Discover “Seoul’s Traditional Markets” with the Open Top Double-decker Bus

On 22nd February the open top double-decker bus tour of Seoul’s traditional markets kicked-off.


This Seoul traditional market tour course will provide free and easy tourists the opportunity to experience everyday life in Seoul and discover the hidden beauty of Seoul. Above all, this will promote traditional markets as a quintessential tourist attraction incorporating the shopping, culture, food, household items and fashion of Seoul. For instance, at Gwangjang Market one can browse the traditional hanbok alley, and take in the unique atmosphere of the market while savoring the market’s specialty bindaetteok (mung-bean pancake) and makgeolli.

Saw this bus in Dongdaemun(동대문 역)

Seoul’s first “open top double-decker bus” will enhance the tourist experience when visiting traditional markets. There are plans to make this Seoul’s representative tourist attraction. One open top double-decker bus and two normal double-decker buses will ply the traditional market course at 35-minute intervals.

In addition to the Traditional Market Course, the Seoul City Tour Bus will cover five different routes including City Circle Course, Night Course A, Palace & Cheonggye Course, and Night Course B. The Seoul City Tour Bus (Palace & Cheongye Course) will be plied by the normal double-decker bus. It is hoped that the open concept and unobstructed views will help bring the tourists closer to the different sights of Seoul, and provide a more authentic experience with the opportunity to feel the changes in the weather with each season.

The Seoul City Tour Bus Traditional Market Course will start from Dongdaemun Doosan Tower and take 105 minutes to cover Seoul’s major traditional markets including Bangsan, Junbu Market, Namdaemun, Insadong, Gwangjang Market, Sungin-dong Dokkaebi Pungmul Market, Seoul Yangnyeong Market, Majang-dong Livestock Products Market, Sindang-dong Junang Market.

※ Seoul City Tour Bus Traditional Market Course (105 minutes)

Dongdaemun Doosan Tower (start) – Bangsan, Jungbu Market, Lotte Young Plaza (Sogong-dong, City Hall, Deoksugung) – Seoul Station Platform 6, Namdaemun Market – Myeongdong – Jongak, Jongno, Youth Street – Tapgol Park, Insadong, Nakwon Shopping Center – Sewoon Electronics Market, Jongno Jewelry Street – Gwangjang Market - Pyeonghwa Fashion Market – Dongmyo, Sungin-dong Dokkaebi Pungmul Market – Seoul Yangnyong Market (Gyeongdong Market, Cheongnyangni Fruit Wholesale Market – Majang-dong Livestock Products Market – Sindang-dong Jungang Market – Dongdaemun Doosan Tower (end)

Tourists can not only choose the time and place to start their tour and hop on and off at will, there will also be guide provided in the five languages of Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese and French.

Tickets valid for the whole day are priced at around 10,000 (Adult 12,000/Children above 6, High & Middle School students 8,000).
This is comparably cheaper than city tours in other cities and promises to provide an enjoyable and meaningful experience.

Additionally, to help develop the traditional markets into attractive tourist sports, walking tour courses featuring the unique story of each market will be developed around the market vicinity in cooperation with the Traditional Market Merchants’ Association of each traditional market. This will feature sights such as the oldest store of the market, recommended food stalls and shopping items, and many more cultural experiences that can only be found in Korea.

With the aim of enhancing Seoul’s tourism products, Seoul City Tour was selected to operate the “Seoul City Tour Bus” from 2000, developing City Circle Course and Cheongye/Palace Course, and Night Course A/B after consultation with the public. Presently, selected private enterprises are able to receive license to operate without putting down a deposit.

Tel: Tradition Market Route (1544-4239), Existing Routes (02-777-6090)