Ultimate Foodie Guide To Gwangjang Market: What To Eat & More
Read on to discover the top dishes at Seoul’s best food market!
Gwangjang Market in Seoul is considered to be the best market in all of South Korea, but what can you expect to eat there?
I spent my first day in the capital exploring Gwangjang Market and was blown away by the sheer size of the place and the many different food options available.
It is an intensely bustling place. Often overcrowded and undoubtedly overwhelming, it is still a must-visit location for foodies visiting Seoul.
I’ve written this post as a guide for anyone wondering what to expect. From must-eat foods and drinks, how to find the market, when to visit and lots more.
Plan Your Trip With My Recommended Resources:
🚆Bus or Train: Bookaway is a great resource for tickets
🏨 Accommodation: I always use Booking.com
🚙 Rental Car: Discover Cars has the best car rental prices
❤️ Travel Insurance: I recommend using Visitors Coverage
✈️ Flights: Kiwi.com has the best prices on flights
📱eSIM: Airalo has a fantastic range of eSIMs
Gwangjang Market: Must-Eat Foods
There are so many countless food options at Gwangjang! To help you narrow down your selection when visiting, here are what I believe to be the must-eat foods to try:
Bindaetteok
Probably the most sold food item at Gwangjang is Bindaetteok, which are mung bean pancakes. You’ll see many food stalls at the market cooking and selling these round, heavy pancakes everywhere you look.
They are very tasty but at the same time also very filling. I tried to eat one whole pancake but struggled to finish it, and this was my first meal of the day!
Noodles
You’ll also see a huge variety of noodle dishes sold at the market as well. The most popular type of noodles are ‘knife-cut’ noodles. These are noodles that are prepared from scratch and cut up right in front of where you sit.
The most popular stall for noodles is Gohyang Kalguksu stall. This Korean food stall operator was featured in the Netflix series: ‘Street Food: Asia’ a few years ago.
I actually went back to Gwangjang Market for a second visit during my trip to Seoul just to find this food stall and of course, try some of her famous noodles.
It can be a bit difficult to find, but just keep an eye out for the ‘Netflix’ sign and you’ll know you’ve found the right stall.
Watching the talented chef prepare the noodles from scratch was a really special experience and they tasted great. Admittedly my photo of the noodles below doesn’t look the most beautiful, but it’s the taste that matters!
Bibimbap
Bibimbap is one of the most popular South Korean dishes and a must-eat dish when at Gwangjang Market. It’s a rice dish that consists of various vegetables and meats and is usually served with a fried egg on top of the dish.
Tteokbokki
Although you may be mistaken for believing they contain meat as they have an uncanny resemblance to sausages, tteokbokki are actually made of rice and covered in a sweet orange/red sauce.
You’ll see them everywhere at Gwangjang. Admittedly they’re not for everyone’s taste, but are certainly worth giving a try.
If you want to learn what else I ate during my food tour of Seoul, make sure to read this blog post:
➡️ BEST Food Tour In South Korea 2025: The Ultimate Foodie Guide!
Buchimgae (Korean Pancakes)
Buchimgae may be my favourite type of Korean food as they are so delicious! Basically Korea’s own version of pancakes. Buchimgae are usually savoury pancakes and quite crispy and can consist of kimchi, spring onions or other food items.
Mayak Kimbap
You may mistake Mayak Kimbap for sushi as they look almost identical. The big difference is that Mayak Kimbap typically contains vegetables such as carrots, spinach and pickled radish.
They are plentiful at Gwangjang Market but be warned – they are seriously addictive snacks.
Other food available at Gwangjang Market
Of course, there are many other types of Korean food available at the market. Here’s a list of what you can expect to find there:
- Sweets/Desserts – there are a surprising amount of sweets and dessert items available at Gwangjang. You can find sweets such as honey cookies, candy, donuts, sweet pancakes and more.
- Meat dishes – obviously there are numerous meat items available, but as a vegetarian, I had no interest in trying them.
You can expect to find dishes such as beef tartar, blood sausages, pig/chicken feet as well as seafood dishes like raw crab and live octopus. - Dumplings – very common at the market. You can try dumplings filled with ingredients such as kimchi or pork and they are super tasty.
- Cold soups – soups are quite popular at the market, especially cold soups that are consumed during the hot summer months in Seoul.
- Korean snacks – you can find every type of common Korean snack at the market, such as Korean hot dogs, fish cakes, crackers, chocolates and many more.
What To Drink At Gwangjang Market
As well as a variety of smoothies, teas and beers, there are two very popular South Korean alcoholic beverages that are widely available at Gwangjang Market:
Makgeolli
This is a traditional Korean rice wine which I sampled during my visit to Gwangjang. Makgeolli is made out of fermented rice, yeast and water and has been drunk in South Korea for centuries.
It has quite a sour, bitter taste and looks quite milky. I wasn’t overly keen on Makgeolli when I first tried it at the market. But the drink actually grew on me during my South Korean trip.
Although it has a high alcohol percentage, I honestly didn’t think it was that strong. It is also typically served in a bowl, which was certainly unique!
Soju
The other traditional alcoholic drink that I tried at Gwangjang was soju, which you can find absolutely everywhere in South Korea and is the number one alcoholic drink in the country.
Soju is a clear spirit drink, often referred to as Korean vodka. I was certainly reminded of vodka when I tried it, though it’s a little bit sweeter and not as strong in my opinion.
Make sure to drink it in moderation, however, or you’ll regret it the following morning!
What To Expect At Gwangjang Market
Gwangjang Market is such a busy place and it is a real sensory overload experience. It’s probably the most colourful, busiest and loudest food market I’ve ever visited.
Expect lots of chatter from workers at the food stalls as you make your way down one of the many narrow pathways.
You’ll see so many food stalls and so many food items everywhere you look. It can be crowded throughout each day, so make sure to take your time looking around and soaking up the special atmosphere.
How To Get To Gwangjang Market
Gwangjang Market is located in the Jongno District of Seoul, which is very central to the city. You can find a lot of the major tourist attractions of Seoul in this district, such as the stunning Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village.
With these top places all located close to one another, you can visit them easily in one day, or two days if you’re not rushed for time.
The best way to reach Gwangjang Market is by public transport, notably Seoul’s metro system. You can also get there by bus or by taxi:
- By Metro – from City Hall Station get a train on line 1 to Jongno 5-ga station, which is the nearest station to the market. The train only takes 5 minutes and the market is just a short couple of minutes’ walk away from Jongno 5-ga.
You can also get on trains on lines 2 and 5 to Euljiro 4-ga Station. But this takes longer to walk to the market. - By Bus – there are several bus routes that stop directly next to the market (bus numbers 100, 261, 262 or 9301). But this takes longer and can be complicated while catching a metro is much easier.
- By taxi – you can catch a taxi to the market for sure. But it will take longer than catching the metro and will be a bit more expensive.
Map of Gwangjang Market, Seoul
Check out this interactive map of Seoul (and in particular Gwangjang Market) that features pins of all the locations mentioned in this blog post:
Gwangjang Market FAQs
Still not sure about visiting Gwangjang Market? Let me answer some of the most commonly asked questions about this awesome foodie location:
When is the market open?
The market is open seven days a week, although, on Sundays and Mondays fewer stalls are open. The general market is open from 9 am until 6 pm and the main food street is open until 10:30 pm.
What is the best time to visit?
I would recommend visiting the market mid to late morning before lunchtime. If you turn up at 9 am then the majority of shops and stalls won’t be ready, and the market doesn’t really get into its full flow until around 11 am.
Lunchtime is considered the busiest time of day to visit, as is evening time, so mid-afternoon may be a good time to visit as well.
Having visited the market twice at different times, I can attest that it was less busy during the evening compared to the lunch period. To be honest you can always expect a lot of people, both locals and tourists regardless of what time you visit.
If you’re visiting Seoul during the summer months then your experience may be less enjoyable because it’s so hot. Instead, the spring or autumn months is much cooler and therefore more enjoyable.
Does the market cater for vegetarians?
As a vegetarian myself, I can attest that yes, there are plenty of vegetarian options at Gwangjang market.
From noodle dishes to dumplings, Korean pancakes and more, there was a surprising amount of vegetarian foods to try.
If you’re a vegan however then your choices will be more limited. And if you’re sensitive to being surrounded by meat then you may not enjoy the market so much.
For example, seeing chicken and pigs feet on display can be quite off-putting for vegetarians/vegans to say the least.
Do food stall workers speak English?
In my experience no, I didn’t have any English interactions with any of the workers at the food stalls at the market. All of the menus available were in Korean as well.
But this is mostly the norm everywhere in Seoul and South Korea. You just have to get used to pointing at a food item you want to buy. Rely on body language/eye contact and hope for the best!
Conclusion: Ultimate Guide To Gwangjang Market
So that concludes my ultimate guide to Gwangjang Market and what to eat there. It is easily one of the most vibrant and fun food markets you’ll ever get to visit and a must for foodies planning a trip to Seoul.
There are so many different food options at the market and it is a perfect way to get to try and learn about Korean food. From classic dishes such as bibimbap and knife-cut noodles to more exotic items, a visit here will definitely satisfy your tastebuds!
I hope this guide has given you a better understanding of what to expect and what to eat at Gwangjang Market, my advice is to be adventurous and try a little bit of everything.
You may also enjoy reading these blog posts about South Korea:
➡️ South Korea Bucket List: Top 15 Awesome Places & Things To Do
➡️ Best Neighbourhoods In Seoul To Stay In When Visiting The Capital
➡️ Travel Tips For South Korea: A Comprehensive Guide To Safety
➡️ Seoul vs Busan: Which South Korean City Is Better For Tourists?
➡️ Planning your trip? Here are my favourite resources:
🏨 Accommodation: I recommend using Booking.com
🚙 Rental Car: Use Discover Cars for the best car rental prices
❤️ Travel Insurance: I recommend using Visitors Coverage
✈️ Flights: Use Kiwi.com for the best prices on flights
