Korea Food Tour Experience | Night Food Tour

What makes this tour the Best Food Tour in Seoul?

Hello, today we want to tell you some details about our “tradition vs. modernity” night food tour! We actually named this tour “The Best Food Tour in Seoul” and there are a variety of reasons! If you wonder what makes this tour so special, have a look:

You probably know Korea as a country of contrasts: On one hand, the extremely modern side of Seoul, highly-developed in technology, everyone busy, everything fast, one of the centers of attention in Asia and the world. And there is the other side of Korea: Tradition, Hanbok, historic temples and ancient palaces. And recently the same phenomenon can be seen in Korean food! While Korean traditional food remains the country’s favorite, western cuisine is gaining more influence, fusion dishes are created or modern versions of traditional cuisine. How can a country have so extreme contrasts? Well, that’s just what makes Korea even more fascinating! During our special night food tour we want to show you all the different sides of Seoul! To give you some more insights, I will give you some details about the tour:

First of all, this is a group tour but we keep our Korea Food Tour groups very (!) small on purpose. We don’t aim at catering the masses; we want to make sure you get the most out of this experience. I can assure you, your guide will remember your name immediately and treat you like a friend instead of a tourist. Also, our guide is an expert in Korean cuisine and has immense insider knowledge about the tour area. And of course, he is a local Korean! But no worries, as a professional tour guide he speaks good English 😉

Let’s get started

We will start our tour at our meeting point, which is Euljiro 1 Gu station (Click here for transport information). It’s connected to line 2, which goes basically everywhere so it will be easy to reach! And we will start our tour right off by visiting the best Budae Jjigae restaurant in Seoul! It is sort of hidden in the busy business district and a secret between the local business people. We went there ourselves and just loved the friendly ahjummas preparing this huge (!) amount of delicious, hot Jjigae directly in front of us.

Korea Night Food Tour — Delicious Budae Jjigae! By the way, we took all the pictures by ourselves during our Korea Food Tour!

Did you know?

Budae Jjigae has a fascinating story! It was created after the Korean War. A few hungry Korean soldiers found the US Army’s food rations and used the unknown ingredients to create a meal. They simply mixed everything they could find and created this delicious American-Korean fusion dish by accident! Until today it is a very popular Korean dish but less-known to most tourists.

Next stop is beautiful Cheonggyecheon stream. As this is a night tour, we will have an amazing view on illuminated skyscrapers. Quite different to that is the stream itself: When you get down the stairs and walk next to it, you will find yourself immersed in total peace and silence. Also, it is an important historic place as the 2 bridges we will see during our walk have been built in Joseon Dynasty and were used by former kings and queens!

Did you know?

Cheonggyecheon stream used to be covered by a highway! The reconstruction took several years, was very expensive and widely criticized. Nevertheless, nowadays it is a very popular spot to relax or go on romantic dates!

After this, we will enter the heart of Jongno district. It is a major business district of Seoul; Many important companies, banks and governmental institutions are located here. But did you know it also has a quite interesting night life? Many young Koreans flock there to visit small bars or Karaoke rooms. We will enter an exciting alley which is especially designed to be a street food avenue! You will see many street food stands and can try a variety of delicious snacks! There is the famous Doekbokki as well as Kimbab. Sundae, Odeng, Jeon and much more!

Did you know?

Korean street food can be quite an adventure. Have you ever tried fried squid, intestines or blood sausages? If you are into that, this might be your chance! But don’t worry, there is suitable food for everyone! 😉

After enjoying a variety of street food, we will step out of busy Seoul and enter some hidden areas that not even locals know about. The entry to “Pimatgol” is hidden in a small side way next to a busy street. Within a few meters you will be taken back in history. This area is over 600 years old, it was a point of refugee for lower class citizens hiding from the upper class in former times. Since then, many small restaurants and pubs have been opened here. During the political unstable 80’s, many student protestors were hiding in the narrow and complex alley system from the police running after them.

Discover Seoul’s hidden alleys during our Korea Food Tour

Did you know?

In order to “modernize” Seoul even more, the city council has decided to destroy most of Pimatgol. Now, its’ size is incomparable with what it was like before, but if you still want to have an insight into its’ fascinating history, you should hurry!

After visiting Seoul’s hidden alleys, we head to what might be the highlight of the tour for most: The Korean BBQ Restaurant! The restaurant we chose is located in another hidden area of Seoul. When wandering through the small alleys, you can really feel like a local as there usually are no tourists at all! We will reach a place called the “pork alley”.

Countless traditional BBQ restaurants are build one next to the other. Actually, this is the best place to get the ORIGINAL Korean BBQ. The menu did not change for years and the local owners believe in the quality of their meat and service. And we do too! A special bonus is that it is not the typical BBQ you might see in Myeongdong, Hongdae or Gangnam. The area is covered by small ancient houses with their doors wide open and people drinking in spacious tents, everything lightened up and always a cheerful atmosphere. The perfect place for our funny Korean drinking games!

Did you know?

Koreans love their BBQ so much that they dedicated a whole day to celebrate it. The 3^rd of March is officially Samgyeopsal day!

Next stop of our Korea Food Tour: After the savory BBQ, we will head to another part of Seoul which is famous for its’ cultural value. If you want to travel back in time, see people wearing Hanboks and traditional snacks, fine art and handcrafts, Insadong is the place to go! You can discover Seoul how it was before its modernization. An interesting contrast to busy Jongno district!

Insadong certainly has a great atmosphere and to make the most out of it, we will visit a traditional Korean dessert café and enjoy fresh Patbingsu to cool off! You might have tried Bingsu before but this one is special. The ingredients are superior and fresh; also it’s milk bingsu instead of water bingsu which makes it more flavorful. And everything is handmade! You can try the original version of Patbingsu with red beans or a modern version with citrus fruits.

Rich and creamy Patbingsu in a traditional dessert cafe

After making a lot of great experiences together, eating heaps of delicious food and meeting new friends, our guide will take you to the conveniently located Jongno 3 Ga station (Transport information here). You can enjoy the evening even more in this fun location or go home and rest for your next adventures coming!

Korea Food Tour Fact Sheet

Age: We recommend our Korea Food Tour for every age (But if you bring children, please be aware that other people might drink a bit of alcohol. If you are under 18 years old, you are not allowed to drink).

Walking Distance: The total walking distance will be about 3km and no steep sections are involved, therefore it is suitable for all ages.

Times: The Korea Food Tour usually starts at 5pm and ends around 8.30 – 9pm. The exact starting time depends on the weather and season.

Food: Budae Jjigae, various Street food, Korean BBQ and Bingsu. DRINKS ARE INCLUDED!

We are confident about the quality of this tour as we have tried a big number of restaurants in this area and collected the best for you to enjoy. We also made sure to show you the most beautiful and fascinating places of Seoul. Not to mention our expert guides! That’s why we named it “The Best Food Tour in Seoul”! If you still have any questions about this tour, please contact us by sending an email (info@onedaykorea.com). We look forward to hearing from you!