Bon Appétit, Your Majesty Filming Locations Worth Visiting: A Self-Guided Korea Travel Guide
Bon Appétit, Your Majesty (폭군의 셰프) is a 2025 tvN romantic fantasy drama available on Netflix in many regions. This guide does not list every reported filming location. Instead, it focuses only on places that are actually worth visiting — locations that have real travel value for international visitors traveling on their own.
Drama Info
| Director | Jang Tae-yoo |
| Writer | fGRD |
| Genre | Fantasy, Romance, Historical |
| Episodes | 12 |
| Released | August 23, 2025 (tvN / Netflix) |
| Cast | Im Yoon-ah, Lee Chae-min, Kang Han-na, Choi Gwi-hwa |
Spoiler-Free Synopsis
Yeon Ji-young is a Michelin-level French cuisine chef at the peak of her career. During a mysterious solar eclipse, she is transported back in time to the Joseon Dynasty — and immediately captured and brought before King Yi Heon, a ruler feared for his volatile temper and extraordinarily refined palate. Her only way to stay alive is to cook him something extraordinary at every meal. What starts as a desperate survival strategy slowly becomes something far more complicated. Bon Appétit, Your Majesty blends time travel, culinary detail, and palace intrigue into one of the most visually distinctive K-dramas of 2025.
Why This Drama Works for Travelers
The drama was filmed across several of Korea's most significant historical open sets and natural heritage sites. Several locations — including Mungyeong Saejae and Gosanjeong Pavilion — have real cultural and scenic value independent of the drama. For travelers interested in Korea's history and regional landscapes beyond Seoul, this drama offers a strong set of destinations to build an itinerary around.
Filming Locations Worth Visiting
The locations below are associated with the drama and are real places that travelers can visit or consider adding to a Korea itinerary.
1. Mungyeong Saejae Open Set (문경새재 오픈세트장)
About this location: A large historical filming complex in Mungyeong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, frequently used for Korean period dramas and films, associated with the drama's main palace scenes. The Mungyeong Saejae Open Set features large-scale reconstructions of Goryeo and Joseon-era palaces, government buildings, and village streets. It has been used for dozens of major K-dramas and films. Visitors can explore the sets on foot and take photos in the same spaces used during filming. The surrounding Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park — a scenic mountain pass historically used as a route between Seoul and the south — adds further travel value to the area.
Region: Mungyeong-eup, Mungyeong, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Can you visit? Yes — open to the public. Admission required. Check current opening hours before visiting.
Worth visiting without a car? Possible, but a rental car or taxi from Mungyeong is most practical.
Public transport access: From Seoul, take an intercity bus to Mungyeong. From Mungyeong bus terminal, a taxi is the most practical option to reach the open set. Routes and travel times may vary, so check Naver Map or Google Maps before traveling.
Best time to visit: Spring or autumn. The mountain pass scenery is particularly striking in October and November.
Self-guided tip: Allow at least 2 to 3 hours. Scene reference photos are often posted at key filming spots throughout the set. Combine with a walk along the Mungyeong Saejae mountain trail for a full day out.
Local food tip: Mungyeong is known for its omija (five-flavor berry) products — tea, wine, and confectionery made from the local berry are popular souvenirs. Several traditional Korean restaurants are available near the entrance to the open set area.
2. Yongin Daejanggeum Park (용인 대장금 파크)
About this location: MBC's largest historical drama filming complex in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, associated with palace interior and kitchen scenes in the drama. The park features detailed architectural sets representing multiple Korean historical periods, including full-scale palace halls, royal kitchens, and traditional village streets. It has been used for many of Korea's most recognized historical dramas. Visitors can walk through the sets, and the park offers hanbok rental for photo opportunities within the grounds.
Region: Baekam-myeon, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province
Can you visit? Yes — open to the public. Admission required. Check current opening hours before visiting.
Worth visiting without a car? Possible — intercity bus from Seoul Nambu Bus Terminal toward Baekam, then a short walk or taxi.
Public transport access: From Seoul Nambu Bus Terminal (Line 3, Yangjae Station area), take an intercity bus toward Baekam (백암). Routes and travel times may vary, so check Naver Map or Google Maps before traveling.
Best time to visit: Spring or autumn. Weekdays are quieter for photography.
Self-guided tip: The park is large — allow at least 2 to 3 hours. Hanbok rental is available on site. Combine with the Korean Folk Village in nearby Giheung for a full day of historical set visits.
Local food tip: The Yongin area has a variety of dining options. Suwon, a short drive away, is known for Suwon galbi and is worth a lunch stop when combining both parks.
3. Petite France (쁘띠프랑스)
About this location: A French-themed cultural village in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, associated with Ji-young's modern-day Paris scenes and childhood flashback sequences in the drama. Petite France is built on a hillside overlooking Cheongpyeong Lake and features colorful French-style buildings, gardens, a Little Prince-themed museum, and performance stages. It has appeared in numerous K-dramas and is a popular day trip from Seoul. The lakeside location adds scenic value beyond the buildings themselves.
Region: Cheongpyeong-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province
Can you visit? Yes — open to the public. Admission required. Check current opening hours before visiting.
Worth visiting without a car? Yes — accessible by ITX-Cheongchun train.
Public transport access: Take the ITX-Cheongchun from Seoul's Yongsan or Cheongnyangni Station to Cheongpyeong Station. From Cheongpyeong Station, take a local bus or taxi to Petite France. Routes and travel times may vary, so check Naver Map or Google Maps before traveling.
Best time to visit: Spring for flowers / Autumn for lake foliage. Weekdays are quieter.
Self-guided tip: Combine with the Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원) nearby for a full day in the Gapyeong area. The lakeside road between the two is scenic by car or taxi.
Local food tip: Gapyeong is known for pine nut products and freshwater fish dishes. Several cafes and restaurants are available near Cheongpyeong Lake and along the road toward Petite France.
4. Gosanjeong Pavilion (고산정)
About this location: A Joseon-era cliffside pavilion in Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, associated with a pivotal scene in the drama and recently designated as a natural heritage scenic site by the Korea Heritage Service. The pavilion sits above a river valley with sweeping views over the surrounding landscape. It has also appeared in Mr. Sunshine. Built in the mid-Joseon period by a disciple of the scholar Yi Hwang, Gosanjeong has both scenic and historical significance that extends well beyond any drama connection.
Region: Dosan-myeon, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do
Can you visit? Yes — it is a public heritage site.
Worth visiting without a car? Difficult. A taxi from Andong city center is recommended.
Public transport access: From Seoul, take KTX or an intercity bus to Andong. From Andong, a taxi is the most practical option to reach Gosanjeong. Routes and travel times may vary, so check Naver Map or Google Maps before traveling.
Best time to visit: Spring for fresh greenery / Autumn for valley foliage.
Self-guided tip: Combine with Dosan Seowon Confucian Academy nearby — one of Korea's most important Joseon-era educational institutions, closely connected to the same scholarly tradition as Gosanjeong's builder. Hahoe Folk Village is also within reach on the same Andong day trip.
Local food tip: Andong is known for Andong jjimdak (braised chicken) and Andong soju. The city center has several well-regarded restaurants serving these local specialties.
How to Watch Outside Korea
Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is available on Netflix in many regions. Search by both the English title and the Korean title, 폭군의 셰프, if it does not appear in your local library. Availability and subtitle options may vary by country.
Final Travel Summary
| Location | Region | Visitable? | Without a Car? | Best Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mungyeong Saejae Open Set | Mungyeong, Gyeongsangbuk-do | Yes | Possible (taxi) | Spring / Autumn |
| Yongin Daejanggeum Park | Yongin, Gyeonggi Province | Yes | Possible | Spring / Autumn |
| Petite France | Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province | Yes | Yes | Spring / Autumn |
| Gosanjeong Pavilion | Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do | Yes | Difficult | Spring / Autumn |
Bon Appétit, Your Majesty draws its filming locations from some of Korea's richest historical and scenic regions. From the palace sets of Mungyeong and Yongin to the cliffside pavilion in Andong and the lakeside French village in Gapyeong, the drama offers a remarkably varied Korea itinerary — one that rewards travelers willing to venture beyond Seoul.
Sources and Notes
This guide was compiled using Korean travel media, international travel platforms, and location-based travel resources. Filming location details may vary by source, so some locations are described as "associated with" or "reported as" filming locations.
- Tonboriday — All 8 filming locations of Bon Appétit, Your Majesty
- Financial News — Gosanjeong Pavilion designated as scenic heritage site
- HallyuMap — Bon Appétit, Your Majesty ultimate filming location guide
- Visit Korea — Andong travel information
- Visit Korea — Mungyeong travel information
Travel information such as opening hours, admission fees, and public transport access may change. Please check Google Maps, Naver Map, and official tourism pages before visiting.
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