Sulwhasoo House Bukchon Review 2026: Docent Tour & Ginseng Class

The Sulwhasoo Flagship Store in Bukchon,

it's famous for its beautiful Hanok building, isn't it?

They often host Sulwhasoo experience events here, and recently, I participated in a docent tour and a ginseng class.

While Sulwhasoo House Bukchon is open for walk-ins, you'll need a reservation to join a class.

The ginseng class usually opens for reservations around the 20th of each month, and it often sells out quickly, so you'll want to book early!

I arrived about 10 minutes before my docent tour reservation, so I took my time exploring Sulwhasoo House first.

Just walking around, you can see how incredibly beautiful this Hanok flagship store is!

Even the restrooms are incredibly clean and comfortable, giving any hotel a run for its money.

I also got to experience making seals using traditional Korean patterns.

Sulwhasoo House Docent Tour

Soon after, the docent tour began!

It was a tour where we explored various parts of Sulwhasoo House with a very friendly docent.

The docent tour started with washing our hands and applying Sulwhasoo essence to the back of our hands.

Sulwhasoo's steady-selling Jaum Saeng Cream was incredibly launched in 2000 and is now in its 6th generation. Over 20 years as a bestseller – how amazing!

It's said that Sulwhasoo's ginseng cream originated from a ginseng cream developed way back in 1966.

This vanity space was also incredibly beautiful, and they especially recommended taking mirror selfies here because they turn out so well, haha!

This compact, said to be a limited edition, was also a real eye-catcher..! Unfortunately, it's no longer available, they said.

The House of Sulwhasoo is comprised of a traditional Korean house (hanok) at the front and a Western-style house (yangok) at the back.

To preserve the distinct atmospheres of both, they reportedly acquired both buildings and remodeled them.

In fact, in the passageway connecting the two buildings, there are traces of the original Western-style house wall remaining,

and it's said they deliberately left it untouched rather than demolishing it, to honor the home's heritage.

After finishing the approximately 10-minute docent tour,

we moved to the Western-style house and headed up to the first floor, where the Sulwhasoo Ginseng Class begins!

Sulwhasoo Ginseng Class Review

The Ginseng Class takes place in the Sulwha Salon on the first floor of the Western-style house, and right away, the exquisite space itself was a major delight.

Stepping further inside, you'll find the tables beautifully set up for the Ginseng Class.

Since only 6 people participate per session, it's no wonder reservations can be quite competitive!

A holistic experience to engage all five senses – my excitement was building even before it began!

The Sulwhasoo Ginseng Class consists of three main themes:

1. Scented Pouch (Hyangnang) Making

2. Bath Bomb Making

3. Ginseng Tea and Dessert Tasting

The very first activity is

1. Scented Pouch (Hyangnang) Making

Here, using the delicate scent of ginseng flowers as a base, we get to make a hyangnang, a traditional scented pouch that Joseon-era women carried like perfume.

Ginseng flowers only bloom after four years of cultivation, and then the blossoms fade quickly, in just about five days. However, during those five days, their fragrance is incredibly potent, which is why the scent from ginseng flowers cultivated by artisans on dedicated farms is used in Sulwhasoo's cosmetic products.

You get to freely stamp the envelopes with seals, creating your sachet pouch exactly to your liking!

Then, after spraying scent onto these stones, and placing them inside following the given instructions, your very own scented pouch is complete!

There was also time to personally experience Sulwhasoo's Jiham Essence and Jiham Cream.

Next up,

2. Making Bath Soak

It's said that different parts of the ginseng plant – like the flowers, seeds, stems, and roots – each have slightly different uses.

Here, we got to combine ginseng powder, rehmannia root, and dried ginseng slices to create our own bath soak that you can steep directly in water!

Finally, we enjoyed the ginseng tea they brewed for us,

3. Ginseng Tea and Dessert Tasting

And even a gift time!

Honestly, I'm not usually a huge fan of ginseng tea 😅, so I didn't find it particularly delicious myself (it was warm and pleasantly bitter!).

But the jeolpyeon (rice cakes) served alongside were surprisingly sweet and tasty, making them a perfect complement.

It was such a rich and fulfilling one-hour class! :)

As a side note, if you step outside, there's a beautifully landscaped garden area.

It's directly connected to the Bukchon O'sulloc Tea House, making it a great spot to explore after your class.

O'sulloc Tea House Bukchon Gift Purchase Review, Bar Sulloc Tea Courseblog.naver.com

Heading back down to the first floor, if you leave a Google Maps review, you can get an additional Jiham Essence sample!

When I got home and unwrapped them, I found a pretty generous haul of gifts!

Three pouches of fermented red ginseng tea, two Jiham Cream samples, two Jiham Essence samples, plus the sachet and air freshener I made myself!

What's especially impressive is that the full-sized Sulwhasoo Jiham Cream is 30ml, but the sample is a generous 10ml!

For a class that costs only ~$7, the giveaways were incredibly good.

The Sulwhasoo Ginseng Class was definitely worth experiencing at least once!

If you have the time, I highly recommend you give it a try! 😉

Sulwhasoo House Bukchon Ginseng Class

Wellness Archive Index

A rich, sensory-satisfying class & delightful gifts

Before Travel (Expectation): ★★★★

During Travel (Experience): ★★★★★

After Travel (Memory): ★★★★★

*What is the Wellness Archive Index?