Top Things to Do in Korea
The Anthony Bourdain Korean BBQ Experience
Step into Anthony Bourdain’s footsteps for the meaty, boozy, unforgettable K-BBQ experience he made famous.
Buam: Seoul’s Secret Artists’ Neighborhood
Slip into the quiet hills of Buam-dong, where poets, painters, and hidden cafés reveal a softer, slower Seoul.
Busan Food Crawl
Hit the coastal streets for Busan’s best bites, from market stalls to the freshest seafood and rice ale under the stars.
The Dark Side of Seoul
Uncover Korea’s haunted past on a spine-tingling night walk through hidden alleys and forgotten legends.
The Authentic Korean Chicken & Beer Pub Crawl
Eat like a local with Korea’s favorite late-night combo. Crispy chicken, cold beer, and rowdy taverns.
Korean Drinking Games & BBQ Experience
Master Korea’s wildest drinking customs in a night of games, grilled meats, and belly laughs.
The Seoul Hike
Trek the scenic Seoul mountainscape with legends, history, and hidden forest shrines along the way.
Suwon Fortress & K-Drama Walk
(with Optional Fried Chicken Alley)
Explore a UNESCO fortress and step into the scenes of your favorite K-Dramas, then feast on legendary chicken.
Seasonal Experiences
A Walk Among the Graves
Hike through a vast mountain cemetery and uncover Korea’s funeral traditions, afterlife beliefs, and burial folklore on this seasonal small-group trek led with respect and depth.
Soak Up Spring in Seoul
Stroll a four-kilometer cherry blossom corridor through the heart of the city, blending spring blooms, railway history, and neighborhood café culture in an easy, seasonal two-hour walk.
Cherry Blossom Magic Trail
Step away from the packed city parks and stroll through a quieter cherry blossom corridor, visiting historic homes and hidden garden spots that most spring visitors never see.
Private Experiences
Majang Meat Market Experience
Follow us deep into Korea’s beef temple to taste premium cuts at a market few tourists ever see.
Mix & Match Private Experience:
Design Your Own Seoul
Build your perfect day or night in Seoul with a personal guide, choosing your neighborhoods, dishes, drinks, and adventures from seafood markets to rooftop BBQ and hidden pubs.
Seoul Street Culture Lab
Join legendary street fashion photographer Dr. Michael Hurt to explore the hidden signals of Seoul’s street culture.
Noryangjin: Korea’s Wildest Seafood Market Adventure
Go beyond the guidebooks as you haggle, slurp and feast your way through Korea’s iconic fish market. It’s fresh, fierce and unforgettable.
Tailored Private Experiences:
Bespoke Seoul with Insider Access
Work directly with our expert team to design a fully custom experience, guided by the same insiders trusted by The New York Times, CNN, and global food media.
Get Outta Seoul
For serious stomachs only! An all-day venture right outside the city for a true magical local experience.
Professor Mason’s Mystical Journeys
Korea’s Indiana Jones takes you deep into the heart of Korea’s history, culture, and religion. These epic journeys are guaranteed to transport and enlighten you.
The Original Seoul Food Authority.
Founded in 2004 as Korea’s first food blog, ZenKimchi has spent two decades taking guests beyond the tourist traps for a full-immersion experience.
Rated top 1% in the world
Trusted by the World’s Leading Media
If you enjoy good food and want to learn about eating habits and table manners in korea, it’s the ideal solution.
Helene
The Ultimate Korean BBQ Night Out
I can’t recommend this enough. This was actually the highlight of my trip to Seoul.
Jeffrey
The Authentic Korean Chicken & Beer Pub Crawl
Although I’m not a believer of ghosts, it was still awesome to learn the history of all those places!
Deb
Dark Side of Seoul EXTENDED EDITION
Your Hosts
Meet your new friends.
Joe
The Food Writer
Chris
The Busan Expert
Young
The Concierge
Shawn
The Folklorist Hiker
Simon
The Flying Chef
Professor Mason
The Professor
Ron
The Veteran Local
Jon
The YouTuber
Meggie
The Historian
Jeff
The Party Host
Kangsil
The Musician
Dr. Hurt
The Fashion Guru
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Travel Tips | Things To Do in Korea
Final Thoughts: The Seoul Cheat Sheet You Didn’t Know You Needed
You’ve survived the planning phase, absorbed the culture tips, memorized subway etiquette, and maybe even tried temple food without crying. Good. Here’s your rapid-fire, last-minute cheat sheet, the things you’ll wish someone had whispered to you at the airport, the details that don’t make it into most guides, and a few reminders before Seoul eats…
The Fish Versus Ducks Problem in Korean Tourism
Imagine flying halfway across the world to walk into a shopping mall and look at styrofoam books. Thousands of visitors do exactly that every day at the Starfield Library in COEX Mall. It is a fake library filled with styrofoam books designed less for reading than for photographs. This specific absurdity perfectly illustrates why so…
Where to Stay in Seoul (So You Don’t Accidentally Live in the Gift Shop)
Which area of the city is the best for rest? Seoul hotel areas, including Myeongdong, Hongdae, Bukchon, Dongdaemun, Gangnam, and Jongno.
Stories
Tour Story: A Detour for a “Bizarre” Food
By request, we made a detour to a pub specializing in fermented skate. One of the dishes was a new one for me.
BBQ Food Tours Featured in Hong Kong’s Apple Daily
We were in Hong Kong’s Apple Daily. They had joined our BPM (BBQ, Pub, Market) Tour. Had a great time, as always. If you want to find out more about our tours and book, go to KoreaFoodTours.com.
Behind-the-scenes with Anthony Bourdain, What Is It Like?
This and many photos credited to CNN “Who’s that old geezer?” Oh, Christ, not now. We were shooting the final shot with Anthony Bourdain before he returned to the hotel and jumped on a flight back to New York. He was sitting at a lonely street food cart in Gangnam–one of the few that hadn’t been…
The Original ZenKimchi Korean Food Journal
9 Best Korean Chicken Joints
My rule of thumb is this. To tell a good chicken place, look at the people inside. If it’s full of beautiful young women taking selfies, likely isn’t good chicken. If it’s full of middle-aged men who look like life has kicked them in the teeth–GREAT CHICKEN!
Recipe: Korean Tofu “Steak”
Not THAT Tofu Steak A larger variation of many traditional Korean pancakes, Tofu Steak was trendy for a while in dieting circles. The “steak” in this sense is supposed to resemble the Korean and Japanese versions of Hamburger Steak. It’s basically Tofu Meatloaf. You can use any seasoning you like with Tofu Steak. I like…
Recipe: Acorn Jelly Salad (Dotorimuk Muchim 도토리묵무침)
This Korean vegan recipe–oh, why do I even bother saying it’s vegan? It’s just good. I had it for the first time during my second year in Korea. San Maul, which is still my favorite restaurant, tucked in the southern foot of Mt. Gwanaksan. Dotorimuk The star of the dish is the acorn jelly. Honestly,…
