The 4 Korean BBQ Experiences That Are Worth the Money

1.Anthony Bourdain-Inspired BBQ and Pub Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 186 reviews · from $132Our pick

Spend about three hours in Mapo with guides such as Jeff, Joe, Hannah, or Ron, eating charcoal-grilled pork, aged kimchi, savory pancakes, tempura, and tteokbokki. Learn Korean dining customs and drinking rituals while trying soju, makgeolli, and dongdongju. An optional fried chicken pub stop may follow.

“Great experience when in Seoul!!! We visited several places with different styles of barbecue and drinks!!!”

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2.Seoul Night “Private Tour”(Korean BBQ, N-Tower, Seoul Fortress, Local Market)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 86 reviews · from $148

Spend four to five hours seeing Seoul after sunset with a private guide such as Jimmy, Chance, or Kim. Ride between N Seoul Tower, Gwangjang Market, Bugak Palgakjeong, Naksan Park, and Cheonggyecheon Stream, then enjoy pork barbecue or another Korean meal. Hotel pickup and private transport make this a handy evening introduction, though tower tickets and the cable car cost extra.

“Fun and interesting tour with scenic night views, delicious food, and an engaging host. Mr. Kim is very knowledgeable and we saw many sights. Especially enjoyed the Fortress walls. A private driver can take you places that a larger tour cannot go.”

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3.Private DMZ Tour and Suspension Bridge + Korean BBQ

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 79 reviews · from $250

Spend 8 to 10 hours exploring the DMZ from Seoul with a private English-speaking guide, though the DMZ segment uses a government shuttle bus. See North Korea from Dora Observatory, walk through the Third Tunnel, cross the Gamaksan Suspension Bridge, and eat Korean BBQ, bulgogi, or ginseng chicken soup. Guides such as Sophia, Wookie, Ka, and Jake are praised for history, patience, and flexibility.

“We had a private tour with Ka, who was very personable, knowledgeable, and flexible with the itinerary. An important thing to note if you book a private DMZ tour is, even though the actual DMZ tour is a group bus, the guide stays with you the whole time! Kia’s English was perfect! We learned a lot of history on this tour that we did not know!”

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4.Wine & Korean BBQ, Perfect Pairing Dinner in Sinchon

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · 2h 30m · from $49Best value

Meet your English- or Korean-speaking guide at Sinchon Station Exit 6, take a short walk through the neighborhood, then enjoy Korean-style meat dishes paired with wine. You’ll learn basic wine tasting, Korean drinking manners, and food-pairing tips during a 150-minute private-group dinner. Taser may host, depending on availability.

“This was such a nice experience! I booked it as a surprise for my mum who is visiting me in Korea. I thought we might need some conversation with others by this point in the trip… I can’t recommend this enough. There was only us and one other person on our tour. Taser was a very good host who knew a lot about the area, Sinchon and about wine. But he was also very thoughtful, and interesting and great to talk to. As was the other guest on the tour which made for a great few hours enjoying lovely food and wine, and great company. It really was something different…”

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