Market Tours · SOUTH KOREA
The 15 best south korea market tours you can book today, with what each costs, how long it runs and how early it leaves. Number one is top for a reason; start there.
Meet near Jongno 5-ga for a two-hour evening walk through Gwangjang Market and nearby local spots. Guides such as Juno, Yoon, Tan, Rocky, and Jacob explain Korean food and customs while you sample included dishes and drinks, with vegetarian and allergy requests handled in advance.
“Rocky was a great tour guide. Very knowledgeable and patient. We learned a lot and ate great food. Highly recommend!”
Meet Sarah or Junghee at Mangwon Station for a guided market walk, street-food tasting, and hands-on cooking class in a local home. Prepare four Korean dishes, then enjoy them with more than 10 side dishes, dessert, and makgeolli in a traditional Hanjeongsik-style meal.
“Excellent activity, Sarah was a phenomenal entertainer and chef. Took us through the markets, spoke great English and was super helpful when I was asking questions, really good fun. Highly recommend.”
Meet outside Jongno 5-ga Station and spend two hours eating your way through Gwangjang Market with an English-speaking guide such as Juno, Jacob, Yoon, or Tan. Expect about 10 Korean specialties, drinks, vendor encounters, food stories, and traditional drinking games.
“Great, energetic guide with many stories to tell, easy to interact. Good english”
Meet your English-speaking guide, perhaps Mia, Kim, Jay, or another Tripper guide, at Hyehwa Station for a four-hour walk through Changgyeonggung Palace, Gwangjang Market, Jongno 3-ga, Ikseon-dong, and Jogyesa Temple. Food includes jeon, makgeolli, chopped live octopus, and market sweets.
“I had a lot of fun on this tour! It was a great opportunity to sample different kinds of street foods. This was my main reason for booking, but the Palace and Temple parts were super interesting as well. Mia, our guide, was super friendly, informative and engaging! She told very interesting stories (especially at the palace) and kept a great atmosphere even though it was very cold and rainy during our tour. Would recommend this to anyone visiting Seoul :)”
Meet your English-speaking chef-guide at Mangwon Station for a market walk, street-food tasting, and hands-on cooking class in a local home. Prepare bibimbap, dakgalbi, haemul-pajeon, and doenjang-jjigae, then enjoy them with side dishes, rice wine, and a Tal mask activity.
“Our hostess “Sarah” was amazing, engaging, energetic, informative, excellent English and organised. Everyone in our group felt included and relaxed so the interactions were fun and often funny. Would highly recommend this experience for even the most inexperienced cooks”
Meet your English-speaking guide at Jongno 5-ga Station for three hours of Korean food, market stalls, traditional neighborhoods, and tea. Sample tteokbokki, mandu, gimbap, mung bean pancake, honey snacks, rice cakes, and a Secret Dish. Guides such as Jae, Alex, Youla, and Taeseong add local stories and practical advice.
“Loved how chilled it was, the food was great and the guide was really knowledgable. We had the perfect ending with a walk around and tea!”
Start at Hyehwa Station with a walk to Changgyeonggung Palace, then ride between the palace, Kwangjang Market, and Jogyesa Temple. Your English-speaking guide, such as Mia, Janice, Ron, or Bruce, explains Korean history and customs while you try pancakes, makgeolli, raw beef, live octopus, dumplings, and a twisted donut.
“We got to see a lot of Seoul in only four hours! I really enjoyed the palace; it's beautiful! There was so much food too!”
Meet Jomin at Mangwon Station, walk through Mangwon Market, then cook three Korean dishes at her clean studio. You’ll work at your own station, learn about ingredients and food customs, eat what you make, and take home a recipe book. Lunch and dinner classes are available.
“It was a great experience. We started with a nice market walkthrough and our host shared so many interesting information with us. Later we came to a super clean and organized cooking studio and we had an amazing time cooking as well as eating our cooked meals… I would repeat this again anytime! Thank you!!”
Spend about eight and a half hours touring Seoul with a guide such as Lizzy, BK, Miel, or Yujeong. Visit Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Jogyesa Temple, Insadong, and Namdaemun Market, with Korean lunch and hotel pickup included. Expect walking, a group of up to 30, and a short ginseng shopping stop.
“AJ was an excellent guide, she was very efficient. The tour gave insight to many cultural views and past history of Korea.”
Spend five hours exploring Seoul at night with an English or Korean-speaking guide such as Lucy, Joseph, or Moon Young. Visit Changgyeonggung Palace, Gwangjang Market, Cheonggyecheon stream, and Naksan Park, with transport between stops and free time for food, photos, and shopping.
“Lucy was an amazing guide and shared so much information about the area and things we were seeing. It was a great evening.”
Meet Koa or Sam at Seodaemun Station for market snacks, then follow Seoul’s 600-year-old fortress wall up Inwangsan to a 240-meter peak. Expect about 90 minutes of hiking, sunset city views, and an optional traditional dinner with vegan choices. Dinner and one bus fare cost extra.
“excellent tour. magnificent hiking with great views of the city. Koa is very friendly. Snack in the local market and the dinner in the end were both very enjoying and tasty. highly recommended. very good Vegetarian options.”
Join an English-speaking guide such as Lynn, Kelly, Jenny, or Yuna for Seoul’s main sights, from Jogyesa Temple and Gyeongbokgung to Insadong, N Seoul Tower, and Namdaemun Market. Transport, entrance fees, and the cable car are included, while lunch and the tower observatory cost extra.
“Emily Lee our guide is super professional and friendly. She went above and beyond to provide us with a crash course in Korean history as well as pop culture.”
Meet Phoebe, also known as Sunghyun, near Mangwon Station for a three-hour food experience. Shop at Mangwon Market, then prepare bulgogi, gyeran-jjim, and kimbap in a cozy studio. The group is capped at eight, making this a friendly choice for beginners and curious food lovers.
“We had blast going to the market and then preparing our dishes. So much fun. The staff was wonderful!!”
Spend four to five hours seeing Seoul by private vehicle after sunset. Guides such as Jimmy, Chance, and Kim lead you to N Seoul Tower, Gwangjang Market, Bugak Palgakjeong, Naksan Park, and Cheonggyecheon Stream, with a Korean meal included. Expect flexible sightseeing, night views, and extra costs for N Seoul Tower access.
“Mr. Kim our guide was very accomodating to our needs. He gave us a great glimpse of Seoul(& South Korea)'s history while taking in the wonderful view of Seoul from several mountain vantage points.”
Meet your English or Korean-speaking guide at Jagalchi Station for three hours of seafood, street snacks, drinks, and market stories. Guides such as Hug You, Junwoo, and HoGyu lead small groups through Jagalchi, BIFF Square, and Kkangtong Market, helping you order unfamiliar dishes and meet local vendors.
“Be prepared to eat raw fish! It was honestly a great evening. I was a bit late but everyone was super nice about it (thank you) and we all had a fun evening together with our guide. I felt like I was hanging out with friends. 100% recommend”
Pick a kind of market, or the hour of the day you want to be standing in one.
