THINGS TO DO IN HONGDAE · SEOUL
Things to do in Hongdae
Give your Hongdae day a mix of exploring and making something yourself. This guide helps you choose between café stops, browsing shops, a neighborhood walk and a dessert-making class at Clover Baking near Sangsu Station. Start with the weather, who you are visiting with and any confirmed booking times.
Choose your class and date →
What can you do in Hongdae?
Cafés and browsing shops
Choose a café break or browse fashion and independent shops around Hongik University. Check each venue’s current hours before visiting; shopping and cafés do not need to fill your whole day.
An indoor dessert-making class
For a hands-on activity, make Dubai-style chewy cookies or decorate heart tiramisu at our Sangsu studio. This paid experience needs advance booking and studio confirmation.
A neighborhood walk
Explore the streets around Hongik University and continue toward Yeonnam or the Sangsu–Hapjeong side if it suits your route. In rain or extreme heat, keep outdoor stretches short and plan an indoor stop.
Art, culture and music
Hongdae is known for its art and music scene. If you want a gallery visit or a performance, check the venue’s current program, ticket rules and opening hours separately; this guide does not list scheduled events.
A flexible Hongdae itinerary
Start with your confirmed class time and plan the rest of your day around it. Leave time for lunch, browsing shops or a café before travelling to the studio. The closest station we recommend is Sangsu on Subway Line 6, rather than assuming every Hongdae address is beside Hongik University Station.
Arrive at the studio 10 minutes early. After the class, ask how to store your desserts before deciding on your next stop. The studio will confirm the class duration, so avoid booking a train, flight or another timed activity immediately afterwards.
Three ways to arrange your Hongdae day
A date with something to make together
- Pick a café or lunch stop near your route.
- Arrive 10 minutes before your confirmed dessert class.
- Ask about dessert storage, then decide on a walk or another indoor stop.
A rainy-day plan
- Choose cafés or shops that are open that day.
- Add a class only if you booked in advance and received confirmation.
- Check the map before travelling and leave extra time for wet weather.
Friends or a solo visit
- Browse the neighborhood at your own pace.
- Request 1–4 class places and wait for availability confirmation.
- Keep the next stop flexible until the studio confirms class duration.
An indoor activity for a rainy day in Seoul
If you are looking for indoor activities in Seoul, our class takes place inside the studio. You make a dessert yourself instead of only ordering one at a café. Beginners can follow the steps for the Dubai-style chewy cookies or heart tiramisu.
Check the weather while planning ahead: applications close at 23:59 Korea time on the day before the class. We cannot accept same-day bookings, even on a rainy day. Allow extra travel time in wet weather and check your confirmation email before setting off.
A Hongdae date you can make together
A dessert-making date gives you a shared activity as well as a finished treat. If you enjoy decorating, choose the heart tiramisu and personalise its chocolate top. If you want to mix and shape, choose the Dubai chewy cookie class. Look at the studio’s real class photos together before deciding.
Book for the number of people taking part, and wait for the studio’s confirmation before arranging the rest of your date. Arrive 10 minutes early so you can begin together.
A hands-on Seoul stop with friends, or on your own
For a day in Hongdae with friends, making something yourselves adds a different pace to browsing shops and visiting cafés. You can plan a booking for 1–4 guests and compare the two desserts before choosing your class. The studio confirms spaces; a submitted form does not hold them automatically.
Solo travellers can request one place too. Keep an eye on the email address you use to book, including its spam folder. Before your next stop, ask the studio how to store and carry your finished dessert.
A beginner-friendly dessert class in Seoul
This is a one-day, hands-on dessert experience for your trip. You do not need previous dessert-making experience. Follow the steps, ask for help as you go and make a sweet creation to take with you.
The teacher speaks Korean and uses translated instructions and translation apps to support visitors. Tell us before booking if you are concerned about following the steps, or if you have an ingredient allergy. English-language booking information does not mean the class itself is taught in English.
Dubai chewy cookies or heart tiramisu?
The standard Dubai chewy cookie class makes eight cookies: four pistachio and four freeze-dried strawberry. Often called Dujjonku, these are the chewy Korean-style cookies you may have seen on social media. Choose this class if you would like to try the mixing-and-shaping side of dessert making.
The heart tiramisu class makes one heart-shaped tiramisu per person, with a chocolate top to decorate and crack open. It suits a plan built around personalising a dessert. Both classes are made for an easy, enjoyable experience; the studio confirms the duration and final price.
Before you book your Hongdae activity
Use the form on our booking page. No account or Korean phone number is required; you need an email address for updates. A submitted request is only confirmed after the studio replies.
Dubai chewy cookie making in Hongdae
Dubai-style chewy cookies
For the mixing-and-shaping experience: try making the chewy cookies you have seen on social media.
Price / person
₩30,000
8 cookies in the standard set
Listed class times · Korea time
12:00 · 14:00 · 16:00 · 18:00
Heart tiramisu decorating experience
Heart tiramisu
For a decorating activity: make a heart tiramisu with a chocolate surface you can personalise.
Price / person
₩30,000
One heart-shaped tiramisu per person
Listed class times · Korea time
13:00 · 15:00 · 17:00 · 19:00
Both classes cost ₩30,000 per person when booked here. Pay in Korean won cash at the studio. Photos show examples of finished creations.
All booking dates and times use Korea time (UTC+9). Convert from your own time zone when planning.
- 1–4 guests per booking. Availability and final price are confirmed by the studio.
- Book by 23:59 (Korea time) on the day before your class. Same-day bookings are not available.
- Classes are taught in Korean, with translated instructions and translation-app support. This is not an English-led class.
- Korean won cash at the studio
- You must arrive 10 minutes before your class starts. If you have not arrived by 5 minutes before the start, you cannot join the class.
Getting to Clover Baking from Sangsu
Our studio is on the 3rd floor at 28 Wausan-ro 11-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, around 222 m from Sangsu Station Exit 1. Use the map and Korean address below to locate the building, and leave time to find the 3rd floor.
서울 마포구 와우산로11길 28 3층 클로버베이킹 홍대3F, 28 Wausan-ro 11-gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
On Google Maps, look for CLOVER BAKING HONGDAE. Check the Wausan-ro 11-gil address and go up to the third-floor studio. The class needs advance booking.
Hongdae activity planning questions
Can I book today if it rains?
No. Please request tomorrow or a later date. Bookings close at 23:59 Korea time on the previous day, and you must wait for the studio to confirm.
Is it a drop-in café or an English cooking class?
It is a dessert-making experience booked in advance. Classes are in Korean, supported by translated instructions and translation apps.
What should I bring?
Bring the confirmed amount in Korean won cash and your booking confirmation. Contact the studio in advance about allergies and anything you may need for carrying your finished dessert.
Is Hongik University Station the closest station to every Hongdae activity?
No. Hongdae covers several streets and neighborhoods. For Clover Baking, use Sangsu Station on Line 6, Exit 1, and the map below. Check the actual address of each stop before planning your route.
Can I explore Hongdae without paying for a class?
Yes, you can plan a neighborhood walk and choose your own stops. Cafés, shopping, performances and our dessert class have their own costs. Our class prices are listed below; a class is optional.
More neighborhood information
Visit Seoul provides broader tourism information. Class details and arrival rules on this page are supplied by Clover Baking. Confirm any other venue’s current hours and events directly.
Visit Seoul: things to do in Hongdae ↗