Myeongdong Shopping Street
Myeongdong Shopping Street
4.5
NeighbourhoodsPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
This busy shopping district is famous for its beauty and skincare products, along with many popular Korean and international fashion brands. Hit the shops early for fewer crowds and stay till late for food and entertainment. The street is lined with food vendors selling Korean street food and there are a number of popular Korean restaurants in the area. The area's central location also makes it a convenient base when visiting Seoul. And it's not just shopping. You can also catch a traditional performance at one of the many theaters and check out the Myeongdong Cathedral. – Tripadvisor
Duration: 2-3 hours
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₹2,584.72
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The area
Neighbourhood: Myeongdong
Arguably Seoul’s most famous neighbourhood and undoubtedly one of its most popular, Myeongdong takes shopping and eating to new heights, with hundreds of shops, restaurants, and cafes all stacked on top of one another. The rise in popularity of Korean cosmetics, fashion, and more has made this area a must-see for visitors who come and marvel at Myeongdong’s often frenetic pace and energy. Lotte and Shinsaegae’s massive department stores are also popular draws for both Korean and luxury products. The department stores, just like Myeongdong’s streets, are crowded around the clock. Myeongdong’s many street food carts are also immensely popular for their inexpensive and quirky offerings (French-fry-encrusted corn dogs, anyone?). The neighbourhood’s popularity, as well as its close proximity to other popular sights and neighbourhoods, makes it one of Seoul’s most popular places to stay.
How to get there
  • Myeong-dong • 5 min walk
  • Euljiro 1-ga • 5 min walk
See what travellers are saying
  • Minju Kim
    Cheongju, South Korea1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Myeongdong Shopping Street
    In Myeongdong Shopping Street in which there are more foreigners than Koreans, I could hear various languages. There are many food stalls on the streets, so it is good to try many kinds of street food such as Korean food. The streets were filled with many people walking around shopping for many fashion, beauty, and souvenir shops. It is the sights to shop for beauty products. But there are so many people on the street that it's hard to pull over. If you go to Seoul, I recommend it because it's a good place to see at least once.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 6 October 2023
  • traveltotelltales
    Singapore, Singapore154 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Downtown vibe
    Hustling and Bustling street. A good place to walk around and see how the place unfolds slowly when the clock ticks dusk. Be ready to spend money as there are many things you would be tempted to buy. Good Korean BBQ joints for dinner too!
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 9 October 2023
  • Norm the Nomad
    Australia1,246 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent - a good (and busy) place for a street meal.
    This is best visited in the afternoon, when the place comes alive. With a large number of assorted food stalls, there is plenty of choice for a meal. Be prepared for big crowds, as it is clearly a very popular spot.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 18 October 2023
  • Apple D
    Luzon, Philippines45 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    All about the convenience
    Now here’s where our Korean friends would not go. It’s a trap they say but we are tourists and really even after having visited before I still go here. It has the shops we want to visit and the food stalls, though expensive, really is convenient having it all there in one place. It closes later than most of the other shops too and the energy is palpable.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 30 October 2023
  • Sharon Ho
    Kuching, Malaysia387 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Shop till you drop! Have some Korean fried chicken too
    Shop shop shop till you drop! Everything, anywhere, out of stock will still become restock. Seriously the beauty products are of vast variety and multiple outlets in same location makes it impossible for you to not be able to find what you want. Oh yes, try the BBQ outlet-2nd floor Korean Fried Chicken here! You will never head back to have fried chicken the same way again. Korean Fried Chicken/KFC is unforgettable along with beer! Beer is so cheap from Terra, Cass to Kelly. I personally prefer Cass. Try the egg bread for 2000 on chilly weather, fulfilling. Lots of buy 10 free 10 offer too for masks and has instant gst/vat tax return for some shops.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 19 November 2023
  • doctorfoxtrot
    Taguig City, Philippines13,153 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Real happening place
    Street food stalls with sellers used to having videos taken. Numerous restaurants doing indoor and outdoor services , ranging from hotpot , barbecue, dessert , coffee shops etc. A plethora of skin care shops with brands available in their homeland. This place is the bomb. But be ready for lots and lots of tourists and locals.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 6 December 2023
  • Deanosaur89
    Edmonton, Canada8,617 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Perfect for Souvenirs and Snacking
    We spent a lot of time in this area looking at souvenirs and snacking. There are quite a few inexpensive shops to get souvenirs at and we found a highlight in the area was the HBAF almonds which even have their own store in the area. After 5 pm the street really comes alive when lots of food stalls move in to prepare all kinds of food. There was a good variety but some highlights were the coconut shrimp and the candied fruit. You could spend a couple of hours in this area and even more if you find a good restaurant or cafe. Closest metro is Myeondong.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 19 December 2023
  • fire-tower
    3,123 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Most of the food and snack sold are hardly Korean
    We last visited this place 5 years ago and it is still bustling with people in December 2023. It is noticeable that the prices charged by the street vendors are higher than other areas, and most of the food and snack sold are hardly Korean. Anyway, we had a blast trying pork and beef skewers, steamed egg buns, 10-won cheese pancakes, fried chicken, and kimchi and pork dumplings. We also visited various clothing and sports shops including SPAO, 8 seconds, Nike Myeongdong, FIFA, etc.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 15 January 2024
  • msnakim
    Singapore2,690 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We Kept Coming Back!
    We arrived in Myeondong on a day that was snowing. The atmosphere was mesmerizing! Sure it was pretty cold, but that made all the hot steamy street food look even more appetising. We loved trying out all the various types of food. Just go for the ones with longer queues. It never fails. The only negative was the lack of dustbins. These were far and few between. Where do people throw their food waste? We brought a small plastic bag, and threw it only when we reached our hotel.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 12 February 2024
  • jojoquintosk
    Siem Reap, Cambodia50 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Magical Street
    The street has 2 different faces. In the morning, it's just filled with people walking to their destination or going into the shops. But, at about 1 pm, it is transformed into a food street filling the whole street with people wanting to eat all those appetizing food!!! We were there on several occasions but mostly late afternoon to evening. But our last time there was in the morning when the street was empty. After having lunch in one of the side street restaurants, we came out to a street transformed like magic!!! It was amazing!!! The lamb stick is my favorite. Even my granddaughter liked it. I also like the curly potato on a stick. The egg bread is worth trying. The crispy crablets, & the shrimps were not as good as expected. The fruits were good, especially the strawberries. The steak was so tempting but we were too full for it. It's so much fun just trying all the food stuff & seeing people enjoying themselves. I dream og going back there.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 31 March 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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Yi Qin
Singapore, Singapore475 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
We always book our stay near the myeongdong shopping street because of the convenience and the endless food and shopping options it offers. You can find all the famous korean cosmetic brands there and the shops and streets are always crowded, especially at night. The street food there is a must try and we highly recommend the spicy fish cake, hotteok( sweet korean pancake), Gimbap for an authentic korean experience.
Written 14 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marga B
Pasig117 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Although it was fun to eat the street food, I found it better to eat in some random Korean BBQ restaurant. What makes this place are the makeup and beauty stores. My goodness you will never realize how much skin care and hair care you need (or think you need) until you enter one of these stores. My personal favorite was Tony Moly. If you aren't careful you can blow you entire budget on that street.
Written 27 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Husain M Husain
Manama, Bahrain373 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
It was the best thing that my hotel was near myeongdong shopping street, where you can experience the city life in Korea. The street is so active and has so many shops, from skin care, clothing, music, gift shops & etc.

Also, street food is available everywhere on this street. international fast food and coffee shops are available as well.
Written 30 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lee Shearer
Singapore, Singapore31 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
A must visit when coming to Seoul.Pros- Spacious walkways as compared to say Taipei's street/night markets. 2) Comestic, fashion and foodstuff for snacking relatively affordable. 3) Easily reached via Seoul Metro Stn of Eujiro 1 ga n Myeongdong.4) Wide range of hotels to suit one's budget arnd the area. Cons-1) Their street food are quite pricey for a night market.Average arnd 3000 won for just about any finger food and taste just about average. 2- Can get lost easily as most places in there looks very similar. Nonetheless, a must visit when travelling to Seoul.
Written 17 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Deanosaur89
Edmonton, Canada8,617 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
We spent a lot of time in this area looking at souvenirs and snacking. There are quite a few inexpensive shops to get souvenirs at and we found a highlight in the area was the HBAF almonds which even have their own store in the area.

After 5 pm the street really comes alive when lots of food stalls move in to prepare all kinds of food. There was a good variety but some highlights were the coconut shrimp and the candied fruit. You could spend a couple of hours in this area and even more if you find a good restaurant or cafe. Closest metro is Myeondong.
Written 19 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jh s
9 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
the male street vendors make spitting or grunting noises and stare at people with impure, cynical and aggressive eyes. the female street vendors are loud brazen harpies who love to mess with people. depressing.

it used to be a historical place but not much sign of that anymore.
Written 16 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

197gabes
Singapore, Singapore159 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
Nothing really special. Just a concentration of retail shops, street stalls and eateries targeting the tourist crowd. It is probably easier to find a foreigner than a local at this space.
The main reason this place failed to impress is that there is a lack of infrastructure to support the tourist crowd. There is no proper map, directional signs of the place, it lacks seats and trash bins.
There is a lack of variety in the items sold by the makeshift street stalls. Generally food items that are sold at one end can be found at the other end. (So don’t worry if you missed your favorite food item, very likely you can find it down the street again) Food choice is nothing to shout about, apart from a few odd stalls with unique offerings, most of the items sold can be found in other food street vendors in Asia.
Prices of the street food is another let down. For the same price that one fork out, one can probably get a decent bite at a sit down cafe.
The retail scene also face similar issue of having repeated brands concentrated at the same area. The place is a haven for all thing cosmetics but other then an odd fashion or souvenir shops there is very little else for shoppers.
The saving grace would be the food outlets. It’s scatter around (some are located above ground level) and there is something for all taste and preference.
If your main objective is to shop for cosmetics products then this place is ideal. But if the intention is to experience local street food, it may be better to spend the time and money on authentic Korean food at the various food market around the city for a better experience.
Written 16 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kim
Dulwich Hill, Australia11 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Couples
If you plan on shopping for k-beauty here, make sure you come before 2pm. Once the markets start it gets crazy busy. On the first night we thought it was a novelty but we quickly realised that some of the food wasn't as cheap as we thought. Some of them vendors reheat food by using those gas flame lighters so they're not fresh off the grill or reheated on it. As well as it being unbelievably busy, there was rubbish everywhere, it was a bit of a turn off. Worth a visit if you're into k-beauty though but wouldn't come here just for the food stalls. There are some decent restaurants around too in the area.
Written 27 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dblim
Singapore, Singapore160 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
You would already know Myeongdong is good for getting cosmetics and skincare products. Would recommend you to try the street food that come out only at night.

Also if you plan on getting face /body masks, this is the place to get as they are still cheaper than duty free. Not for all products but most.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christie Nguyen
Sacramento, CA25 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019 • Family
First time or frequent visitors, this place is a must! Street food stalls are by 4pm everyday until past midnight. Shops and shops and shops, and restaurants after restaurants, cafes and salons and OMG everything you need. If you can, visit this place weeknights, because it’s extremely packed on the weekend.
Written 7 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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MYEONGDONG SHOPPING STREET (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

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