Let’s take a trip to a few of my most visited Seoul neighborhoods. During my most recent trip in April I realized that I keep going back to the same three Seoul neighborhoods every trip. These are the ones that give me the best options for eating, shopping and sightseeing. 

Don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of other neighborhoods to visit such as Insadong, Hongdae and Namdaemun, just to name a few. However, I’ve visited three particular Seoul neighborhoods so many times during my four visits to Seoul, South Korea that they stand out to me. Let’s dive in!

Gangnam

I keep going back to Gangnam due to its location and the amount of food and shopping choices there are. There is so much to see and do. It’s called the Beverly Hills of Seoul. I would also compare it to the Ginza neighborhood of Tokyo.

My Airbnb was located there in a high-rise building. The view of the Gangnam skyline at night from my rental was amazing.

There are many high-rise buildings in the Gangnam Office subway station area. Stroll down the streets and explore what each one offers. There were lots of great restaurants and cafés located right below my Airbnb. The options were endless.

Porridge Restaurant: Jin Jeonbok Samgyetang Address: South Korea, Seoul, Gangnam District, Seolleung-ro 129-gil, 21 B1층. No English website.

Bakery: Gangnam Rice Bread – Address unavailable. Located near Gangnam Office Subway Station across from Jin Jeonbok Samgyetang.

Many buildings have elevators that take you right down into the subway station. The building of my Airbnb did, and it was so convenient when taking luggage down.

If you’re looking to try the newest k-beauty brands and the latest Korean fashion, shopping the shops under the Gangnam subway station is the place for you.

The Coex Mall is located in Gangnam. I didn’t visit during my most recent trip. However, I definitely recommend it, as I visited it during my three previous trips to Seoul. It’s a large underground mall that offers a little bit or everything. It’s also home to a popular library that you may have seen in photos. I’m including a photo of this popular library from when I visited in 2019.

Coex Mall Address: 513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea Website: 스타필드 coexmall

Myeongdong

This Seoul neighborhood is your go-to spot for souvenirs. There is a large 12 story Daiso dollar store. Restaurants and street vendors selling street food line the streets. It reminds me of Soho in New York City for some reason.

Daiso Address: 134-1 퇴계로 Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. Instagram: Daiso Instagram

Expect to find lots of skin care shops. Think skin care and makeup brands like Nature Republic and Etude House. I did a whole post years ago about the Stylenanda Pink Hotel Makeup Flagship store. It’s a store and an experience all in one. Check out my photo from 2019 below. It’s been completely rebranded as the 3ce Pink Space Hotel. So, check out the new “space” theme when you visit.

3CE PINK SPACE HOTEL (STYLENANADA) Address: 37-8 Myeongdong 8-gil, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. Website: 3CE official | 3CE cosmetics | Stylenanda – Makeup Products & Beauty

My favorite place to buy music in Korea is at MusicKorea at their Myeongdong location. I definitely bought a K-pop cd during this trip.

MusicKorea Address: 13-1 Myeong-dong, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. Instagram: 뮤직코리아 (@musickorea_myeongdong) • Instagram photos and videos

Don’t forget to check out the stores located underground in the Myeongdong subway. There are great stores that sell a large variety of K-pop CDs and accessories.

Clothing stores are everywhere. Note that most come in “free-size”, which is basically one size fits all, usually extra small.

Dongdaemun

Dongdaemun is a historic part of Seoul, full of, you guessed it, cultural sites such as the Heunginjimun Gate and the Cheonggyecheon Stream.

Heunginjimun Gate Address: 288 Jong-ro, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea

Cheonggyecheon Stream Address: Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea

A few years back I did a post about the Pyounghwa Fashion Plaza. Pyounghwa (Pyeonghwa) means peace and the Pyounghwa Fashion Town market has been selling clothing and accessories for over 50 years.

Pyounghwa Fashion Plaza Address: 274 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea

The Doota Mall is also located in this Seoul neighborhood. It includes many unique shops and a nice food court. Big names include the Line Store and Nike. Many stores sell local brands. I would consider it a modern luxury mall.

Doota Mall Address: 275 Jangchungdan-ro, Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. Website: DOOTA MALL

Grilled duck in South Korea is great. I had it years back and was craving it during my last trip. There is a highly rated duck restaurant in Dongdaemun. My sister and I were super excited to try it. Of course it was closed the day I was in Dongdaemun, and I was never able to get back there. Check them out and tell me how it was. It’s called Dongdaemun Special Duck. Store is located on second floor. (photo below).

Dongdaemun Special Duck Address: 12 Jong-ro 46-gil, Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea. YouTube: DDMSpecialDuck

Are you interested in visiting one of my most visited Seoul neighborhoods? Are you ready to eat, shop and sightsee in Gangnam, Myeongdong and Dongdaemun? Then go and enjoy!