Cheongna reptile shop with a 17-year-old tortoise: Crerism, Incheon

Why get a crested gecko at Crerism in Cheongna, Incheon?

I visited Crerism Cheongna Branch, a reptile specialty shop in Cheongna, Incheon. These days it feels like more and more people are keeping reptiles — lizards, tortoises, snakes — alongside the usual dogs and cats. I've always had an interest in reptiles myself, so I decided to check this place out.

It's a solid spot to visit whether you already keep reptiles, are still on the fence about getting one, or just want to bring your kids to see some unusual animals. If you've never been to a reptile shop before, you might wonder what the vibe is like — turns out it's much more relaxed than I expected, and easy to browse without any pressure.

Crerism Incheon Cheongna Branch: what the reptile shop is like

Walking into Crerism Cheongna, you get to see a wide variety of reptiles up close, which is definitely a different kind of fun than a regular pet shop. Being able to see reptiles you'd normally only see in photos or videos, right in front of you, is honestly the biggest draw.

There's everything from tiny individuals to all sorts of different species, so it was genuinely fun to take my time wandering through the shop.

If you don't know much about reptiles, it's fun just to look up each name and appearance one by one, and if you already keep a reptile at home, it's fun to compare with the other individuals here. I only meant to browse casually at first, but once I actually started looking at all the different animals, time flew by faster than I expected.

Reptiles feel pretty different in person compared to photos online. Things like how they move, their actual size, their coloring — you really only get a sense of that in person. So if you're thinking about which species might suit you before getting a reptile, it seemed like a good idea to visit a shop in person and see a range of animals rather than just researching online. You can compare appearance and size much better up close.

If you bring kids along, it could be a fun, different kind of experience too — a chance to see animals they don't normally get to encounter up close.

New to reptiles? Husbandry supplies you can buy at Crerism

At Crerism Cheongna, you can look at husbandry supplies alongside the reptiles themselves, which made it convenient to compare everything in one place. When you're first getting into reptile keeping, there's a surprising amount to figure out — what species to get, what kind of enclosure to prepare, what to feed them, how to manage temperature and humidity, and more.

So rather than starting out by searching everything online, it seemed genuinely helpful to visit an actual reptile shop, see the animals in person, and check out the supplies you'd need at the same time.

For beginners especially, being able to check out the actual husbandry setup and supplies alongside the reptiles, rather than just looking at the animals and leaving, feels like a real plus.

The 17-year-old giant tortoise at Crerism, eating lettuce

You don't need to actually adopt anything to enjoy this place. Like me, if you're just interested in reptiles and visiting to look around, it's plenty fun on its own. It's rare to have these animals so close, so you end up examining them one by one, and since each one looks and colors a little differently, there's a lot to enjoy watching.

If you're really into reptiles, once you go in, you might end up staying way longer than you planned. Haha. It could also be a good, offbeat outing spot in Cheongna if you're looking for something to do with your kids.

Ah... is a tortoise allowed to be this cute?? Haha, look at that open mouth, and that foot stretched out trying to reach the lettuce, oh my gosh, hahahahaha.

The giant tortoise, thought to be around 17 years old.

'Ruwon', the crested gecko that came home from Cheongna

Got home and fed Ruwon. His personality is... hm, what is this. He was totally calm at the shop, but now — haha, was that all an act?

Sneaking up behind the tortoise, haha.

Whoa!! Wait, is the tortoise... jumping? Hahahaha.

Hahaha, why is he stretching his hand out like that.

I was torn between naming him 'Seohae,' since I bought him in Seohae-gu, and then thought of Ruwon City in Cheongna and went with 'Ruwon' instead.

Visiting Crerism Cheongna: is this reptile shop worth a trip?

If you're just starting to look into keeping a reptile, or already keep one and are exploring new individuals or supplies, I'd recommend giving Crerism Cheongna a visit. Being able to see and compare animals in person, rather than just looking at photos online, was a real plus, and browsing all the related supplies alongside them was great too.

Most of all, if you're interested in reptiles but haven't decided whether to actually keep one, it's worth stopping by without any pressure. Seeing them move right in front of you might make them feel a lot more appealing than you expect.

This visit was a fun chance for me to see reptiles a bit more up close, and if you're looking for somewhere a little different in Cheongna, or just have an interest in reptiles, give Crerism Cheongna a try! Whether you already love reptiles or are just starting to get curious, seeing and experiencing them in person offers a different kind of fun than researching online. If you're wondering, like I was, "is a reptile shop first-timer really okay here?" — don't overthink it, just stop by and take a look. 🦎🐢