Hanok Village and the Nambu night market

[From Jeonju Station] This plan assumes the 06:39 KTX-Sancheon from Suseo, which reaches Jeonju Station around 08:20. City buses 79, 119 and 999 from the station take about 25 minutes to the stop in front of Jeondong Cathedral. Check the bus numbers and train times before you go. Leave your bags at your stay first, and ask ahead whether they'll hold them before check-in. [Gyeonggijeon and Jeondong Cathedral] Gyeonggijeon opens at 09:00 every day, and last entry is an hour before closing. Closing time changes with the season and is 19:00 in September and October. The main hall is under repair in 2026, so you can only see it from outside. Jeondong Cathedral is open inside from 09:00 to 17:00, and you can't go in during Mass. Checked Oct 2026. [Hyanggyo] Open 10:00 to 18:00 and closed on Mondays. Checked Oct 2026. It sits at the quiet southeast end of the Hanok Village. [Hanbok] Lots of people rent hanbok for photos at Gyeonggijeon and Jeondong Cathedral. Most rental shops in the lanes take walk-ins, and Hanboknam asks you to book by the day before. Opening and return times vary by shop. [Omokdae and Jaman Village] Omokdae is a 5 to 10 minute climb up steps and a dirt path, and parts of it are dark at night. Go up around sunset to watch the lights come on between the tiled roofs. Jaman Mural Village, across the footbridge, is a place where people live, so keep your voice down. [Night market] It runs on Friday and Saturday evenings only, and there are no stalls on other days. Start times differ between sources, so after 19:00 is the safe bet, and one report says it opens at 18:00 from November to February. Check before you go. On weekend nights the popular stalls have long lines. If you stay over between Sunday and Thursday, spend the evening in the Hanok Village lanes or take a 15-minute taxi to the makgeolli alley in Samcheon-dong. [If it rains] The hills at Omokdae and Jaman Village get slippery in the rain. Rest in the Royal Portrait Museum inside Gyeonggijeon or at a café looking over the rooftops such as Hanokdang, then go to the night market as planned, since it's under a roof. [Seasons] In November the 400-year-old ginkgo trees at Hyanggyo cover the courtyard in yellow. In July and August the stone lanes get hot, so stay indoors at midday and come out at dusk. From November to February the sun sets early, so see Omokdae first and then head to the night market. [Book ahead] Hanok rooms fill quickly on spring and autumn weekends, and weekend rates run well above weekdays. Book weekend trains back to Seoul as soon as your dates are set, especially to Suseo.

A-CHA is a free app for exchange students in Korea. Swap stops, plan your day and find people to go with.

Photos: by lwy · CC BY 2.0 · 변경함 · ⓒ한국관광공사 · by Junho Jung at Flickr from South Korea · CC BY-SA 3.0 · 변경함 · jillllybean · CC BY-SA 2.0 · 변경함 · Jjw · CC BY 4.0 · 변경함 · Raki_Man · CC BY 3.0 · 변경함