Seoul is an awesome city. There is so much to do, in fact, that when you first get here, you might not know what to do first. So here's a short bucket list of the three best markets to go to in Seoul first.
Markets
A great way to get to see Seoul is to visit some of the outdoor markets. There are tons of people and interesting things to see. Here are three of my favorites (all easy to get to on line 4 of the subway).
1. Myeongdong: Myeongdong is a huge shopping area made up of lots of alleys linked together. You can find street venders selling anything and everything from fried potato on a stick to jewelry! If you're a shopper, you'll love all the stores (clothes, shoes, make-up, bags, etc.), but even if you're not, you'll have fun with the party atmosphere---music, people, street vendors. This was one of the first places my dad took us here in Seoul and it's still one of my favorites. To get there, just take exit 5 on the Myeongdong subway stop.
2. Namdaemoon: Namdaemoon is another huge market area but it has more specific areas and items than Myeongdong. While Myeongdong is modern and exciting, Namdaemun is a bit more traditional. It's our favorite place for souvenirs and has great deals on clothes, scarves, housewares, etc. It's huge and windy with lots of alleys. Easy to get lost in but fun to explore. The mandu here is fantastic (Korean dumplings, one of my favorite Korean foods) and the fruit on a stick is delicious. To get here, there are lots of different exits, but we usually take exit 5 from the Hoehyeon stop on line 4.
3. Dongdaemun: Although Dongdaemun is most famous for its many fabric stores---apparently it's a sewer's paradise (as in people who sew, not the sewer you smell walking down the street here), but really, I wouldn't know---but I like it for its other specialty alleys, especially toy alley and pet alley. Toy alley is a street crammed full of toys of every kind (really, it deserves it's own post so look for it soon). Pure awesome. Pet alley is just one long street (with a few side passages deeper in) with all sorts of pets and pet supplies. There are exotic pets like squirrels, hedgehogs, reptiles, crawdads, and more. Even if you're not shopping for pets, it's a fun place to explore. There's a shoe alley too, which you walk through on your way to pet alley. As long as you're smaller than size 8 (U.S. women) or size 10 (U.S. men), you can find lots of great shoes. (If you have feet bigger than that, you'll be happy to know, like my mom was, that there is finally a store that carries shoes for you too--it's a new Payless Shoes store in Myeongdong.)
We have been to all these markets many times and they are all still very fun and interesting. I definitely recommend going to these markets at least once (if not more) while you are in Seoul.
Markets
A great way to get to see Seoul is to visit some of the outdoor markets. There are tons of people and interesting things to see. Here are three of my favorites (all easy to get to on line 4 of the subway).
1. Myeongdong: Myeongdong is a huge shopping area made up of lots of alleys linked together. You can find street venders selling anything and everything from fried potato on a stick to jewelry! If you're a shopper, you'll love all the stores (clothes, shoes, make-up, bags, etc.), but even if you're not, you'll have fun with the party atmosphere---music, people, street vendors. This was one of the first places my dad took us here in Seoul and it's still one of my favorites. To get there, just take exit 5 on the Myeongdong subway stop.
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| Meongdong is an amazing and fun shopping district full of everything (realistic) that you can think of! |
3. Dongdaemun: Although Dongdaemun is most famous for its many fabric stores---apparently it's a sewer's paradise (as in people who sew, not the sewer you smell walking down the street here), but really, I wouldn't know---but I like it for its other specialty alleys, especially toy alley and pet alley. Toy alley is a street crammed full of toys of every kind (really, it deserves it's own post so look for it soon). Pure awesome. Pet alley is just one long street (with a few side passages deeper in) with all sorts of pets and pet supplies. There are exotic pets like squirrels, hedgehogs, reptiles, crawdads, and more. Even if you're not shopping for pets, it's a fun place to explore. There's a shoe alley too, which you walk through on your way to pet alley. As long as you're smaller than size 8 (U.S. women) or size 10 (U.S. men), you can find lots of great shoes. (If you have feet bigger than that, you'll be happy to know, like my mom was, that there is finally a store that carries shoes for you too--it's a new Payless Shoes store in Myeongdong.)
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| Toy alley is my favorite alley here in Korea besides Pet alley |
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