STREET FOOD MARKET TOURS IN SOUTH KOREA
The good street food market tours in South Korea sell out first, and the early departures go before the rest. Below: the 13 to book ahead, what each includes and how they differ.
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 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 :)”
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!”
Join local chef Heeyoung for a two-hour walking food tour through Jagalchi Seafood Market, BIFF Square, and Bupyeong Kkangtong Market. Expect market history, Busan specialties such as ssiat hotteok and eomuk, guided tastings, and practical food advice for the rest of your stay.
“Chef Heeyoung is an excellent tour guide, super friendly and very knowledgable about Korean cuisine and many others. Between interesting segments she chatted with all member of our group, answering any ad hoc questions we had. I would highly recommend taking this tour if you happen to be visiting Busan on a Wednesday!”
Spend 150 minutes at Seoul’s Namdaemun Market with a small group of up to 10. Your English-speaking guide leads you through Food Alley, Kalguksu Alley, accessory shops, and traditional craft stalls, with four tastings, lunch, snacks, and coffee or tea included.
“The Guide joy was so nice! As it happened I was the only one to take the tour that day and she was very happy to make some small adjustments to my taste. The food was very good and the different market spaces interesting to explore. She even helped with haggling and buying things. I had a lovely time!”
Meet your English or Korean-speaking guide at Anguk Station and walk through Insadong, Ikseon-dong, and Gwangjang Market. You’ll hear local history, see hanok houses, and taste 3 to 5 Korean street foods. Guides such as Peter, Sally, Alan, Sam, and Charlie lead private or small-group options.
“Our guide, Sally, is warm and engaging. Our family had a wonderful experience.”
Meet at Jagalchi Station at 16:50 for a two-hour walk through Gukje and Jagalchi markets. Your English or Korean-speaking guide may be Katrina, Naon, or David. Expect handmade snacks, street food, fresh seafood, market stories, and the option to have fish cooked for you.
“Had a lot of fun and learned about the food and background of the night market and it's food. 😋”
Meet Jungho outside Jongno 5-ga Station for a two-hour, small-group walk through Gwangjang Market. You’ll taste 11+ meat-, fish-, egg-, dairy-, and honey-free dishes and drinks while your English-speaking guide handles ordering, translation, and ingredient checks.
“Such a brilliant tour, with a mixture of different foods and drinks to taste at the market. I enjoyed the variety of the foods, learning more about Korean culture and feeling more like a local! Jungho, our guide, was great, very attentive, informative and made the whole experience so fun - thank you! The time flew by! Would definitely recommend this tour.”
Meet your English-speaking guide at Jongno 5-ga Station Exit 8 for two hours at Gwangjang Market. Sample dumplings, meatballs, rice rolls, tteokbokki, fish cake, hotteok, and more while Taeseong or another local guide explains Korean food, society, Seoul, and the peninsula’s division.
“His insights into the culture and the food choices”
Meet your English-speaking guide at Jongno 5-ga Station Exit 8 for a two-hour Gwangjang Market food challenge. Try 10 to 12 small portions, collect a stamp for each dish, and earn a traditional Korean souvenir. Guides have included Gina, Helena, and Cecilia.
“Great food tour of the market and lovely host that shares lots of stories and anecdotes of the history and food / culture. Easy to wander round and you reallly get your moneys worth in terms of trying lots of different foods. Would recommend!!!”
Meet your English-speaking guide at Hoehyeon Station for 90 minutes of Korean market food and culture. You will try seven tastings, including kalguksu, wang mandu, hotteok, gimbab, and tteokbokki, then explore Namdaemun Market and nearby Sungnyemun Gate in a group of no more than 10.
“Kay was a great guide! He knew how to navigate the market efficiently and answered any Qs we had. Would recommend for anyone that wants an authentic and not too touristy market.”
Join food lovers Jay and Sam for a two-hour English tour from Mangwon Station. You’ll sample freshly cooked market bites, premium Hanwoo beef, homemade tofu when available, and Korean fried chicken with beer. The tour is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians.
“Jay was a fantastic tour guide. Very fun experience walking the market and trying different foods. Jay was knowledgeable and was very accommodating of questions throughout. The variety of food kept things very interesting and Jay did an excellent job planning the experience. Highly recommend as a great way to spend your early afternoon.”
Pick a kind of market, or the hour of the day you want to be standing in one.
