts, so even people who don't know much about perfume can make one they're happy with. The finished perfume is something you can actually use, so it wasn't a date that leaves only photos, but an experience that stays in your memory.