Hongdae

Seoul’s main university district, Hongdae is one of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods and is at its liveliest on Saturday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. when the Free Market takes place in Children’s Park. Dancers, performers, and artists fill the streets, while vendors arrange stalls and blankets to show off clothes, stationery, and handmade gifts. If you can’t make it to Hongdae on a Saturday, the Hope Market, with handicrafts, takes place on Sundays in the same location at the same time. Note that, because of Seoul’s cold winters, both markets only run from March through November.