The market lanes
Thousands of shops and stalls.
Adbar — CC BY-SA 3.0 · User:CaliforniaAliBaba — CC BY-SA 3.0 · No machine-readable author provided. IGEL assumed (based on copyright claims). — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Adli Wahid — CC BY-SA 3.0
The largest traditional market in Korea and one of the oldest, dating back to 1414 in the Joseon period. It stands beside Namdaemun, the great south gate of Seoul's old city wall. The market has burned and been rebuilt several times, once during the Korean War, and today it is thousands of shops and stalls along covered and open lanes. Almost everything is sold here, sometimes at wholesale prices: children's clothes, kitchenware, glasses, bags, ginseng, dried seaweed and souvenirs. This is where the city's own residents shop, so prices are lower than in nearby Myeongdong, and haggling is acceptable when you buy in quantity. The market has alleys for everyday food, such as the lane of hand-cut noodle soup, and carts selling sweet hotteok pancakes. Most eateries are not halal, so ask about ingredients before you order. Weekday daytime is the best time to come, as many shops close on Sundays. A few minutes away stands the gate itself, officially called Sungnyemun, which is Korea's National Treasure No. 1.
Thousands of shops and stalls.
Korean gifts at market prices.
National Treasure No. 1.
21 Namdaemunsijang 4-gil, Jung-gu; Hoehyeon Station (Line 4), exit 5
Deoksugung PalaceA small palace in the middle of modern Seoul, across from City Hall, that mixes 10 minutes walk4.5
MyeongdongSeoul's best-known shopping district and its busiest with tourists, a grid of pe12 minutes walk4.4
Cheonggyecheon StreamA stream running about 11 kilometres through the heart of Seoul, brought back to14 minutes walk4.5
N Seoul Tower (Namsan Tower)Seoul's best-known landmark, a communications and observation tower on the summi16 minutes walk4.4
Namsangol Hanok VillageA heritage village on the northern foot of Mount Namsan, with five traditional J19 minutes walk4.5In the daytime on weekdays. Many shops close on Sundays, per visitor guides.