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Taking the KTX to Buy Bread — A Guide to Bread Pilgrimage Routes Across the Country
From half-day trips to Seongsu and Euljiro to road trips to Daejeon and Gunsan, plus a bonus stop at Nangso-ba
Hello!
Today, I’m going to talk about a trend that’s been shaking up the travel industry lately.
To get straight to the point: Taking the train just to buy a loaf of bread isn't a big deal anymore—it's the new norm. From a half-day tour of Seongsu to trips to Daejeon and Gunsan, this single article will help you plan your entire itinerary.
Bread and Train Tickets — The New Must-Have Combination for Travel Bags These Days
🍞 Why Bread Has Become a "Travel Destination"
Bakery Tourism, It's literally a trip to visit bakeries.
Instead of stopping by a bakery on the way to the tourist spot, we did it the other way around.
The bakery is the main attraction, and sightseeing is just a bonus.
It's not just talk—the numbers back it up.
A recent consumer survey (Seoul Economic Daily Report) If we organize this into a table, it looks like this.
Survey Items | Figures |
|---|---|
I'm usually interested in bread | 78.4% |
My hobby is seeking out and eating delicious bread | 71.6% |
No. 1 Destination on the Bread Pilgrimage — Daejeon | 46.2% |
No. 2 on the list of places to visit — Mangwon and Yeonnam, Seoul | 39.6% |
Seven out of ten people said that searching for bread is their hobby.
At this point, isn't it more of a national pastime than just a trend?
Long lines outside popular bakeries — a common sight amid the "bread pilgrimage" craze
📍 A Nationwide Bakery Tour: All You Need Is This One Map
If you're not sure where to start, take a look at this chart first.
This is the backbone of this article.
Region | Bakery | Signature | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
Seongsu, Seoul | Onion Seongsu | Pandor | A bakery café housed in a converted factory, Exit 2 of Seongsu Station |
Jangchung, Seoul | Taegukdang (1946) | Monaka Ice Cream | The Oldest Bakery in Seoul |
Daejeon | Sungshimdang (1956) | Fried Soboro | The Undisputed Number One Spot for Bread Pilgrimages |
Gunsan | Lee Seong-dang (1945) | Red Bean Buns and Vegetable Buns | Considered the oldest bakery in the country |
Andong | Mammoth Confectionery (1974) | Cream Cheese Bread | Great Destinations to Combine with Hahoe Village |
Gwangju | Gungjeon Confectionery (1973) | Butterfly Pie | A Long-Time Staple of Chungjang-ro |
Jeonju | Pungnyeon Confectionery (1951) | Homemade Chocolate Pie | Within walking distance of the Hanok Village |
Busan | Ops | Cream Puffs | Multiple locations in Busan, easily accessible |
The right way to choose is not by proximity, but by which bread appeals to you the most. Below, I’ll go over two easily accessible courses in Seoul and two courses outside the city in detail.
✨ Tour 1 — Half a Day in Seongsu: The Forefront of Trendy Bakery Culture
If you only have half a day in Seoul, start with Seongsu.
Within walking distance of Exit 2 at Seongsu Station, there are a number of bakeries, each with a completely different style, so Can handle three or four households at a timeI'll do it.
Bakery | Signature | Note |
|---|---|---|
Onion Seongsu | Pandor, Ang Butter | A renovated 1970s factory; opens at 8 a.m. on weekdays |
Bonanza Bakery | Organic, Low-Temperature-Fermented Bread | No milk, sugar, eggs, or butter added |
The Art of Bread | Palmikare | Small but a powerhouse on social media |
Bonnoel | Milk Bread · Chestnut Bread | Specializing in White Bread |
Onion is a space that preserves the exposed brick walls and high ceilings of an old factory, so you’ll be surprised by the building itself even before the bread comes out.
The Pandor, dusted with powdered sugar like snow, is our signature dish.
Pangdor at Onion Seongsu — The Signature Dish at This Repurposed Factory Space
☕ Course 2 — Euljiro·Jangchung: A Retro Bakery Tour
A charm that’s the complete opposite of trendy Seongsu.
Jangchung-dong Taegukdangwhich opened in 1946, The Oldest Bakery in SeoulThat is.
It's just a 1-minute walk from Exit 2 of Dongdaemun University Station, so the location is practically unbeatable!
Signature has been making since 1947 Monaka Ice Cream, and a palm-sized Gobang Castella.
There’s also a café-style location in the Euljiro area that offers some of the same menu items, so if you combine it with a stroll through the Euljiro alleys, you’ve got the perfect retro half-day itinerary.
Monaka Ice Cream at Taegukdang in Jangchung-dong — A menu item that has been on the menu since 1947
🚆 Course 3 — Daejeon Seongsimdang: The Classic Route for Day Trips
Daejeon, the No. 1 city for bread pilgrimages.
It takes about an hour to get there from Seoul by KTX, so it's perfect for a day trip.
SungshimdangIt’s a bakery that started in 1956 at a steamed bun shop in front of Daejeon Station and has become synonymous with Daejeon itself; its sign is undoubtedly Fried Soboro — It’s a winning combination: crispy on the outside from frying, with red bean paste on the inside.
However, there’s one thing you need to be prepared for.
I'll buy it soon. If you go in the afternoon, you'll find the place packed with people—there's hardly any room to move.
The general consensus is that right after opening or on weekday mornings are the least crowded times.
There’s a Cake Boutique near our main store and another one inside Daejeon Station, so choose the one that’s most convenient for you.
Sungshimdang Main Store — The Moment They Pack the Fried Soboro
🥐 Course 4 — Gunsan Iseongdang: The Original of Originals
This is the ultimate.
Lee Seong-dangis 1945 It’s considered the oldest bakery in the country since it first opened its doors.
The signature items are the sweet red bean bread—with a thick red bean filling wrapped in a thin crust—and the vegetable bread, featuring crisp vegetables and a hint of pepper.
These two are Definitely both You must.
Choosing just one is cheating!
On some days, the line in front of the main store can stretch for dozens of meters, so it’s safer to go on a weekday rather than on the weekend.
In Gunsan, the alleys filled with modern cultural heritage sites are clustered around the main store, so simply walking around with a bag of bread in hand feels like a mini-vacation.
Cross-sections of Lee Seong-dang’s red bean buns and vegetable buns — packed with red bean filling and vegetables
🍽 Bonus — Cold soba between slices of bread—I'm serious
The pitfall of bread pilgrimages—you'll understand once you try it.
If you eat sweets and carbohydrates one after another, your mouth gets tired of it quickly.
So, halfway through the course, A bowl of cold, plain noodlesThis is the reset button.
I've narrowed it down to just the parts where the route overlaps with the course above.
Store | Location (Which course?) | Key Points |
|---|---|---|
Gwanghwamun Mijin | 3-minute walk from Jonggak Station (Euljiro Route) | Opened in 1952, a regular on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list |
Soba Restaurant, Seongsu Branch | Seongsu Yeonmujang 7-ga-gil (Seongsu Course) | Specializes in cold noodles; break time is from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. |
Family | Exit 4 at Seongsu Station (Seongsu Course) | Stone-Ground Flour, Homemade Noodles |
In particular, Mijin is widely regarded as the restaurant that set the standard for Korean-style cold buckwheat noodles, which are served in a rich soy sauce broth with radish, green onions, and dried seaweed flakes.
From Taegukdang, past Euljiro, all the way to Jonggak, you can enjoy both bread and soba along the same route.
A Plate of Chae-ban Cold Soba — A Palate Cleanser Between Bread Pilgrimages
⭐ Away Game Checklist
Insulated Bag (A must-have for summer cream bread expeditions)
Booking Round-Trip Train Tickets — Let's Korea Rail
Check the official channels for the bakery's days off and opening hours
An empty eco-bag or some extra space in your luggage to hold the bread
Bookmark the location of the cold noodle restaurant along the route
Prices and hours of operation are subject to change at any time, so be sure to check each bakery’s official channels one last time before you go.
Things to Check Before Departure This one spoonful will save you a trip.
The moment bread becomes your destination, every city becomes a travel destination.
This weekend, why not start with half a day in Seongsu?
Next, you'll probably be opening the KTX booking window.
Highly recommended!!