The 12 Best Food Tours in South Korea

1.Seoul Street Food Market Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,226 reviews · from $73Our pick

Spend about two hours exploring Seoul’s Gwangjang Market and nearby local food spots with guides such as Juno, Yoon, Tan, Rocky, or Jacob. All food and drinks are included, with Korean dishes, traditional drinks, cultural stories, and drinking games. Vegetarian and allergy requests should be shared ahead of time.

“Super enjoyable experience despite a very cold evening in Seoul! Juno was an awesome guide and we were able to try some new and interesting dishes that we loved.”

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2.Seoul: Night Market Food Tour with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 943 reviews · 2 hours · from $73

Meet your English-speaking guide outside Jongno 5-ga Station and spend two hours sampling up to 10 Korean market foods at Gwangjang Market. Expect dumplings, pancakes, noodles, sweets, drinks, and possibly adventurous dishes such as yukhoe or live octopus. Guides including Juno, Jacob, Yoon, Tan, Kevin, and Roky add food stories, etiquette tips, and Korean drinking games.

“This was such a fun tour. Our guide, Yoon, was so knowledgeable and navigated a crowded market so well. Yoon taught me new things including a Korean drinking game. I highly recommend this tour!”

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3.Seoul: Palace, Temple and Market Guided Foodie Tour at Night

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 750 reviews · from $60

Spend four hours walking through Seoul’s Jongno district with an English or Korean guide. See Changgyeonggung Palace under lights, Jogyesa Temple lanterns, Ikseon-dong, and Gwangjang Market. Tastings include makgeolli, assorted jeon, chopped live octopus, and other street foods. Guides such as Mia, Kim, Jay, and Inha have been praised for clear stories and warm, attentive service.

“I had a lot of fun on this tour! It was a great opportunity to sample different kinds of street foods. This was my main reason for booking, but the Palace and Temple parts were super interesting as well. Mia, our guide, was super friendly, informative and engaging! She told very interesting stories (especially at the palace) and kept a great atmosphere even though it was very cold and rainy during our tour. Would recommend this to anyone visiting Seoul :)”

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4.Downtown Seoul Guided Food & Market Tour with 8+ Local Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 580 reviews · from $98

Spend about three hours tasting Korean favorites in Seoul’s markets and neighborhood eateries. Guides such as Alex, Jae, and Youla explain the food and local customs while you try mung bean pancakes, mandu, tteokbokki, kimbap, sweets, tea, and a secret dish. The tour begins near Jongno and ends at a traditional teahouse in Insadong.

“Taesong was very nice, but after doing > 10 food tours in cities around the world, this was by far the most expensive (by a factor of 2-3x) while also giving us the least amount of variety. I did another non-food tour while in Seoul, and got exposure to a similar variety of food. We didn’t get to eat Mandu, as it mentioned, and it felt like the focus was far too heavy on sweets. Would love to have tried noodles, maybe some BBQ, chicken, and all the pickled foods.”

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5.Busan: Food Market Tour, Smash Seafoods and Street Foods

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 80 reviews · 3 hours · from $52

Meet at Jagalchi Station for a three-hour food walk through Busan markets. Guides such as Hokyu, Junwoo, and Doyour lead you to seafood, fishcake, savory pancakes, hotteok, and local drinks, while explaining Korean food customs and helping you order with vendors. Expect raw seafood, a full dinner, and a friendly group of up to 10.

“We loved our guide, Hokyu! He was informative, kind and funny!!! We thoroughly enjoyed this tour, trying new foods we wouldn’t have had the guts to try otherwise! And learning about the history of the culture and food in Busan. Everyone should try this tour!”

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6.Busan Seafood Tour : Jagalchi market Seafood Tour & Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 74 reviews · from $15Best value

Walk through Busan’s Nampo-dong dried-fish market and Jagalchi Market with a local guide, choose seafood such as scallops, octopus, sea cucumber, or sashimi, then watch it become dinner. The host prepares Korean dishes, teaches clam soup, and explains local food and drinking customs. The four-and-a-half-hour tour costs $15, but seafood is extra.

“Suyang was an incredible guide and chef. He told us all we wanted to know about the fish market, provided all the food and drinks and made us feel right at home. The menu was deliciously prepared fusion fish and shrimp dishes and KoreaRead more”

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7.Busan history and market food tour with local chef

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 58 reviews · from $50

Join local chef Heeyoung for a two-hour walking tour through Jagalchi Seafood Market, BIFF Square, and Bupyeong Kkangtong Market. You’ll taste Busan favorites such as seed hotteok, fish cake, and other market foods while learning how Korean food and Busan’s past connect. The private tour is capped at 10 people and ends at Bupyeong Market.

“Heeyoung gave us an amazing food tour! She has such in-depth knowledge of the Busan food industry. We experienced some uniquely Busan items and experiences.”

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8.Seoul: Namdaemun Market Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 34 reviews · 2h 30m · from $71

Spend 150 minutes at Namdaemun Market with an English-speaking guide, tasting noodle soup, dumplings, twisted bread sticks, and skewered fish cake. You will visit Food Alley, Kalguksu Alley, Accessory Alley, and traditional craft stalls. Guides such as Joy, Alan, Sally, and Sheen have led this small-group experience, with no pressure to shop.

“Brilliant tour with a friendly host, I was the only one who book and she went out of her way to make sure I had a memorable experience. Took some nice photos of me. Very knowledgeable and if you want to immerse yourself in the culture I'd highly recommend. Maybe it would've been a different experience in a large group but she's definitely extremely knowledgeable and welcoming.”

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9.Seoul: Gwangjang Market Netflix Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 31 reviews · 3 hours · from $64

Start at Anguk Station with a guide such as Peter, Sally, Alan, Charlie, or Sam, then walk through Insa-dong and Ikseon-dong before tasting three to five Korean street foods at Gwangjang Market. Expect history, hanok lanes, art shops, and useful guidance on what to order. It is a tasting tour, not a full meal.

“I really enjoyed the tour and Alan was a great guide. We got to walk around really nice areas, get a lot of information and enjoy a local meal at the local market, understanding a lot more about the dishes, the local ways of acting at a restaurant and more.”

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10.Seoul: The Biggest Sea-food Noryangjin Market Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 30 reviews · 2 hours · from $110

Meet your English-speaking guide at Noryangjin Station for a two-hour visit to Seoul’s largest seafood market. See live and freshly prepared fish, learn how Koreans eat unfamiliar seafood, watch a vendor fillet fish, then share seasonal sashimi and spicy fish stew. Guides such as Joy, Sally, Sophie, and Steve have led past tours.

“A very informative fish market tour. We were fascinated and learnt so much! Thank you Sujin . We really enjoyed the tour and learnt so much.”

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11.Busan: Gukje and Jagalchi Market Food Tour with Tastings

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 27 reviews · 2 hours · from $50

Meet your English or Korean-speaking guide at Jagalchi Station at 16:50 for a two-hour walk through Gukje and Jagalchi markets. Taste handmade snacks, street food, and freshly prepared seafood, while guides such as Katrina, Naon, and David share Busan stories and explain local food customs.

“We had a great food tour of Busan's main street markets. Our guides, Katrina and Naon, were really nice and explained lots of history and curiosities about Busan. You get to sample different street food by just asking your guide what you want and then you have the option to have some fresh fish from the market cooked for you. Really worth it if you're a foodie!”

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12.Seoul: Temple & Starfield COEX Mall Gourmet Tour in Gangnam

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 22 reviews · from $66

Meet your English- or Japanese-speaking guide at Bongeunsa Station for an evening walk through Bongeunsa Temple and COEX’s grand Starfield Library. You’ll see Gangnam after dark, learn local history and customs, then share Korean fried chicken, beer, and other popular dishes. The tour ends where it begins and suits solo visitors especially well.

““I personally thought it was a fantastic private tour, especially since many people canceled. The BBQ afterward was a perfect ending. Thank you for the wonderful time.””

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