The Best Food Markets in Seoul
Street food fans, step right up. If you're heading to Seoul this year and want the low down on the best food markets in the city, we've got you covered. From delicious cooked bites to fresh produce, Seoul's food market scene is something to behold. Read on, and discover our picks for the best food markets in Seoul!
Including:
- Sindangdong Tteokbokki Town
- Gwangjang Market
- Namdaemun Market
- Seoul Bamdokkaebi Night Market
- and more!
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Sindangdong Tteokbokki Town
Want to combine great street food, bargain hunting, and a hefty dose of culture into your market adventure? Then head to Singdangdong Tteokbokki Town and get your fill.
Given its name, you won't be surprised to find out that tteokbokki is one of the biggest street foods on offer. For the uninitiated, tteokbokki is a deep-fried rice cake, often served with eggs and vegetables. Spoiler alert - it's delicious, and fully deserves your culinary attention.
Besides that delicacy, you'll also find tons of stalls selling knickknacks, groceries, and other street food.
Gwangjang Market
Gwangjang Market is one of the oldest markets in not just Seoul but South Korea as well. Attracting both tourists and locals alike, you'll find plenty of great reasons to head there and check it out.
Over 200 food stalls call the market home, selling all manner of wonderful Korean dishes, from street food to sit-down food. Innumerable tourists visit every year to pick up a tasty treat, or to buy some authentic Korean items.
If you're hungry and are on the hunt for a keepsake or two to bring home with you, check out Gwangjang Market.
Namdaemun Market
Just a hop, skip, and jump from the capital's Great South Gate, you'll find the 'actual' oldest market in the country. It's called Namdaemun Market, and locals have been plying their trade there for well over half a century.
There is a huge amount on offer here, from homeware to clothing, homemade jewelry, and pretty much anything else you can think of. If you're staying in an Airbnb or an actual b&b, you can also find fresh farm-to-market produce to help you whip up something at home.
But don't worry; if the thought of cooking for yourself on vacation is about as unappealing as gravel on toast, they also have plenty of food stalls to pick up something in a pinch.
Seoul Bamdokkaebi Night Market
Vampires, rejoice! If you're a fellow night dweller and like to get your business done when the sun goes down, then Seoul Bamdokkaebi Night Market is one of the best food markets in the city!
Sitting pretty on Hangang River, you'll find food trucks serving various international cuisines, as well as stalls specializing in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese dishes. If you appreciate the phrase 'variety is the spice of life', then Seoul Bamdokkaebi Night Market delivers in spades.
And, if it's the night before your vacation ends and you need some presents, you can pick up hand-crafted items that your loved ones will, well, love.
Yeouido World Night Market
Vampires, rejoice again! If you thought Seoul only had one night market, think again. Yeouido World Night Market is here; there's beer; get used to it.
As is typical with both day and night markets in Seoul, you'll find plenty of vendors cooking up a storm. But where Yeouido World Night Market differs is in the other evening offerings it provides. Beer, soju, and other alcoholic beverages are often available with your food purchase. Hell, you can even just order those if you're in the mood for a particularly fruity night.
It's even a frequent date spot, if you want to take that someone special along for the delicious ride.
Myeongdong Street Food Alley
We fear sounding like a broken record at this point, but Seoul's food market scene is so utterly wonderful, we'll keep it going. Myeongdong Street Food Alley is another great spot, and arguably one of the best food markets in Seoul.
Featuring streets lined with every Koren food you can imagine, including tteokbokki, kimbap, and twigim, among many, many others, you'll be spoilt for choice.
With mouthwatering food at every corner, and some other shopping opportunities on offer, Myeongdong Street Food Alley deserves a visit.
Cheonggyecheon Time Slip Market
If the rest of the markets on this list sound great, but you're looking for something on the kookier side, in steps Cheonggyecheon Time Slip Market to pick you up and whisk you away to crazy town.
Yes, you've got the usual food trucks lined up to satisfy your tastebuds' deepest desires, but what sets Cheonggyecheon Time Slip Market apart from the crowd is the twofer of wonderful cocktails and dazzling neon lights. Many come to its lanes to enjoy a night out, with sound systems doing much of the heavy lifting.
Get there early, and you'll find a great place to relax, eat some great food and enjoy a reasonable amount of drinks. Go there later and expect to be sucked into the world of late-night revelry.
Banpo Romantic Moonlight Market
As the name suggests, Banpo Romantic Moonlight Market has a 'couple's retreat' type of vibe. As such, if you're looking for a romantic spot for you and that special someone, it's arguably one of the best food markets in Seoul. If, however, the thought of being surrounded by loved-up duos as 'one is the loneliest number' plays in your head sounds like hell on Earth, maybe give this one a miss.
For those of you still with us, you'll love the tranquil vibe, the stunning fountain in the middle of everything, and the relentless opportunities for Instagrammable content. Oh, and you'll also dig the food, or it wouldn't make it on our list!
Korean street food is the name of the game, as you'd expect from Seoul's food market scene. So why not get a meal for two, a couple of drinks, and dance the night away by the fountain like the end of some ridiculous rom-com. Dance like nobody's watching? Sure, if you can stomach it.
And those are our picks for the best food markets in Seoul! Want some more inspiration for your Seoul vacation? Check out Go City! With our All-Inclusive Pass and Explorer Pass, you can see all of Seoul's best bits for one low price!