Goblin (도깨비, also released internationally as Guardian: The Lonely and Great God) is, for my money, one of the most visually stunning K-dramas ever made. It's the kind of show where you keep pausing just to look at a frame. A lot of that comes down to how carefully its locations were chosen — old port streets, quiet palaces, and, most famously of all, the snow-dusted heritage lanes of Québec City on the other side of the world.
I'm Rosa, and I've sent more friends on Goblin pilgrimages than I can count. There's something about this drama specifically that makes people want to physically stand in it — maybe because so much of its emotion is tied to place. The buckwheat fields, the red door, the snowy cobblestones: these aren't just backdrops, they're practically characters. Below is my honest, accuracy-first guide to the locations I'm confident featured in the show, how to link them into a sensible route, and what each one is actually like when you turn up.
I'll be upfront about one thing: Goblin's most magical-looking moments lean heavily on snow, lighting and lens choices, so a few spots feel more ordinary in person than the drama suggests. I'd rather tell you that now than have you arrive disappointed. The good news is that the best Goblin locations hold up beautifully even without a film crew.
Why Goblin fans travel for the scenery
Goblin is a story about immortality, memory and the ache of outliving everyone you love, and its locations are chosen to feel timeless on purpose. The Korean stops tend to be old — port-era architecture, traditional hanok villages, a centuries-old palace — places that already carry the weight of history before the camera ever arrives. That's why they suit a 900-year-old goblin so perfectly. Then there's Québec, which broke the mould: a Korean drama sending its leads halfway across the planet to a snowbound European-style city felt extraordinary at the time, and that single creative decision turned a quiet Canadian street into an international K-drama landmark.
What I love about planning a Goblin trip is that it splits cleanly. The Korean half is genuinely easy — most of it clusters around Incheon and central Seoul, reachable on the subway, doable in a day or two. The Canadian half is a bucket-list flight for the truly devoted. You can absolutely do just the Korean side and feel you've walked through the drama; the Québec leg is the dream add-on, not a requirement.
Goblin (2016–2017) follows Kim Shin, a 939-year-old goblin cursed with immortality, who needs a human bride to finally die. When he meets cheerful high school student Ji Eun-tak — the only person who can see him — their fates become entangled. Starring Gong Yoo and Kim Go-eun, written by Kim Eun-sook.
Korea locations
The colourful mural village in Incheon's Songwol-dong (송월동) neighbourhood is the spot most fans make the trip for. Its narrow lanes are painted top to bottom with fairy-tale murals, which fits Goblin's storybook tone so well it almost feels staged. This is the single most-visited Goblin location in Korea, and it's wonderfully low-effort: an easy half-day from Seoul, and pleasant to simply wander even if you'd never seen the drama.
A small reality check from me: because it's a real residential neighbourhood that became famous, it can get busy and a little commercialised in the touristy stretches. My tip is to keep walking past the obvious photo walls into the quieter side lanes, where the mural village feels more like the gentle, lived-in place the drama captured.
Take Subway Line 1 from Seoul to Incheon Station (about 70 minutes from Seoul Station). From Incheon Station, the fairy tale village is a 10-minute walk. Combine with a visit to nearby Incheon Chinatown and Jayu Park for a full day trip.
The late-19th-century buildings of Incheon's Open Port district (인천 개항장) bring exactly the kind of aged, slightly melancholy atmosphere Goblin thrives on. This was one of the first parts of Korea to open to foreign trade, so the streets carry a mix of Japanese and Western colonial-era architecture you won't find anywhere else in the country. Even setting the drama aside, it's one of the more distinctive neighbourhoods to walk in Korea, and the restored warehouses of the Incheon Art Platform are a genuine highlight.
Practically, this folds right into your Songwol-dong visit — it's the same general area, the same trip out from Seoul. I'd give yourself an unhurried afternoon to let the two blur together, coffee in hand, rather than ticking them off separately.
10-minute walk from Incheon Station (same exit as Songwol-dong). The entire Open Port area, Chinatown, and Songwol-dong form one walkable district — easily explored in a single afternoon.
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This compact, beautifully kept royal residence in central Seoul carries the Joseon-era flashbacks that show Kim Shin's life as a general, back when he was mortal and the curse hadn't yet begun. Unhyeongung (운현궁) is one of my favourite "hidden gem" stops in Seoul precisely because it's so much calmer than the giant flagship palaces — you can stand in a quiet courtyard and actually feel the period atmosphere instead of jostling crowds.
Honestly, even Goblin aside, I'd send anyone here. It's small enough to see properly in under an hour, and it pairs perfectly with the surrounding old-Seoul district, so you're not making a special detour for a single drama scene.
Take Subway Line 3 to Anguk Station (Exit 4). The palace is a 5-minute walk. Combine with nearby Bukchon Hanok Village and Gyeongbokgung Palace for a full day of historical Seoul.
This restored cluster of traditional houses at the foot of Namsan (남산) Mountain gives Goblin some of its calm, timeless hanok atmosphere. There are several relocated period houses, a pavilion, and a quiet garden, and the whole thing is free to enter — which makes it one of the easiest, most rewarding old-Seoul stops you can slot into a day. It's at its most beautiful in autumn, when the trees turn and the courtyards fill with colour.
Because it sits near so much else in central Seoul, I think of Namsangol less as a destination in itself and more as a lovely 30-to-45-minute pause. Wander in, breathe, take your photos under the eaves, then carry on — it's the kind of place that quietly resets you mid-trip.
Take Subway Line 3 or 4 to Chungmuro Station (Exit 3 or 4). The village is a 5-minute walk. Open Tuesday–Sunday (closed Mondays). Free admission.
The breakwater at Jumunjin (주문진), on the east-coast sea near Gangneung (강릉), is one of the most photographed Goblin spots of all — the stretch of concrete sea wall reaching out into the water became instantly recognisable to fans after the drama aired. Standing at the end of it, with the open East Sea in front of you, is exactly the kind of wide, wind-whipped seaside moment the show used to such emotional effect. It's become enough of a draw that it's a regular stop on the Korean-fan circuit.
I'll be straight with you: it's a working breakwater on a regular beach, so on a grey, ordinary day it can feel more modest than the dreamy drama version. Go on a clear day, ideally with some drama in the sky, and it transforms. The east coast around Gangneung is lovely in its own right, so even a quiet sea-wall photo comes wrapped in a genuinely nice coastal day out.
The east coast around Gangneung is reachable by KTX from Seoul, after which local buses and taxis cover the last stretch to the Jumunjin area. Conditions and exact stops change, so check current directions on Naver Maps (네이버 지도) before you set out. Treat it as part of a relaxed coastal day rather than a quick in-and-out.
Canada location
Some of Goblin's most unforgettable images — the snowy, cobblestone reunion scenes — were filmed on Rue du Petit-Champlain in Old Québec City. This little street in the Lower Town was already one of Canada's prettiest before any K-drama crew arrived, but after Goblin it became a genuine pilgrimage site for fans flying in from across Asia. The stone walls and that famous red door really are there, and in winter, under fresh snow, it does conjure the drama almost frame for frame.
My honest advice if you make this trip: go in winter and accept that it's busy. The snow is what makes it look like Goblin, and a lot of other fans know that too. Early morning, before the day-trippers descend, gave me the closest thing to having the street to myself — and the quietest, most magical version of the scene.
Fly into Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport, or take a bus or train from Montréal (about 3 hours). Rue du Petit-Champlain is in the Lower Town of Old Québec — accessible by the funicular from Upper Town or via the Breakneck Stairs. Best visited in winter for the snow that matches the drama's iconic scenes.
How to visit these locations
The Korean stops sort themselves into two tidy clusters plus one coastal outlier, which makes routing easy. Cluster one is Incheon: Songwol-dong and the Open Port district sit beside each other, so do them as a single relaxed half-day out from Seoul on the subway. Cluster two is central Seoul: Unhyeongung and Namsangol Hanok Village are both near the city core and pair naturally with the surrounding old-Seoul neighbourhoods on another day. The outlier is the Jumunjin breakwater on the east coast, which deserves its own coastal day rather than being squeezed in. And then, in a category all its own, there's Québec — a separate trip entirely, for the truly devoted. My suggested order for a Korea-based fan: Incheon day, then a Seoul old-town day, with the coast as a bonus if you have the time.
Best time to go
For the Korean locations, I'd aim for autumn if you can. The hanok stops in particular — Namsangol especially — look their best when the leaves turn, and the weather is comfortable for all the walking these clusters involve. Spring is lovely too. The Jumunjin coast rewards a clear day in any season more than a specific month. Québec is the exception that flips the rule: you genuinely want winter there, because the snow is what makes the street match the drama. Just know that winter also means the most fans and the coldest conditions, so dress for it and start early.
Getting around
Inside Seoul and out to Incheon, the subway does almost everything you need, and a transit card makes it painless — the Incheon cluster is genuinely just a long subway ride from the city. The Jumunjin coast is where it gets more involved: KTX gets you to the Gangneung area fast, but the final stretch leans on local buses and the odd taxi, so leave buffer time. As always in Korea, download Naver Maps (네이버 지도) before you go, because Google Maps is unreliable for local directions here. In Québec, the Old Town is small and walkable, with a funicular and the steep Breakneck Stairs linking Upper and Lower Town.
What to know before you go
A couple of honest notes. Songwol-dong is a real residential neighbourhood that happens to be famous, so be a considerate visitor — people actually live behind those murals. Several of these spots (the breakwater, the snowy Québec street) depend heavily on weather and light to look like the drama, so a flexible day beats a fixed plan if you're chasing the screenshot. And if your heart is set on the Québec leg, build it around winter and book ahead; it's a long way to fly only to find the snow hasn't arrived.
Planning your Goblin pilgrimage
- Incheon is a perfect day trip from Seoul — Songwol-dong, Chinatown, and the Open Port area all within walking distance of each other.
- Seoul locations can be combined — Unhyeongung and Namsangol Hanok Village are both near central Seoul and can be visited on the same day.
- Québec in winter is magical — The cobblestone streets look exactly like the drama when covered in snow (December–February).
- Take a Goblin fan tour in Seoul — Several tour companies offer dedicated Goblin filming location tours from central Seoul. Search "Goblin drama tour Seoul" for current options.
- Combine these stops with our 7-day Korea itinerary for K-drama fans if you have a full week.
Frequently asked questions
Was Goblin really filmed in Canada? Yes — and that was genuinely unusual at the time. Several of its most iconic snowy scenes were shot on Rue du Petit-Champlain in Old Québec City, sending the leads halfway around the world. It's part of why that little cobblestone street is now a real pilgrimage spot for Korean drama fans.
Can I see the main Goblin locations in one day? The Incheon ones, yes — Songwol-dong and the Open Port district are right next to each other and make a comfortable half-day from Seoul. The Seoul palace and hanok stops are a separate, easy day. The Jumunjin breakwater on the east coast really needs its own day, and Québec is a whole separate trip. So: a satisfying Korean Goblin tour is two or three relaxed days, not one rushed one.
Do the locations actually look like the drama? Some more than others, and I'd rather be honest about it. Songwol-dong, Unhyeongung and Namsangol hold up beautifully year-round. The breakwater and the Québec street rely heavily on weather — snow, light, a moody sky — to match the screen. Visit those two on a good day and they're magic; on a flat grey day they're simply nice places.
Read our guides to Crash Landing on You filming locations and Welcome to Samdalri (Jeju).
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