Gwangjang Market Stalls

Taniaka Patade Perrovsky★★★★★★★★★★5.02 months ago

There’s a saying among travelers: if you want to understand a city, go to its local market… and Gwangjang proves it right. This place has everything: food, clothing, souvenirs, tools, exotic delious candy, cookware… but more than that, it’s full of history and stories. Every corner feels alive. The food scene is the heart of it. Every single lady cooking is amazing and welcoming, and somehow there’s no such thing as a language barrier when it comes to food. You just point, smile, and it works. I even stumbled into a small spot where Gordon Ramsay ate for one of his shows, which says a lot. But honestly, the magic is everywhere. Seoul is full of smells, and here they’re all layered together, each stall with its own identity. As a Westerner, it was fascinating to see people lining up for very specific stalls, trusting that whatever’s at the end is worth it, and it usually is. I also found one of the best medicinal teas, completely by accident. What stood out the most, though, was how safe and welcoming it felt. I walked around late at night by myself and felt completely at ease. At one point, a random lady pulled me over to try some shrimp, and through hand gestures and broken Korean/English, we understood each other perfectly. Gwangjang isn’t just a market: it’s an experience, a connection, and a reminder that food really is a universal language.

Map Roy★★★★★★★★★★5.08 months ago

I absolutely loved visiting Gwangjang Markets! It was busy and touristy but I felt that this really added to the atmosphere and excitement. Some people might say that prices here are more expensive than else where in Seoul however I found them to be reasonable. The market sells lots of street food and souvenirs. There is one long, main and wide corridor type strip down the centre with a number of narrower lanes branching off the sides, also selling food, souvenirs and trinkets. All stall holders we interacted with were super friendly, warm and helpful. They all appeared happy to be interacting with customers and feeding the crowds. Each food store specialises in a different type of food. Everything we ate was delicious! I liked that you were able to buy food from lots of different stores and then come together and share so you could taste a bit of everything. I would highly recommend visiting here!

Jialong Liu★★★★★★★★★★4.0a month ago

Great market with lots of traditional food, shops form selling kimchi, kitchen ware to even bedsheets! I got alot of banchans from here which were at a really great price too. Food wasnt all great but they have some popular ones, namely the twisted donuts at the start and the noodles from Netflix auntie. I am sure there were many other gems as well, incl the ajumma who cooks 12 different types of instant ramyeon! I didn't give this a 5 stars as there were some stores selling things pricier than elsewhere, and it can be REALLY crowded during weekends. Today is my 3rd time in this place and on a Wednesday afternoon, it's a very nice walk and to enjoy food without much queue. I will be back here again too!

Aras★★★★★★★★★★5.08 months ago

This place is old school meets new school. Food stores are a plenty, even those most stores sell the same food. Many Michelin rated food places and the famous kalguksu featured on netflix is here too. Definitely a place to come for buying souvenirs and good quality blankets back to your home country. Easily accessible via bus or the metro (Dongdaemun station) with a 10 minute leisurely stroll

Lei Z.★★★★★★★★★★3.08 months ago

This market didn’t impress us. The food selection was repetitive and nothing was really appealing to our eyes. We ended up trying a mungbean paste pancake and walnut-shaped pastries. The taste wasn’t bad but definitely not something that I would travel for.