Tongin Market

One of Seoul's oldest markets, opened in 1414, set in the Seochon neighborhood west of Gyeongbokgung. The signature experience is the 'yeopjeon lunch cafe' — you buy old-style brass coin tokens and tour stalls choosing side dishes to fill a lunchbox, hugely popular with foreign visitors.

About 70 stalls sell bindaetteok, gimbap, seasoned vegetables, and traditional sweets, with a communal dining hall in the center. Family shops running three generations at the same spot add to the charm.

Honest tips: token sales usually run only from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and close Mondays — outside those hours the lunchbox experience itself is unavailable. On peak-season weekends the token line gets long, so build in slack. It is a lunch-hour-only experience, so a late-afternoon visit offers only general market browsing. Pair it with a Seochon stroll right after seeing Gyeongbokgung for the most natural route.