Bukchon perfume workshop before the Gyeongbokgung night tour: Muhwawon

Why a perfume workshop made the Bukchon date plan

Today I was looking for what kind of fresh, offbeat date to try next.

Last time we made rings together at a ring-making studio and it was so fun that I thought — let's try a different kind of workshop this time. Plus I'd managed to snag tickets for the Gyeongbokgung night tour, so it seemed perfect to pair with a date around Bukchon in Seoul.

That's how I found 'Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop' (무화원 북촌향수공방) near Anguk Station in Jongno. The name and meaning — a scent blooming like mist in a garden — already felt like it was going to be something special, so I booked it on Naver right away. The experience takes roughly 1 hour to 1.5 hours.

For reference, I'm the kind of low-quality(?) guy who doesn't even know any perfume brands aside from the Diptyque my girlfriend once gave me, and barely wears fragrance at all — but the perfume-making process was way more fun than I expected. I even got called soft and romantic (에겐남) there, ugh.

This is my review of making a premium 50ml perfume at 'Bukchon Perfume Workshop' by Muhwawon, a Bukchon date course in Seoul.

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop: hours, price and what you make

• Address: 서울 종로구 율곡로6길 23 3층 (23 Yulgok-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea, 3rd floor)
• Hours: Daily 12:00–22:00
• Groups/reservations available
• Paid parking

How the perfume-making class works, step by step

Perfume-making at Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop starts with a brief explanation, followed by actually smelling scents and checking off the ones you want and like.

It was fun smelling so many different scents and picking out the ones I liked, the ones I wanted to put into my own perfume. In my case, I wanted a woody scent, something like a forest. My girlfriend liked a floral soap scent.

After writing down the scent you're going for, you pick at least 6 scents you preferred out of 48-plus options, and then get feedback from the perfumer — that's how it goes!

After that, they blend the scents with a dropper according to the ratios you wrote down. Each drop adds about 0.02g, so it was nerve-wracking making sure not to go over — honestly super fun.

Naming your own scent and the packaging you take home

Finally, they wrap it up beautifully, and you get to name the scent yourself. Kind of like the engraving at the ring-making studio — couples could write each other's nicknames or pet names lol. So making one for each other seems like it'd be a lot of fun too!

Honestly, as a dopamine-soaked ENTP, I was worried it might get boring, but it was genuinely so much fun lol. The scent I tried right before finalizing was so exactly me that I can't wait to actually wear it! FYI, it needs 2 weeks to age.

Where Muhwawon is and what the studio looks like inside

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop is easy to reach from Anguk Station Exit 4 or Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 6, and it sits on a street near tiled-roof buildings like Unhyeongung Palace, so you really get that Bukchon atmosphere.

The interior has a really upscale feel. Every seat was already full of people! I could totally see why this place is known as a hot Bukchon date course in Seoul lately — great for couples, but it also has a girly vibe, so it seemed like a lot of women were there doing it with friends too.

Besides perfume, you can also make diffusers or car air fresheners, so it's worth checking out in different ways ^^

Is Muhwawon worth it before the Gyeongbokgung night tour?

That's my review of making a premium 50ml perfume at 'Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop,' a place I'd recommend checking out in Seoul right now, and a great Bukchon date course. I ended up getting more excited than my girlfriend and totally exposed my soft side lol. Can't be the only one caught like that — bring your boyfriend along and see if he's got that softer side too, lol.