Exploring the Best Street Markets in Seoul
No doubt, South Korea is a foodies paradise. There are so many restaurants and markets throughout Seoul it can seem a bit overwhelming. So how to you choose the best market in Seoul or once there, what do you eat? Many of the street markets in Seoul are huge, stretching over several blocks with hundreds of food options to choose from. The best way to explore Seoul’s markets is to simply walk around and buy whatever looks good. Thankfully, most vendors sell bite sized food, so you have an opportunity to try several different food items from a variety of vendors. In total, I’ve spent about two weeks in Seoul and became addicted to the street and night markets here, going almost daily and trying anything and everything. I explored some of the best street and night markets in Seoul and want to pass along my recommendations on markets and food to try that are a must when visiting Seoul.
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Seoul is a safe city and very welcoming to tourists. Even the markets that seem chaotic are very much used to foreigners and the locals are accommodating and understanding. Like any place though, even at home, use common sense and be aware of your surroundings. Regardless, the markets can seem overwhelming, so I came up with a few tips that I found useful when navigating and ordering food at the street markets in Seoul.
- Credit Card is the preferred method of paying throughout South Korea, but at markets, physical money is KING! Remember, the South Korea Won is the official currency of South Korea.
- Walk the market first to see what food is offered and then go back and start feasting away!
- Korean is obviously the official language of South Korea. Don’t expect people to understand and/or speak English, why should they? The good thing, most vendors sell one or two different food items, so just point and hand them money.
- Trash cans weren’t widely available. I either packed trash with me, or went back to the vendor I purchased the food from and ask them if they could take my trash.
- Don’t be afraid to be a little aggressive when standing in line, otherwise people might just jump in front of you and order.
- Pretty much everything I’ve eaten at the local markets has been fantastic, so try anything and everything!
Recommended Food Tours in Seoul
I highly recommend food tours, especially when visiting a new country and you want to learn more about the food, places to eat, and what to even order.
I recommend booking food tours on your first day or two of the trip. I tend to feel more confident when finding places to eat and ordering food after knowing slightly more about the country’s cuisine.
Here are some recommended food tours in Seoul that will show you some of the night market scene, must try food items, plus you’ll learn more about Seoul and South Korea in general with the local guides.
- Seoul: Palace, Temple and Market Guided Foodie Tour at Night
- Drinking and Eating through the Alleys of Seoul
- Taste Hidden Street Food in Seoul, 2.5 Hour Food Tour
- Namdaemun Market: The Largest Traditional Market Food Tour
- Seoul: Gwangjang Market Netflix Food Tour
I always book food tours through Get Your Guide or Viator. All the tours above are through one of these programs. I find it helpful to read the overview, what’s included, and reviews before making a purchase.
Street and Night Markets You Need to Visit in Seoul
I am by no means an expert when it comes to the markets in Seoul, I’ll leave that to the locals. But I did visit many of Seoul’s markets and thoroughly enjoyed each one I visited. Food wise, everything I ordered was fantastic, the atmosphere of the markets is exciting, and I left a happy customer every time. I am sure there are many more markets that are worthwhile in Seoul that I never had a chance to visit. Feel free to drop recommendations in the comments, I’ll pay the markets a visit. Below are some of the best food and street markets in Seoul that I visited and highly recommend.
Gwangjang Market
Considered to be the oldest market in South Korea, Gwangjang Market is a must when exploring the best street markets in Seoul. Gwangjang opened n 1905 and is still thriving today.
Gwangjang Market is not just a food market. A large portion of this market does sell other goods like clothing, linens, knock off brand products, and everything in between. But I came here for the food! There are open spaces here with alley ways branching off in what seemed like every direction. So how do you choose what to eat and which vendor to try?
Thankfully, many of the food vendors at Gwangjang Market sold the same foods. Almost every vendor sold Bindaetteok which is a mung bean pancake. Other popular items that were sold include Sundae which is blood sausage, Yukhoe (raw beef), Eomukguk (fish cake soup), and tteokbokki which is sold everywhere! I always enjoy watching the older women prepare and mix their giant bowls of kimchi and other fermented vegetables which is also sold everywhere here.
It’s not all just street food here at Gwangjang Market. There are several food stalls here with tables and chairs, where you can get fresh dishes like Gimbap and Bibimbap.
Hongdae Night Market
Hongdae is a great area to stay in while visiting Seoul. Hongdae definitely caters to a younger crowd which means you can generally find street food and late night eats. So there is no real night market here in Hongdae, but on weekends there are a lot of food vendors that set up around Hongdae. You can find single carts all over the area selling everything from blood sausage to Egg Bread, which is my favorite.
Korean Egg Bread is found in almost every market. It’s a simple yet satisfyingly tasty treat! It’s real name is Gyeran-ppang and it’s a popular menu item in street and food markets throughout Seoul. The bread is usually sweet and the cooked egg adds a nice savory flavor to the bread. You can find the egg toast at every market, but the first time I had it was from a food vendor in the Hongdae and I’ve been hooked ever since!
Myeongdong Night Market
Myeongdong Night Market was my favorite street and food market while visiting Seoul. In Fact, I went here two consecutive nights in a row, just because there was so much I wanted to try!
For starters, there is a lot going on in this area. It is one of the main hopping areas and has everything imaginable. There are a ton of HBAF almond stores here. HBAF is a rand that makes delicious flavored almonds, these make for perfect gifts. There are also massage parlors around Myeongdong. Getting a foot massage at the end of a tiring day is magical!
Myeongdong night market is just one of those markets you need to visit in Seoul. The streets and alley ways are several blocks long full of vendors on each side. Food wise, you can find so many delicious items here. Of course, egg toast is everywhere, I also found kimchi wrapped in bacon, and Döner Kebab, not quite as good as in Germany but still very good! Don’t leave without trying some Korean Fried Chicken and Tteokbokki.
Namdaemun Market
Namdaemun Market was one of the more traditional markets in Seoul that didn’t fully consist of just food. Namdaemun Market was full of cheap shops with vendors selling anything and everything made in China. I can’t complain, I bought a hat for $5. You’d be surprised by what you can find at Namdaemun Market. I mean I saw places selling local alcohol, souvenirs, hand bags, plants, the list goes on and on. If anything, it’s worth just walking the area to see what all the vendors are selling.
For those that love trying local food like me, Namdaemun Market does have food vendors. It might not be as large or exciting as Myeongdong Night Market, but surely there is something here for everyone. I enjoy the fish cake snacks on a stick that are sold everywhere, you can even get them with a spicey sauce. Other food items I saw here were fried pancakes, desserts like ice cream, and fresh fruit.
Street Markets in Seoul, a Highlight of Our Trip
For someone like me who is a big time foodie, Seoul is a great place to visit. There are so many restaurants in Seoul, I often find it overwhelming when it comes time to pick a place to eat. Thankfully the night markets in Seoul allow visitors to explore Korean cuisine at a reasonable price with smaller portions. Smaller portions means I can explore the food scene more and try a wide variety of food options. I absolutely loved walking the markets, coming up with an idea of what I want to eat and of course tasting everything was the highlight.
By no means am I an expert in the food scene in South Korea or know my way around the markets. The markets I visited were all great and most of them I ended up at randomly using minimal research. I am sure there are many more markets in Seoul that are worth trying or even more authentic and I hope to visit more markets in the future.
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