The Korean cuisine has started to be popular around the world and recently in western countries. Why? Because it offers a fusion of different types of unique food and it is really good! You can see traditional Korean dishes but also modern versions of traditional Korean cuisine. Let’s go for a Seoul Food Tour!
What will you eat during your Seoul Food Tour?
If you are a beginner in Korean cuisine, a Seoul Food Tour will make you try the best Korean traditional dishes in a convivial atmosphere. We want you to get the most out of this experience while enjoying the lively ambiance of Seoul.
That is why Oneday Korea elaborated special food tours in Seoul. There will be something for every taste!
Each of our Seoul Food tours is accompanied by one of our friendly guide who can speak English. He will tell you more about the Korean gastronomy while giving you some anecdote about Korean history. Learn while eating : is it not the best way to learn about a country?
We have several food tours with different highlights: choose the one you prefer and customize it with us if you need :)
Find below a summary of some of our Seoul Food Tour.
A Food Tour between Tradition and Modernity
Foodies, don’t faint out in front of the delicious Korean dishes you will discover during this food tour !
Just to give you a vision of what your Seoul Food Tour will look like, here some of the Korean dishes you may try. Up to you to world: something else if you want. This is your tour, our priority is You! ;)
Seoul welcomes 10 millions inhabitants so in terms of restaurant, we are spoiled. We selected the best restaurants for you!
After meeting your guide at around 5 pm, you will start your food tour by going to your first local restaurant. Your first Korean dish will be Budae Jjigae.
Budae Jjigae
Budae Jjigae is called “Army stew” in English. This meal left a trace in Korean history. It has been created during the Korean War by Korean soldiers. They found American food rations and decided to mix these different ingredients and that is how Budae Jjigae was “born”. It is made with sausage cut into pieces or ham, beans, American cheese slices and noodles. All these ingredients are marinated in a spicy broth made with garlic, chili peppers and scallions. You can add some tofu or tteok (rice cake) to the stew .
This dish is very popular in the country, and you will like it!
Then, to digest a little bit before the second meal, you will walk along the Cheonggyecheon stream. The night view with the lights will immerse you in a different world : peaceful and quiet. You will pass under two bridges that have been built during the Joseon Dynasty.
Afterwards, you will lead to Jongno district, the main business district in Seoul. It is the economic and political center gathering banks, big companies, governmental institutions. After admiring those big buildings, you will walk in streets, famous for street food.
Street food
Street food is very common in Korea and then you should try it. Every day, street vendors set up their own tents or carts to start selling dishes to eat on the go. You will be surrounded with delicious smells. The most famous street food dishes are fried snacks, Odeng (fish cake), tteokbokki (spicy rice cake), kimbap (seaweed rice rolls filled with different ingredients mostly beef, carrot, eggs, cucumber, …), Hotteok (sweet pancake), etc. Yummy!
Then let’s go to Pitmagol, hidden Seoul’s alleys, not known by tourists. After a walk, let’s go where your second dish is located : the “pork alley”. Be prepared to eat the traditional Korean Barbecue!
Samgyeopsal : Korean Barbecue
Who still never heard about the famous Korean barbecue? It will be probably one of the highlights of your Seoul Food Tour.
Samgyeopsal is a barbecue dish made with thick slices of pork belly meat, served with vegetables and lettuce. It is a perfect dinner between friends or to share with your family.
Your guide will show you how to grill it and how to enjoy it in a Korean way. You can drink Soju with it, the traditional Korean alcohol.
Samgyeopsal is so popular among Koreans that they even dedicated a day to celebrate it : 3rd of March.
Now it is time for the dessert! To complete your Seoul Food Tour, a sweet flavor is welcomed, why not try the famous dessert Bingsu? You will crave for it ! You go in the direction of Insa-dong, traditional district gathering cafe, restaurants, and galleries.
Bingsu
This dessert made with shaved ice and toppings such as ice cream, chocolate, fruits, is the favorite dessert of Koreans, you will understand why by tasting it ;).
Finally, you ate well and it is time to go back to your hotel. Your guide will bring you to the subway station, you will go back to your accommodation to have a full sleep!
Join our best Food Tour in Seoul!
Korean Food Market Tours
Seoul Night Market Tour
Combine fashion, design and food ! This tour will bring you to the lively district of Myeongdong, famous for shopping and street food. You can find shops selling well-known brand clothes, shoes, accessories, but also cosmetics and K-pop goods. Likewise, you can pass by two major department stores : Lotte and Shinsegae. This is the place to eat on the go. You will be able to see a lot of Korean students, going shopping and having a break eating snacks in the streets.
You have the choice by eating many types of street food, having a dinner in a local restaurant or a little bit of both. Let’s see how foodie you are.
Then, you will visit the Myeongdong cathedral, birthplace for the Catholic Church community in Korea.
Dongdaemun district will be your next destination. It is the place for shopping market. You will be able to find clothes, accessories. Just a few meters far, you can see the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, building with a futuristic architecture. It holds various exhibitions, fashion shows, international and national events. At night, it looks like a spaceship ready to land off.
Let’s start your Seoul Night Market Tour !
Food tour at Noryangjin Fish Market
Noryangjin fish market is the largest seafood market in Korea. This tour is for seafood lovers.
You can find almost all fishes and crustaceans you want. The market is open 24/24 hours. It is the market where restaurant owners are going to be provided in fresh sea food.
The casual seafood Koreans eat are sashimis and marinated fish. This is where you can eat live octopus, a specialty in Korea! If you are not into eating live octopus, you can try other traditional dish such as Hoe, sliced raw fish, or Maeuntang, a spicy fish soup. The concept of markets is different that western food markets. You can buy seafood in this market and you can go to the restaurant nearby. Give the food you bought and the restaurant will prepare it for you. You can savor it while sitting in a comfortable place.
Then, you will go to Cupbab street. This street is known for its numerous private educational institutes, called Hagwon in Korean. Students go there to have supplementary classes in a domain or when they want to improve their school results in a specific signature. The large amount of Hagwon you can see in the area is due to a past population control policy where Hagwon needed to move to counter overpopulation in another district. So, because of the presence of many students, street food vendors set up their stands called now the Noryangjin Cupbab street. The food is very cheap there so don t be shy and try different types of street food.
Eat the best Korean seafood at Noryangjin Fish Market!
Gwangjang Market & Korean Pork Belly BBQ Tour
You will start the tour by Gwangjang Market is one of the largest traditional market in Korea, located in the heart of Seoul. It has over 100 years of history in Korea. It was built in the purpose of reclaiming Korean sovereignty during the period of Japanese occupation.
This market is famous for street food and particularly gimbap, tteokbokki, bindaetteuk and sundae (stuffed pig intestines), etc.
Furthermore, the market is also famous for its hand-made goods. You can find Hanbok, silk and satin textiles, handicrafts. Moreover, you can find a lot of vintage stores.
After spending a good time eating at the market, it is time to have a walk to digest. Walk along the Cheonggyecheon stream which will make travel back in time. Then, you will see the Dongdaemun Design Plaza and head towards an amazing restaurant to savor Korean barbecue!
Explore Gwangjang Market and try delicious food!
Become a real Kimchi Master!
This private tour will make you feel like a traditional Korean from the Joseon dynasty as you will wear Hanbok and make Kimchi.
You ate Kimchi, the banchan present for every lunch and dinner but you don’t exactly know the ingredients and how it is made. You want to know the secret recipe to make the perfect-tasting Korean Kimchi? Then, this Kimchi food tour will give you the secret !
Before starting the cooking lesson, wear a Hanbok, traditional Korean clothes to make this experience more authentic!
During your training, you will be guided by a professional kimchi instructor. After putting all your effort into making it, you can taste your kimchi. You can packed it up and bring it back with you.
Otherwise, you can also learn how to prepare Ttoekbokki (Spicy rice cakes).
Learn how to make Kimchi with this special tour !
We combined the best restaurants and beautiful places of Seoul to make you live an incredible Seoul food tour. You will experience Korean culture and food. Hope you enjoyed reading this article. If it gave you ideas for your trip in Korea then that is perfect. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information about our tours and we will be happy to create the best itinerary for you :)
Read next: Your Hanbok Photoshoot Experience!