Seoul Night Food TourGwangjang Market, Dongdaemun & Fried Chicken

Seoul's night food circuit begins at Gwangjang Market, one of the oldest traditional markets in Korea, opened in 1905. By day, it sells fabrics, bedding and hanbok; by evening, its central alleys fill with food stalls and diners sitting on benches around steaming counters. This tour explores the market's classic dishes, walks through the Dongdaemun area and ends with Korean fried chicken.

The evening starts at the main entrance of Gwangjang Market. Your guide leads you through the food alleys, where stall owners, many of them women who have run their counters for years, fry, steam and slice in front of you. The first stop is bindaetteok, a thick, crispy pancake of ground mung beans with vegetables and pork, fried in oil until golden and served with soy sauce and onions.

Next comes mayak gimbap, small rolls of rice and vegetables wrapped in seaweed, brushed with sesame oil and served with a mustard dipping sauce. The name, which translates roughly as narcotic gimbap, refers to how hard they are to stop eating. Along the way, you may also try jeon, pancakes of vegetables, fish or meat dipped in egg and fried, and a cup of makgeolli, a milky rice wine, which pairs well with the fried food.

From Gwangjang, the walk continues towards Dongdaemun, where the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, designed by Zaha Hadid and opened in 2014, curves like a silver wave above the surrounding streets. It is especially striking at night, when its curved facade is lit. Your guide explains the history of the area, from the old city gate of Heunginjimun to the markets that grew up around it.

The final stop is a Korean fried chicken restaurant. Korean fried chicken is fried twice, which gives it a thin, crackling crust, and is served plain or coated in sweet, spicy or soy-garlic glazes. It is traditionally eaten with beer, a pairing so popular that it has its own name, chimaek.

The tour runs year-round. Winter evenings are cold, but the market's warm food makes up for it, while summer evenings are warm and lively.

Please let us know about dietary requirements in advance. Vegetarian options are available for most tastings.

The tour lasts around three hours. A food guide, all tastings, including bindaetteok, mayak gimbap, jeon, makgeolli and fried chicken, and the market walk are included.