Perfume-making class near Anguk Station in Seoul: Muhwawon

What is Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop?

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop is a perfume-making studio on the 3rd floor of 23 Yulgok-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, right in Bukchon. I'd call it a perfect date course to enjoy in Seoul — making your own perfume in Bukchon, where you can craft your very own special scent and spend precious time doing it.

I liked this place so much that this was my second visit, and I'm genuinely excited to introduce this lovely perfume workshop to the people around me.

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop / 23 Yulgok-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea / a Bukchon perfume workshop that's the perfect Seoul date course

Muhwawon opening hours and how to book

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop is open daily from 12:00 to 22:00. ✨Please book ahead before visiting!✨ To reserve, search 'Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop' on Naver, click reservation, and choose your preferred date and time.

How much does a perfume at Muhwawon cost?

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

Getting to Muhwawon from Anguk Station, plus parking

• ✅ Address: 23 Yulgok-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (6F)
• ✅ Parking: Paid parking available — ₩1,200 for the first 10 minutes, ₩1,200 per additional 10 minutes, ₩25,000 max

It's 410m from Anguk Station Exit 4. I personally love Anguk Station — it's near Samcheong-dong and Insa-dong, so there's always plenty to do nearby. Today's spot, Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop, is a 6-minute walk from Anguk Station Exit 4, or you can also reach it from Jongno 3-ga Station Exit 6, about a 7-minute walk.

Inside the Bukchon studio and the 5-minute orientation

• ✅ Groups welcome
• ✅ Great to visit with friends, a partner, solo, or with your parents ✨✨✨

I visited Muhwawon with my sister again this time, and the session starts with an orientation. It's brief, under 5 minutes, done through a video, and honestly the explanation is clear and the video quality is clean, so everything clicked easily.

Starting the perfume-making class: top, middle and base notes

✨Start✨ While we watched the orientation, the perfumer took some lovely photos of us. I'd heard the OT before, but I still listened carefully to refresh my memory! The OT covers the basics of fragrance — understanding top, middle, and base notes.

The scents of Korea: omija, silver osmanthus and hanji

The name Muhwawon means 'a scent that blooms like mist in a garden,' and the brand was apparently born inspired by the mist rising in Changdeokgung Palace's Secret Garden. What was especially special was the 'scents of Korea' lineup — unique notes like omija (schisandra berry), silver osmanthus, hanji (Korean paper), haesong (coastal pine), and Korean herbal medicine.

After figuring out what kind of fragrance I was after and test-smelling everything to pick my favorites, you bring over the fully prepared scents like this. Personally I was obsessed with the grapefruit and dewberry notes, so I snapped a photo of them.

Blending tests: which notes to add and which to drop

Time to test the scents I picked, mulling over how many drops of each to add. Testing in progress……

Surprisingly, this is when the real deliberation begins — what to keep in, what to leave out. Luckily, if you actively ask the perfumer for help at this point, they coach you kindly and give great advice, which was a huge help.

My sister made four different scents and agonized over which to choose while smelling them! She was making her perfume as a gift for a friend who's getting married soon.

Once you finally settle on your scent, the perfumer tells you exactly how many grams of each to add — it takes more focus than you'd expect! (Though it's not difficult.)

Stirring 100 times and labelling the 50ml bottle

Finally, you give it 100 quick stirs, pour the perfume into the bottle, and finish it off with a custom sticker label with whatever phrase you'd like.

The perfume made at Muhwawon is a scent born from choosing, agonizing, and choosing again, all by yourself — that's what makes it feel like such a special gift. It could be a gift for yourself, or something you make while thinking of someone you love, which would be really special too.

Is Muhwawon worth it as a Bukchon date course?

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop, whose name means 'a scent blooming like mist in a garden,' was so good my sister and I visited twice — and it really does make for a perfect date course in Bukchon. I highly recommend Muhwawon for a genuinely happy time.

Muhwawon Bukchon Perfume Workshop / 23 Yulgok-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea / a Bukchon perfume workshop that's the perfect Seoul date course