Shopping · Seoul · South Korea
Shopping in Seoul
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: *Youngjin, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Seoul is one of Asia's top shopping cities for skincare, fashion and design, from Myeongdong's cosmetics streets and Dongdaemun's night markets to Seongsu's concept stores and Gangnam's department stores. Best souvenirs: Korean skincare, Ginseng products and Hanji paper crafts.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 4
- Markets
- 4
- Top souvenir
- Korean skincare
Where to shop
Myeongdong
K-beauty flagships, department stores and fashion chains in a compact pedestrian grid.
Garosu-gil and Apgujeong
Designer boutiques, Korean labels and Apgujeong's luxury department stores in Gangnam.
Seongsu-dong
Concept stores, pop-ups and independent fashion and homeware brands in old workshops.
Hongdae
Young fashion, vintage, character shops and indie record stores.
Markets
Namdaemun Market
A sprawling traditional market of clothes, kitchenware, ginseng and street food near Myeongdong.
Dongdaemun
Wholesale fashion malls around DDP that trade late into the night.
Gwangjang Market
Food alleys plus silk, linen and vintage-clothing traders.
Mangwon Market
A local neighbourhood market near Hongdae, good for snacks and picnic food.
What to buy
Korean skincare
Sheet masks, serums and sunscreens from Myeongdong and Olive Young shops, with tax refunds on larger purchases.
Ginseng products
Red ginseng extracts, teas and candies from Namdaemun Market and specialist shops.
Hanji paper crafts
Notebooks, lanterns and boxes made from traditional mulberry paper, sold in Insadong.
Celadon and ceramics
Jade-green celadon pieces and modern Korean ceramics from Insadong galleries.
K-pop merchandise
Albums and official goods from record shops in Myeongdong, Hongdae and COEX.
Korean snacks and instant noodles
Seaweed snacks, honey butter chips and ramyeon from supermarkets make easy gifts.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Market · Jongno
Gwangjang Market
One of Korea's oldest covered markets, Gwangjang is best known for its food alleys: crisp mung-bean pancakes (bindaetteok) fried to order, small 'mayak' gimbap rolls, raw beef yukhoe and knife-cut noodles.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Iconic
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Street · Insadong
Insadong and Ssamziegil
Insadong-gil is lined with galleries, tea houses and shops selling hanji paper, celadon and calligraphy brushes.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Art
- History
Street · Myeongdong
Myeongdong
Myeongdong's pedestrian streets are lined with K-beauty shops handing out samples, and from late afternoon food stalls sell tornado potatoes, egg bread and grilled lobster tails.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- After dark
Architecture · Dongdaemun
Dongdaemun Design Plaza
Zaha Hadid's curving, aluminium-clad DDP hosts design exhibitions and fashion events, with a rooftop garden and the excavated remains of the old city wall and Dongdaemun Stadium beside it.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- After dark
- Photo spot
- Shopping
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Hotteok and Makgeolli and soju. Street stalls in Insadong, Namdaemun Market and Myeongdong, especially in the cold months. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Myeongdong | $$$ | Cosmetics shops, street-food stalls and department stores |
| Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong | $$ | University district of buskers, clubs, indie shops and cafés |
| Itaewon and Hannam-dong | $$$ | International restaurants, bars and hillside boutiques below Namsan |
| Gangnam | $$$$ | Office towers, Garosu-gil boutiques, COEX and polished restaurants |
| Seongsu-dong | $$$ | Former shoe factories turned cafés, concept stores and pop-ups |
| Jamsil | $$$ | Lotte World, Seokchon Lake and the 555-metre Lotte World Tower |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in KRW. Tipping is not customary in Korea and can confuse staff. Upmarket hotels may add a service charge; elsewhere, prices already include everything.
- Shops displaying a tax-free sign can refund VAT on purchases above a minimum spend; bring your passport.
- Avoid Chuseok and Seollal for train travel, when KTX seats sell out and some shops close.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in January–February; the busiest months are April and October.
- April: Cherry blossom festivals at Yeouido and Seokchon Lake (usually early April)
- May: Lotus Lantern Festival — lantern parade along Jongno (usually the weekend before Buddha's Birthday, April or May)
- May: Seoul Jazz Festival (usually late May)
- October: Seoul International Fireworks Festival over the Han River at Yeouido (usually early October)
- November: Seoul Lantern Festival along Cheonggyecheon (usually November)
- December: Christmas lights on Myeongdong department stores (December)
Staying near the shops
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping and families
Myeongdong
Cosmetics shops, street-food stalls and department stores
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Seoul?
Korean skincare, Ginseng products, Hanji paper crafts and Celadon and ceramics.
+Where is the best shopping in Seoul?
Myeongdong: K-beauty flagships, department stores and fashion chains in a compact pedestrian grid.
+What are the best markets in Seoul?
Namdaemun Market, Dongdaemun, Gwangjang Market and Mangwon Market.