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If you love K-dramas, you’ve probably had this thought at least once:
“Where exactly is that street / beach / café… and can I go there too?”
The good news: many K-drama filming locations are real places you can visit in South Korea – and sometimes even in other countries like Switzerland, Greece or Canada.
In this guide, we’ll look at some iconic, real filming locations of famous K-dramas, including:
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Crash Landing on You – Switzerland & scenic Korea
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Goblin (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God) – Seoul, Gangwon-do & Quebec
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Descendants of the Sun – Taebaek in Korea & Greek islands
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Itaewon Class – real streets and bars in Itaewon
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Plus a few bonus classic spots like Nami Island and Bukchon Hanok Village
We’ll focus on places that are:
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Recognisable from the dramas
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Still visitable today
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Easy to add to a Korea trip (or Europe trip)
1. Crash Landing on You – From Switzerland to Lake Brienz
Crash Landing on You (CLOY) didn’t just make viewers cry – it turned several locations into instant travel hotspots.
Swiss landscapes straight from a K-drama
Many of the dreamy flashback scenes with Yoon Se-ri and Ri Jeong-hyeok were filmed in Switzerland, especially around the Interlaken / Jungfrau region. Official tourism pages list filming spots like Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe, Kleine Scheidegg, Eigergletscher and Grindelwald-First, all in the Bernese Alps.
One of the most famous places is:
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Iseltwald, Lake Brienz – the lakeside village with the wooden pier where Jeong-hyeok plays the piano. The tiny village (around 400 residents) saw such a surge in CLOY tourism that a CHF 5 entry fee was introduced for the dock area to handle crowds and maintenance costs.
Other memorable Swiss locations include:
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Sigriswil Panorama Bridge – the suspension bridge with a dramatic valley view
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Lake Lungern – the postcard-perfect lake view Se-ri remembers
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Zurich – including Münsterbrücke and Lindenhof, used in several city scenes
How to visit as a fan
If you’re already in Switzerland:
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Base yourself in Interlaken for Jungfrau / Lake Brienz / Iseltwald
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Check local tourism sites or tours that specifically mention CLOY filming locations
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Visit responsibly – especially in small villages like Iseltwald, where residents are still adjusting to large numbers of visitors
For K-drama fans coming from Korea or abroad, these Swiss locations are a fun way to combine European nature with a bit of K-drama magic.
2. Goblin – Seoul Streets, Jumunjin Breakwater & Quebec City
Goblin (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God) is one of the most visually iconic K-dramas ever made – so no surprise that many of its filming locations became mini pilgrimages.
Seoul & Incheon: stone walls, bridges and bookstores
In and around Seoul you can visit several recognisable spots:
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Samcheong-dong Stone Wall (Doldamgil) – the narrow street where Goblin and Eun-tak walk together in early episodes.
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Deoksugung Palace Wall – another stone wall area where Goblin scenes were filmed, close to City Hall Station and the royal palace.
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Yongdap Station Bridge – a key bridge location for multiple emotional scenes in the drama.
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Baedari Secondhand Bookstore Alley (Incheon) – home to Hanmi Bookstore, which appears in Goblin and later became a small tourist attraction for drama fans.
These areas are all accessible by subway, making them easy stops on a K-drama–themed day in Seoul.
Jumunjin Breakwater – The iconic red scarf scene
Perhaps the most famous Goblin location is the breakwater in Jumunjin, Gangneung, where Eun-tak first summons the Goblin holding a red scarf and flowers.
This filming spot is located at or near Jumunjin Breakwater (sometimes described as on the way to Jumunjin Port) in Gangwon-do Province. After the drama’s success, it became a major tourist spot, with many visitors recreating the scene for photos.
You can reach Jumunjin from Seoul via intercity bus or KTX to Gangneung, then local buses or taxi.
Quebec City, Canada – Goblin abroad
Goblin also filmed several scenes in Quebec City, Canada. Official information notes that overseas filming took place in locations such as Château Frontenac, Petit Champlain, Parc du Bastion-de-la-Reine, the Fontaine de Tourny and various old town streets.
If you are a K-drama fan travelling in North America, Quebec City offers:
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European-style old town streets that match the drama’s mood
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Recognisable doors, staircases and squares from Goblin scenes
3. Descendants of the Sun – Taebaek and Greek Islands
Descendants of the Sun is another drama that boosted K-drama tourism both inside and outside Korea.
Taebaek, Korea – The “Uruk” base
The fictional country Uruk in the drama may look foreign, but a major part of the military base was actually filmed in Taebaek, Gangwon Province, at the former Hanbo coal mine area.
The Taebaek city website and tourism content describe how:
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The military base set was originally dismantled after filming
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Some facilities were later rebuilt as a tourist attraction, where visitors can try on military uniforms or doctor coats and pose for photos in recreated sets.
If you want to “enter Uruk”, Taebaek is the place to go.
Greece – Navagio Beach and more
Several romantic and scenic sequences were filmed in Greece, including:
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Navagio Beach (Zakynthos Island) – the stunning cove with a shipwreck and turquoise water that appears in multiple scenes.
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Other Greek sites such as the Monastery of Panagia Skopiotissa and additional coastal spots used as backdrops.
For fans combining a Europe trip with K-drama locations, Zakynthos and nearby Greek islands offer recognisable landscapes from the show.
4. Itaewon Class – Real Streets, Real Bars in Itaewon
Itaewon Class feels very grounded, and that’s because much of it was filmed in real neighbourhoods of Seoul, including Itaewon and nearby Haebangchon.
Danbam & Oriole – From drama bar to real rooftop
The hero’s bar “Danbam” is partly based on real places:
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The original “Danbam” exterior is from a building near Noksapyeong Station in Yongsan-gu, not an actual bar interior.
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Later in the drama, the “new Danbam” is associated with Oriole, a real rooftop bar in Haebangchon (Yongsan), which many fans visit for the view and atmosphere.
Noksapyeong Bridge & Namsan views
Several iconic Itaewon Class scenes were shot at:
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Noksapyeong Bridge (Noksapyeong Overpass) – a bridge right by Noksapyeong Station, with dramatic views of roads and N Seoul Tower. It appears repeatedly in the show and is easily accessible on Line 6.
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Baekbeom Plaza in Namsan Park – used for a key kissing scene, and popular for Namsan and city views, especially in autumn foliage season.
City guides from Seoul emphasise that Itaewon and Haebangchon themselves have become popular K-drama walking areas, as fans search for streets and alleys they recognise from the show.
5. Bonus: Classic K-Drama Spots Every Fan Should Know
Beyond specific dramas, some locations appear again and again across different K-dramas.
Bukchon Hanok Village (Seoul)
Bukchon Hanok Village is a traditional neighbourhood with hundreds of restored hanok houses and narrow alleys in central Seoul. It has featured in many dramas such as Goblin, Ghost Doctor, The Heirs, My Roommate Is a Gumiho, True Beauty and more.
Because it’s a real residential area, local authorities now limit visiting hours and ask tourists to be quiet and respectful of residents.
Nami Island (Winter Sonata)
Nami Island (Namiseom) in Chuncheon became world-famous as the main filming location for Winter Sonata, one of the early K-dramas that helped kickstart the Korean Wave in the early 2000s.
Today you can:
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Walk along tree-lined paths seen in the drama
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Visit photo spots dedicated to Winter Sonata
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Join tours from Seoul that focus specifically on the drama’s filming locations
Practical Tips for Visiting K-Drama Filming Locations
Before you book your flight and pack your camera, keep these tips in mind:
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Check opening times & current access
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Some sets are temporary or partially rebuilt (e.g., Descendants of the Sun base in Taebaek).
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Popular small villages like Iseltwald and Bukchon now have rules, restricted hours or small entry fees to manage overtourism.
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Be respectful of residents
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Many locations (Itaewon streets, Bukchon, Samcheong-dong) are real neighbourhoods, not theme parks.
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Keep noise down, don’t block doorways, and avoid taking intrusive photos of locals.
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Look for local tours
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In Korea, you’ll find tours that combine multiple K-drama locations in one day (e.g., Goblin tours to Jumunjin and Seoul spots, Nami Island + Petite France for Winter Sonata).
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Re-watch key episodes before you go
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It’s much more fun if you re-watch scenes and then recognise the exact corners, benches or doors in real life.
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Final Thoughts: Stepping Into Your Favourite K-Drama
From a Tiny pier in Iseltwald to stone walls in Seoul and Greek beaches, K-dramas blend real locations into their stories – and those places are now part of many fans’ travel bucket lists.
If you’re planning a trip:
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In Korea, you can easily combine Seoul with Jumunjin, Taebaek, Nami Island, Bukchon and Itaewon locations.
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In Europe or North America, you can add places like Interlaken/Iseltwald (Crash Landing on You) or Quebec City (Goblin) to your itinerary.