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Namdaemun Market
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Namdaemun Market

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#65 of 1,022 things to do in Seoul
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About
This is the city's largest market. Almost everything is available for sale including clothing, souvenirs, purses, and food supplies. Many stalls are open into the wee hours of the morning.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Myeongdong / Namdaemun
Arguably Seoul’s most famous neighborhood and undoubtedly one of its most popular, Myeongdong takes shopping and eating to new heights, with hundreds of shops, restaurants, and cafes all stacked on top of one another. The rise in popularity of Korean cosmetics, fashion, and more has made this area a must-see for visitors who come and marvel at Myeongdong’s often frenetic pace and energy. Lotte and Shinsaegae’s massive department stores are also popular draws for both Korean and luxury products. The department stores, just like Myeongdong’s streets, are crowded around the clock. Myeongdong’s many street food carts are also immensely popular for their inexpensive and quirky offerings (French-fry-encrusted corn dogs, anyone?). The neighborhood’s popularity, as well as its close proximity to other popular sights and neighborhoods, makes it one of Seoul’s most popular places to stay.
How to get there
  • Hoehyeon • 3 min walk
  • Euljiro 1-ga • 10 min walk
Best nearby
Restaurants
3,399 within 3 miles
Hemlagat
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0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Swedish • Scandinavian
MoMo Cafe
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Manjok Ohyang Jokbal City Hall
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Isaac Toast Myeongdong
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0.3 mi$ • Quick Bites • Fast Food
W Xyz Bar
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0.3 mi$ • Bar • Cafe • International
Odarijip Myeongdong
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0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Asian • Korean • Gluten Free Options
Gamekol Son Wangmandu
96
0.1 mi$ • Fast Food • Asian • Korean
Aria
147
0.3 mi$$$$ • Asian • Korean • Vegetarian Friendly
Gyodae Galbijib - City Hall
31
0.2 mi$$$$ • Korean
Beansbins Myeongdong
245
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Dessert • Cafe • Vegetarian Friendly
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Attractions
573 within 6 miles
Namdaemun Community Lounge
1
41 ftVisitor Centers
Alpha Gallery
3
178 ftArt Galleries
Sungnyemun Gate
335
0.1 miHistoric Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
Mesa
9
0.1 miShopping Malls
Seoul Metro
12,732
0.4 miPublic Transportation Systems
Shinsegae Dept. Store Main
364
0.2 miDepartment Stores
Myeongdong NANTA Theater
520
0.4 miTheaters
Grevin Museum
340
0.4 miSpeciality Museums
Bank of Korea Museum
85
0.3 miSpeciality Museums
Deoksugung
1,078
0.4 miHistoric Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
2,901 reviews
Excellent
813
Very good
1,283
Average
644
Poor
119
Terrible
42
Culinary-Consultants
Ferrara, Italy3,463 contributions
The ONLY Market Worthy of Attention in Seoul.
Jan 2020
Dear colleague travelers, here I leave you a review for the one and only market worthy of a visit in Seoul: The Namdaemun Market. Filled with excitement, strange and curious things, lots of interesting street food, raw food ingredients, music, clothing, souvenirs and its booming with people.

Still the rule of South Koreans is not to understand a word of English; but in this market like everywhere in South Korea; be ready for price rise as soon as they see you coming and being a non-Korean. Speculation is in the air.

Most of the things you'll be able to buy when it comes to clothing and souvenirs; is cheap worthless Chinese crap. But concentrate on the raw products and on the street food. At least prices are exposed and the prices are the same for foreigners and locals alike.

Just walk around (watch your pockets) as there are some suspicious persons in the area. Don't spend much (you will be tempted) but remember most of the souvenirs globally are cheap Chinese products that you'll end up throwing away.

In Korea you need to concentrate on walking a lot as there is plenty to walk, take fresh air, don't spend on garbage, have some curious food and the points of Interest are to be museums, palaces and all related to this activities. (museums and monuments, places, etc are really cheap). This is my advise.

We recommend this market as the ONLY one worth. The rest is just copy and paste.
Written February 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Janet1016
Ottawa, Canada946 contributions
Markets rock!
Jan 2020
My husband, son and I visited Seoul, South Korea for the very first time the end of January. Our Hotel, the Tmark Grand Hotel, was within walking distance of the Namdaemun Market and we visited it numerous times over the course of the week we were there.

I'm not a big shopper but I am a foodie and we ate in a couple of restaurants in the Market as well as sampling some of the street foods and I also purchased some Honey Butter Almonds, which are a very popular foodie souvenir to buy when in South Korea, at a lower price than if you go to an actual shop that specializes in them (of which there are MANY). :)

I love Night Markets. Coming from Canada I can't get enough of them when I visit Asia. Everything looks so FOREIGN! LOL! I saw all manner of fresh fruits for sale, spices, clothing, foodie treats, and much, much more.

The Market, which is the largest traditional Market in South Korea, has over 10,000 vendors, retailers and wholesalers. It is a dense maze of stalls and restaurants. One night while we were looking for a spot to get some dinner we came out of a back alley to be faced with a stunning Old City Gate right across the street which turned out to be Sungnyemun Gate, South Korea's #1 National Treasure. You honestly never know what is going to be around the next corner.

Merchants have been selling items near this location since 1414 AD!!!!! There is an information booth with people in it that do speak some English which is super helpful. They also have free maps so you can orient yourself. We went to the Information booth one evening for a restaurant recommendation and were pleased.

Just go wander.....it's uber fun!
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
menth0l
Winterthur, Switzerland69 contributions
Another place for sightseeing
Sep 2022
If you want to experience the local life of Korean, you must go there for a walk. Besides clothes shoes shops, there is also a fresh market that the Korean go there for daily shopping. Many Korean restaurants and street food booths located in the small alleys. Also tourist guides were there to help the traveler.
Written September 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
soul p
1 contribution
Not recommended for street foods
Jan 2020 • Friends
This is a market mainly focused in optical products, knock off clothes and not very authentic souveniers that are made in China. Go to Gwangjang Market if you are looking for some street foods, Go to Myeongdong if you are planning to do some shopping. Worth a visit if you are trying to get yourself a new pair of glasses, but you will probably be overcharged if you are a foreigner. Bring one of your Korean friends. Since it is very close to Myeongdong maybe a 30 min quick stop would not harm you if you do not expect too much.
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Quang Kiet Le
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam831 contributions
The night market closed so early!
Nov 2022
Came here for a night market visit, but when we arrived (~7PM), only few stalls remained opened. Fortunately, the food that we found had the good quality. So, if you would like to explore the market, be sure to come early!
Written November 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
DanN1969
Vissenbjerg, Denmark203 contributions
A market with everything
Feb 2020
I could spend days browsing through Seoul's famous Namdaemun Market, because they have everything, and it's Korean style. All from souvenirs, through food, snacks and beverages to wholesale. And all the way through, you meet smiling people. If you don't have days to spend there, at least give it a try of a few hours, it's worth it. And one more thing; It's clean, nice and clean and nice.
Don't miss it if you're in Seoul.
Written March 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Patrick S
Sydney, Australia54 contributions
Good Market for Bargains
Nov 2019
This is a huge market running over several streets. keep your bearings as you can easily get confused and lost. It is a good place to look for clothing and diverse goods at low price. Can get some good souvenirs as well. A very interesting place to visit. It is walking distance to Namsan Park. So both can be visited in a day trip.
Written January 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Brian J
Philadelphia, PA8 contributions
Good intro to traditional market shopping
Jun 2022
If you want to experience shopping at a traditional market in Seoul, this is a good one to see. It’s smaller and more manageable than nearby Dongdaemun market. I enjoyed walking through and getting the experience even though we didn’t buy much.
Written July 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Abovetheclouds
1,494 contributions
OK. To see local life.
May 2022 • Solo
I am not one for markets. I came as it is apparently one of the largest and that it certainly was! We got lost. Local junk. There was nothing good apart from the odd boutique jewellery store. Nice to see the locals and absorb the atmosphere. Some parts were not that clean.
Written May 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
rememr
Singapore, Singapore900 contributions
Dried Strawberries & Snacks Shopping
Feb 2020
Went here mainly to buy dried food such as the famous freeze dried strawberries and cuttlefish from Seoul Sanghwae. The market also sells various trinkets such as jewelries. Myeongdong is also a walk away.
Written August 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Namdaemun Market (Seoul) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Namdaemun Market
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