Myeongdong & Downtown Seoul

Downtown Seoul fits six distinct areas into a few subway stops: the Myeongdong shopping streets with Namsan above them, Namdaemun Market and the City Hall and Seoul Station side to the west, and Euljiro and Dongdaemun to the east. Each has its own section below, with the station to use.

Myeongdong changes with the hour. Shops are quieter before noon, and street food stalls set up from about 4 PM. On Namsan, the cable car and the tower observatory are separate tickets. Deoksugung and Namsangol Hanok Village close on Mondays, and many of Euljiro’s traditional restaurants close on Sundays.

Below, the guides are grouped by neighborhood, followed by where to eat, one-day routes, hotels in the area and the stations you will actually use.

Main stations	Myeongdong (Line 4), Hoehyeon (Line 4), City Hall (Lines 1, 2), Euljiro 3-ga (Lines 2, 3), Dongdaemun History & Culture Park (Lines 2, 4, 5)
From Incheon Airport	AREX to Seoul Station, then Line 4; or Airport Limousine Bus 6015 to the Myeongdong area
How long	A full day for Myeongdong and Namsan; Euljiro and Dongdaemun are best in the evening
Closed days	Deoksugung and Namsangol Hanok Village close on Mondays; many traditional restaurants in Euljiro close on Sundays

Must-see

Neighborhoods

Myeongdong

Exit 6 of Myeongdong Station opens onto the main shopping street and Exit 8 leads toward Myeongdong Cathedral. The money changers here are known for some of the best cash rates in Seoul; bring your passport.

Station: Myeongdong (Line 4), Exits 6 and 8; Euljiro 1-ga (Line 2)

• Myeongdong Travel Guide: Hours & How to Get There
• 7 Best Shops in Myeongdong Shopping Street You Can’t Miss
• Seoul Currency Exchange: Myeongdong Rates, Banks & ATMs

Namsan & Namsangol

The walk from Myeongdong Station Exit 3 up to the Namsan Cable Car is a steady 10–15 minute climb; shuttle buses also run up from Chungmuro and Dongguk University stations. Namsangol Hanok Village, 3–5 minutes from Chungmuro Station Exit 3 or 4, is free to enter.

Station: Myeongdong (Line 4), Chungmuro (Lines 3, 4)

• N Seoul Tower Guide: Tickets, Cable Car & Best Time
• Namsangol Hanok Village: 5 Things to See Near Chungmuro
• Seoul Night Itinerary: Myeongdong, Namsan & Han River

Namdaemun Market

Namdaemun Market starts at Hoehyeon Station Exit 5. Kalguksu Alley and Galchi Jorim Alley are the two food alleys to plan a visit around; both are cash-friendly and crowded at lunch. Bargaining is expected in the non-food alleys but not at posted-price food stalls. Allow two to three hours.

Station: Hoehyeon (Line 4), Exit 5

• Namdaemun Market Guide: Hours, Food & What to Buy
• 4 Best Hotels Near Hoehyeon Station & Namdaemun Market

City Hall, Deoksugung & Seoul Station

Deoksugung’s Royal Guard Changing Ceremony takes place three times a day in front of Daehanmun Gate, under five minutes on foot from City Hall Station. Culture Station Seoul 284, the restored 1925 station building, is free to enter and about a minute from Seoul Station Exit 1 or 2.

Station: City Hall (Lines 1, 2); Seoul Station (Lines 1, 4, AREX)

• Deoksugung Palace Guide: Hours, Tickets & Guard Ceremony
• Culture Station Seoul 284 Guide: Hours & How to Get There

Euljiro & Chungmuro

Euljiro is walkable end to end between Euljiro 1-ga, 3-ga and 4-ga stations: printing alleys by day, pocha and bars after sunset. The Sewoon Sangga rooftop looks over Jongno and Namsan, and Nogari Alley by Euljiro 3-ga Exit 3 is most crowded from 8 to 10 PM.

Station: Euljiro 3-ga (Lines 2, 3); Euljiro 1-ga and 4-ga

• One Day in Euljiro Itinerary: Sewoon Sangga to Nogari Alley
• 6 Best Hotels Near Euljiro 3-ga Station, Seoul (By Budget)

Dongdaemun & DDP

DDP and its outdoor plazas are free to enter, and the curved facade looks best after dark. The night malls around it stay open late, Doota until midnight.

Station: Dongdaemun History & Culture Park (Lines 2, 4, 5), Exit 1

• DDP Hours & Best Time to Visit (Dongdaemun Station)
• One Day in Dongdaemun Itinerary: DDP, Gwangjang & Night Shopping
• 7 Best Hotels Near Dongdaemun Station and DDP in Seoul

Gwangjang Market

Gwangjang Market is a 10–14 minute walk from the DDP area, or one stop on Line 1. Jongno 5-ga Station Exit 8 leads straight to a main entrance, and many of the smaller food stalls take cash only.

• Gwangjang Market: Your Ultimate Guide to Seoul’s Culinary Gem

Eat here

For market food, see Namdaemun Market and Gwangjang Market above. More areas are on our Where to Eat in Seoul page.

Itineraries through this area

• One Day in Myeongdong Itinerary: Shopping to Namsan Tower: K-beauty shopping, evening street food and the route up to N Seoul Tower for sunset.
• Seoul Night Itinerary: Myeongdong, Namsan & Han River: Myeongdong street food, Namsan Tower and a Han River cruise in about five hours.
• One Day in Euljiro Itinerary: Sewoon Sangga to Nogari Alley: Printing alleys, the Sewoon Sangga rooftop and Nogari Alley near Euljiro 3-ga.
• One Day in Dongdaemun Itinerary: DDP, Gwangjang & Night Shopping: DDP in the afternoon, dinner at Gwangjang Market and the night malls.
• Seoul Fall Foliage Itinerary: Palaces & Namsan in One Day: Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung and Namsan in one fall foliage day.
• Seoul 3-Day Itinerary for First-Time Visitors: Day 2 of this three-day plan covers Namsan and Myeongdong.

Where to stay in this area

Getting there

• Myeongdong (Line 4): Exit 6 for the shopping streets, Exit 8 for the cathedral
• Euljiro 1-ga (Line 2): the Lotte Department Store end of Myeongdong
• Chungmuro (Lines 3, 4): Namsangol Hanok Village and the Namsan shuttle bus
• Hoehyeon (Line 4): Exit 5 for Namdaemun Market
• City Hall (Lines 1, 2): Deoksugung Palace
• Seoul Station (Lines 1, 4, AREX): Culture Station Seoul 284 and airport trains
• Euljiro 3-ga (Lines 2, 3): Exit 3 for Nogari Alley
• Dongdaemun History & Culture Park (Lines 2, 4, 5): Exit 1 for DDP
• Jongno 5-ga (Line 1): Exit 8 for Gwangjang Market

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Next areas by subway

• Jongno & Gwanghwamun: palaces, Bukchon and Insadong, north of City Hall
• Yongsan & Itaewon: the national museums and Itaewon, on the far side of Namsan

Photos on this page: Korea Tourism Organization (visitkorea.or.kr), Korea Open Government License Type 1.