Jeonju Hanok Village Free & Easy: 3D2N Itinerary

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jeonju hanok village

I have been writing about Jeonju in my past 3 blog posts. In fact, this beautiful provincial city in Jeollabuk-do is where I’d strongly recommend for a Free and Easy trip, whether or not you are a first-timer or a Korea-travel-pro. Being a city with rich history and culture, Jeonju has distinguishing characteristic that tells it apart from the usual cities we are familiar with. (Such as Seoul, Busan or Jeju Island).

It is easy to do a Free & Easy trip to Jeonju. If you’re planning a relaxing trip to Korea but tired of the usual itinerary, and if your definition of “relaxing” includes wandering around the city, soaking up in the traditional, laid-back, cafe-hoping kind of atmosphere, Jeonju is the ideal destination. 

Important Notice: Please note that I have stopped updating all South Korea-related content published before 2020 on this blog. You may find all updated South Korea travel content at my dedicated, new travel site here: www.thecalmchronicle.com
street of jeonju

The Jeonju Hanok Village has quite an array of things to check out. (And things look appealing under your camera lens as well). The best part? Each site mentioned in the post is within walking distance so it requires minimal travelling. Just pack your bag, catch your bus/ train and enjoy your stay right in the village.

So I am going to share my  3D2N Free & Easy itinerary to Jeonju with you here in the post. This itinerary covers almost every essential activities one should do in Jeonju. However, since I was traveling with the folks, the trip is more a relaxed one than an ambitious one. We did not follow the itinerary thoroughly. Anyway, I’ll still share my plan up here in the post.

Jeonju free & Easy Itinerary

This whole Itinerary includes:

✓Jeonju Hanok Village Tour
(Including Cafe and Street Foods, check my Jeonju Street Food Guide HERE)
✓Jaman Mural Village
✓Jeondong Cathedral
✓Nambu Market + Youth Mall
✓Gyeonggi-Jeon Shrine
✓Omokdae & Imokdae
✓Jeonju Hyang-gyo (Jeonju Confucian School)
✓Must Eat Foods (Bibimbap, Ddeok-galbi and Kalguksu)

Transportation:

From Seoul to Jeonju Hanok Village:
Free Shuttle service is ONLY available from Spring to early December. Since my trip was in late december, I had to travel via Korail train service. The Train departs from Yongsan Station (용산역) in Seoul and reaches Jeonju via Jeonju Train Station (전주역). There are two kinds of trains bound for Jeonju from Yongsan Station: KTX and Mugunghwa.

KTX offers express service. It takes about 2 hours to reach Jeonju and, of course, comes with higher price (Economy class ticket at KRW 32,900 for an adult per single trip).Mugunghwa travels at normal speed, which takes about 3 hours to reach Jeonju and cost about KRW 17,600.To reserve a ticket, simply check the ticket available on the Korail Train Reservation Site (Click Meavailable in English.

For more information about the free shuttle bus service (frequency, timing etc.), please check here. Do note that this service is made available only to foreigners.

Within Jeonju Hanok Village: 
By foot! 😉

Jeonju 3D2N Day 1 

Summary:
830am depart from Yongsan Station→ 12.30 noon reached Jeonju Station → Check-in at Becky’s Gallery & Guesthouse → Lunch at Veteran Kal-guksu (베테랑 Knife cut noodles) → Jeonju Omokdae (오목대) →   Jeonju Mural Village(자만 벽화마을)  → Imokdae (이목대) →Jeonju Hyang-gyo Confucian School (전주향교) → Bibimbap for Dinner.

Check-in at Becky’s Gallery & Guesthouse 백희

Becky was the place I called home for my 3D2N Jeonju Trip. It is a cafe cum gallery cum guesthouse in Jeonju Hanok Village. Check more pictures about Becky and my review here.

becky cafe 2
Photo courtesy of Becky Guesthouse.
Photo courtesy of Becky Guesthouse.

Lunch at Veteran Kal-guksu 베테랑 (Knife cut noodles)

A Kal-guksu (칼국수 Knife Cut Noodles) house that started their business in 1977. Very similar to the Chinese刀削面, or what we call Ban-mian, this bowl of Kal-guksu is a popular dish at the Hanok Village, especially in the winter. Cooking method is quite identical to our Ban-mian: Noodles are thinly sliced from a dough and cooked in anchovies stock soup, add an egg, drizzle some chilli oil and dried seaweed, voila!  The shop offers man-doo (meat dumplings, KRW 4,000) as well. A relatively economical meal in Jeonju. Each bowl goes at KRW 5000.

Address:
전라북도 전주시 완산구 교동 84-10.
84-10, Gyo-dong, Wansan-Gu, Jeonju-si. Jeollabukdo.
9am-930pm.

veteran kalguksu jeonju

P1013555e1

Jeonju Omokdae & Imokdae Pavilion 오목대& 이목대

This pavilion located right beside the Jeonju Hanok Village is a victory pavilion where general Lee Seong Gye celebrated his victory over Japanese pirates in 1380. The general later became King Taejo, the first King of Joseon Dynasty. A smaller “pavilion” beside Omokdae is called Imokdae, where it kept a stone stele written by King Gojong. The Stele is a monument to the ancestors of General Lee Seong Gye. It was originally stood opposite the mountain (where Lee’s ancestors were born), but moved to the current location.

It was extremely crowded during my visit and I wasn’t able to get a satisfying wide angle shot. So here’s two very beautiful shots by Tistory Blogger island 1969, during his visit to Omokdae & Imokdae Pavilion in a beautiful winter.

Photo from Tistory Blogger: http://island1969.tistory.com/entry/%EC%A0%84%EC%A3%BC%EC%98%A4%EB%AA%A9%EB%8C%80%EC%97%90%EC%84%9C-%EC%95%84%EC%B9%A8%EC%9D%84
Photo from Tistory Blogger: island1969.
Imokdae. Picture from Tistory Blogger: http://island1969.tistory.com
Imokdae. Picture from Tistory Blogger sland1969.
omokdae pavilion
omokdae pavilion

More pictures along the trail to Omokdae Pavilion:

climbing uphill to wall painting village
jaman wall painting village jeonju
on the way to omokdae

Jeonju Mural Village 자만 벽화마을

Jaman-Dong Mural Village, a whimsical little village famed for its wall paintings. It is a good place to kill your time, but not a must. Steep slopes are probably the greatest problem you’ll face if you’re traveling with the folks, maybe you’ll need to check their condition before climbing up to the village.

jaman wall painting village jeonju
jaman wall painting village jeonju
wall painting 3
jaman wall painting village jeonju
jaman wall painting village jeonju

Jeonju Hyang-gyo 전주향교

Th Jeonju Hyang-gyo is a Confucian school that was established during the Joseon Dynasty. It is known as the national education center during the Joseon Dynasty. The school was originally located at the Gyeonggijeon Shrine site but was relocated in 1603. I did not go to this place for this trip, so here’s three pictures I found online. But I’ll be back in Spring and hopefully, I can replace them with my own work. So till then!

Jeonju Hyanggyo
Photo courtesy Tistory Blogger: island1969
Jeonju Hyanggyo
Photo courtesy of Tistory Blogger: island1969
Jeonju Hyanggyo
Photo courtesy of Tistory Blogger: island1969

Dinner: Bibimbap at Hankook-Jib 한국집

There are various places for bibimbap in Jeonju Hanok Village. I had mine at Hankook-jib 한국집, which is slightly off the main streets of Hanok Village, but a brief 2 mins walk from Becky’s Guesthouse. It is quite famous among locals, also visited by President Park Geun Hye recently. According to the restaurant, President Park Chung-hee also dined at the restaurant during his visit to Jeonju.

The restaurant provides 3 kinds of Bibimbap, the Yuk-hoe Bibimbap (육희 비빔밥) a kind of bibimbap with raw beef, or tartare instead of usual bulgogi; Dolsot Bibimbap (돌솥 비빔밥), which is served in hot stone pot, and Brassware Bibimbap (놋그릇 비빔밥), also called Jeonju Bibimbap which comes in muted gold colour tableware, and is said to be prepared based on royal court dish.

Address:
한국집 비빔밥. 전북 전주시 완산구  전동 2가-21번지.
Hankook-Jib. Jeondong yi(2) ga, 21 bonji, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-Si, Jeollabukdo.

hangukjib 1
Bibimbap in brassware. 놋그릇 비빔밥 KRW 11,000
hangookjib dolsot bibimbap
Dolsot Bibimbap 돌솥 비빔밥 KRW 11,000
hangookjib bibimbap jeonju
Side dishes for Bibimbap.
hangookjib bibimbap jeonju, parkeunhye president
Hankook-jib bibimbap jeonju
한국집 전주

After dinner: Rest

Jeonju 3D3N Day 2

Summary:  Breakfast at Gilgoria Baguette →  Jeondong Cathedral 전동성당 → Jeonju Nambu Market 남부시장 → Real New Town Youth Mall (Inside Nambu Market) 청녕몰 →  Jeonju Market by the River → Gyeonggi-Jeon 경기전 → Hanok-Village Street Food 한옥마을 길거리 → Cafe → Dinner at Elu-hwa Ddeokgalbi Restaurant 에류화 떡갈비.

Breakfast: Gilgoria Baguette 길거리아

One of the very popular street foods in Jeonju Hanok Village. Since the baguette and Dawoo-rang dumplings stall are located on the same direction to the Cathedral and Nambu Market, If you’re keen on completing your street food tour in Jeonju in a day, I suggest you to get these two extra popular street foods checked before embarking your excursion of the day. The queues are less crazy if you’re early.

jeonju st food 10 gilgoria baguette
gilgoria baguette jeonju

Jeondong Cathedral 전동성당

A Catholic Cathedral built in 1914, in honor of Roman Catholic martyrs of the Joseon Dynasty on the very same spot the martyrs lost their lives. It is famed for its unique combination of Byzantine and Romanesque architectural styles, one of the most beautiful cathedral in Korea. I blogged about the Cathedral earlier here .

jongdong cathedral 4
jongdong cathedral jeonju
jongdong cathedral 2

Jeonju Nambu Market 남부시장

Located 10 minutes away from the Hanok Village, the Nambu Market is another place worth explore. Traces and bits of history can be found at the market. Ginseng, Herbal Medicine, fresh veggies and even beddings are available here at the indoor market. Soondae (Blood Sausage Soup) is the delicacy here — but too bad I just don’t know the art of appreciating pig blood sausage yet so I decided to give it a miss.

jeonju nambu market
nambu market jeonju
nambu market jeonju

Market by the River

Walking out from the covered market, heading towards the river, that is where you’ll see an outdoor market, with approximately 800 stalls along the river. It was a late morning (about 11am) so I supposed it was already off-peak hours at the market. Further across the river stood a few booths selling fresh vegetables and fruits. It is quite an interesting place to check out.

nambu market jeonju 100 years
nambu market 4
nambu market jeonju
Nambu Market Jeonju

nambu market jeonju

Real New Town Youth Mall (Inside Nambu Market) 청녕몰

On your way back to the Hanok Village, please remember to make a detour trip to the indoor market– the are a more to check out — The Cheongnyeon Mall (or Real New Town Youth Mall),  where you might find some hidden gems.

Located at the 2nd level of the indoor Nambu Market, this place is a cluster for young designers and baristas. Making good use of the aged shophouses, these small cafes, bars, art galleries, board games shops and accessories shops are a perfect mix of the old and new. Certainly a place of exceptional charm.

jeonju youth mall
nambu market youth mall jeonju
nambu market youth mall jeonju
nambu market youth mall jeonju
jeonju youth mall
jeonju youth mall postcard shop
nambu market youth mall jeonju

Below is a short clip by Arirang TV featuring the Nambu Market and the New Town Youth Mall located at the 2nd level of the market.

Gyeonggi-jeon Shrine 경기전

This shrine was build in 1410, and holds the portraits of King Taejo and his successors such as Sun-jong, Cheol-jong, Yeong-jo and many others can be found on display. The King Taejo and his queen is enshrined at the Jogyeong Shrine within the Gyeonggi Jeon. Part of the shrine is destroyed during the invasion of foreign forces in 1592-1598. The current structure that we see now here in the Gyeonggi-Jeon Shrine is a rebuild in 1614.

I did not spend long time here at the shrine despite visiting Jeonju twice in two months. As such, there isn’t any good pictures of the shrine taken by me.  The compound looks identical to a palace, no doubtedly less fancy. Well you can search online for more pictures if you wish to understand more about it.

Hanok-Village Street Food 한옥마을 길거리

You can’t leave Jeonju without trying their street food. If you are a foodie like me, there is no reason for you to go out hunting. I’ve compiled a Jeonju Street Food Guide earlier, I am pretty sure there are more to explore. Prepare your stomach for a feast!

collage jeonju st food

Cafe: 산책 Taste & Walk Cafe  UPDATE MARCH 2015: Cafe Closed. 

A quaint Hanok cafe 산책 (Taste & Walk Cafe) located beside Eun-haeng-Jeong (은행정 银杏亭) is a perfect place to rest after a tiring food hunt. It is a cafe cum Italian restaurant build in a private hanok, with its own garden. Since it is hidden behind an alley, this place is relatively quiet. Coffee and the rice cakes are great. I am not too sure about their pizzas and spaghetti, but online reviews are positive.

Address:
전북 전주시 완산구 풍남동 3가 74-25
74-25 Pungnam-dong Sam(3)ga, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabukdo.

cafe sanchek jeonju
sanchek 2
cafe in jeonju : sanchek
cafe sanchek jeonju
cafe sanchek jeonju
cafe sanchek jeonju

Exploring Jeonju Hanok Village

Famed as the starting point of Joseon Dynasty, Jeonju and its Hanok Village is brimming with that classic, ancient charm. Hanok shop houses, hanok cafes and stone wall trails (돌담길) are common scene in the village. Visitors are also allowed to rent hanbok at about KRW 5,000 for that old Joseon experience. That’s why you see people walking around wearing Hanbok. This city with remnants of beauty left from the past definitely worth spending half a day or more to explore.

street of jeonju hanok village
street of jeonju hanok village
street of jeonju hanok village
hanbok rental in jeonju
street of jeonju hanok village

Dinner: Elu-hwa Ddeokgalbi Restaurant 에루화 떡갈비

Dinner is settled at a ddeok-galbi (bbq pork patty) house at Elu-hwa 에루화. These yummilicious minced pork patty goes at KRW 8,500 per person. It was partly cooked and served on a grill. Salad and other fresh vegetables, together with a few side dishes are served together with the patties. Wrap the piece of patty with lettuce, slightly grilled garlic and some pickled onion slice… and this package of juiciness, freshness, and a hint of sweetness from the marinated meat will make you go mmmmm! Not a fan of cold noodles so I ordered a mini bibimbap to complete the meal. Nicely scented with sesame oil, this bowl goodness just disappeared within minutes.

For dessert, head to the huge pots of biscuits and grilled chestnuts located right at the entrance. Those are for free! *Dessert menu changes according to the season*

Address:
에루화. 전북 전주시 완산구 서신동 932-10
932-10 Seo Sin-dong, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabukdo.

Ye Lu-Hwa Deokgalbi Jeonju
Ye Lu-Hwa Deokgalbi Jeonju
Ye Lu-Hwa Deokgalbi Jeonju
Ye Lu-Hwa Deokgalbi Jeonju
Ye Lu-Hwa Deokgalbi Jeonju

WHY should one do Free-and-Easy in Jeonju?

It is easy to do a Free & Easy trip to Jeonju, even if you don’t speak Korean. English signboards are available at important places such as KTX stations and bus stations. The Jeonju Hanok Village itself has two tourist information centers (if I remembered correctly) and they offer maps in English. Take the free map in BOTH English and Korean Language so that it is easier for locals to help you around with that map in Korean.

If there is one city to recommend, other than Busan or Jeju Island, it’ll be Jeonju. In terms of convenience, it is just a 2-3 hours train ride from Seoul. The rest of the place are within walking distance.

What is more, there are plenty of stuffs to check out even within the Hanok Village itself. The Hanok stay is one great experience, renting Hanbok as cheap as KRW5,000 and walk around Jeonju in your Hanbok is another. Not to mention about Jeonju’s culinary skills, which is a nation pride — make Jeonju a foodie paradise.

Most importantly, with free-and-easy tour, you get to choose what you want to do, and how long you want to spend at certain places — this is particularly very important to me. Isn’t it a waste if you like certain place and would loved to spend more time there but have to move on to another place just because you are only given a stupid 40 minutes by your tour guide to eat, take picture, and shop? xD

HOW to wander around if I don’t speak Korean?

I’d say it is not really a problem if you do your homework — my itinerary above may help you a bit.

The Koreans learn English since young. On average, their command of English might not be as fluent, but most of them are equipped with good listening skills. Try to enunciate clearly, especially your “r” and “t”. Use short sentence, and speak in a slow, clear manner. Sometimes “No Ketchup.” works much better than “Please do not put ketchup in my burger”.

Roughly speaking, I find their younger generation speaks better English. Especially those born after 90s. Korean parents spent 20 trillion Won (USD 18 Billion) in private education each year, much of it on English Education. It is quite popular for them to send their kids to overseas English camp. I have came across Korean kids speaking English way better than our kids at home. My point is, try to speak to younger Koreans for better communication.

In a local restaurant and surrounded by mid-40s ajumma waitresses? Waitresses at famous restaurants are likely to speak simple English or even Mandarin. If worse come to worst, show them the photo of the food with hand gesture of the amount you’d like to order.

Having problems navigating around? Always have the Korean version of the address with you — this is also the reason why you can find Korean version of the address on every single posts on my blog. Most cabs here are equipped with GPS navigation system. Give the address to the cabby or call your hotel lobby/guesthouse owner and let the Koreans communicate.

See you in Jeonju! ; )

40 Comments

  1. hi we will be taking the free shuttle bus in april
    but would like to a meal a Ye-lu-hwa Ddeokgalbi Restaurant before we deparat5pm

    do they serve meal at 3pm?

    • Hi Tham,
      I hope my reply comes in time.
      I am not too sure if they operate at 3pm. I think the best way is to go before 230pm to avoid disappointment. ; )

  2. Hello! Didnt know there was so much to do in Jeonju. May I know how you got around Jeonju? Did you just walk from one place to another or with public transports? Thanks!

    • Hi Lily, as I have mentioned in the post, everything in the itinerary are within walking distance. You can just explore the hanok village and cover some of the major historical sites by foot! Easy 🙂 Of course if you want to check out the Fortress, temples etc, you have to travel out of the Hanok Village, it that case you need to take public transport and cab.

  3. May i know id there a free shuttle bus from Busan to Jeonju n if have what’s the frequency n timings when departing from
    Tks1

    • hello, as much as I know there’s only shuttle service available from Seoul to Jeonju.
      For other information (frequency and timing etc.), you might want to check the site which is already linked above, under the “Transportation” section. : )

  4. Hi there,
    I’m planning to go to Jeonju from Seoul, then also make a 2D1N or 3D2N trip to Busan.
    May I know if its better to get to Busan from Jeonju? It seems like there’s no direct line on the KTX from Jeonju to Busan, do you know any easier way?
    Thanks!

    • Hello Lina,
      There’s no direct train (Mugunghwa or KTX) from Jeonju to Busan. You’ll need to transit a few times if you want to take train.
      I would suggest you to take bus if you want to travel directly from Jeonju to Busan.
      You can take a bus from Jeonbuk Bus Terminal 전주 시외버스 공용 터미널 (address: 705-10 Geumam 1(il)-dong, Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea) and take a direct bus to Busan Seobu Bus Terminal 부산 서부 버스 터미널. The journey is about 3 hours 37 minutes.
      After arriving at Busan Seobu Terminal, you can travel via subway to any place you want in Busan. The nearest subway station to the terminal is Sasang Station.

  5. Hi there, thank you for the useful article.

    I’ll be travelling with my parents in Nov from Seoul>Jeonju>Busan. While I’ve registered for the free shuttle bus, just in case I don’t get a ticket, is it better to travel from Seoul to Jeonju via KTX or express bus?

    Thank you in advance!

    • Hello! I am not too sure about the express bus though.
      If you can’t get the shuttle bus ticket, I recommend taking the train service (either KTX or Mugunghwa), but that is because I am more familiar with the train system in South Korea. Personally I think their train service is more organized.
      Also, if you’ve successfully registered for the free shuttle service, it is highly impossible you don’t get a ticket 🙂

  6. Thank you for sharing your itinerary and experience in Jeonju! My husband and I plan to visit in March so your experience will help a lot! 🙂

  7. Hi,
    May I know is there any free shuttle bus from Incheon airport to Jeonju ?
    or how to travel from Incheon airport to Jeonju?

    Thanks

    • Hi Koong,
      As far as I know, there isn’t free shuttle service from Incheon airport to Jeonju.
      The best and easiest way is to travel from Incheon Airport to Seoul, then take the shuttle bus or train services from Seoul to Jeonju.
      As for meeting point etc. (for shuttle service) I remember it was Gwanghwamun Station, not too sure, please click on the link provided in my content to find out more on where to board the shuttle. The website linked above is in English.

      I hope that helps 😉

  8. Hi, do you recommend us to sign up for the city tour bus in jeonju, or find our own transport in jeonju like you do?

    • Hi Jia Ying, did you mean the Jeonju-Seoul shuttle service? If that is what you’re referring to, it is a fuss-free and English-friendly bus cater for foreigners.
      If you can speak/read Korean with no problems navigating around (by public transport or even communicating with the taxi driver) I would say go by your own.
      Reason being the meeting point for the shuttle bus is quite far away from the Hanok village, and you’ll be tied down to the bus schedule. Arranging your own transport will give you the flexibility.

  9. Hi,

    I’m going to Jeonju this October & your article is so helping.Just a question,you took the train to Jeonju right?Is the Jeonju station far from the Hanok Village area.Thank you.

    • Hi Shima,
      Thanks for commenting and I am glad the post helped. 🙂
      There are public buses connecting the Jeonju KTX station to the Hanok Village, however you’ll need to transit twice to reach the village and the total time needed is about 30-45 mins.
      I would suggest you to take a cab right outside the train station, and it doesn’t cost much too. 20 mins ride at about 6,400-7,000 won.

  10. Hi I am truly inspired by your site and the content on it. I am thinking of a trip to Korea in January and I am looking into exploring Jeonju.

    Do you think it is possible to complete:
    ✓Jeonju Hanok Village Tour
    ✓Nambu Market + Youth Mall
    ✓Omokdae & Imokdae
    ✓Jeonju Hyang-gyo (Jeonju Confucian School)
    + Street Food

    within a full day?

    I would assume myself to leave from Seoul (Yongsan).

    Thanks & looking forward to your reply. Once again, awesome blog!

    • Truly sorry I missed your comment. It all depends on what type of traveller you are.
      I think it is possible to complete them all on one day, but you might not be able to catch the last shuttle bus back as i remember it leaves Jeonju quite early in the evening. Give the hanok village 2 hrs, hyanggyo 1 hr, Omokdae + Imokdae and the walking about 1 -2 hrs…It will be a very fulfilling day, but it is completely doable.

  11. Hi there,
    Thanks for the post on Jeonju! Very insightful and definitely will help in my planning if I decides on Jeonju. ?
    Now I am torn between Busan and Jeonju.. lol..

  12. Hi, I am trying to take a 6.20am KTX Train from Jeonju Station. Will it be easy to get a cab from the Hanok Village at an early hour of 5.30am?

    • Hey, I guess it should be fine. I took the same KTX before and grabbed a cab at the main road around the same time. Hope this helps?

  13. Thank you so much for this review! We are looking at stopping in Jeonju with our 5 children on our way to Alpensia for skiing. What is your opinion on renting a car and driving from Seoul to Jeonju and then from Jeonju to Pyeongchang? Thank you!!

    • Hey Erika,

      If you have a GPS, car rental could be a great idea to travel around Korea. However it will be a detour from Jeonju –> Pyeongchang. Jeonju is at North Gyeongsam province, somewhere at the south west side of Seoul city, but Pyeongchang is located at Gangwon-do, somewhere to the east of Seoul. I would recommend you not to travel these two places on one trip.

  14. Hi,
    Can i check with you about the KTX fare that you purchased, is it a round trip fare or single trip fare? Thank you.

    • Hi Violez,

      Sorry for the confusion. A single trip from Seoul to Jeonju will cost about KRW 34,400 +- as of 2017 🙂
      I have also updated the article, thank you so much for raising your queries 😀

  15. Hello, your blog is very informative with a lot of beautiful pictures. I will visit South Korea with this itinerary : Seoul – 3D2N Jeonju – 2D1N Suncheon – Seoul , do you think korail pass is worth it or should I go with regular train ticket purchase? Since your blog is already cover all the places that I would like to go, It really save my time to make the itinerary ^^

    • Hi Sirly,

      if you’re travelling a lot, say to Jeonju, Suncheon, Busan within one week, I would say Korail pass is well worth your money. A 7 day unlimited pass cost about KRW 176,000 for two pax. Two return KTX ride from Seoul to Busan cost you about KRW 239,200. If you plan your itinerary wisely, the 7D pass is really a good deal.

  16. Hi Pheuron
    I am planning a trip to Jeonju in April 2017 and your itinerary is so informative. Thanks!!
    May I know whether I have to purchase in advance the tickets and reserve seats on the KTX (Seoul to Jeonju), bus (Jeonju to Busan) and KTX (Busan to Seoul).

    In addition, does South Korea has a 7 Days Pass for unlimited travel on trains and buses?

    • Hello Jennifer,

      Glad to know that the write up is helping 🙂
      Early booking of KTX/ Bus/ Shuttle service is recommended because April is a peak period to travel, especially during the cherry blossom period.

      and yes, Korea has unlimited travel package, but only limited to all Korail services (Mugunghwa train, KTX, ITX, Otrain, Vtrain etc.) You may check out the rates and regulations here: http://www.letskorail.com/ebizbf/EbizBfKrPassAbout.do

  17. Hi Pheuron,

    Do you need to be able to speak Korean to communicate in Jeonju? Or simple English/Chinese they would still understand?

    • Hi Amelia,

      Joenju has become more and more popular with foreigners so I believe many can understand Eng/Chi.

  18. Hi do you think I can do a day trip if these are the places/things I plan to cover?
    Jeonju hanok village
    rent hanbok
    Food
    P&B chocopie
    omokdae
    jaman mural village
    nambu market

    is jaman mural village walking distance from the hanok village? how much time is needed at the mural village?

    thanks!

    im considering to take the second ktx train back to seoul.

    • Hello Stephanie,

      It really depends on your travel style. If you’re the been there done that kind, or what the Korean say “bali bali” style, I am sure you’ll be able to cover all. It also depends if you’re going over the weekend as there’ll be crowds and queues everywhere hence you may not be able to complete the above in 1 day.

      Based on my experience, you’ll only be able to settle the above in one day, provided that it is a weekday, you arrived early, and you’re fast in selecting your hanbok. (some girls took 2 hrs to choose/match their hanbok). Some of the cafe/ palace closes on Monday too.

      Jaman mural village is of walking distance from the hanok village. Again it depends on your travel style/ crowd situation to see if you can settle it within an hr. It’s an uphill slope so I don’t think you can complete within 30 mins. But i think normal speed with a pair of comfortable walking shoes, any healthy person can complete within 1.5 hours with some snap and go photo taking session.

  19. Eluhwa Ddeokgalbi Restaurant – worth going or not as it is quite far from becky. are you taking cab or bus to go there ? how much would be fare like ?

    • Hey Chris, it’s not too far. Should be able to walk as Eluhwa is located right in the bustling streets of hanok village. Taste wise its really very subjective. I’d say Koreans love it, I find the taste not bad, and the fact that they have freebies (appetiser and dessert) lolx

  20. Hi, My family and I are off to seoul for 10 days holiday. I have read a number of blogs detailing activities and their experience to Jeonju. We would like to give Jeonju a go for a day, I am just slightly concerned that as Blacks (African- americans – touring by ourselves using your guide, how feasible is that or best to do a group tour. Does it matter…honest view please.

    • Hello Braze,

      I don’t think there will be any matter for anyone to check out Jeonju! Its quite an international city due to their very active tourist promotion campaign so i believe you’ll have a wonderful time there! 🙂

  21. Hello there! Came across your blog and thank god i chance upon it. I really love your photos and content. Is it okay if i ask what kind of camera did you use? I’m travelling to Korea next year during Spring, but sadly i’m afraid we won’t be going to jeonju. However am really excited for the trip!

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