Private Tour

Seoul Food: Banchan, Bibimbap, and Beyond

Overview

Available languages

English

5 hours

Mobile ticket

Welcome to Seoul, a city that thrives on reinvention, where influences from across the globe are transformed into something uniquely Korean and then shared with the world. Today, as we explore the streets of Dongdaemun and Jongno, we’ll uncover how Korea takes inspiration—whether from Chinese, Japanese, or Western traditions—and reimagines it in its own style, creating cultural and culinary phenomena that have captured global attention. Korea has a knack for taking the best of outside influences, adding its distinct flair, and exporting it back out as a cultural powerhouse. On this tour, we’ll taste how this process plays out in food. Each stop will reveal how resilience, creativity, and cultural pride fuel Seoul’s dynamic food scene.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

Dongdaemun Gate (Heunginjimun)

One of the Eight Gates of Seoul, this historic gate was built in the late 14th century and served as the main entrance to the city. It stands as a reminder of Seoul's historical defense structures.

1 hour • Admission Not Applicable

Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)

A futuristic architectural marvel designed by Zaha Hadid. It hosts various exhibitions, fashion events, and cultural activities. The DDP’s unique shape and large open spaces make it a great spot for photography and exploration.

30 minutes • Admission Not Applicable

What‘s Included

Bottled water

Alcoholic Beverages

Snacks

Dinner

Licensed Guide

Private transportation

Options

Seoul Food: Banchan, Bibimbap, and Beyond

Reviews

5.00

16 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

An Authentic Heart-of-Seoul Experience
JodyC378,,Jan 10, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
"If you want to see the real soul of Seoul, take this tour! We spent the day ducking into narrow lanes and visiting spots we never would have found on our own. It felt less like a formal tour and more like exploring the city with an old friend. Our guide, Eunice, was absolutely wonderful. She is so knowledgeable, but more importantly, she is incredibly easy to talk to. Conversation flowed naturally, and by the end of the night, it felt like we’d known her for years. The food was authentic and delicious, but the company and the 'hidden' atmosphere made it truly special. Highly recommend!"
A glimpse of Korean cuisine and culture.
lisahL1966RM,,Dec 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Eunice is an amazing guide. In addition to introducing Korean cuisine, she explains how history has shaped Korean Culture (including how that’s affected the cuisine). The tour is well paced, with enough time between stops to let you digest and be ready for the next tasty dish! I highly recommend this tour.
What a wonderful tour!
3SarahW,,Nov 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We reserved this at the last minute and they were very accommodating. Eunice created a fantastic tour of the various Korean markets and Korean cuisines. She also took us to a great record store and we ended the tour at a tent bar. Along the way we learned so much about Korean food and culture that we could not have gleaned from books. We ate far too much- because it was all so good-and really loved the tour.
A great start to my solo visit to Korea
BB8882018,,Nov 4, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Eunice was a fantastic guide and shared a wealth of information about Seoul and Korea. The food was amazing with a chance to try so many different things. It was great to meet the people who cook the food and understand a little of their story. Thank you so much for a really memorable tour.
An excellent overview of typical cuisine.
Gormond,,Nov 3, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Whilst not all of the Korean cuisine on display in these backstreets was visually spectacular, it was tasty and plentiful. The tour provided an excellent overview of typical cuisine and a drop of culture too. The steak tartare and “magic” sauce were highlights.
Excellent experience
SocialDiner80,,Oct 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Excellent time, Eunice is a great tour guide, learned a lot about food, went to great under the radar places. Recommend!
Seoul Walking Food Tour (Culture and Food)
M6839EAmariac,,Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Had a wonder tour with Eunice. She is knowledgeable and gave us a unique and authentic experience in Seoul. The group size was small and friendly and food stops were fantastic. I would repeat this tour on my next visit to Seoul.
Must do tour in Seoul
bengyeno,,Oct 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Best food tour we experienced with Culinary Backstreets. Really was Backstreets dining. We learnt so much about the food culture & history from Eunice. She exceeded our expectations. She was so witty , and engaging. Highly highly recommend this tour to everyone.
zachnyc,,Jul 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Best day of our two weeks in South Korea! This was so much more than a food tour. We ate at a couple of traditional sit-down restaurants for traditional meals of hearty chicken noodle soup, and another for Korean beef served several different ways, including as tartare and bimimbap. We visited several markets for a variety of local snacks and delicacies, including various banchan and traditional Korean sweets. We even stopped at a local favorite for salt bread — mine with a delicious strawberry cream filling that we saved for breakfast the next morning. The highlight of the tour was our guide, Eunice, who shared countless stories about the food of Korea and the culture of Seoul, as well as the company of the other two participants, Stephanie and Harry, We especially enjoyed the extra couple of hours spent at the end of our fantastic day over at a local tent street bar that included fresh makeral and various meat skewers and as many Somaeks , an eye-opening delicious mix of Soju and beerspecially crafted by our certified Somaek teaches. We ate and imbibed over laughter-filled conversation with our guide and fellow tourists, who all seemed like old friends by the end of the evening! Five stars, absolutely worth every penny!
So much food! And learned a lot about Korean culture
mengjing,,Jun 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I took this tour with my husband and 11 yo daughter. We thought we were pretty familiar with Korean food already but learned a lot from the back street aspect of the tour with old family run places that are very traditional and we learned ways of eating and combining Korean flavors and ingredients, such as marinated oysters with pork belly, steak tartare with sliced bbq beef. Eunice is such a great and engaging guide, great English as she studied in US and we learned a lot about current Korean culture and society as well. My daughter is adventurous eater for being an American kid, but she was able to accommodate some kiddo diet limitations and she really enjoyed the tour as well and says she wanted to do every Culinary Back street tour eventually everywhere it’s offered! Very worthwhile experience even though I’m Asian and had been to Korea and had eaten adventurously much on our own in the past.