Seoul Shopping Guide

Seoul is a shopping mecca. There’s trendy clothing, shoes, electronics, and skincare galore, so you can only imagine how overwhelmed I was during my first visit. Where do I begin? I had the luxury of 4 full days, yet I still felt as if I barely scratched the surface of everything Seoul had to offer.

If you’re planning a trip to Seoul and have no idea where to begin, I have some recs for you! This guide is not extensive, but it’s meant to give a brief overview of some of the major shopping areas so making an itinerary will be somewhat easier.

Make sure you get some rest, wear comfy shoes, and bring some cash money, as Seoul will really test your shopping stamina!

Myeong-deong
This is the most popular shopping district and all the guide books and travel websites will mention it. You’ll find all the international brands here, along with many major Korean brands. It’s filled with tons of tourists and shop people passing out free samples, hoping to bring you into their store.

I also noticed the streets are pretty wide and paved nicely, which makes it stroller friendly.

Personally, I wasn’t too interested in this area because many of the brands here I could find in Hong Kong. At least I saw someone dressed as a foot mascot, advertising for foot massages, and got a good chuckle out of that.

Dongdaemun
Are you looking for real deal Korean fashion at just the right price? Are you also jet lagged AF? If you’re good at bargaining, this is your spot, as bargaining is welcome ’round these parts well into the night – some of the spots here close as late as 5 AM.

I checked out one of the markets, hello apM, and I found it extremely overwhelming. There are a lot of stalls crammed together, and so much to look at (especially women’s clothing.)

This is also the area where Doota Mall is located, which sells high-end Korean fashion. It’s like the Saks Fifth Avenue or the Lane Crawford of Korea. I ended up buying a fancy MLB baseball cap for $50USD (and I’m not even a baseball fan!)

Ewha Woman’s University Fashion Street
This was one of my personal favourites! Trendy women’s fashion at dirt cheap prices because your business will die if broke college girls can’t afford your shit. I didn’t see any men’s shops, so I recommend going to nearby Hongdae if that’s what you’re looking for.

The main street is a mix of cool cafes, skin care shops, and clothing stores. Go off into one of the alleys and you’ll find even more clothing shops. The alleys can be narrow and a bit crowded, but I think it’s worth braving the crowds to discover some hidden gems.

Some shops had sales and I was able to buy a cute top for $5 USD, in addition to a belt for around the same price. I thought it was totally worth stopping by here. Plus, Ewha’s campus is GORGEOUS!

Hongdae
Hongdae was another area I enjoyed visiting. In addition to shopping, there’s a lot of good food and nightlife, too.

There are some major retailers here, along with Korean brands in this area. I loved many of the styles I found, and it caters to both men and women. Prices were mid-range, and pretty affordable if you’re a working professional. I didn’t feel as overwhelmed here, perhaps because there weren’t as many shops crammed into the street like Ewha or huge buildings that house markets like Dongdaemun.

Garosu-gil
If I had to choose, this street was my absolute favourite shopping area out of all the areas we checked out. I’m glad we were able to spend our last full day here!

Garosu-gil is hipster central. Beautiful, insta-worthy cafes. Up-and-coming, indie Korean designer shops. Avant-garde fashion. It can be on the pricier end but I still found many shops that were quite affordable. I would definitely go here if you’re looking for Korean souvenirs that are in the here and now.

Gangnam

AKA new money, and of course, popularized/satirized by Psy. Again, a lot of big box retailers on the main street, but what’s worth the visit here is the Gangnam Station Underground Shopping Center. Tons of young Koreans descend underground to update their wardrobe, and I made sure to join them as well!

Since we stayed at an AirBnB nearby, we walked through here often, which caused me to fall under the spell of many of the shops. I definitely stocked up on some basic clothing items. All the popular skin care brands are also here, so I took advantage of their buy-10-get-10-free sheet mask promotions.

Common Ground

This is not a neighbourhood, but I couldn’t leave this unique venue off the list. Located near the Konkuk University train station, this is also hipster central as the venue is made up of shipping containers. Most of the vendors are indie designers and are just way too cool for me. This is a great spot for unique souvenirs!

They have some noteworthy food vendors too, and when we visited there was an event with some skateboarders showing off.

….Aaaand those are all the shopping spots I visited during my first trip to Seoul! Hope you find my first-time observations useful. 🙂