A Must-Visit Course for Traveling in Korea! The Perfect Guide to the Olmuda (Olive Young + Musinsa + Daiso) Tour

What is the Olmuda Tour?

Hello! For overseas travelers planning a trip to Korea, I’d like to introduce the very hot 'Olmuda Tour'! Olmuda is a combination of Olive Young + Musinsa + Daiso, and it’s becoming a much more popular shopping course among foreign tourists than duty-free shops.

The statistics from 2024 are truly surprising! Among foreign shoppers, a whopping 34.7% visited Olive Young, and 14.5% went to Daiso. Despite having a limited number of stores, Musinsa saw a staggering 343% increase in spending!

Shopping Points for Each Brand

1. Olive Young - The Mecca of K-Beauty

Olive Young is truly the mecca for K-beauty shopping! It’s a place where you can see all Korean cosmetics and skincare products in one spot.

Recommended Products:

• Face masks (especially discounted for bulk purchases)

• Sunscreen (Korean brands are really famous)

• Serums and essences

• Multi-balm (lip balm, hand cream, etc.)

Shopping Tips:

• The Myeongdong Town branch is a global specialized store with English labels

• There’s a translator supporting 16 languages, so no worries about communication

• Staff who can speak foreign languages are always present

2. Musinsa - The Trend of K-Fashion

Musinsa is a place where you can see the latest Korean fashion trends at a glance. It's really popular among the younger generation!

Popular Items:

• Musinsa Standard basic items

• Curated Korean designer brands

• Street fashion items

• Accessories and goods

Recommended Stores:

• Myeongdong branch: So popular that 44% of sales are from foreigners

• Hongdae branch: Young vibe and diverse brands

• Seongsu branch: Trendy concept store

3. Daiso - The Paradise of Cost-Effectiveness

Daiso is truly an amazing place! Foreigners are really amazed that you can buy so many things for less than 5,000 won.

Popular Products:

• K-beauty products (face masks, cosmetics)

• Seaweed and various Korean snacks

• Stationery and household items

• Character goods

Shopping Points:

• The Myeongdong main store and Hongdae 2nd branch are the most popular among foreigners

• Box packaging service for bulk purchases

• Great for gifts

Recommended Olmuda Tour Courses

Myeongdong Course (Half-Day)

9:00 AM - Arrive at Myeongdong Station
9:30 AM - K-beauty shopping at Olive Young Myeongdong Town branch
11:00 AM - Cost-effective shopping at Daiso Myeongdong main store
12:30 PM - Lunch + street food on Myeongdong Street
2:00 PM - K-fashion shopping at Musinsa Standard Myeongdong branch
3:30 PM - Relax at a nearby café

Hongdae Course (Half-Day)

2:00 PM - Arrive at Hongdae Entrance Station
2:30 PM - Olive Young Hongdae Central branch (a large store with two floors)
4:00 PM - Daiso Hongdae 2nd branch
5:00 PM - Musinsa Hongdae branch
6:00 PM - Hongdae street food and café tour

Budget Guide

Average Purchase Amount at Olive Young:

• 10-pack face masks: 15,000-25,000 won

• Sunscreen: 8,000-15,000 won

• Serum: 10,000-30,000 won

• Average spending per person: 50,000-100,000 won

Average Purchase Amount at Daiso:

• Most products are 1,000-5,000 won

• Face masks: 1,000-3,000 won

• Average spending per person: 20,000-50,000 won

Average Purchase Amount at Musinsa:

• T-shirts: 20,000-50,000 won

• Hoodies/Sweatshirts: 30,000-80,000 won

• Average spending per person: 80,000-200,000 won

Practical Tips for Foreigners

Transportation Information

Access to Myeongdong:

• Subway Line 4, Myeongdong Station Exits 5, 6, 7, 8
• Airport Bus No. 6015 (Incheon Airport → Myeongdong)

Access to Hongdae:

• Subway Lines 2, 6, Hongdae Entrance Station
• Airport Railroad AREX Hongdae Entrance Station
• Airport Bus No. 6002 (Incheon Airport → Hongdae)

Instagram Photo Spots

Here are the photo zones you must visit during the Olmuda Tour!

• Olive Young: In front of the colorful cosmetics display
• Daiso: With the colorful products
• Musinsa: With the stylish store interior and clothes
• Shopping Bag Photo: Holding shopping bags from all three brands

Gift Recommendations

Recommended Gifts for Family/Friends:

From Olive Young:

• Face mask set (representative of Korean beauty)

• Korean brand lip balm, hand cream

• Mini serum/essence set

Optimal Visiting Time

Weekdays: 10 AM - 6 PM (Calm and leisurely shopping)
Weekends: 2 PM - 8 PM (Lively atmosphere, but a bit crowded)

Pro Tip: Myeongdong is open late into the evening, so evening shopping is possible! Hongdae has a young vibe and is lively late into the night.

Overall Review of the Olmuda Tour

I think the Olmuda Tour is a shopping experience that truly showcases the present Korea. You can experience the real lifestyle and trends of Koreans that you can't feel at duty-free shops!

It's a very efficient shopping course because you can experience K-beauty, K-fashion, and Korea's cost-effective culture all at once. The prices are more reasonable than duty-free shops, and you can find a wider variety of brands and products.

If you visit Korea, I highly recommend experiencing it at least once! It will surely be a satisfying shopping and cultural experience.