Jeonju Day Trip: Twenty-Five Twenty-One & the Hanok Village
Why Jeonju
Twenty-Five Twenty-One planted its whole neighborhood here, and everything sits inside or beside Jeonju Hanok Village (전주한옥마을) — Korea’s largest hanok district and arguably its best food town. Every drama spot below is walkable from the next; the only transit you need is the train there and a city bus from the station. It’s also the rare day trip that upgrades naturally into an overnight in a hanok guesthouse.
KTX from Yongsan runs about 1h50m, ~₩34,000 each way — book both directions on Korail’s English app or Klook; weekend seats go fast.
The route
| Time | Stop | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 07:00 | KTX from Yongsan | Aim for arrival by ~09:00 |
| 09:20 | Jeonju Station → Hanok Village | City bus ~25 min (₩1,500) or taxi ~₩8,000 |
| 09:45 | Jeonju Hyanggyo (전주향교) | The Confucian school courtyard where Hee-do and Yi-jin talk under the ginkgo trees — magical in late autumn |
| 10:30 | Hanbyeokgul Tunnel (한벽굴) | 10-min walk; the confession and the final-episode goodbye were both shot in this short rail tunnel |
| 11:15 | Hanbok rental + Gyeonggijeon Shrine (경기전) | Rentals from ~₩15,000; the shrine and Jeondong Cathedral (전동성당) across the street are the village’s two photo anchors |
| 12:30 | Lunch | Jeonju bibimbap (전주비빔밥) — this is its hometown; kongnamul gukbap is the local-favorite alternative |
| 14:00 | Seohak Art Village (서학예술마을) | Cross Namcheongyo Bridge (남천교); the Sori Mill (소리방앗간) here played the book-rental shop where Yi-jin worked |
| 15:30 | Omokdae viewpoint (오목대) | The postcard panorama over the hanok rooftops — the drama’s establishing-shot view |
| 16:30 | Gaeksa café street + PNB choco pie (풍년제과) | Jeonju’s famous bakery souvenir, by the box |
| 17:30 | Bus/taxi back to Jeonju Station | ~17:40–18:40 KTX gets you to Seoul by ~20:30 |
Make it an overnight
Jeonju after the day-trippers leave is the better Jeonju. Hanok guesthouses inside the village run ₩50,000–120,000, the alleys empty out by dusk, and on Friday–Saturday nights the Nambu Night Market (남부야시장) fires up its food stalls five minutes’ walk away. Agencies sell exactly this as a 2-day KTX package — doing it yourself is straightforward and cheaper.
Tips
- Hanbok changes the day. Most visitors wear one all afternoon (₩15,000–25,000 for 4 hours); the village’s photo culture is built around it, and the 2521 spots all read better in costume.
- Paste the Korean names above into Naver Map — several of these (한벽굴, 소리방앗간) barely surface in English search.
- Late October–early November turns the hyanggyo’s 400-year-old ginkgos gold — the drama’s exact look, and the year’s busiest weekends. Book trains early.
- Luggage lockers at Jeonju Station make this an easy stop on a longer route south (Gwangju, Yeosu) instead of a round trip.