north korea rules for tourist

North Korea Travel Advice

12 do's and don't for tourists visiting north korea.

• North Korea

There’s no denying that visiting North Korea is a very different proposition than to visiting most other countries. As an isolated pariah state led by a ruthless dictatorship that’s best known for testing missiles and rockets, you have to be certain that you really want to visit North Korea before you go. 

Following our 10 day trip to North Korea we’ve put together a list of useful North Korea travel advice of things you need to know before you go to the DPRK.

Can You Visit North Korea?

Yes, tourists can visit North Korea, though there are a few caveats. Like everything else in the country, tourism is tightly controlled by the North Korean government. 

Tourists can only visit the country on pre-booked guided tours. There are a handful of long-established companies that specialise in arranging tours of North Korea. These include  Koryo Tours  and  Regent Holidays.

However, you cannot travel to North Korea if you hold an American passport. The American government banned its citizens from visiting North Korea in 2017. South Korean nationals are also unable to travel to the DPRK.

North Korea Travel Advice - 12 Things to Know Before You Go

Is it safe to visit north korea.

Broadly speaking, yes. Following the arrest and tragic death of  Otto Warmbier  in 2017, United States’ citizens are banned from visiting the country . Great Britain’s Foreign Office also  advises against all but essential travel to the DPRK. 

However the travel companies that provide trips to the DPRK are quick to point out that these warnings and restrictions are possibly political rather than practical.

Visitors to North Korea are treated as guests, and the DPRK is keen to leave a positive impression of the country on visitors as possible. The political and societal circumstances in North Korea are obviously incredibly unique, but follow the rules and local customs as laid out by your guides and there should be no problems.

Each of the major tour companies that operates in North Korea have long-established links with state-owned North Korean tourism bureaus and foreign embassies in Pyongyang.

If you have any specific questions or concerns before booking a trip to North Korea discuss them in advance with the tour companies and they’ll be happy to help you. 

Always Follow the Rules

The most important piece of North Korea travel advice is to abide by a few important rules. 

Firstly, never speak ill of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il or Kim Jon-un. Criticising the Kims is a huge insult –  and also a crime  – and could put your entire trip at risk. 

Secondly, don’t wander off from your group or guides. Trying to sneak off alone or to see things unaccompanied will land you in a huge heap of trouble.

Finally, be careful what you photograph. The rules on what you can photograph are not as restrictive as you might think – we took over 1000 photos during trip to North Korea. 

However, certain things are off limits. Photos of construction sites and military officers are not allowed. Neither are shots of the countryside during the journeys between cities. 

Photography is also prohibited inside specific sites, but if in doubt check with your guides. Don’t be surprised if you’re told to delete any photos that your guides might not be happy with.

You'll Hear a Lot About the Kims

It’s impossible to overstate  how much the Kim dynasty dominates North Korea . The ubiquitous and glowing statues and portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il are just the tip of a very large iceberg. 

The Kim’s cult of personality is inescapable and permeates every aspect of life, including tourist’s trips to the DPRK. 

Obvious examples are the visits to the embalmed bodies of the Kims at the  Palace of the Sun  and their enormous statues at  Mansudae Hill Grand Monument , but they’re infused into almost everywhere you visit.

Almost every book in souvenir shops is either written by or about Kim Il-sung or Kim Jong-il. At every place you visit in North Korea your guides will tell you how many times Kim Il-sung or Kim Jong-il visited it. There’s usually a framed red sign above the door to mark the date they came, or a huge framed photo of their visit at the entrance. 

The schools, universities, factories and farms that you’re taken to will all have a connection to the Kims, too. They’ll have either visited it, provided guidance there or, supposedly, will have given the order to build it. 

Even historic sites that were damaged during the war will have been restored under the orders of one of the Kims. Their words and slogans are even etched into the mountains in Myohyangsan.

Don't Question North Korea's Historical Narrative

Visiting North Korea means having to accept the country’s version of its own history and the history of the region. The North Korean version differs greatly from the reality. 

As a totalitarian state with a vice-like grip on all forms of education, media and communication, the ruling regime has created an alternative history for the DPRK that cannot be questioned. 

That history suits the narrative that portrays the DPRK as a victim, defending itself from several decades of American imperialism and aggression. Added to this is the complete whitewash of any of North Korea’s sins,  of which there are many.

Take anything presented as historical fact with a huge dollop of salt. Many historical claims will be heavily biased, and others will be a complete fiction. The prime example of this is the DPRK’s take on  the Korean War . 

North Koreans are taught that it was they who were attacked by the South, when in reality it was North Korea’s invasion of South Korea that led to war. If you’re told something that you know not to be true it’s best to hold your tongue and play along.

You Can Talk Politics, Up to a Point

Discussing politics isn’t completely out of the question in North Korea, but if the subject comes up you’ll need to know what to say and how to say it. 

One of our guides broached the subject on a couple of occasions, asking about  Kim Jong-un’s summits with President Trump  and if there was any discussions of the  economic sanctions on North Korea being lifted. 

It led to a fairly frank conversation about the geopolitical situation that North Korea finds itself in, though caution was obviously required. Our guide wanted to know how the land lay between the US and the DPRK following the summits, and was keen to know the outside world’s view on top of what was reported within the DPRK. 

For your own safety its best to play conversations regarding politics involving North Korea safely, but don’t be surprised if you get asked the occasional question about the view from outside the DPRK.

You Can Take Your Phone to North Korea

Despite some reports, you can take your smartphone into North Korea, as well as cameras, laptops and tablets. They will all be inspected by customs officials when you arrive in North Korea. Drones are not allowed into the DPRK. 

Be aware that you’ll be offline the entire time that you’re in North Korea. On the whole there is no access to internet or mobile phone network for foreigners in the DPRK, though things may be about to change.

Reports suggest that WiFi is available in the casino in the basement of the Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang. According to NK News the network runs through China and their restrictive firewall, so websites like Google and BBC are still blocked.

Be Good to Your Tour Guides

Tour guides are appointed to every tour group that visits North Korea. They play a dual role of guide and minder, ensuring that visitors behave appropriately whilst providing information and the government line on all of the places you visit. 

The guides are far from stern faced state-appointed apparatchik; instead they are the young, friendly and mostly female face of North Korean tourism.

Forming a good bond with your guides will help you to get the most out of your trip to North Korea. Though they’ll never show it, ferrying groups of tourists around the DPRK is a stressful job, especially if tourists are hard to handle. 

If there’s any fallout from a badly behaved tour group, it puts them at risk of recriminations from their superiors.

Also, our guides told us that groups that are difficult to handle often miss out on visiting certain sites, such as the Palace of the Sun, as they can’t be trusted to behave themselves. Forming a good relationship and understanding with your guides will make the whole trip much more beneficial for everyone.

You See More of North Korea on a Private Tour

Though more expensive than group tours, if you can afford a private tour to North Korea then it’s worth the extra cost. 

Private group tours can be tailored and adjusted to suit you, meaning that you get to see more of the things that you want to see. Trips on group tours tend to be set itineraries that only allow for the odd tweak here and there.

Also, on a private tour your North Korean guides will be dedicated just to you, rather than looking after a group of up to 20 people. This means you’ll have a much more personal service and it allows you the chance to find out much more about the places that you visit and about life in North Korea.

You’ll also be easier to manage, meaning that you can fit a lot more into your daily schedule than if you were in a group. Fewer numbers means that it’s naturally a lot easier to move around and you’re able to do so much more in a day. 

Another advantage of a private tour is that you’ll be in a smaller vehicle, giving you the chance to go to places that group tours on coaches just can’t reach. This adds so many more possibilities to your trip, especially if you’re travelling outside of Pyongyang. 

As part of our ten day trip to the DPRK, we managed to visit  Pakyon waterfall  near Kaesong and Paeksang Pavillion in the city of Anju, two places that even our guides hadn’t previously visited.

You Will Get a Few Glimpses of the 'Real' North Korea

It’s often asked of how much of the ‘real’ North Korea you get to see as a tourist in the DPRK. The answer is hard to quantify. 

Contact with real North Koreans is extremely limited; you’re obviously not going to have the chance to discuss the Supreme People’s Assembly’s latest legislative proposals with the man on the street. 

You’re also in the odd situation whereby the state is trying to show you one version of North Korea whilst you might be trying to look for another.

You probably won’t find the real North Korea – whatever that is – whilst on a tourist trip. But you’ll be surprised by just how much you are allowed to witness. 

Whilst being driven around you will see plenty of examples of real life and of things that the North Korean regime itself might not actively promote, from grim Soviet-style housing blocks to old men sat by the road charging cyclists for the use of a bicycle pump. 

You’ll see even more if you venture outside of Pyongyang. The countryside is incredibly eye-opening and a world away from the epic monuments and lavish government buildings that line Pyongyang’s streets. 

Driving through North Korea’s countryside feels like going back in time, and there’s no hiding the harsh reality of life outside of the cities.

You'll be Taken to Many Places the State Wants You to See

The highlight of a visit to North Korea is the chance to see some of the country’s most well known sites, such as the Kim statues at Mansudae Hill Grand Monument, the Arch of Triumph or the spectacular view from the top of the Juche Tower. 

Yet in every trip to North Korea are tours of more everyday sites that the regime is keen for outsiders to see.

You’ll almost certainly be taken to see a school to see performances by phenomenally talented if alarmingly young children. Other common stops are universities, farms and factories, and each is likely to be a little dry and uninspiring. 

The visits are obviously propaganda, designed to show North Korea as a highly educated, talented and productive nation blossoming under the leadership of the Workers Party of Korea. 

You don’t have to be a hardened cynic to see through it all. For the less entertaining trips it’s best to put on a polite smile and nod occasionally until the tour is over.

North Korean Accommodation is Incredibly Varied

The standard of accommodation in North Korea is always adequate but the quality can fluctuate wildly. It’s recommended that you take a torch when you travel in North Korea in case you’re caught in a power cut whilst at your hotel.

In Pyongyang most tourists usually stay at the  Yanggakdo International Hotel , a monolithic tower with over 1000 rooms and a revolving restaurant on top. Filled with amenities to keep tourists entertained, the hotel’s rooms are okay if a bit dated and low on mod cons. 

They come with comfortable beds, a television with a few outside news channels and, most importantly of all, hot water and electricity when you need it.

Outside Pyongyang accommodation varies from the more basic to the scarcely believable. In Kaesong our dated hotel suffered from power cuts and hot water was rationed to an hour in the morning and an hour at night. The room was at least warm, with underfloor heating and radiators that didn’t turn off. 

The Hyangsan Hotel in Myohyangsan on the other hand was a completely different story altogether. Known as the best hotel in North Korea,  the Hyangsan is easily a 5 star hotel by Western standards . How and why it is where it is is a bit of a mystery, yet the bumpy ride from Pyongyang is worth the trip to see the Hyangsan alone.

Bring Enough Money in a Multitude of Currencies

This is where North Korea can get confusing. Foreigners aren’t allowed to spend North Korean Won whilst in the DPRK (the only exception being at  the Kwangbok Supermarket ). 

Instead, tourists have to use a confusing combination of three foreign currencies when buying anything in North Korea. These are the Chinese yuan, US dollars and Euros. Bring enough of each currency, and ideally in low denominations. Even $10 goes a long way in North Korea, so bring plenty of 5 and even 1 dollar bills. 

In souvenir shops and in hotels the staff will convert all local prices into whichever currency you wish to pay in. Be aware that your change may come in a different currency than the one you paid in. We received a handful of change in the cafe at the Yanggakdo hotel in US dollars, Euros and Chinese Yuan.

Make sure that you bring enough money for the duration of your trip. If you run out there are no ATM’s. Also, make sure that all notes that you bring into the country are in mint condition. Shop assistants in North Korea will turn away notes that are tattered or badly creased. 

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Explore Even More of Asia:

• What to expect on a ten day tour of North Korea
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Everything You Need to Know About Traveling to North Korea

Are you thinking of traveling to North Korea but unsure of how to make it happen? Start by reading this North Korea travel guide.

I’ve visited North Korea, or officially, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) twice: once in 2015 ( Pyongyang  / DMZ + Kaesong / Mount Kumgang /  Wonsan ) and once in 2018 (Rason). However, I rarely brag about visiting North Korea because it isn’t a place I would encourage just anyone to visit. It’s not relaxing or enjoyable. It’s…mentally challenging, to say the least.

You should not travel to North Korea unless you’re willing to consider a perspective different from what mainstream western media tells you. Your experience of North Korea hinges on how you frame it, and it’s vital that you go with an open mind. In fact, I believe I had an easier time digesting and understanding my North Korea travel experiences  because of my East Asian heritage, but still I’m struggling to put them all in words.

People who learn that I’ve traveled to North Korea  always  ask the same questions about how they can do it too, so I finally decided to write this guide to answer all the questions (and bust all the myths). If there’s something you want to know that’s not mentioned here, please leave a comment and I’ll reply!

Can anyone travel to North Korea?

There’s a misconception that it’s almost impossible to visit North Korea when in fact, almost anyone can go to North Korea (except South Korean citizens). Even US citizens were previously able to go but following the high-profile case of Otto Warmbier, the US Department of State has for now  banned citizens from traveling to North Korea .

While almost anyone can visit North Korea for tourism, you do not get to go around North Korea freely. You must join a tour, and only travel agencies approved by the North Korean government can organize tours to North Korea. Many of these tours have itineraries covering the same state-designated destinations and attractions.

Throughout your visit, you will be accompanied by at least two North Korean guides from the state-owned tourism bureaus such as KITC (Korea International Travel Company). They are the only North Koreans you’ll interact with extensively for the entire length of your stay.

But you’re not allowed to take photos, right?

Photography is definitely allowed in North Korea, as you can see from this post and others on this site. There are indeed some restrictions: you’re not allowed to take photos of military buildings and vehicles, soldiers in uniform, buildings under construction, or monuments undergoing maintenance. You will be cautioned not to crop any photos of the Great Leader (Kim Il Sung) or Dear Leader (Kim Jong Il). If you try to take a photo when it’s prohibited, your guides will stop you.

The North Korean government is extremely conscious of its image, and it’s understandable if you think about it. After all, photos of North Korea are often used by western media to paint the country in a negative light. The guides I’ve met know all too well how their country is perceived, and that likely reinforces what they’ve learned: to have great pride in what they’ve been able to achieve despite a lack of resources.

Is it very expensive to visit North Korea?

I find that North Korea tour costs are similar to any group adventure tour with accommodation, transport, and meals included. Expect a 5-night tour to cost around 1,200-1,700 euro with return Beijing-Pyongyang flights (entry/exit by rail should be cheaper). This does not include drinking water or tips and gratuities.

When choosing from North Korea travel operators, it’s more important to check their reputation and see what unique itineraries they offer.

Which tour operators would you recommend?

As with other East Asian countries, mutual trust and relationships are deeply rooted in the culture and a trusted North Korea tour company/agent will have latitude to offer more special tours. Koryo Tours and Juche Travel both have a good track record and in-depth knowledge to help you plan your trip (I’m not affiliated with either company).

Your North Korea tour company should guide you through the logistics of your trip, handle visa processing for you, and inform you on all the latest rules and regulations. That brings us to the most important question:

Is it safe to travel to North Korea?

You’re always looked after by guides, food is clean and tasty, and you’re unlikely to become a victim of crime. So yes, it’s safe to travel to North Korea, as long as you follow the rules.

I know what you’re thinking: that the North Korean tourism rules are meant to restrict tourists’ freedom and paint a false picture of the country. Whether you agree with this or not, you need to respect the rules and local laws of any place you visit. Some North Korea tourism rules include:

• Camera lenses beyond a certain zoom level are not allowed.
• Your passport will be kept by your guides upon arrival and returned at departure.
• All devices (mobile phones, cameras, laptops) will be inspected upon entry and exit to/from North Korea. Make sure your phone does not contain any religious or politically sensitive content (e.g. remove Bible apps, existing photos, etc.)
• You must pay respects when visiting statues of North Korea’s leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, or other national monuments.
• Be respectful to guides. Do not ask provocative questions or argue against their narrative.
• You are allowed to talk to locals, but they are very wary of foreigners and most do not speak English or other foreign languages.
• Do not bring any magazines or religious material into North Korea.
• Most North Korea tour companies will allow you to blog about your experience, but journalists are not allowed to visit as tourists or sell stories/images to news publications unless you receive special permission.

Not following the rules means you risk getting yourself, the tour company, and possibly even your North Korean guides in trouble. However, as long as you play by the rules, you’ll be able to glean quite a bit of knowledge beyond what you’re shown or told.

Isn’t it unethical to support the North Korean regime through our tourism?

Discussion about safety when traveling to North Korea inevitably lead to moral concerns about supporting the DPRK regime through tourism. Even if you disagree with how the country is governed, visiting in person is the best way to understand North Korea’s nuances and complexities. Think of it this way: your moral obligation, if any, is to learn as much as possible to make it worth the trip.

Reading up on a place before visiting is always a plus, but for travel to North Korea it’s absolutely essential. I’d recommend you go beyond US news articles and add the following 8 books to your reading list. Want more? Check out this extensive selection of books about North Korea .

How to Go Strawberry Picking in South Korea

Certain “bestsellers” have been excluded from this list as they’re known to be overly dramatized or disrespect/risk the safety of ordinary people in North Korea. For news and analysis, NK News and 38 North are good places to start (but are by no means the only sources).

What will I get to see and experience in North Korea?

Lots of people sneer at North Korea tours, claiming that everything you’ll see is staged or even that all the people in the city are actors. While you’ll come across scenes that are more of performances, I can reassure you the people and buildings are real.

A typical first-time visit to North Korea will includes standard sights in Pyongyang, the DMZ, Kaesong, and some UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the tombs of ancient Korean kings.

How much do things cost in North Korea?

While most North Korea tours include accommodation and three meals a day, you’re expected to buy your own bottled water, snacks, and any out-of-pocket expenses such as riding the Pyongyang tram. Make sure you bring enough extra cash for souvenirs and tips.

The official exchange rate when I visited was US$1 : 100 North Korean won, but if you get to shop at a Pyongyang department store  you’ll find a far more favorable exchange rate.

Staying connected in North Korea

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If you haven’t lived in the pre-Internet age, be prepared to feel extremely isolated in North Korea as most tourists will not have any connectivity to the rest of the world. Although data SIM cards are available, they’re prohibitively expensive . If you have to call home, you can make international calls from the lobby at hotels like Yanggakdo Hotel. When I visited in 2015, calls cost US$5/minute.

Another cool activity is to send home postcards that you’ve purchased at souvenir shops. North Korean postal services will mail out your postcards to any international address, with the exception of some countries (definitely not the US or South Korea). It can take weeks or months to get delivered, but it’ll be a great gift when your friends receive it.

What else would you like to know about visiting North Korea? 

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How To Travel to North Korea as a Tourist

Note: Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, North Korea’s borders have been completely closed to foreigners. As of right now, it is not possible to go to North Korea.

Quite a few of my friends were shocked to discover I was travelling to North Korea. “I didn’t even know you could go to North Korea, let alone join a tour group!” they exclaimed.

Yup, against common belief, it is possible to travel to North Korea. And it’s actually surprisingly easy.

Almost anyone can visit North Korea, with the exception of citizens of South Korea and the United States. It was only recently (September 2019) that the US government banned its citizens from travelling to North Korea, and this may be reversed in time now that Donald Trump is out of office.

In this blog post, I’ll walk you through how to travel to North Korea as a tourist, explaining everything you need to know about tours, visas and travelling into the country itself.

How To Travel To North Korea: The Logistics

There are very few places from where you can enter North Korea — you can’t simply book a flight from London to Pyongyang! You will most likely need to go through China, which shares a border with North Korea. You’ll also need to book onto a government-run tour group, as you cannot visit North Korea independently.

With this in mind, there are three things you’ll need to do in order to visit North Korea as a tourist:

• Book onto a tour
• Arrange a Chinese visa
• Organise transport to China

1) Book Onto A Tour

To visit North Korea, you must book onto a tour group. You cannot visit North Korea independently as the country’s government simply doesn’t allow this. Any visit to North Korea will be an all-inclusive tour with an organized itinerary — there is no getting around this.

Your tour group is ultimately controlled by the Government via the Korean International Travel Company. This means your itinerary is set in stone, with no room for free exploration or solo adventuring. You will be escorted at all times by two guides and a driver.

There are a few tour operators who run trips in North Korea, and these are Lupine Travel , Young Pioneers and Koryo Group . I personally went with Lupine Travel, although it seems as though the three companies are all fairly similar.

There is quite a well-pathed tourist route which most if not all, tourists are taken on. This goes to all the main  attractions in Pyongyang , to the Demilitarised Zone on the border of South Korea and to a mountainous region in the north.

Once you choose the tour you want to go on and have booked it, the tour operator will take care of a lot of the logistics for you, including your return transport into North Korea from China, your North Korean visa and your accommodation, food and itinerary once in North Korea.

The tour company probably will not take care of your return transport to China from your home country, or your Chinese visa (although they will help you with this).

Once you’re booked onto a tour, the company will liaise with you prior to your trip, ensuring they have everything they need from you and that you have everything ready, as well.

2) Get Your Chinese Visa

My tour with Lupine Travel started and ended in Beijing. This meant I required a Dual Entry Chinese Visa, as I would technically be entering China twice: once via a flight from London, and then again when I left North Korea.

The Chinese visa can be a little tricky. I’ve applied for and received 2 Chinese visas in the last decade, and they were a bit of a hassle on both occasions. There are a lot of forms to fill out and it can get complicated. Be sure to read through the documents carefully and answer everything truthfully.

For your Chinese visa, you will need:

• Your passport: with remaining validity of at least 6 months and with blank visa pages.
• Visa Application Form: truthfully completed and type-written.
• A photo: taken within the last six months; full face against a light background; size: 48mm x 33mm; bare-headed unless for religious reasons.

You can visit a Chinese embassy or Chinese Visa Application Centre to hand in your documents, or you can mail it. It typically takes four working days to process your application, but it’s recommended that you apply about 2 months before, as there can be issues. They rejected my photo on one occasion and I had to resubmit it, for example.

Once approved and processed, you can go and collect your passport and visa. The fee for a Chinese visa is £150 / $140.

Visit the Chinese Visa Application Service Center to apply for your visa.

The tour company you booked with will handle your North Korean tourist visa for you. All you’ll need to do is fill in a few simple forms and send over a scanned copy of your passport. Your guide will then give you your North Korean visa once you meet up with your tour group.

3) Book Your Transport To China

As your tour to North Korea likely starts in China, you’ll need to book flights or some other form of transport to China, as this is probably not included in your tour package. Check which city your tour’s meeting place is — mine met at the train station in Beijing, but some meet in the city of Dandong, which is on the border of China and North Korea.

Flights from Europe start from about £500. You can search for cheap flights on Skyscanner.

Travelling into North Korea from China

As mentioned above, your tour company will take care of the logistics of your transport into and out of North Korea from China. You’ll most likely meet your tour group in Beijing or Dandong, and then travel with them from there into North Korea, either by train or plane. It depends on the tour company you go with as to whether you’ll go by train or plane. You will be escorted at all times on your transit into and out of North Korea.

The sleeper train departs Beijing in the late afternoon and goes through Northeast China overnight, before reaching the border at around midday.

Once at the border, North Korean soldiers will come onboard to do visa, passport and luggage checks. I found the experience quite intimidating; they poked around in my backpack and asked me to explain what some things were. I remember a fellow traveller on my tour awkwardly explaining what his beard trimmer was used for.

You will also be given forms asking you to declare electronic devices that you’re bringing into the country. I’d advise that you don’t bring any devices with you if possible — you won’t be able to use the internet or make phone calls anyway, and you may be asked to open it up and show the soldiers your files.

Be certain that you do not have religious material, pornography, or memes/other insulting material about North Korea on your device.

It can take a few hours to cross the North Korean entry customs. Once through, you’ll spend about 5 hours travelling through the scenic North Korean countryside before arriving in Pyongyang .

Another way to enter North Korea from China is to take an aeroplane, which is much quicker than the train but certainly less scenic. Air Koryo runs three to four flights from Beijing to Pyongyang each week, as well as weekly flights from Shanghai, Shenyang and Dandong.

I took the train myself, so I don’t have first-hand insight into what the plane is like. But apparently, you’re welcomed on board with songs about socialism and Kim Jong-un, as well as magazines that showcase the ‘fatherly leader’ and the heinous war crimes of Japan and the US.

Tourism in North Korea: Frequently asked questions

There are lots of unique rules and regulations around travelling to North Korea as a foreigner, so let’s break these down.

How Much Does It Cost To Visit North Korea?

The North Korean tour companies I mentioned above organise all-inclusive packages. This means all of your meals, transport within the country and hotel will be included in the price. Tour prices range massively — between about £400 and £3500 depending on the length of your tour and the company you choose to go with.

• Lupine Travel tours start at £569 ($740)
• Young Pioneers tours start at £444 ($578)
• Koryo Group tours start at £448 ($583)

You should also bear in mind the cost of getting to North Korea. My  flight from London to Beijing  (the starting point of the tour) was about £500.

Is It Safe To Visit North Korea?

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all but essential travel to North Korea. They note that “the security situation in North Korea can change with little notice and with no advance warning of possible actions by the North Korean authorities.” However, the FCO also advises the same for many parts of Turkey and Egypt, which are still frequently visited by tourists.

Tensions between North Korea and the United States have calmed and North Korea announced a halt to its missile testing in April 2018. It is now arguably much safer to visit the country than when  I visited in August 2017 .

As long as you follow all the rules outlined to you before you enter North Korea, travel is ‘deemed safe’ in that you are never alone and are not going to be the target of petty crimes such as theft.

While there is definitely some risk in visiting North Korea, if you follow the rules and remain respectful, there should be no issues. Terrorism and crimes towards tourists are highly unlikely and detainment of tourists is rare!

What Are The Rules For Tourists In North Korea?

• Your every movement is watched and monitored and,  under no circumstance , can you wander off on your own. Doing so will result in serious consequences for both you and your tour guide.
• The country dislikes the term North Korea and prefers to be called the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK for short.
• Do not speak negatively about the country or the leaders. Disrespecting the country is viewed as a major offence and has caused problems for tourists in the past.
• You cannot take photos of everything. You’re allowed to take photos of tourist attractions etc, but it is forbidden to photograph the military, labourers or construction sites, among other things.
• You must ensure that any photos of statues of the leaders must capture their whole body — no close-ups or chopping off their feet from the frame.
• Your belongings will be thoroughly searched at the border. It is forbidden to bring religious material, porn or literature or film about North Korea into the country. Please, for heaven’s sake, do not try to bring a copy of  The Interview  into North Korea. Confiscated possessions may not be returned at the border.
• Practising religion is not allowed. North Korea is an atheist country and practising religion there is highly restricted. Praying or showing off a bible is a great way to get detained.
• You cannot speak with random citizens during your time in North Korea, as doing so may be considered espionage.

Will Visiting North Korea Affect Whether Other Countries Grant Me Entry?

Not at all! There are no restrictions on entering any country due to previous entry into North Korea — including South Korea and the United States. In fact, it’s unlikely that border controls will even know you’ve been to North Korea because your visa is issued on a separate piece of paper and your passport is not stamped.

My Experience Visiting North Korea

I found my time in North Korea to actually feel a lot more relaxed than I anticipated. When I first arrived, I was a little nervous and tried not to look at anybody for too long or seem disrespectful in any way.

However, by the end of my second day in North Korea, I felt more relaxed and realised that I just had to follow the rules. I stuck with my tour group, asked permission to take photos, didn’t question any “facts” the tour guides stated about their country, and didn’t try to interact with random locals. In doing this, all was well.

The country was extremely different to how I imagined it and threw a lot of my preconceptions out the window.

I was surprised, for example, to find that Pyongyang was a very picturesque and modern city. I think I had expected it to look kind of grey and old. I was also surprised to see that the countryside was absolutely beautiful, with rolling hills and vivid green colours.

Of course, I also saw plenty of things that upset, angered or confused me a little, such as the phenomenal amount of blatant propaganda and the fact that a guy on my tour got told off for buying ice cream from a nearby stall.

READ MORE:  My North Korea Travel Experience – What’s It Really Like?

What Do You Get To See In North Korea?

The key thing to bear in mind is that you won’t get to see the  real  North Korea. You’ll be ferried from place to place — mostly within Pyongyang — with zero opportunity for independent exploration. You’ll only see what they allow you to see, in what I believe is a very tightly controlled tourist route.

Monuments And Squares

A trip to North Korea will most definitely involve visiting the sites  they want you to see , such as Kim Il Sung Square, the Founding Party Monument, the captured US spy ship USS Pueblo, Kim Il Sung’s native home and many more. These are, what I would call, showpieces of the regime.

The Pyongyang Metro

At 110 metres underground, the Pyongyang metro is the deepest metro station in the world. Covered in propaganda, images of the Kim family, and with station names such as ‘Comrade’, ‘Glory’ and ‘Reunification’, North Korea’s metro is really quite an experience.

While it was definitely the most interesting metro journey I’ve ever been on, the whole scenario was somehow quite strange. You can only ride 5 of the 16 stops — perhaps there’s something secret beyond stop 5.

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a strip of land running along the Korean Peninsula. It is used as a buffer zone between North and South Korea, and is 160 miles long and 2.5 miles wide.

While tourists can easily visit the DMZ in South Korea, this is a chance to see it from the other side and, of course, hear the story from North Korea’s perspective.

The Kaeson Funfair

The Kaeson Funfair was the only place we were allowed to wander around somewhat freely. Our guides let us mingle with the locals a little and stood guard along the pathways leading to the entry and exit points.

We were, however, told that we should skip all the queues and go straight onto any ride we wanted, because “we’re Western.” This annoyed me, as I didn’t feel that this presented a good view of us as Westerners to the citizens of North Korea. Perhaps they didn’t mind, but as a Brit, orderly queues are an essential part of my culture!

Is It Ethical To Visit North Korea?

This is the most important question you should ask yourself before visiting North Korea: is it ethical?

There is a view that visiting North Korea is potentially helping to  fund the regime . I.e. that you’re helping to fund horrific human rights atrocities and nuclear programmes. However, I believe that the money North Korea receives from tourism is very small. With only 10,000 tourists a year, most of which are from China, how much can they  really  be making from this? It’s not like tourism in North Korea is a booming industry.

I also strongly believe that completely stripping a country of exposure to other cultures and attitudes is detrimental. Contact with the outside world helps to improve the citizens’ views of outsiders, which is a good thing since they’ve held a very bad view of the West for decades. Peace and progression within North Korea are certainly never going to occur if its citizens aren’t exposed to anything other than what they already know.

It’s certainly not a black-and-white answer and is something that you should consider carefully.

READ MORE:  Is It Ethical To Visit North Korea?

About The Author

Lauren Pears is a freelance travel writer and blogger based in London. She writes about active adventure travel, aiming to encourage and inspire travellers to make the most of the great outdoors.

Thank you for reading! If you found this post useful, I’d be grateful if you would consider using the affiliate links below when planning your travels. I’ll make a small commission at no extra cost to you. This will help me to keep this blog running. Thanks for your support – Lauren. Hotels –  Booking.com Hostels –  Hostelworld Cheap flights –  Skyscanner Travel insurance –  World Nomads Outdoor gear –  Decathlon  /  GO Outdoors Cycling gear –  Chain Reaction Cycles Alternatively, you could buy me a coffee to say thanks!

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Thanks a lot for your explanation Lauren this country is my dream to visit , however, I am terrified and nervous. and how I control myself.

I got curious about visiting North Korea since I saw a pic of someone else’s tour there. I didn’t even know it was possible to visit! But then my bubble burst since finding out that it has stopped since covid 🙁 anyways, thanks for writing this, it’s done plenty to satiate my curiosity for now haha

Thanks for reading Monica! Tours will likely open up again at some point in the future 🙂

very good and very detailed article.

Thanks John!

Very informative article on a unique topic, so much appreciated 🙂 I agree with the final message that there is a reciprocal value in connecting with people and cultures all around the world.

Glad you found it informative Lucas!

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North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) Travel Advisory

Travel advisory july 24, 2023, north korea - level 4: do not travel.

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.

Do not travel to North Korea due to  the continuing serious risk of arrest and long-term detention of U.S. nationals.  Exercise increased caution to North Korea due to  the critical threat of wrongful detention.

• All U.S. passports are invalid for travel to, in, or through the DPRK unless specially validated for such travel under the authority of the Secretary of State. 
• Special validations are granted only in very limited circumstances. More information on how to apply for the special validation is available  here .

The U.S. government is unable to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in North Korea as it does not have diplomatic or consular relations with North Korea. Sweden serves as the protecting power for the United States in North Korea, providing limited emergency services. The North Korean government routinely delays or denies Swedish officials access to detained U.S. citizens.

Due to risks to civil aviation operating within or in the vicinity of North Korea, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) and/or a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR). For more information U.S. citizens should consult the  Federal Aviation Administration’s Prohibitions, Restrictions and Notices .

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to North Korea.

If you receive a special validation to travel to North Korea:

• Draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney.
• Discuss a plan with loved ones regarding care/custody of children, pets, property, belongings, non-liquid assets (collections, artwork, etc.), funeral wishes, etc.
• Visit our website for  Travel to High-Risk Areas .
• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program  ( STEP ) to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on  Facebook  and  Twitter .
• Visit the CDC page for the latest  Travel Health Information  related to your travel.
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .

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North Korea Travel Guide – Everything You Need to Know

Tourism in North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), offers a glimpse into one of the world’s most isolated and enigmatic nations. With its tightly controlled and government-guided tourism industry, North Korea provides a unique opportunity for travelers to explore its propaganda-filled capital, Pyongyang, visit historic sites, and witness carefully curated cultural displays. While tourism in North Korea is tightly regulated and often limited to guided tours, it allows curious visitors to see a side of the country that is rarely seen in the international media. However, it’s crucial to note that traveling to North Korea involves strict rules and limitations, and visitors are accompanied by government-assigned guides throughout their stay.

What’s the Best Time to Visit? 📅

The best time to visit North Korea as a tourist is during the spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) seasons. These periods offer the most favorable weather and comfortable conditions for travel:

• Spring (April to June): Spring is considered one of the best times to visit North Korea. During this season, the weather is mild, and the landscape comes alive with blossoming flowers and greenery. The temperatures are generally pleasant, with daytime highs ranging from 15°C to 25°C (59°F to 77°F). This season is ideal for outdoor activities and sightseeing.
• Autumn (September to October): Another excellent time to visit North Korea is in the autumn months. The weather remains comfortable with mild temperatures, and the changing foliage adds a beautiful backdrop to your travels. Daytime temperatures range from 15°C to 20°C (59°F to 68°F). This is also a great time for cultural events and festivals.

It’s important to note that North Korea experiences harsh winters with extremely cold temperatures, especially in December and January. Summer, from July to August, can be hot and humid, making outdoor activities less comfortable.

Travel to North Korea is highly regulated and can only be done through authorized tour operators. Additionally, political and diplomatic situations can change, affecting travel access and safety. Always check the latest travel advisories and consult with the relevant authorities or tour operators before planning a trip to North Korea.

What’s the Best Way to Get Around? 🚌

In North Korea, tourists are generally accompanied by government-assigned guides throughout their stay, and their movements are closely controlled. As a result, the best way to get around North Korea as a tourist is through organized tours offered by authorized tour operators. Here’s how transportation typically works for tourists in North Korea:

• Guided Tours: All tourists in North Korea must join guided tours organized by authorized tour operators. These tours are meticulously planned and supervised, with itineraries determined in advance. Travelers are accompanied by North Korean guides who ensure that they follow the prescribed program.
• Chartered Transportation: Tour operators in North Korea typically arrange for chartered transportation for their tour groups. This includes buses and sometimes domestic flights within North Korea. These vehicles are usually exclusive to the tour group, ensuring privacy and control over the travel schedule.
• Public Transportation: In some cases, tourists may use public transportation for short trips within Pyongyang, such as the Pyongyang Metro or local buses. However, these instances are limited, and tourists are closely supervised by guides during such activities.
• Domestic Flights: For tours that include visits to cities outside of Pyongyang, domestic flights may be arranged. These flights are typically on North Korean airlines and are part of the tour package.
• Walking and Sightseeing: Within cities and at various sites, tourists often walk or engage in sightseeing activities. These activities are usually part of the guided tour and allow tourists to explore specific attractions while accompanied by guides.
• River Cruises: In some cases, river cruises on the Taedong River in Pyongyang may be included in the tour itinerary, providing a unique perspective of the city.
• Private Vehicles: For special arrangements or custom tours, private vehicles may be used for transport between destinations. However, this is less common and may come at an additional cost.

It’s important to note that tourists in North Korea are subject to strict regulations and are not permitted to travel independently or deviate from the tour program. All activities and movements are supervised, and photography is often restricted in certain areas. Visitors are expected to follow the guidance of their North Korean guides and adhere to local customs and rules. Travelers interested in visiting North Korea should do so through authorized tour operators and should be aware of the unique and controlled nature of tourism in the country.

What’s the Official Language?

The official language of North Korea is Korean, specifically the dialect known as “Pyongyang-speak” or “Pyongyang accent.” While English is not widely spoken in North Korea, and the use of foreign languages is limited, here are some basic Korean phrases that tourists may find helpful during their visit:

Common Greetings:

• Hello – 안녕하세요 (annyeonghaseyo)
• Goodbye – 안녕히 가세요 (annyeonghi gaseyo) [when someone is leaving]
• Thank you – 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida)
• Yes – 네 (ne)
• No – 아니요 (aniyo)
• Excuse me / Sorry – 죄송합니다 (joesonghamnida)
• Please – 부탁합니다 (butakhamnida)
• How much is this? – 이거 얼마에요? (igeo eolmaeyo?)

Basic Phrases:

• My name is [Your Name] – 제 이름은 [Your Name] 입니다 (je ireumeun [Your Name] imnida)
• I don’t understand – 이해하지 못해요 (ihaehaji mothaeyo)
• Help – 도와주세요 (dowajuseyo)
• Where is…? – … 어디에요? (… eodieyo?)
• I need… – … 가 필요해요 (… ga pillyohaeyo)
• Water – 물 (mul)
• Food – 음식 (eumsik)
• Bathroom / Toilet – 화장실 (hwajangsil)
• Hospital – 병원 (byeongwon)
• Police – 경찰 (gyeongchal)

Learning numbers can be especially useful for basic transactions and understanding prices:

• One – 하나 (hana)
• Two – 둘 (dul)
• Three – 셋 (set)
• Four – 넷 (net)
• Five – 다섯 (daseot)
• Six – 여섯 (yeoseot)
• Seven – 일곱 (ilgop)
• Eight – 여덟 (yeodeol)
• Nine – 아홉 (ahop)
• Ten – 열 (yeol)

Keep in mind that English proficiency among the general population is limited in North Korea, and communication can be challenging. Tourists are typically accompanied by government-assigned guides who speak some English, which can help bridge the language gap. Additionally, showing respect and courtesy through gestures and body language can go a long way in communicating effectively while visiting North Korea.

Where to Stay? 🏨

In North Korea, tourists are typically accommodated in state-approved hotels and lodgings that are prearranged by authorized tour operators. The options for where to stay as a tourist are limited, and visitors are not permitted to make independent lodging arrangements. Here are some of the hotels and accommodations commonly used for tourists in North Korea:

• Yanggakdo International Hotel (양각도국제호텔): Located on Yanggak Island in Pyongyang, this is one of the most well-known and largest hotels in North Korea. It offers a range of facilities, including restaurants, bars, a casino, and even a revolving restaurant on the top floor.
• Koryo Hotel (고려호텔): Situated in central Pyongyang, the Koryo Hotel is another option for tourists. It has restaurants, a coffee shop, a bar, and a gift shop. The hotel has hosted various international events and foreign delegations.
• Ryugyong Hotel (류경호텔): Known for its distinctive pyramid shape, the Ryugyong Hotel is one of Pyongyang’s iconic landmarks. While it was under construction for many years, it has reportedly opened for some foreign tourists, although details can vary.
• Chongnyon Hotel (청년호텔): This hotel is located near the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang. It offers basic accommodations and is often used by budget travelers.
• Sosan Hotel (소산호텔): Situated in the port city of Wonsan on the east coast of North Korea, the Sosan Hotel is used for tourists visiting this region. It has facilities such as restaurants, a casino, and a karaoke bar.
• Hotels in Other Cities: When visiting cities outside of Pyongyang, tourists may stay in local hotels or accommodations designated by the tour operator. These options can vary in terms of comfort and amenities.
• Homestays: In some rural areas, tourists may have the opportunity to stay in local homes or guesthouses as arranged by their tour operator. This provides a unique cultural experience.

It’s important to note that accommodations in North Korea may not meet international standards, and the availability of amenities can vary. Tourists should be prepared for a different level of service compared to what they might experience in more tourist-friendly destinations.

Travelers to North Korea must be part of an organized tour with an authorized tour operator, and accommodations are typically included as part of the tour package. All aspects of the visit, including lodging, are closely monitored by North Korean authorities, and tourists are accompanied by government-assigned guides throughout their stay.

What to Eat? 🍽️

North Korean cuisine is characterized by its unique flavors and traditional dishes. While tourists in North Korea are typically served meals as part of their organized tours, here are some must-try North Korean foods and dishes you might encounter:

• Kimchi (김치): Kimchi is a staple Korean side dish made from fermented vegetables, often featuring Napa cabbage and radishes. It’s known for its spicy and tangy flavor and is served at nearly every meal.
• Rice (밥): Rice is a fundamental component of Korean cuisine. It’s usually steamed and served as a side dish with various accompaniments.
• Bibimbap (비빔밥): Bibimbap is a popular Korean dish that consists of rice mixed with vegetables, often including carrots, mushrooms, spinach, and bean sprouts. It’s topped with a fried egg and spicy gochujang sauce.
• Japchae (잡채): Japchae is a dish made from stir-fried glass noodles (usually sweet potato noodles) mixed with vegetables and seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil. It’s a flavorful and colorful dish.
• Naengmyeon (냉면): Naengmyeon is a cold noodle dish typically served in a cold broth. There are variations, but Pyongyang-style naengmyeon features buckwheat noodles in a refreshing, tangy broth with toppings like cucumber and slices of beef or pork.
• Pyongyang Cold Noodles (평양냉면): Pyongyang is famous for its cold noodle dishes. These noodles are made from wheat flour and are typically served in a cold beef or chicken broth with various toppings.
• Mandu (만두): Mandu are Korean dumplings, often filled with ingredients like minced meat, vegetables, and tofu. They can be served steamed, pan-fried, or in soups.
• Korean Barbecue (고기구이): While not exclusive to North Korea, Korean barbecue is a popular dining experience. You grill thinly sliced meat, often beef or pork, at the table and wrap it in lettuce leaves with condiments.
• Pajeon (파전): Pajeon are savory pancakes made with scallions and various ingredients, such as seafood or kimchi. They are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
• Samgyetang (삼계탕): Samgyetang is a hearty chicken soup made with a whole young chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, ginseng, and jujubes. It’s believed to have health benefits and is often consumed on hot summer days.
• Dotorimuk (도토리묵): Dotorimuk is a dish made from acorn jelly, which is sliced into cubes and served with a savory sauce. It’s a unique and texturally interesting dish.
• Kimchi Pancakes (김치전): Kimchi pancakes are made by mixing kimchi with batter and pan-frying it until crispy. They are a popular snack or appetizer.
• Korean Sweets: Try Korean sweets like tteok (rice cakes), yakgwa (honey cookies), and hangwa (traditional sweets made from rice and honey).

Keep in mind that the availability of specific dishes may vary depending on the region and the tour operator. North Korean cuisine offers a mix of flavors, from spicy and pungent to mild and savory, and trying local dishes is an essential part of experiencing the culture during your visit.

What to See? 🔍

North Korea offers tourists a range of unique attractions and sites to explore, providing insights into the country’s history, culture, and political system. Here are some must-see places and attractions in North Korea for tourists:

• Kumsusan Palace of the Sun (권수산태양궁전): Formerly the residence of Kim Il-sung and now a mausoleum, this grand building houses the embalmed bodies of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. Visitors are required to wear formal attire and follow strict rules when entering.
• Juche Tower (주체사상탑): This iconic tower in Pyongyang stands at 170 meters (560 feet) and is dedicated to the Juche ideology, which emphasizes self-reliance. Visitors can take an elevator to the top for panoramic views of the city.
• Kim Il-sung Square (김일성광장): Located in central Pyongyang, this massive square is named after the country’s founding leader. It is often the site of grand military parades and mass rallies.
• Arch of Triumph (개선문): This arch, larger than its Parisian counterpart, was built to commemorate the Korean resistance to Japanese rule. Visitors can climb to the top for views of the city.
• Mangyongdae Native House (만경대출생지): Visit the birthplace of Kim Il-sung, which has been preserved as a museum showcasing his early life.
• Pyongyang Metro (평양지하철): Experience a ride on the Pyongyang Metro, known for its deep tunnels and elaborately decorated stations. The metro is often referred to as the “world’s deepest.”
• Korean War Museum (조선인민군역사박물관): Explore the museum dedicated to the Korean War (1950-1953), featuring extensive exhibits and artifacts from the conflict.
• International Friendship Exhibition (국제우정전시관): Located in Mount Myohyang, this vast underground complex houses gifts and tributes received by North Korean leaders from around the world.
• Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): Take a tour to the DMZ, the heavily fortified border between North and South Korea. Visitors can see the Joint Security Area (JSA) and the Korean War armistice village of Panmunjom.
• Pohyon Temple (보현사): Located in Mount Myohyang, this Buddhist temple dates back to the 11th century and features beautifully preserved architecture and statues.
• Mount Paektu (백두산): The highest peak on the Korean Peninsula, Mount Paektu is a significant symbol in Korean folklore. It offers hiking opportunities and stunning landscapes, but access may be limited.
• Wonsan Beach: If visiting the eastern port city of Wonsan, relax on one of its sandy beaches along the Sea of Japan (East Sea).
• Chongjin: Explore the city of Chongjin on the northeastern coast, known for its industrial history and access to scenic areas like Mount Chilbo.
• Hamhung: Visit the coastal city of Hamhung, known for its historical sites, beaches, and the Hungnam Fertilizer Complex.
• Kimjongilia and Kimilsungia Flower Exhibitions: These annual flower exhibitions, featuring specially cultivated blooms named after the country’s leaders, are held in Pyongyang.

It’s important to note that travel to North Korea is tightly controlled and can only be done through authorized tour operators. Visitors must adhere to strict rules and regulations, and their activities are closely monitored by government-assigned guides. The availability of certain attractions may also depend on the current political and diplomatic situation.

What to Do? 📸

As a tourist in North Korea, your activities and experiences are typically tightly controlled and guided by government-assigned tour guides. While your itinerary may be predetermined, there are some must-do things and cultural experiences you can expect during your visit to North Korea:

• Visit Kim Il-sung Square: Stand in the heart of Pyongyang at Kim Il-sung Square, often the site of grand military parades and mass rallies. It’s a symbol of the regime’s power and ideology.
• Explore Pyongyang: Take a guided tour of the capital city, Pyongyang, where you’ll see monuments, landmarks, and government buildings. These may include the Arch of Triumph, Juche Tower, and the Party Foundation Monument.
• Ride the Pyongyang Metro: Experience a ride on the Pyongyang Metro, known for its deep tunnels and ornate station designs. You may visit several metro stations during your tour.
• Attend Mass Games (Arirang Festival): If your visit coincides with the Arirang Festival (also known as the Mass Games), attend this grand spectacle featuring thousands of performers, coordinated movements, and colorful displays.
• Visit Museums and Historical Sites: Explore museums such as the Korean War Museum and other historical sites, which provide insight into North Korea’s official narrative of its history.
• Interact with Locals: While interactions with locals are limited, you may have opportunities to interact with people in controlled settings, such as at a school or cooperative farm.
• Try North Korean Cuisine: Sample North Korean dishes, including kimchi, bibimbap, and Pyongyang cold noodles. Meals are often provided as part of your tour.
• Learn About the Juche Ideology: Gain an understanding of the Juche ideology, which emphasizes self-reliance and independence. You’ll likely hear about this concept throughout your visit.
• Visit Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il Statues: Pay respects to the statues of North Korea’s leaders, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, often located in central squares.
• Attend Cultural Performances: Watch cultural performances, such as traditional music and dance shows, to get a glimpse of North Korean arts and culture.
• Take a Trip to the DMZ: Join a tour to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the Joint Security Area (JSA) to see the border between North and South Korea. You may have a chance to step into the JSA buildings and interact with South Korean soldiers.
• Participate in Local Celebrations: If your visit coincides with North Korean holidays or celebrations, you may have the opportunity to observe or even participate in festivities.
• Photography: Capture the unique landscapes, architecture, and cultural scenes, but be aware that photography may be restricted in certain areas.
• Visit Mount Myohyang: Explore the scenic Mount Myohyang region, known for its natural beauty, historical sites, and cultural attractions.
• Learn About Propaganda: Observe the prominent role of propaganda in North Korean society, from posters to monuments.
• Attend a Local Market: Visit a local market, such as the Kwangbok Supermarket in Pyongyang, to see everyday life and commerce in action.

It’s essential to remember that travel to North Korea is highly controlled, and visitors must adhere to strict rules and regulations imposed by the government. Tourists are accompanied by government-assigned guides throughout their stay, and independent exploration is generally not allowed. Additionally, the availability of certain activities may be subject to change based on the political and diplomatic situation.

Culture and Safety 🦺

Traveling to North Korea as a tourist presents unique cultural and safety considerations due to the country’s highly controlled and authoritarian nature. It’s essential to be well-prepared and informed before visiting. Here are some cultural and safety tips for tourists in North Korea:

• Respect for the Leadership: Show respect for the country’s leaders, especially Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, as well as symbols and monuments associated with them. Avoid any disrespectful behavior or comments.
• Dress Code: Dress modestly and conservatively. Avoid wearing clothing that is revealing, provocative, or excessively casual. Formal attire may be required for certain locations, such as the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun.
• Photography: Ask for permission before taking photos, especially of military personnel, infrastructure, or anything the guides deem sensitive. Photography rules can be strict, so always follow your guides’ instructions.
• Political Discussions: Avoid engaging in political discussions, criticizing the government, or expressing opinions that could be considered disrespectful or offensive.
• Behavior in Public: Be aware of your behavior in public spaces. Public displays of affection, such as hugging or holding hands, may be frowned upon.
• Interactions with Locals: Interactions with local people are limited and often occur in controlled settings, such as at schools or cooperative farms. Follow your guides’ instructions during these interactions.
• Gifts and Souvenirs: Consider bringing small gifts from your home country to offer to your guides or hosts as a gesture of goodwill. Common souvenirs include North Korean propaganda posters and stamps.
• Travel with an Authorized Tour Operator: North Korea allows tourists only through authorized tour operators. Choose a reputable operator with experience in North Korean tourism.
• Travel Advisories: Check travel advisories and safety information from your government’s embassy or consulate. Be aware of the political and security situation in the region.
• Register with Your Embassy: Inform your embassy or consulate of your travel plans and contact information in North Korea. Registering can be crucial in case of emergencies.
• Follow Government Guidelines: Abide by the rules and regulations set by the North Korean government and your guides. Non-compliance can have serious consequences.
• Restricted Access: Recognize that certain areas may be off-limits or closely monitored. Access to information and communication with the outside world may also be limited.
• Travel Insurance: Ensure you have comprehensive travel insurance that covers potential medical emergencies, evacuations, and unforeseen situations. Verify if North Korea is covered in your policy.
• Currency and Transactions: Familiarize yourself with the local currency (North Korean won) and the restricted nature of currency exchange. Use official channels for financial transactions.
• Health Precautions: Consult a healthcare provider for vaccinations and health precautions before your trip. North Korea may have limited medical facilities and access to certain medications.
• Respect the Guides: Develop a respectful and cooperative relationship with your guides. They are responsible for your safety and adherence to local rules.
• Avoid Sensitive Topics: Steer clear of discussing topics that could be considered sensitive or offensive, including politics, religion, and human rights.
• Know Your Limits: Recognize that you are a guest in a highly controlled environment. Avoid pushing boundaries or attempting independent travel or activism.
• Emergency Contacts: Familiarize yourself with emergency contact information for your embassy or consulate in Pyongyang.

Traveling to North Korea is a unique and challenging experience. It’s essential to approach your visit with cultural sensitivity, respect for local customs, and a clear understanding of the safety and political considerations involved. Always stay informed about the latest developments and follow the guidance of your tour guides to ensure a safe and respectful visit.

In conclusion, visiting North Korea is an unparalleled journey into a secretive and tightly controlled nation, offering a unique perspective on its culture, history, and propaganda-filled society. Travelers to North Korea should be prepared for a highly structured experience, with government-assigned guides overseeing every aspect of their visit. While it provides a rare opportunity to see a side of North Korea not often revealed in international media, tourists must adhere to strict rules and limitations imposed by the government. It’s a destination that intrigues the adventurous traveler but requires a deep understanding of its political and cultural complexities.

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North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)

Latest update.

Do not travel to North Korea due to the very different laws affecting visitors and the uncertain security situation. 

North Korea (PDF 247.16 KB)

Asia (PDF 2.21 MB)

Advice levels

Do not travel to North Korea.

• North Korea and South Korea are technically still at war, and tensions have increased in recent times. North Korea frequently conducts missile tests or other provocations, raising regional tensions. Monitor developments.
• The North Korean Government restricts information, especially about domestic politics and international relations. You can usually access international satellite TV channels at some tourist hotels. However, if the government shuts these down in a crisis, you may not know what's happening. Monitor state broadcasts and, if possible, international media for signs of increasing tensions.
• Crime against travellers is rare. However, some travellers have reported petty crimes. Keep your passport and belongings close, especially at Pyongyang Airport and in public markets.
• The rainy season is from late June to late August. Typhoons can happen in August and September. Excessive rain can cause flooding and landslides, damage housing and infrastructure, and may disrupt essential services. Know your hotel's evacuation plan.
• North Korea and neighbouring countries experience earthquakes. Large earthquakes can make destructive tsunamis more likely. Don't wait for official warnings, alarms or sirens. Know the tsunami warning signs and move to high ground straight away if you're on the coast. 

Full travel advice: Safety

• Medical facilities are basic, including in Pyongyang, and hygiene is poor. Avoid surgery unless you need it to leave North Korea. If you're seriously ill or injured, you'll need medical evacuation to China for treatment. Contact the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang or if possible, the Australian Embassy in Seoul for assistance. Medical evacuations are very expensive and difficult to organise. Ensure your travel insurance covers this. 
• Insect-borne, waterborne, foodborne, and other infectious diseases are risks in North Korea. Ensure you have the appropriate vaccinations and bring preventative medication. Practice good personal hygiene, avoid raw or undercooked foods and drink only boiled or bottled water.
• Medications can be very hard to get in North Korea. If you plan to bring medication, check if it's legal. Take enough legal medicine for your trip.
• From March to May, strong winds carry yellow dust to the Korean Peninsula from Mongolia and China. This can cause eye, nose, mouth and throat irritations. Get medical advice if you have heart or breathing problems.

Full travel advice: Health

• Travelling as part of a tour or with a guide doesn't give you special protection from North Korean laws. Authorities may arrest, detain or expel you for activities that aren't crimes in Australia. They may also search your belongings and monitor your communications.
• Don't use or carry illegal drugs. Penalties for drug offences are severe and parole is unlikely. Drug traffickers can get indefinite jail sentences.
• Authorities may judge many activities as spying. Be very careful when taking photos. It's illegal to photograph anything other than designated public tourist sites. Always ask your North Korean guide for permission before taking photos.
• North Korea has strict laws about what you can bring into the country. It's illegal to bring in religious, pornographic or political items. Declare all published material and electronic devices when you arrive. It's also illegal to knowingly or unknowingly possess items that breach North Korean law.
• Be careful who you talk to and what you say. It's illegal to show disrespect or make jokes about North Korea, current or former leaders or their families. It's also illegal to talk to North Koreans without authorisation. Authorities may consider it spying if you do. Only shop at stores designated for foreigners.
• North Korea doesn't recognise dual nationality. The North Korean authorities may permit limited or no consular assistance to detained dual nationals. This includes Australians of Korean heritage, including those originally from South Korea. Australian-South Korean dual nationals may need permission from South Korean authorities to travel to North Korea.

Full travel advice: Local laws

• If despite our advice, you travel to North Korea, you'll need a visa for all types of travel. North Korea doesn't have an embassy or consulate in Australia. This means you need to travel to another country, such as China, to get your visa. If you're travelling for business, you'll need a North Korean sponsor and permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Journalists must get a special visa. Entry and exit conditions can change at short notice. You should contact the nearest embassy or consulate of North Korea for the latest details. 
• Tours to North Korea have been suspended until further notice for most nationalities including Australians. If North Korea re-opens its borders to other countries, you may have to travel via Beijing, requiring a double-or multiple-entry visa for China. Without such a visa, you won't be able to re-enter China when you leave North Korea. Contact the  Embassy or Consulate of the People's Republic of China  for details.
• Travellers must register with North Korean government authorities within 24 hours of arriving. Do this through your host organisation or hotel.
• The local currency is the North Korean Won, although foreigners are not permitted to use it. Foreigners are required to use foreign currency. The Euro is the most widely accepted foreign currency. US dollars and Chinese yuan are also widely accepted. Exchanging currencies is difficult. You can't use ATMs, traveller's cheques, or debit and credit cards. Take enough foreign currency for your trip in small denominations.
• You can only travel on an official tour. An official guide must always accompany you. Charges for travel can be high, including for taxis, guides, tolls and permits.

Full travel advice: Travel

Local contacts

• The  Consular Services Charter  details what we can and can't do to help you overseas.
• Australia doesn't have an embassy in North Korea. We aren't able to provide regular consular services to Australian citizens in North Korea. Our ability to provide consular services in North Korea is extremely limited. The  Australian Embassy in Seoul  may be able to provide limited consular assistance to Australians in North Korea, although it is not possible to contact the Embassy in Seoul directly from North Korea. If you're arrested or detained, North Korean authorities may deny you consular access to Australian officials. 
• The  Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang  serves as the 'protecting power' for Australia and provides limited emergency consular services. There may be reduced capacity from the Swedish Embassy to offer consular assistance. The North Korean authorities may delay or deny your access if you are arrested or detained.
• If despite our advice, you travel to North Korea, consider registering your travel to North Korea with the Australian Embassy in Seoul.
• To stay up-to-date with local information, follow the Australian Embassy in Seoul's social media accounts to the extent possible.
• If you require consular assistance, please contact the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang or, if possible, the Australian Embassy in Seoul. 

Full travel advice: Local contacts

Full advice

Civil unrest and political tension.

Since the practical end of the Korean War in 1953, the Korean Peninsula has been divided by a demilitarised zone (DMZ), which separates:

• North Korea or the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)
• South Korea or the Republic of Korea (ROK)

An armistice agreement helps to maintain peace. However, North and South Korea are still technically at war and relations are tense. Tensions have increased in recent times.

South Korean and North Korean militaries sometimes exchange artillery fire across lines of control.

Security and tension

The security situation on the Korean Peninsula can worsen with little warning.

North Korea regularly conducts ballistic missile launches and has conducted underground nuclear tests. These activities increase tension in the region.

North Korea regularly makes hostile statements about other countries, including Australia.

North Korea says it can't guarantee the safety of embassies and international organisations in the country if there's conflict.

Access to information

North Korea is a closed society.

Authorities restrict access to information. What's available is unreliable. There's very little, if any, information about internal politics.

You can usually access international satellite TV channels at hotels that international travellers use, although these are often censored and can be quickly disrupted.

Civil unrest, internal instability or tension on the Korean Peninsula could rise quickly. Your access to information, including via international news channels, can be quickly cut off.

If, despite the risks, you travel to North Korea:

• take the necessary precautions to ensure your safety
• pay close attention to your personal security
• monitor state broadcasts and other local sources for signs of rising tension, civil unrest or internal instability
• if possible, monitor South Korean and other media for security risks
• you should notify the Australian Embassy in Seoul of your travel plans

Crime against travellers is rare. However, some travellers have reported petty crimes.

Keep your passport and belongings close particularly:

• at Pyongyang airport
• in public markets

Cyber Security

You may be at risk of cyber-based threats during overseas travel to any country. Digital identity theft is a growing concern. Your devices and personal data can be compromised, especially if you’re connecting to Wi-Fi, using or connecting to shared or public computers, or to Bluetooth.

Social media can also be risky in destinations where there are social or political tensions, or laws that may seem unreasonable by Australian standards. Travellers have been arrested for things they have said on social media. Don't comment on local or political events on your social media.

More information:

• Cyber security when travelling overseas

Kidnapping can happen anywhere, anytime, including destinations that are typically at lower risk. The Australian Government's longstanding policy is that it doesn't make payments or concessions to kidnappers.

Terrorism is a threat throughout the world.

Terrorist threats

Climate and natural disasters

North Korea experiences natural disasters and  severe weather , including:

• flooding and landslides
• earthquakes

In an emergency, our ability to provide consular assistance, if any, will likely be severely limited.

If a natural disaster occurs:

• exercise caution
• stay away from affected areas
• secure your passport in a safe, waterproof location
• follow the advice of local authorities
• monitor local media and other sources
• keep in contact with friends and family

Check with tour operators before travelling to affected areas.

Register with the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System to receive alerts on major disasters.

Typhoons and severe weather

The rainy season is from late June to late August.

Excessive rainfall can cause flooding and landslides, damage housing and infrastructure, and may disrupt essential services. Flash flooding can occur after short periods of rain. 

August to September is typhoon season, but typhoons may occur at other times.

Flooding  is common during the rainy season and may disrupt transport and other essential services. Check if severe weather has affected the areas where you plan to travel.

The direction and strength of typhoons can change with little warning.

If a typhoon approaches:

• know your hotel evacuation plans
• identify your local shelter

If you stay:

• adequate shelter might not be available
• flights could be delayed, suspended or fill quickly
• ports may close

Contact your airline for flight updates.

World Meteorological Organisation Severe Weather Information Centre

Earthquakes and tsunamis

Earthquake activity on the Korean Peninsula is low for the region. However, North Korea and neighbouring countries do experience earthquakes. Large earthquakes, predominantly in neighbouring countries, can cause destructive tsunamis that may affect the Korean Peninsula.

Get updates on earthquakes and tsunamis from the US Tsunami Warning Center .

If there's an earthquake or tsunami:

• follow our advice for natural disasters
• move to higher ground right away if you're on the coast

Don't wait for official warnings, such as alarms or sirens. Once on high ground, check local media.

Travel insurance

Get comprehensive travel insurance before you leave. 

Your policy needs to cover all overseas medical costs, including medical evacuation. The Australian Government won't pay for these costs.

You'll probably need a specialised insurance policy that covers travel to high-risk destinations. Most Australian policies won't cover you for travel to North Korea.

If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. This applies to everyone, no matter how healthy and fit you are.

If you're not insured, you may have to pay many thousands of dollars up-front for medical care.

• what activities and care your policy covers
• that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away

Physical and mental health

Consider your physical and mental health before you travel, especially if you have an existing medical condition. 

See your doctor or travel clinic to:

• have a basic health check-up
• ask if your travel plans may affect your health
• plan any vaccinations you need

Do this at least 8 weeks before you leave.

If you have immediate concerns for your welfare or the welfare of another Australian, call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or contact your  nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate  to discuss counselling hotlines and services available in your location. 

• General health advice
• Healthy holiday tips  (Healthdirect Australia)

Medications

Not all medication available over the counter or by prescription in Australia is available in other countries. Some may even be considered illegal or a controlled substance, even if prescribed by an Australian doctor.

Medications can be very hard to get in North Korea.

If you plan to bring medication, check if it's legal in North Korea. Take enough legal medicine for your trip.

Carry a copy of your prescription and a letter from your doctor stating:

• what the medication is
• the required dosage
• that it's for personal use

Health risks

Insect-borne illnesses

Malaria is a risk, especially in the south of the country from May to September.

Japanese encephalitis is also a risk.

To protect yourself from disease:

• make sure your accommodation is insect-proof
• use insect repellent
• wear long, loose, light-coloured clothing
• consider taking medicine to prevent malaria
• get vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis before you travel

Infectious diseases

Other health risks

• Waterborne, foodborne and other infectious diseases occur, including:
• tuberculosis

Intestinal worm infections, such as roundworm, are common. These can affect travellers.

Get advice on preventative medicine for intestinal worms.

Hand, foot and mouth disease

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is common.

Serious outbreaks sometimes occur. Outbreaks usually start in March and peak in May but can continue until October each year.

The disease mostly affects children aged under 10 years. Adult cases, especially in young adults, are not unusual.

Signs of HFMD include fever and blisters and rashes on the hands, feet and buttocks.

The disease is spread by direct contact with nose and throat discharges and faeces of infected people.

To protect yourself from illness:

• boil drinking water or drink bottled water from bottles with sealed lids
• avoid ice cubes
• avoid raw and undercooked food, such as salads
• wash your hands frequently and thoroughly

Yellow dust

Yellow dust is carried to the Korean Peninsula by strong winds from Mongolia and China from March to May.

The dust can:

• cause eye, nose, mouth and throat irritations
• make breathing and heart problems worse

To protect yourself:

• stay indoors as much as possible
• avoid exercising outdoors on days of high yellow dust concentration
• speak to a doctor if you're concerned about symptoms

Medical facilities

The standard of medical facilities is basic and hygiene is poor. This includes in Pyongyang.

Avoid surgery unless you need it to leave North Korea.

The Friendship Hospital has English-speaking doctors for travellers. The hospital is in the Munsudong District of Pyongyang. Like other hospitals in North Korea, it may:

• lack heating and medical supplies
• have power outages and other difficulties

The Friendship Hospital may not have strong infection control capabilities. Healthcare standards in North Korea mean that adequate care could not be provided to both residents and travellers in the event of a mass casualty incident or epidemic. 

The cost of medical treatment is high.

You may need to pay cash up-front, usually in euros, before a hospital will treat you.

Travel from rural areas to Pyongyang for medical emergencies can be long and difficult.

Medical evacuation

Since January 2020, North Korean authorities have severely restricted flights in and out of North Korea. This makes medical evacuation difficult.           

If you become seriously ill or injured, you'll need to be evacuated to China for treatment. Contact the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang or if possible, the Australian Embassy in Seoul for assistance.

Medical evacuation can be very expensive. It can also be difficult to arrange quickly. You may face delays getting the required approvals or booking flights. There are few regular flights from North Korea.

You and your medical escorts will also need visas for  China for evacuation. 

Authorities don't allow evacuation across the demilitarised zone to South Korea.     

You're subject to all local laws and penalties, including those that may appear harsh by Australian standards. Research local laws before travelling.

If you're arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you under our Consular Services Charter . But we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.  If you are arrested or detained, ask North Korean officials to notify the Embassy of Sweden immediately.

Travelling as part of a tour or with a guide offers no special protection from North Korean laws.

Arbitrary arrest and detention

Authorities have arrested and detained foreigners, including Australians.

Culture and politics influence authorities when they're making arrests, not just the law.

You may be arrested, detained or expelled for activities that aren't crimes in Australia.

Authorities closely watch travellers. They may search belongings in your hotel room or monitor your email, internet, phone and fax usage.

Penalties for drug offences are severe. Trafficking can result in an indefinite jail sentence.

Parole is rare in drug-related cases.

Carrying or using drugs

Authorities make arrests and detain people for many activities. Penalties can be very harsh.

Many seemingly innocent activities may be perceived as spying.

It's illegal to take photos of anything other than designated public tourist sites. This includes:

• roads and bridges
• rail stations
• government buildings
• scenes of poverty
• anything that may give a negative impression of North Korea

Always ask your North Korean guide for permission before taking photos.

It's illegal to:

• bring items that may be seen as religious, pornographic or political
• not declare published material or electronic devices when you enter
• knowingly or unknowingly possess items that breach North Korean law
• show disrespect or make jokes about North Korea, current or former leaders or their families
• engage in an unauthorised currency transaction
• shop at stores not designated for foreigners

It's also illegal to talk to North Koreans without authorisation. This may be perceived as spying.

If you're involved in a civil or commercial dispute, authorities can stop you leaving the country.

Australian laws

Australia has sanctions against North Korea . It is prohibited to supply, sell, or transfer to North Korea (directly or indirectly) goods other than food and medicine unless authorised. It is also prohibited to procure or receive goods other than food and medicine from North Korea unless authorised. Be aware that Australia's sanctions prohibit the transfer of luxury goods to North Korea.

Australians travelling to North Korea can carry items on the luxury goods lists for personal use only. You must not sell or give these items to others.

Some Australian criminal laws still apply when you're overseas. If you break these laws, you may face prosecution in Australia.

Staying within the law and respecting customs

Dual citizenship

North Korea doesn't recognise dual nationality.

If you're a dual citizen, this limits the consular services we can provide if you're arrested or detained. This includes if you're an Australian of Korean heritage, including if you're originally from South Korea.

If you're a South Korean-Australian dual citizen, you may need to get approval from South Korean authorities to travel to North Korea.

Get advice from a South Korean embassy or consulate before you travel.

Dual nationals

Local customs

Same-sex relationships are not explicitly illegal in North Korea. However, authorities don't find them acceptable. Be discrete.

• LGBTI travellers

Visas and border measures

Every country or territory decides who can enter or leave through its borders. For specific information about the evidence you'll need to enter a foreign destination, check with the nearest embassy, consulate or immigration department of the destination you're entering. 

If despite our advice, you travel to North Korea, you need a visa for all types of travel.

If you arrive without a valid visa, you may be:

• denied entry

There is no longer a North Korean embassy or consulate in Australia. This means you need to travel to another country, such as China or Indonesia, to get your visa for North Korea.

You may need to provide recent international travel itineraries to apply for a visa. You may also have to show these when you arrive in North Korea.

Other visas

Business travellers generally need:

• sponsorship by a North Korean organisation
• permission from the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Professional journalists must apply for special permission to visit. Authorities do not permit journalists to enter the country on a tourist visa.

Entry and exit conditions change regularly. Contact the  Embassy of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Indonesia  for details about visas, currency, customs and quarantine rules.

Border measures

You'll likely need a double or multiple-entry visa for China if you're travelling through China to or from North Korea. Otherwise, you won't be able to re-enter China when you leave North Korea. Contact the  Embassy or Consulate of the People's Republic of China  for details.

Travel advice for China

Other formalities

Australia has sanctions against North Korea that limit what you can take with you. See Local laws.

When entering North Korea, you need to declare all:

• published material, such as books, academic papers and pamphlets
• communications devices, such as mobile phones, satellite phones, GPS receivers and radios

Assume that authorities will inspect published material and electronic devices and possibly confiscate them. Speak to your tour operator if you have concerns.

If authorities don't confiscate your controlled items, you may need to leave them at the customs checkpoints. You may be able to collect them when you leave.

You may be quarantined if you show medical symptoms of a serious communicable disease.

Embassy or consulate of North Korea

Register on arrival

Travellers must register with government authorities within 24 hours of arrival in North Korea. You can do this through your host organisation.

If you stay in a hotel, confirm at check-in that your hotel will take care of your registration.

Some countries won't let you enter unless your passport is valid for 6 months after you plan to leave that country. This can apply even if you're just transiting or stopping over.

Some foreign governments and airlines apply the rule inconsistently. Travellers can receive conflicting advice from different sources.

You can end up stranded if your passport is not valid for more than 6 months.

The Australian Government doesn't set these rules. Check your passport's expiry date before you travel. If you're not sure it'll be valid for long enough, consider getting a new passport .

Lost or stolen passport

Your passport is a valuable document. It's attractive to people who may try to use your identity to commit crimes.

Some people may try to trick you into giving them your passport. Always keep it in a safe place.

If your passport is lost or stolen, tell the Australian Government as soon as possible:

• In Australia, contact the Australian Passport Information Service .
• If you're overseas, contact the nearest Australian embassy or consulate .

Passport with 'X' gender identifier

Although Australian passports comply with international standards for sex and gender, we can’t guarantee that a passport showing 'X' in the sex field will be accepted for entry or transit by another country. Contact the nearest  embassy, high commission or consulate of your destination  before you arrive at the border to confirm if authorities will accept passports with 'X' gender markers.

The local currency is the North Korean Won (KPW). Foreigners are not allowed to use the Won. Foreigners are required to use foreign currency.

The euro is the most widely accepted foreign currency. US dollars and Chinese yuan are also widely accepted.

Changing currencies in North Korea is difficult.

Banking facilities are limited and traveller's cheques aren't accepted.

ATMs are not available.

You can't use a debit or credit card to withdraw cash from a bank.

Some shops and restaurants catering to travellers might convert foreign currency so you can pay.

Use cash. Take small denominations of foreign currency, as you may not be able to get change from large denominations.

Local travel

North Korea doesn't allow independent tourism. Authorities restrict travel within the country.

Authorities only allow tourism in groups organised by North Korean officials or by approved travel agencies.

An official guide must always accompany travellers.

You may have to show your identity documents at police checkpoints when entering and leaving towns.

Travellers often report that charges for travel can be high and arbitrary, including charges for:

• hire vehicles

Communications

Assume that authorities are monitoring all your phone conversations. This includes your mobile if it wasn't confiscated when you arrived.

International phone lines may be disconnected without notice.

Some hotels in Pyongyang allow direct dial international phone calls. Charges are high.

Internet access is severely restricted.

Communications are unreliable.

Direct telephone calls to or from South Korea are not possible.

Necessities

You can buy food and clean water with hard currency at some hotels and restaurants.

Energy and pharmaceutical shortages are common.

Road travel

Tour operators or sponsors usually provide road transportation.

Expect regular delays with vehicles and passengers needing to clear through checkpoints.

Highways are relatively good. Rural and some suburban roads can be in a poor state.

Tourists are generally not allowed to drive.

Vehicles may be old and break down.

Public transport

Authorities restrict foreigners’ use of public transport , including the rail network.

Ask your tour operator or guide about public transport or rail travel.

If you're travelling by train, expect long delays due to power outages.

Many coastal areas are sensitive.

If you travel to North Korea by sea, your vessel could be detained or fired on.

Flights to and from North Korea are regularly cancelled or delayed.

Sanctions are in place that affect North Korean service providers, including airlines. Check with your tour operator or airline before you travel.

DFAT doesn't provide information on the safety of individual commercial airlines or flight paths.

Check North Korea's air safety profile with the Aviation Safety Network.

Emergencies

Research and carry contact information for local police, medical facilities and your host organisation.

Depending on what you need, contact your:

• family and friends
• travel agent
• insurance provider

Consular contacts

Read the  Consular Services Charter  for what the Australian Government can and can't do to help you overseas.

Australia doesn't have an embassy in North Korea. The  Australian Embassy in Seoul  provides consular assistance to Australians in North Korea, although our capacity to do so is very limited. 

If you're arrested or detained, North Korean authorities may deny you consular access to Australian officials. 

The  Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang  serves as the 'protecting power' for Australia and provides limited emergency consular services. The Swedish Embassy may have reduced capacity to offer consular assistance, and North Korean authorities may deny access to consular officials.

If despite our advice, you travel to North Korea, consider registering your travel to North Korea by advising the Australian Embassy in Seoul.

If you require consular assistance, please contact the  Australian Embassy in Seoul  if you're able, or the  Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang . 

Australian Embassy, Seoul

19th floor, Kyobo Building

Seoul 03154, Republic of Korea

Phone: +82 2 2003 0100

Fax: +82 2 2003 0196

Website:  southkorea.embassy.gov.au

Check the Embassy website for details about opening hours and any temporary closures.

South Korean phone numbers can't be called directly from within North Korea.

Embassy of Sweden, Pyongyang

Munsudong 3

Taedonggang District

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Phone: (+46) 8 405 10 00

Email:  [email protected]

Website:  swedenabroad.se/en/embassies/north-korea-pyongyang

24-hour Consular Emergency Centre

In a consular emergency, if you can't contact an embassy, call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on:

• +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas
• 1300 555 135 in Australia

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Tourism to North Korea: Unethical or an opportunity for engagement?

Subscribe to the center for asia policy studies bulletin, jean h. lee jean h. lee global fellow - woodrow wilson international center for scholars @newsjean.

June 9, 2015

• 13 min read

“What is it like inside an American nightclub?” The question from a young North Korean woman startled me. 

For so long, curiosity about the outside world was not just taboo for North Koreans, but also dangerous. North Korea strictly regulates interaction between North Koreans and foreigners, limiting travel overseas to official business and forbidding spontaneous, unmonitored visits between locals and visitors. With the “imperialist Yankees” remaining Enemy No. 1 for the North Koreans, travel to the United States is not an option for all but a few North Koreans. And slipping away to such a forbidden den of sin without approval would put any North Korean under grave suspicion of courting outside influence. 

“I would love to take you to an American nightclub,” I said, both of us laughing at what seemed like a farfetched idea. She was dressed in a tailored black pantsuit, with the ubiquitous red Kim badge pinned over her heart. It was hard to picture her in a sweaty Williamsburg, Brooklyn, club with hip-hop pulsating in the background.

But I didn’t need to take her to Brooklyn to show her an American nightclub. Later that year, a foreign tour agency organized what was billed as the “first rave in Pyongyang” — a DJ night in the karaoke bar of the Koryo Hotel in the North Korean capital. It promised to be the best and only chance for me to show her what an American nightclub is like.

Tourism amid tensions 

While most North Koreans are not free to travel to the United States, it is possible for Americans to visit North Korea. But tourism to North Korea is a tricky issue — morally, politically, financially.

Now that North Korea has lifted a harsh Ebola quarantine that blocked tourism to the country for nearly five months, foreign tour agencies are scrambling to lure visitors back with ads that promise “ big celebrations, dances and parades ” and golf greens so empty that “ it’s like having your own private course .”

But the environment for tourism to North Korea isn’t the same in 2015 as it was a decade ago. After a relatively conciliatory period in North Korea’s foreign policy, the past six years have been defined by tension: nuclear tests, missile launches, deadly maritime clashes, cyberattacks, threats of thermonuclear war, the arrests of tourists, executions of purged officials and growing scrutiny of the human rights situation in a country with sprawling prison camps. We should remember that North Korea has been undergoing a change of leadership from 17 years of rule under Kim Jong Il to a new era under his young son, Kim Jong Un, who took power following his father’s death in December 2011. And with the purges purportedly continuing as the younger Kim seeks to solidify his leadership, the climate of uncertainty promises to persist.

To go, or not to go?

As an American journalist who has traveled to North Korea dozens of times since 2008, living and working in the country as the first  Associated Press (AP) bureau chief in Pyongyang , I often am asked whether I think tourism to North Korea is a good idea.

The questioner may be asking whether it’s a good idea for them, as a Westerner, to make the costly and potentially risky trip to North Korea as a tourist. But I also weigh the question of whether it’s good for the North Koreans, living in one of the world’s most isolated nations, to have foreign tourists visiting their country.

As tour agencies gear up to promote two big events this year, the 70th anniversary of the end of Japan’s occupation of Korea on Aug. 15 and the 70th anniversary of the Oct. 10 founding of the Korean Workers’ Party, it is worth taking a step back and looking at the issues framing the question of whether tourism to North Korea is a good idea.

Critics say foreigners who visit impoverished North Korea at prices comparable to travel to Switzerland are funneling hard currency to a regime that diverts the money to the elite, the military and to propaganda while the millions of North Koreans who go hungry every day do not benefit.

Advocates say tourism facilitates much-needed cross-cultural learning, with foreigners experiencing that North Koreans are as human as anyone else, and North Koreans getting information about life outside their borders through their visitors from abroad.  The Obama administration has made very clear its stance on tourism to North Korea: Don’t go.

In April, the U.S. State Department issued its toughest  travel advisory  so far for North Korea, warning that tourists risk being “arrested, detained, or expelled for activities that would not be considered criminal outside North Korea.” Britain, which has an embassy in Pyongyang, in April warned its travelers that “the level of tension on the Korean peninsula can change with little notice.” And while “most visits are trouble-free,”  the advisory  noted the recent arrests of Americans.

Speaking with locals, exchanging currency, taking candid photos, shopping locally — these are all routine tourist behavior anywhere but in North Korea, where such basic activities are largely illegal for North Koreans In the DPRK, these are not casual actions and the state can easily declare them as espionage. Sentences for such crimes can mean “years of detention in hard labor camps or death,” according to the State Department advisory.

Don’t be naive about surveillance, the advisory warns. “Please keep in mind that you have no right to privacy in North Korea and should assume your communications are monitored.” Should you be detained, Washington does not have diplomatic relations with Pyongyang and cannot directly provide consular services, the advisory reminds travelers. And don’t count on the tour agencies to protect you. “Efforts by private tour operators to prevent or resolve past detentions of U.S. citizens … have not succeeded in gaining their release,” the warning says.

Indeed, arrests of Americans complicate the sensitive diplomatic dance between Washington and Pyongyang. In March 2009, two American journalists working for former Vice President Al Gore’s media company slipped across a frozen river border from China into North Korea and were swiftly arrested. They were convicted and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor on anti-state charges. It took a high-profile campaign and a private visit by former President Bill Clinton to secure their release later that year.  A group photo  of Clinton seated next to Kim Jong Il released by North Korea’s state news agency makes clear that the North Koreans treated the visit as a diplomatic victory. 

It was a dangerous precedent to set. Since then, at least 10 Americans have been detained in North Korea, some sneaking in illegally like the two journalists but most entering the country with legitimate visas. Two were regular visitors to North Korea; most arrived on tourist visas. North Korea eventually released all the Americans, but not before dangling them as diplomatic bait.

The roles of tour operators

The two leading Western tour operators, Beijing-based British-operated Koryo Tours and the American-owned Uri Tours, both have had  American tourists detained  and held by the North Koreans over the past two years.  An American traveling with Britain’s Juche Travel also was detained .

Koryo Tours, proud of its previous 20 years without any tourist arrests, has remained tight-lipped about the incident while Uri Tours has chosen to go public about its  efforts to try to help secure the release  of its detained American traveler. But in the process, the agency revealed how helpless it and its North Korean tourism partners are in preventing tourists from breaking the law and in protecting them from North Korea’s tightening security mechanism. And the circumstances of the arrest of 85-year-old Korean War veteran Merrill Newman underlined the perils of traveling with an outfit inexperienced in dealing with North Korea. 

On top of the high-profile arrests, the agencies have had to deal with fiery threats from North Korea to wage “thermo-nuclear war” on South Korea, and with an Ebola quarantine that shut down tourism to North Korea starting last fall by requiring anyone arriving in the country from abroad to remain sequestered for 21 days.

Though visibly frustrated, the agencies kept up an incongruous chirpiness about tourism to North Korea as they refunded deposits and waited with practiced patience for yet another seemingly arbitrary North Korean rule to lift.

The arrests, war threats and the entry ban didn’t deter a trade fair in Britain from  featuring a booth marketing travel to North Korea , and they did not slow North Korea’s own state media from trumpeting the regime’s campaign to promote tourism even as tourists weren’t allowed into the country.

Improving the economic situation is high on the regime’s agenda, and tourism is seen as one way to bring in hard currency and foreign investment.

Last year, North Korea unveiled a five-star ski resort that rises like the city of Oz in the vast, underdeveloped countryside. Workers commenced construction on turning the nearby port city of Wonsan into what North Korea envisions as a “world-famous tourist city.” A new university devoted to tourism, Pyongyang Tourism College, took in its first students. Tour operators from China and Europe were brought in to discuss investing in North Korea’s infrastructure.

Boots on the ground

There are, indeed, some stunning sights in North Korea. The white sand beaches off the coast of Hamhung are the most pristine I’ve seen on the Korean Peninsula. The hiking in this mountainous country, particularly in autumn when the leaves turn all shades of gold and red, is spectacular.

But let’s not pretend these trips are relaxing. During one visit to Mount Myohyang northwest of Pyongyang, a colleague and I went for a walk on the grounds of our hotel. We didn’t go far, but were sternly ushered back into the hotel by a security guard. Only then did I remember that in 2008, a South Korean tourist who went for a walk was shot to death by a soldier for wandering into a military site. Ties between North Korea and South Korea soured after that incident, with all cross-border tourism coming to a halt by the end of that year.

Who travels to North Korea, aside from the neighboring Chinese, Russians and ethnic Koreans from Japan? About 5,000 to 6,000 Westerners per year, according to Uri Tours. There are the adventure seekers who have North Korea at the top of a bucket list of bizarre destinations and are looking for tall tales to tell at dinner parties (“When I was in Pyongyang last summer” never fails to turn heads). There are those nostalgic for a Cold War time past who turn up wearing retro communist gear and return home with their own custom-made Mao suits. And there are many who are sincerely curious about life inside North Korea, for professional or personal reasons. (Full disclosure: Uri Tours booked my flights on North Korean carrier Air Koryo when I was AP bureau chief, and I traveled with the agency as a tourist after completing my Pyongyang post.)

Tourists pay luxury travel prices — Koryo Tours’  summer group trip  is advertised for 1850 euros — for package tours to a country with an  estimated GDP per capita of $1,800 in 2013  that puts North Korean on par with Uganda and Haiti. The prices are set by the North Koreans, with the foreign tour operators determining the markup. Nearly every aspect of the tour, from the hotels to the souvenir shops to the meals, is chosen from a list of venues approved for foreigners; i.e., where interaction with locals can be controlled. The tour agencies, particularly Koryo Tours, pushes hard to get its visitors into places typically off limits to foreigners, but the trips are still incredibly restrictive: No going for a wander, no stopping by into a local shop to buy souvenirs, no chatting up the locals without the guides present.

Most of the American tourists’ interaction with North Koreans is with their guides. Tour guides assigned to a group of foreign tourists are fluent in English. The tourists discover that North Koreans are as human as anyone else, despite what you might see in comedic portrayals such as “The Interview”: they smile, they laugh, they crack jokes. The Americans begin to think the North Koreans aren’t so bad after all. They fall a little bit in love. By expecting so little, they leave overwhelmed.

For the North Korean guides, the tourists provide a valuable glimpse of life abroad. They learn their travelers’ slang, hear their music and drink up tales about love and life in a world they likely will never visit. They see every manner of fashion and individualism: piercings, tattoos, dreadlocks and that evil American emblem, blue jeans. In their own way, they become experts in the world outside, even if they never step foot beyond their country’s borders. And that is no doubt valuable currency as North Korea embarks on the slow but inevitable road to opening up to the outside world.

Risks and rewards

We cannot, and should not, stop Americans from visiting North Korea. But both tour operators and tourists should be mindful of the changed, and charged, environment for Americans traveling in enemy territory:

• Tour operators should be transparent and forthcoming about the security situation in North Korea, including the extensive nature of North Korea’s penal code and surveillance apparatus, the risk of arrest and the consequences of prosecution. They need to do their due diligence in protecting tourists by preparing them for the reality of life in North Korea, for visiting foreigners as well as locals.
• American tourists should give careful and considered thought to the ethics and dangers of traveling to North Korea. They should keep in mind that much of the fee they pay goes to the state-run tourism agency, not directly to the people, and may want to consider tour operators that find a way to give back to the local population. They should remember that North Korea remains in a technical state of war with the United States, and should arrive having read both the State Department’s travel advisory and any travel advice laid out by their tour operator. While being open-minded, travelers to North Korea should also be mindful of the severity of local laws. Leave the Bibles behind. 

If it weren’t for tourism, I would not have been able to give that young North Korean woman a taste of American nightlife. For one night in August 2012, the basement bar of the Koryo Hotel — a 1970s-kitsch lounge decorated with plastic plants and purple neon lighting that typically plays host to impassioned, drunken karaoke while a hostess in traditional Korean dress sings along — was transformed into a nightclub. There was no bouncer and no velvet rope. But there was a DJ in the corner, bobbing to the beat, and a tangle of tourists gyrating on the dance floor: American ultimate frisbee players, Chinese journalists and “middle-aged Romanian diplomats requesting obscure Romanian disco,”  according to the DJ . On the playlist: Little Richard, Janet Jackson, The Village People. 

The North Koreans, mostly guides and interpreters, watched with amusement and perhaps a little shock at the frenetic, disorganized, rowdy scene before them. In North Korea, each song has a prescribed set of dance steps, so the chaos that was unfolding, with each person caught up in his or her own private dance, was entirely foreign. And yet it was so perfectly Western: individualistic, energetic, spontaneous. It wasn’t long before some of the more adventurous North Koreans jumped in.

The verdict from my North Korean friend: “Too noisy.” 

It was the safest answer for a North Korean to give when confronted with such an American pastime as “disco dancing.” But her shining eyes, and the smile on her face, said otherwise.

Foreign Policy

Asia & the Pacific North Korea Northeast Asia

Center for Asia Policy Studies

Pedro Conceição

April 3, 2024

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA

9:00 am - 11:00 am EDT

Homi Kharas, Charlotte Rivard

April 2, 2024

North Korea

Explore the Mysterious Land of North Korea

How To Enter North Korea As A Tourist

Visit North Korea With A Tourism Pass

North Korea is one of the most mysterious and reclusive countries in the world. Despite the formidable challenges posed by its authoritarian regime, tourists have been steadily gaining access to the country over the past few decades, creating a fascinating and distinct destination for travelers to explore. Tourists intending to visit North Korea must first apply for and receive a special tourism pass, known as an RFA. This document is valid for 30 days, and must be continually renewed if the traveler wishes to remain in the country for more than this period. Here’s how to enter North Korea as a tourist.

Get A North Korean Visa

The first step to entering North Korea as a tourist is to get a North Korean Visa. All tourists are required to obtain the visa before arriving in the country. The visa is typically issued by the North Korean Embassy and must be acquired in advance. Tourists must submit the necessary documents, such as a passport, two passport-sized photographs, and a copy of the signed visa application form. In some cases, travelers may be required to submit evidence of their travel plans and/or any additional materials, depending on the specific requirements of the North Korean Embassy.

Apply For The RFA

Once the North Korean visa has been obtained, the individual can then apply for the RFA. The RFA is a special tourist pass issued to those intending to stay in North Korea for over 30 days. This document must be renewed every 30 days, and it is possible for tourists to stay in the country for up to 6 months with a valid RFA. To apply for the RFA, the individual must submit the necessary documentation, including the passport, the North Korean visa, two passport-sized photos, and a copy of the signed RFA application form.

Register With A Travel Agency Before Entering North Korea

It is important to note that all tourists traveling to North Korea must be accompanied by a reputable and registered travel agency. These agencies must be registered with the North Korean government and the individual must submit a signed contract with the agency before entering the country. The contract should summarize the services provided by the agency, as well as any restrictions that the tourist may face while in North Korea.

Understand North Korean Laws Before Entering The Country

It is essential to understand and adhere to North Korean law while in the country. Tourists should familiarize themselves with the nation’s laws before arriving, as violating any law could have serious consequences. Common restrictions for foreigners include avoiding public demonstrations, not taking unauthorized photos, and respecting local customs and religions. Tourists should also be aware that North Korea is a heavily censored country and all media is heavily monitored.

Why Should You Visit North Korea As A Tourist?

North Korea is one of the most unique destinations in the world, and visitors can gain an exotic perspective of the nation by visiting its unique locations. This includes sites such as the Korean Demilitarized Zone, which provides visitors a glimpse into the tension between North and South Korea. Other areas of interest include the locals markets, which are filled with exceptional cuisine and fresh produce, as well as architectural marvels such as the iconic Juche Tower.

Visit Pyongyang- The North Korean Capital

Visitors to North Korea should make sure to include a visit to the nation’s capital – Pyongyang. The city is home to a wealth of attractions, such as the iconic Kim Il Sung Square, the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, the Ryugyong Hotel, and the Arch of Reunification. Tourists can also gain rare insight into North Korean life and culture by visiting the city’s traditional markets and eateries.

What To Expect On The Way To North Korea

Travelers should be aware that the trip to North Korea may be long and arduous, as the nation is not easily accessed by conventional routes. Most tourists fly into the country by way of Beijing, China, and must wait for the next available flight into Pyongyang, the nation’s capital. This can be a lengthy process, and travelers should factor in additional travel time when planning their trip.

How Medical Services Work In North Korea

Medical services in North Korea are very limited, and tourists should be aware of this before entering the country. Tourists should carry any necessary medications with them, and should be prepared for any potential medical emergencies. Basic medical care is available in the country, but the quality of these services is usually very poor, and there is a risk of contracting infectious diseases.

What To Pack For A North Korean Tour?

When packing for a North Korean tour, it is important to note that the country’s climate can be quite extreme. Pack accordingly, wearing layers of clothing and bringing facial protection such as sunglasses, sunhat, and lip balm. Additionally, travelers should bring any necessary medications and medical supplies, as well as a digital music player to keep entertained during the long, bumpy rides.

Prepare For The Currency Exchange

North Korea has two different currencies – the North Korean Won and the Chinese Yuan (RMB). Both of these currencies are accepted in the country, although the North Korean Won is the preferred choice. In addition to the two currencies, travelers may also bring Chinese Yuan and US Dollars to exchange on the black market.

Humane Treatment of North Korean Citizens

As a tourist, it is important to abide by North Korean customs, laws, and regulations. Tourists should always respect the locals, and refrain from making negative public comments about the nation or its leaders. It is also important to remember that North Koreans are treated differently than foreigners and tourists should never take advantage of their status.

Be Mindful Of Cultural Differences

Lastly, tourists should make sure to familiarize themselves with local North Korean customs and traditions before entering the country, in order to best prepare themselves to interact with the locals. North Koreans are very proud of their culture, so refrain from making any negative comments or gestures. Additionally, always show respect and deference when speaking to or interacting with the locals.

Cassie Grissom

Cassie Grissom is an American journalist and author living in Seoul, South Korea. She has been studying the Korean peninsula since 2011, and her work focuses on understanding human rights issues in North Korea. In addition to her work as an author, Cassie is an active advocate for human rights in North Korea. She regularly shares stories about life in North Korea with international audiences to raise awareness of the plight of its citizens.

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13 Things To Know before Traveling to North Korea (2024 Guide )

Travel to north korea tips – or how not to get to a labour camp.

Table of Contents

I heard many people and many friends whom were surprised to hear that it is possible to travel to North Korea! You can travel in every country of this world! You only have to want to go there – the means will be found later. An the answer is YES – you can travel to DPRK but there are some North Korea Travel Tips.

Update 2022 – due to covid pandemic going on vacation to North Korea is impossible at this moment. When North Korea will be opening? Probably in the same time with China…maybe 2023 or who knows when!

There are many videos on Youtube on How to Travel to North Korea. Below is the one I liked the most.

1. How to visit North Korea with a Travel Agency

You can travel only with a travel agency. If you don’t want to join a tour and to be on a private tour, you can do it. But it will cost you a lot. One Japanese guy was traveling alone and he had beside the driver another 3 guides along him! They said its for his protection. You might know that the relations between Japan and North Korea and very cordial !

Me, for example I joined a tour organized by the Youngpioneertours . It cost me 785 Euro + Visa 50 Euro for 5 days. Meals, transportation, guides and accommodation  were included! They have the cheapest and the most completed tour between the whole travel agencies which are allowed to organize the tours in North Korea. People are young and you will have a lot of fun.

If we will be guided either the Chris the Irishman or Troy the Kiwi guy, the fun will be double!

2. North Korea Travel Tips @ Eligibility

Can  the americans and the japones travel to North Korea? The answer is YES, they can. For the american citizens the only restriction is that they must enter and exit DPRK by air only. The rest of the nationalities can enter or exit by train, too. Everyone  is allowed to travel to North Korea; only  South Koreans  and  journalists  are usually forbidden to travel. You can add the missionary people too.

Tourism in North Korea is controlled by the regime and only up to 3500 people are allowed to visit the country every year. Thats less 10 tourists per day. For instance, the most  visited country in the world, France, has over 81 millions tourists; that’s more than 220.00 tourists a day!

3. Is it Safe Traveling to North Korea?

It is safe  to travel to North Korea? Yes. Being surrounded all the time by the 2 guides and not being allowed to walk freely, nothing bad can happen to you. Of course you have to follow their rules. But which country in the world does not have its own rules ? Even some states in the United States have their own law that you must follow!

Right now there are 2 american citizens detained in North Korea. Last week, a guy did not followed the rules and tore apart his visa on arriving and asked for asylum in North Korea.  That’s an offense to the North Korean government, even if it’s good publicity that an american citizen seeks asylum in this country.

Before entering  North Korea, I received the following advices for the travel agency with whom I went to North Korea. What rules its a must to be followed and that rules are only myths, can be read in the following lines!

Starting from last year, United State Citizens are not allowed to enter North Korea not even by flight only as I used to be.

A quiet afternoon in DPRK – kids playing

4. Things you can’t do in North Korea @ Dressing  Code

Please prepare one formal dress/suit/shirt and pants (or at least smart casual, definitely no ripped jeans, shorts or sandals) for visiting Kumsusan Palace of the Sun (when it’s on the itinerary), to show respect to the Koreans leaders and avoid offending the local guides and people. Women should not wear skirts or shorts but dresses or trousers are ok.

This was number one on the list and somehow I skipped it! I had only one pair of jeans and a shirt (a Mein Land Rammstein One) and normal walking shoes. The Sun Palace is seeing by the koreans a sacred place so try to have your best clothes even if you are traveling light! And most important, please don’t make jokes. Story to come later about this.. .

Photo Season at Sun Palace – North Korea

5. North Korea Travel Blog @ Currency

We are not allowed to use the local currency in North Korea (much like Cuba) so we will be paying for things in hard currency (Hard currency by Korean terms is EURO, USD, or Chinese RMB) I would suggest RMB is the easiest to use, as getting change from a 10 Euro note after buying a bottle of water is a lot harder than getting change from a Chinese 10 RMB note.

However that being said, the shops often consider 10 RMB = 1 Euro which means you save more money spending Euro, as the real rate is closer to 8 RMB = 1 Euro. Though some places use a more realistic exchange rate.

USD is accepted but is not as easy to get change for. The exchange rate in North Korea when I was in March 201: one WON 1300 local money for one US $. I do believe its not an urban legend that there are no money in North Korea and people are still  being paid in cartels and based on their salaries they can buy ( if there have from where), food. Best advice regarding the money is to have small bills. Bring as many as 1 to 5 $ bills or RMB Chinese. You can pay (at the tourist restaurants and shop) with Euro, US $ and Euro.

And the change will be probably either in US $ or RMB. My advice is to not to bring Euro; for example, a beer costs 1$. If you have Euro, the beer costs 1 Euro. Or 10 RMB. You have to declare how much money you have but no one checks the amount you declare. I did not see any local currency but a friend who just come back from North Korea told me that his guide gave me a heap of WON bills!

Casino in North Korea

6. North Korea Travel Advice @ Photo Gear

Professional Video cameras are not allowed to be taken into the DPRK, but handheld digicams have recently been allowed as long as you don’t film anything you’re told not to! Regular digital still cameras are fine, for professional cameras, lenses under 250 mm are allowed- anything over that could be  retained at customs until you depart.

Your Korean guides will give you the ‘go ahead’ and the ‘no-no’ zones for taking photos, and it’s crucial to follow their requests. This is the most sensitive subject: the photos! Before leaving to DPRK I wanted to buy new lenses for my Panasonic DMC Mirrolens; I wanted to buy a 300mm lens b ut after I read the rule, I decided to buy a 250mm lenses. In the end, the online shop I wanted to buy from did not manage to bring it in time.

But on the airport no one checked the camera and not even the lenses. And I am sure they don’t know how to differentiate a 250mm vs a 300mm lens.

You can not take photos to soldiers or buildings being built. By mistake I forgot the rule and I took one photo of a soldier. We were said that the soldier will be mad if they are photographed. One of the guides saw me and asked to deleted it. I pressed some buttons but in the end, don’t know how I managed to press cancel! The rules about taking photos in North Korea are not that strict as I thought. We were 12 tourists and only 2 guides.

It’s impossible to supervise everything. If you are clever and quick you can take some pretty good, forbidden photos. And at the end of the trip, no one is checking your camera to see what photos you have been taken. I had two cards and I put the almost empty one on my departure!

7. Visiting North Korea @ Phone Use

Phones have recently been allowed into the DPRK, currently only satellite phones are banned. There are allowed but you have no signal, whatsoever. Few years ago, they would have confiscated it and return it at the departure. They only look a bit on in, more with curiosity. Most of the north koreans don’t have cellular’s – you have to imagine a Nokia from the beginning – but I did see on the streets some people talking on the phones.

They took my phone to be checked on arrival at the airport . But they did not opened it. They just wrote something on a piece of paper. Probably which phone type it was or just the color !

8. Travelling to North Korea @ Books & Ebooks

E-books are fine, and normal books are OK as long as it’s not a Bible, Qur’an or any other religious text. Books on North Korea are OK as long as they are not critical of the country. The Brandt guide is often brought and is fine, as is Lonely Planet’s guide.  I don’t think there are books about North Korea to describe how good the country is doing.

At that moment I was reading on my e-book reader, Nothing to Envy – Real Lives In North Korea by Barbara Demick and I was a bit scared to bring it to North Korea. I also left at the hostel , 1Q84 by Murakami ; being a japanese writer I was not sure how they would react. But even you have to declare what books you have, no one checks. And as long as it does not have the word North Korea in title, no one cares about it!

Book display at the People’s Library in Pyongyang

9. North Korea Tourism Rules @ For the guides

We were strongly recommend giving an entrance gift for our North Korean guides when you first arrive at the hotel , and have a ‘sit down’. This will help you be very accommodated throughout your holiday. So for example, we suggest spending around 10 Euros on gifts for the guides.

DPRK have very limited access to foreign products, so it’s a good idea to use your imagination, any local products, from where you live, or beauty products, cigarettes (Camel being the most popular foreign cigarette along with some Japanese brands such as Seven Stars ) are popular amongst the men (note. Although Camel/Marlboro are much cheaper in Beijing than most Western countries, the Koreans much prefer Western ones, something to consider depending on your budget!)

The gift part is a very tricky one. First is that you don’t know if their will be a female guide or a male guide. We had 2 women guides and I brought some packs of cigarettes. And I do hope there are married so they could bring it to their husbands. You can buy the gifts from the souvenir shop located at the first floor of the hotel, too!

10. How to Travel to North Korea @ Pocket Money

For your spending money in the DPRK, it depends on how much you would like to drink and how many gifts you want to buy. The time people tend to spend the most money is in the evening, a pint of draft beer at the hotel bar is 22 RMB, (although bottled beers in the bowling alley, billiards room or shop are only around 10 RMB), a pack of smokes ranges from 5 RMB.

Also we encourage you to prepare a tip for the North Korea guides, although not mandatory, this is the custom and as such is somewhat expected. The recommended tip amount is about 7 Euros per day of your tour, so if you are on a 5 day tour, then a 35 Euro tip for the Koreans to share is what we suggest, often the guides work very hard for us, and we have good relations with the guides, this road was partially paved by those who have tipped generously before you, on our tours.

In 5 days I spend on total around 600 RMB which is around 60 Euro. Most was spent on souvenirs (T-Shirt, stamps and other cool things). If you are not into shopping, 30 euro will be enough to have with you. 

I usually tip and I give tips only if the service was very good. Our guides (young Kim and old Kim) were very good and at the beginning of the trip had no intention of not giving them money.

You have to imagine North Korea like India in terms of casts. There are around 51 cast; only the privileged ones and loyals to the party have access to imported good, information and proper food while the rest live in poverty and darkness.

On the last night of the trip, little Kim asked me some questions about some business and I found out that her father was a businessman. I already knew that he had a dentist sister and her mother was a doctor. And that they were having a 4 room flat; she said it was not downtown but she lied to us everyday.

So in the end those tipping money goes to the elite people, too. Even if they have a lot of money, compared to normal north korean citizens. My suggestion to Young Pioneers Tours is to exclude the rule (even if its mandatory) and to stick only to the gifts!

11. How to Travel to North Korea @AC power plugs and sockets

The power points in the hotel are 2 point flat or round pin points with 220v power supply. They have adaptors at the lobby but usually require you to leave your device there to charge, instead of letting you take the adaptor to your room.

It’s a good idea to bring a universal adaptor if you don’t have the above pins. There is a small issue here. In the room, we were accommodated 2 persons and only one power point was available to charge our electronic devices . So bright 2 batteries for your camera! In Pyongyang, there were power cuts but only for 5 seconds every night, so be careful not your disposal not to get on fire!

12. Visit North Korea Tips @Order & Discipline

At certain places especially statues of the leaders we will often bow to show our respect according to the local customs. If you have any reasons that you are uncomfortable with that please let us know before we are stood in front of the statues to avoid causing a scene. You will also be given an opportunity to buy flowers for 2 euro (small) or 4/5 euro (big), it is not expected that you do this but if you choose to the Korean guides will appreciate it.

It’s like going to the church. Even if you are not a religious person, you do kiss the icon (as the orthodox people do) or to the cross sign. Here is the same: if you bow in front of the statues that does not mean you do believe! You do, several time, have to bow in from of the statues of the Great Leader: Kim il-Sung and Kim Jong-un. I did it just for fun and hardly couldn’t burst into laughing!

But, the place where you do have to be very serious about the bowing is at the Sun Palace, where the bodies of the two leaders are and where you must bow 3 times in front of each of them. Here I was very serious, even deep inside!

13. North Korea Travel Tips @ Obey! Obey! KIM

Most importantly: be nice to your Korean guides, listen to them and they’ll relax and let you do more, if you’re concerned a question you have may be sensitive – ask your Western guide first, they’ll either know the answer or know whether it’s appropriate to ask the local guides. Its very important to follow their lead or to listen to what are they saying: like when you are allowed to do photos are when you aren’t allowed.

Even if your main reason for your trip to North Korea is to catch a sensitive part of the country or the people (like people bagging, or long queues ), please note that if you do something bad, the guides then will suffer too. They can lose their job or even deported to a labor camp . And not only the guides will suffer, their family too and probably the travel agency.

If you do respect all the above rules, you will be able to come back home safe and sound from North Korea! And be able to share you travel adventures with your friends!

Sorin is a freelance travel writer. He is an experienced travel writer and traveller. Since 2012 he explored more than 60 countries on 4 continents: Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. Currently is based in Romania after spending the last 7 years in Myanmar.

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Safety and security, entry and exit requirements, laws and culture, natural disasters and climate, north korea - avoid all travel.

There is no resident Canadian government office in the country. The ability of Canadian officials to provide consular assistance in North Korea is extremely limited.

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Safety information

Canadian (and Swedish) authorities may encounter major difficulties and delays in obtaining consular access to you if you are detained, particularly outside of Pyongyang. The provision of consular access is solely at the discretion of the North Korean government. Knowledge of North Korean police and judicial systems is limited, which may further affect our ability to provide assistance to you.

Tourist facilities are minimal and telecommunications are unreliable. Individual tourism can be arranged only through a handful of North Korean government-approved travel agencies. Travel must be authorized in advance by the government. Travellers are closely observed, and their accommodations and telecommunications are monitored.

There are serious shortages of food, electricity and clean water.

You have no right to privacy. Your movements and communications may be under surveillance at any time. Your personal belongings may be searched, and authorities may review the contents stored on your electronic devices.

Register with the Embassy of Canada to South Korea in Seoul and with the Embassy of Sweden in Pyongyang.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula can escalate with little notice. They may increase before, during and after North Korean nuclear and missile tests, military exercises and incidents such as inter-Korean border skirmishes or other incidents that one or the other side finds offensive. Due to very limited access to international media broadcasts in North Korea, you may be taken by surprise by events that could affect your security.

The crime rate is low. Petty crime occurs, especially at the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport. Ensure that your personal belongings, including your passport and other travel documents, are secure at all times.

Road safety

Travel within North Korea is severely restricted. Transportation is usually provided by local tour representatives or authorities. Major highways are in good condition, while rural roads can be hazardous. Police checkpoints, usually located at the entry to towns, may require that travellers provide documentation before onward travel is permitted.

We do not make assessments on the compliance of foreign domestic airlines with international safety standards.

Information about foreign domestic airlines

Every country or territory decides who can enter or exit through its borders. The Government of Canada cannot intervene on your behalf if you do not meet your destination’s entry or exit requirements.

We have obtained the information on this page from the North Korean authorities. It can, however, change at any time.

Verify this information with the  Foreign Representatives in Canada .

Entry requirements vary depending on the type of passport you use for travel.

Before you travel, check with your transportation company about passport requirements. Its rules on passport validity may be more stringent than the country’s entry rules.

Regular Canadian passport

Your passport must be valid at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave North Korea.

Passport for official travel

Different entry rules may apply.

Official travel

Passport with “X” gender identifier

While the Government of Canada issues passports with an “X” gender identifier, it cannot guarantee your entry or transit through other countries. You might face entry restrictions in countries that do not recognize the “X” gender identifier. Before you leave, check with the closest foreign representative for your destination.

Other travel documents

Different entry rules may apply when travelling with a temporary passport or an emergency travel document. Before you leave, check with the closest foreign representative for your destination.

Useful links

• Foreign Representatives in Canada
• Canadian passports

Canadians must have a visa to enter North Korea. You can obtain a visa from a North Korean mission in a third country after approval from the government in Pyongyang. The process for obtaining visas can be extremely slow and arduous.

Canadians arriving without a valid Canadian passport and visa may be detained, arrested, fined or denied entry.

Professional journalists must apply for special permission to visit North Korea and may not enter the country on a tourist visa, even if they are travelling for personal reasons.

Tourist visa: required Business visa: required Student visa: required

Other entry information

Foreigners can enter North Korea either by air or by train. It is not possible to enter North Korea from South Korea or to enter South Korea from North Korea.

Even if you meet all entry requirements, you may be arbitrarily arrested and/or detained at your point of entry.

Dual citizenship

If you are a Korean citizen or have family ties with North Korea, you should carefully consider your decision to visit. Authorities periodically subject dual citizens and children of former Koreans to certain laws and obligations.

Canadians who also have South Korean citizenship must obtain approval from South Korean authorities for travel to North Korea. For more information, contact the Embassy of Canada to the Republic of Korea in Seoul, South Korea.

Unauthorized points of entry

Foreigners have been detained, and in one instance shot, for entering the country at unauthorized points. Ensure that you stay within permitted zones and strictly follow North Korea’s procedures and protocols.

Children and travel

Learn more about travelling with children .

Yellow fever

Learn about potential entry requirements related to yellow fever (vaccines section).

Relevant Travel Health Notices

• Global Measles Notice - 13 March, 2024
• COVID-19 and International Travel - 13 March, 2024

This section contains information on possible health risks and restrictions regularly found or ongoing in the destination. Follow this advice to lower your risk of becoming ill while travelling. Not all risks are listed below.

Consult a health care professional or visit a travel health clinic preferably 6 weeks before you travel to get personalized health advice and recommendations.

Routine vaccines

Be sure that your  routine vaccinations , as per your province or territory , are up-to-date before travelling, regardless of your destination.

Some of these vaccinations include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, varicella (chickenpox), influenza and others.

Pre-travel vaccines and medications

You may be at risk for preventable diseases while travelling in this destination. Talk to a travel health professional about which medications or vaccines may be right for you, based on your destination and itinerary. 

Yellow fever   is a disease caused by a flavivirus from the bite of an infected mosquito.

Travellers get vaccinated either because it is required to enter a country or because it is recommended for their protection.

• There is no risk of yellow fever in this country.

Country Entry Requirement*

• Proof of vaccination is required if you are coming from a country   where yellow fever occurs.

Recommendation

• Vaccination is not recommended.
• Discuss travel plans, activities, and destinations with a health care professional.
• Contact a designated  Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre  well in advance of your trip to arrange for vaccination.

About Yellow Fever

Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre

* It is important to note that  country entry requirements  may not reflect your risk of yellow fever at your destination. It is recommended that you contact the nearest  diplomatic or consular office  of the destination(s) you will be visiting to verify any additional entry requirements.

There is a risk of hepatitis A in this destination. It is a disease of the liver. People can get hepatitis A if they ingest contaminated food or water, eat foods prepared by an infectious person, or if they have close physical contact (such as oral-anal sex) with an infectious person, although casual contact among people does not spread the virus.

Practise  safe food and water precautions and wash your hands often. Vaccination is recommended for all travellers to areas where hepatitis A is present.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. It can spread quickly from person to person by direct contact and through droplets in the air.

Anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk of being infected with it when travelling internationally.

Regardless of where you are going, talk to a health care professional before travelling to make sure you are fully protected against measles.

Japanese encephalitis is a viral infection that can cause swelling of the brain.  It is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Risk is very low for most travellers. Travellers at relatively higher risk may want to consider vaccination for JE prior to travelling.

Travellers are at higher risk if they will be:

• travelling long term (e.g. more than 30 days)
• making multiple trips to endemic areas
• staying for extended periods in rural areas
• visiting an area suffering a JE outbreak
• engaging in activities involving high contact with mosquitos (e.g., entomologists)

  Hepatitis B is a risk in every destination. It is a viral liver disease that is easily transmitted from one person to another through exposure to blood and body fluids containing the hepatitis B virus.  Travellers who may be exposed to blood or other bodily fluids (e.g., through sexual contact, medical treatment, sharing needles, tattooing, acupuncture or occupational exposure) are at higher risk of getting hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for all travellers. Prevent hepatitis B infection by practicing safe sex, only using new and sterile drug equipment, and only getting tattoos and piercings in settings that follow public health regulations and standards.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious viral disease. It can spread from person to person by direct contact and through droplets in the air.

It is recommended that all eligible travellers complete a COVID-19 vaccine series along with any additional recommended doses in Canada before travelling. Evidence shows that vaccines are very effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. While vaccination provides better protection against serious illness, you may still be at risk of infection from the virus that causes COVID-19. Anyone who has not completed a vaccine series is at increased risk of being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 and is at greater risk for severe disease when travelling internationally.

Before travelling, verify your destination’s COVID-19 vaccination entry/exit requirements. Regardless of where you are going, talk to a health care professional before travelling to make sure you are adequately protected against COVID-19.

 The best way to protect yourself from seasonal influenza (flu) is to get vaccinated every year. Get the flu shot at least 2 weeks before travelling.  

 The flu occurs worldwide. 

•  In the Northern Hemisphere, the flu season usually runs from November to   April.
•  In the Southern Hemisphere, the flu season usually runs between April and   October.
•  In the tropics, there is flu activity year round. 

The flu vaccine available in one hemisphere may only offer partial protection against the flu in the other hemisphere.

The flu virus spreads from person to person when they cough or sneeze or by touching objects and surfaces that have been contaminated with the virus. Clean your hands often and wear a mask if you have a fever or respiratory symptoms.

Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease that is caused by parasites spread through the bites of mosquitoes.   Limited malaria transmission may occur in this destination, but risk to travellers is very low.    Antimalarial medication is not recommended for most travellers. Consult a health care professional or visit a travel health clinic before travelling to discuss your options. It is recommended to do this 6 weeks before travel, however, it is still a good idea any time before leaving.    Protect yourself from mosquito bites at all times: 

• Cover your skin and use an approved insect repellent on uncovered skin.
• Exclude mosquitoes from your living area with screening and/or closed, well-sealed doors and windows.
• Use insecticide-treated bed nets if mosquitoes cannot be excluded from your living area.
• Wear permethrin-treated clothing. 

If you develop symptoms similar to malaria when you are travelling or up to a year after you return home, see a health care professional immediately. Tell them where you have been travelling or living. 

In this destination, rabies is commonly carried by dogs and some wildlife, including bats. Rabies is a deadly disease that spreads to humans primarily through bites or scratches from an infected animal. While travelling, take precautions , including keeping your distance from animals (including free-roaming dogs), and closely supervising children.

If you are bitten or scratched by a dog or other animal while travelling, immediately wash the wound with soap and clean water and see a health care professional. In this destination, rabies treatment may be limited or may not be available, therefore you may need to return to Canada for treatment.  

Before travel, discuss rabies vaccination with a health care professional. It may be recommended for travellers who are at high risk of exposure (e.g., occupational risk such as veterinarians and wildlife workers, children, adventure travellers and spelunkers, and others in close contact with animals). 

Safe food and water precautions

Many illnesses can be caused by eating food or drinking beverages contaminated by bacteria, parasites, toxins, or viruses, or by swimming or bathing in contaminated water.

• Learn more about food and water precautions to take to avoid getting sick by visiting our eat and drink safely abroad page. Remember: Boil it, cook it, peel it, or leave it!
• Avoid getting water into your eyes, mouth or nose when swimming or participating in activities in freshwater (streams, canals, lakes), particularly after flooding or heavy rain. Water may look clean but could still be polluted or contaminated.
• Avoid inhaling or swallowing water while bathing, showering, or swimming in pools or hot tubs. 

Travellers' diarrhea is the most common illness affecting travellers. It is spread from eating or drinking contaminated food or water.

Risk of developing travellers' diarrhea increases when travelling in regions with poor standards of hygiene and sanitation. Practise safe food and water precautions.

The most important treatment for travellers' diarrhea is rehydration (drinking lots of fluids). Carry oral rehydration salts when travelling.

Typhoid   is a bacterial infection spread by contaminated food or water. Risk is higher among children, travellers going to rural areas, travellers visiting friends and relatives or those travelling for a long period of time.

Travellers visiting regions with a risk of typhoid, especially those exposed to places with poor sanitation, should speak to a health care professional about vaccination.  

Insect bite prevention

Many diseases are spread by the bites of infected insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas or flies. When travelling to areas where infected insects may be present:

• Use insect repellent (bug spray) on exposed skin
• Cover up with light-coloured, loose clothes made of tightly woven materials such as nylon or polyester
• Minimize exposure to insects
• Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in buildings that are not fully enclosed

To learn more about how you can reduce your risk of infection and disease caused by bites, both at home and abroad, visit our insect bite prevention page.

Find out what types of insects are present where you’re travelling, when they’re most active, and the symptoms of the diseases they spread.

• In this country, risk of  dengue  is sporadic. It is a viral disease spread to humans by mosquito bites.
• Dengue can cause flu-like symptoms. In some cases, it can lead to severe dengue, which can be fatal.
• The level of risk of dengue changes seasonally, and varies from year to year. The level of risk also varies between regions in a country and can depend on the elevation in the region.
• Mosquitoes carrying dengue typically bite during the daytime, particularly around sunrise and sunset.
• Protect yourself from mosquito bites . There is no vaccine or medication that protects against dengue fever.

Animal precautions

Some infections, such as rabies and influenza, can be shared between humans and animals. Certain types of activities may increase your chance of contact with animals, such as travelling in rural or forested areas, camping, hiking, and visiting wet markets (places where live animals are slaughtered and sold) or caves.

Travellers are cautioned to avoid contact with animals, including dogs, livestock (pigs, cows), monkeys, snakes, rodents, birds, and bats, and to avoid eating undercooked wild game.

Closely supervise children, as they are more likely to come in contact with animals.

Person-to-person infections

Stay home if you’re sick and practise proper cough and sneeze etiquette , which includes coughing or sneezing into a tissue or the bend of your arm, not your hand. Reduce your risk of colds, the flu and other illnesses by:

•   washing your hands often
• avoiding or limiting the amount of time spent in closed spaces, crowded places, or at large-scale events (concerts, sporting events, rallies)
• avoiding close physical contact with people who may be showing symptoms of illness 

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) , HIV , and mpox are spread through blood and bodily fluids; use condoms, practise safe sex, and limit your number of sexual partners. Check with your local public health authority pre-travel to determine your eligibility for mpox vaccine.  

Tuberculosis is an infection caused by bacteria and usually affects the lungs.

For most travellers the risk of tuberculosis is low.

Travellers who may be at high risk while travelling in regions with risk of tuberculosis should discuss pre- and post-travel options with a health care professional.

High-risk travellers include those visiting or working in prisons, refugee camps, homeless shelters, or hospitals, or travellers visiting friends and relatives.

Medical services and facilities

The level of medical services and facilities is poor. Hospitals often lack heat and medicine, and suffer from frequent power outages. Immediate payment in cash is expected for treatment. Pyongyang Friendship Hospital, in the Munsu-dong district of Pyongyang, is staffed by English-speaking professionals. If possible, avoid undergoing surgery. Medical evacuations are very difficult to arrange and are not guaranteed. You should take this into account prior to travel if you have an unstable medical condition. If you show symptoms of a serious communicable disease, you may be subject to strict quarantine conditions.

Make sure you get travel insurance that includes coverage for medical evacuation and hospital stays.

Travel health and safety

Keep in Mind...

The decision to travel is the sole responsibility of the traveller. The traveller is also responsible for his or her own personal safety.

Be prepared. Do not expect medical services to be the same as in Canada. Pack a   travel health kit , especially if you will be travelling away from major city centres.

You must abide by local laws.

Learn about what you should do and how we can help if you are arrested or detained abroad .

North Korea is under international and Canadian sanctions . These sanctions could be relevant to and affect your travel.

Foreigners must register through their host organization within 24 hours of arrival in the country.

You must be accompanied by an official guide at all times. Follow all instructions from your guide. Unauthorized conversations with locals or currency exchange, as well as making a purchase in a store not designated for foreigners, could lead to fines or arrest.

Foreigners are prohibited from using public buses or the subway.

Penalties for possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs are strict. Convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and heavy fines.

Drugs, alcohol and travel

Import and exports

Importation of satellite telephones and shortwave radios is prohibited. Such items are confiscated upon entry and usually returned upon departure.

The import and export of local currency is prohibited.

Authorities may seize any material that they deem to be pornographic, political or intended for religious proselytizing. If you plan to bring material written in the Korean language, ensure that it will not be interpreted by local authorities as being against the interests of the North Korean regime.

Involvement in politics and unsanctioned religious activity can result in detention.

Photography of airports, roads, bridges, seaports and rail stations is prohibited. Any pictures or video taken outside of tourist areas could result in confiscation of equipment or detention. Seek permission from your tour guide before taking photographs.

Dual citizenship is not legally recognized in North Korea.

If local authorities consider you a citizen of North Korea, they may refuse to grant you access to Canadian consular services. This will prevent us from providing you with those services.

Travellers with dual citizenship

International Child Abduction

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is an international treaty. It can help parents with the return of children who have been removed to or retained in certain countries in violation of custody rights. It does not apply between Canada and North Korea.

If your child was wrongfully taken to, or is being held in North Korea by an abducting parent:

• act as quickly as you can
• consult a lawyer in Canada and in North Korea to explore all the legal options for the return of your child
• report the situation to the nearest Canadian government office abroad or to the Vulnerable Children’s Consular Unit at Global Affairs Canada by calling the Emergency Watch and Response Centre.

If your child was removed from a country other than Canada, consult a lawyer to determine if The Hague Convention applies.

Be aware that Canadian consular officials cannot interfere in private legal matters or in another country’s judicial affairs.

• International Child Abduction: A Guidebook for Left-Behind Parents
• Travelling with children
• Canadian embassies and consulates by destination
• Emergency Watch and Response Centre

Ensure that you are not seen to be critical of the country’s political system or its current and former leaders Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-Sung and their family members.

2SLGBTQI+ travellers

North Korean law does not prohibit sexual acts between individuals of the same sex. However, homosexuality is not widely accepted in North Korean society.

2SLGBTQI+ travellers have experienced harassment and verbal abuse.

Travel and your sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics

The currency is North Korean won (KPW). Cash is the most accepted form of payment. Foreigners are expected to use the Euro or, alternatively, the Chinese renminbi or U.S. dollar. Change in foreign currency is often unavailable. Banking facilities are limited. There are no ATMs. Some hotels accept credit cards, if you give them advance notice.

The rainy (monsoon) season extends from the end of June until August. Typhoons occur in August and September.

Severe rainstorms can cause flooding and landslides, which in turn can result in significant loss of life and extensive damage to infrastructure, as well as hamper the provision of essential services. North Korea is also prone to drought. Keep informed of regional weather forecasts, avoid disaster areas and follow the advice of local authorities.

Tornadoes, cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons and monsoons

Local services

There is no centralized number to reach emergency services. Research and carry contact information for local police and medical facilities.

Consular assistance

There is no resident Canadian government office in North Korea. You can obtain consular assistance from the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang.

For emergency consular assistance, call the Embassy of Canada in South Korea and follow the instructions. At any time, you may also contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa.

The decision to travel is your choice and you are responsible for your personal safety abroad. We take the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously and provide credible and timely information in our Travel Advice to enable you to make well-informed decisions regarding your travel abroad.

The content on this page is provided for information only. While we make every effort to give you correct information, it is provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied. The Government of Canada does not assume responsibility and will not be liable for any damages in connection to the information provided.

If you need consular assistance while abroad, we will make every effort to help you. However, there may be constraints that will limit the ability of the Government of Canada to provide services.

Learn more about consular services .

Risk Levels

  take normal security precautions.

Take similar precautions to those you would take in Canada.

  Exercise a high degree of caution

There are certain safety and security concerns or the situation could change quickly. Be very cautious at all times, monitor local media and follow the instructions of local authorities.

IMPORTANT: The two levels below are official Government of Canada Travel Advisories and are issued when the safety and security of Canadians travelling or living in the country or region may be at risk.

  Avoid non-essential travel

Your safety and security could be at risk. You should think about your need to travel to this country, territory or region based on family or business requirements, knowledge of or familiarity with the region, and other factors. If you are already there, think about whether you really need to be there. If you do not need to be there, you should think about leaving.

  Avoid all travel

You should not travel to this country, territory or region. Your personal safety and security are at great risk. If you are already there, you should think about leaving if it is safe to do so.

• Disclosures

How to Visit North Korea’s DMZ Border (Updated 2023)

A s controversial a place as North Korea is, it's swiftly gaining attention from the curious tourist eye. Our intrigue to see it was piqued during a visit to Seoul with friends. Having now taken the DMZ tour ourselves, this highly informative if not haunting experience is one we would highly recommend . So, if you've got guts and a desire to get a snippet into one of the most closed countries on earth, here's how to do it!

Getting there & where to stay

First, you need to get yourself to Seoul, which is the nearest major city to the DMZ border. South Korea is only reachable by flight, with most planes flying into Incheon International Airport. Use Skyscanner and search by entire month to see the cheapest dates to fly. Be sure to check our flight booking hacks here to get yourself the best price. And don't forget to book your airport transfer and a 4G Data SIM card before you land!

A fast way to get a big discount on your flight is to sign up for the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. This card offers a massive sign-up bonus of 60,000 bonus points (worth $750 ) after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. United and Singapore Airlines are both partner airlines of this card, and both offer flights to Seoul, meaning you can convert your points to these airline loyalty programs, or just book directly through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Seoul is a buzzing megacity with plenty of enticing accommodation options. There are plentiful  AirBNBs  and  hotel  selections, but be sure to reserve ahead in peak season. Some convenient neighbourhood options include Hongdae, Itaewon, Myeongdong, Gangnam, and Jamsil. Check  TripAdvisor  for more local tips and advice.

There is plenty to explore in Seoul itself, and a local guide can help ensure you catch the best of the best. Be sure to check out the Gyeongbok Palace & Temple , or grab the Seoul Pass , which grants free entry to 65 attractions and discounted entry to 101 more.

How to visit North Korea's DMZ Border:

Step 1. choose your points of interest.

There are several companies that operate DMZ tours. As much as I despise group tours, you can only visit the DMZ with a tour , as it has restricted civilian access and requires a mandatory military escort.

No two tours are the same, but you should choose one based on your budget, customer reviews, and points of interest that are included. Tours can be browsed with reviews, prices, and instant confirmation through Klook , GetYourGuide and Viator . The main highlights to select from are as follows:

The Joint Security Area (JSA)

Located in Panmunjom, the JSA is the closest point a tourist can get to North Korea . At this spot, you'll have a chance to physically stand in North Korea itself and take a photo as proof (more on that below). This area is occupied by the South Korean and US military, and is complete with a gift shop selling original items from North Korea, including stamps, money, and wine (which in our experience tastes like nail polish remover and turpentine but hey, at least you can say you tried it).

NOTE: As of 2023, the JSA is still closed to visitors due to COVID, and is not included in any tours.

Odusan Unification Observatory

One can safely view day-to-day life in North Korea without setting foot in the country at Mt Odu Observatory. Binoculars (free of charge) provide ultra zoomed up views of North Korea opposite the Han river below. On our visit we were able to see civilians walking around on the other side.

Infiltration Tunnels

Scarily enough, around the time that the North and South were having peace talks, North Korea began digging underground tunnels to infiltrate the South. They were never completed, but were discovered in 1984. The longest tunnel is 1,082 metres. The 3rd tunnel is the closest to Seoul (only 44km away) and could move ~30,000 troops and artillery per hour.

Dora Observatory

This observatory offers binocular views of North Korea's fake town, Kijong-dong. The town was first built in the 1950's to lure South Koreans to defect and move across the border. From visual observations from the South, it has been uninhabited with windowless, incomplete buildings since its construction.

Dora Observatory is so named after Dorasan the mountain on which it sits. The nearest train station has a fully completed train line that runs to Pyongyang. Though the North cooperated in its completion, it was never used. It is hoped that when re-unification is reached, the train line will be used to connect the two Koreas.

Freedom Bridge

The Freedom Bridge connects North and South Korea, though a massive barricade blocks entry to the connecting point over the river. If the two sides are ever connected, this bridge could be used to enter and exit North Korea.

Step 2. Select a tour

Once you've decided on your must-see highlights (as listed above), you can select a tour.

There are traditional tour companies to choose from, which are listed at the end of this article along with prices and contact information, but it's much easier to book tours online with Klook , GetYourGuide  and Viator . You pay in advance and get fast confirmation, so all you need to do is bring your voucher to the tour. There are reviews, photos, and videos that make choosing the right tour simple. The traditional companies require back and forth e-mail or phone communication when booking direct, so Klook , GetYourGuide  and  Viator are convenient ways to avoid all that hassle.

One of the most popular tours is this day tour on Klook , with more than 50,000 bookings. This is the tour most of our readers have chosen, and is the tour we would select today. Our trip was now several years ago, and at the time we took the Special Panmunjom Tour by Panmunjeom Travel Center  which does not visit the tunnels but goes to Odu Observatory and the JSA. This tour offered the chance to speak with a North Korean refugee (defector). This allowed us to learn about how people escape the North, how they adapt to life afterwards, and what knowledge they have of the outside world living in North Korea.

Get $10 USD off your first Klook purchase with coupon code THRIFTY10 (minimum spend $120 USD, new users only)

Here are some of the top-rated tours that can be booked online:

South Korea Demilitarized Zone Half-Day Tour (Bestseller)

From Seoul: Half-Day Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Tour

DMZ Past and Present: Korean Demilitarized Zone Tour from Seoul

Step 3. take ( lots of ) photos of north korea.

Much of the road towards the JSA border runs parallel to the Han River, which separates the two countries. It's nothing short of unique to be sitting in a bus with views of North Korea passing by out your window.

The binoculars at the Dora and Odu observatory provide ultra zoomed views of North Korea. One can even see North Korean civilians walking around on the other side, as we did during our visit at Odu . At Dora Observatory, North Korea's fake town, Kijong-dong, is viewed.

Step 4. Cross the border into North Korea

On a tension-free day at the JSA, one can legally take a step into North Korea. But how and why ?

The blue buildings pictured below are UN Command neutral zones. Midway, the inside of these blue buildings cross the North/South Korea border. Inside the building on the right (UNCMAC) is where meetings between the two countries are housed.

If you want photo evidence that you physically stood in North Korea, this can be done . You can pose with a South Korean soldier within  North Korea at the back of the UNCMAC room. Be warned though (and you will be), if you cross through the door behind you, no one is responsible for your safety as you'll be alone and in North Korea.

Important Points About DMZ Tours

• Many tours require reservation 2-5 days in advance , so check ahead.
• If visiting the JSA, you must sign a waiver agreeing that no one is responsible for accident, injury, or even death . Take comfort in the fact that these tours are done every day and you are accompanied by military escorts at the border!
• You must bring your passport for most tours , and it is checked by army personnel on arrival at the JSA.
• You must adhere to the specified dress code (e.g. no ripped jeans, sandals, or unkempt hair). These rules are strictly enforced as North Korean soldiers take photos and produce false propaganda that other countries are too poor to afford proper clothing.
• Tours can end unexpectedly at any time if tensions rise at the border . That means you are not be guaranteed to step into the UNCMAC at the JSA, nor is it certain you'll get a photo across the border.

In Summary…

Partaking in the DMZ tour allows yourself to gain much more depth on a humanitarian crisis that the world does not know enough about. If you have the chance to do this trip, I'd highly recommend it.

Tour Companies & Pricing

Alternatively, you can contact one of the tour companies below directly and book with them.

Panmunjeom Travel Center Website : www.panmunjomtour.com Telephone : +82-2-771-5593 (Korean, English, Japanese) Price : 80,000-77,000 won (~$60-$77 USD). All tours include lunch. Note : Tours offered in Korean, English, and Japanese. This is the only company that allows you to meet a North Korean defector/refugee, ask them questions, and better understand the human rights issues of North Korea.

VIP Travel Website: http://www.vviptravel.com/eng/ Telephone: 02-739-3501 ext. 4 Price: 55,000-135,000 won ($48 – $120 USD). Most tours include lunch. Notes: Tours offered in English, Japanese, Chinese. None of the tours include any forced shopping stops.

Koridoor Website :  www.koridoor.co.kr Telephone : 02-6383-2570 ext. 2 Price : 43-89,000 won (~$41-$80 USD). Most tours include lunch. Notes : Tours offered in English.

JSA Tour Website : www.jsatour.com Telephone : +82-2-2266-3350 Price : 85,000-120,000 won (~$85-$120 USD). All tours include lunch. Notes : Tours offered in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese.

DMZ Spy Tour Website : www.dmzspytour.com Telephone : +82-10-3950-8350 Price: 88,000-114,000 won (~$88-$114 USD). Tours include lunch. Notes : Tours offered in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese.

International Culture Service Club Website : www.tourdmz.com Telephone : +82-2-755-0073 Price : 65,000-85,000 won (~$65-$85 USD). All tours include lunch. Notes : Tours offered in Korean, English and Japanese. This is the only company that does Saturday tours.

Seoul City Tour Website : www.seoulcitytour.net Telephone : +82-2-774-3345 Price: 40,000-125,000 won (~$40-$125 USD). Only some tours include lunch. Notes : Tours are offered in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese.

KTB Tour Website : www.go2korea.co.kr Telephone : +82-2-778-0150 Price : 65,000-130,000 won (~$65-$130 USD). All tours include lunch. Notes : Tours offered in Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese.

DMZ & JSA Tour (Professional Guide Service / Celebrity's choice Agency) Website : www.cosmojin.com Telephone : +82-2-318-0345 (Korean, English, Japanese), +82-2-318-0425 (Chinese) Price : 46,000 won (~$46 USD) for half-day tour, 87,000 won (~$87 USD) for full day tour. Lunch included on full day tour. Notes : Tours offered in Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese.

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You guys are so brave! This makes me a bit nervous and I’m not sure I would be able to do it!

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Traveling to North Korea? No wifi, limited hot water and bring your own TP

North Korea is opening back up to foreign tourists, and Russians planning on visiting this month have been given a long list of travel guidelines and tips, from warnings that hotels will have no wifi and limited hot water to suggestions to bring warm clothing as buildings are generally not well-heated.

There are also strict dress codes for certain landmarks. Visitors to Pyongyang’s Kumsusan Palace of the Sun – the final resting place of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il – are not allowed to wear blue jeans, T-shirts, miniskirts or sandals.

Don’t drink the tap water, bring toilet paper to use in public restrooms and vegetarians beware: North Korea doesn’t make accommodations for you.

That’s all according to the guide issued by Russian travel agency Vostok Intour, which is leading about 100 travelers each on trips that depart Vladivostok on March 8 and March 11. They will be the second and third such tours to North Korea in four years. 

On Feb. 9, some 97 Russians became the first group to visit the isolated country since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. 

One tourist on that trip, Ilya Voskresensky, told RFA he was struck by the empty streets in Pyongyang, the cult of personality of the leaders and how he was not allowed to go outside his hotel. 

The visitors were banned from filming construction sites and decrepit buildings, and only allowed to shoot picturesque scenes, including at the ski resort they visited, he said. 

Desperate for cash

After the pandemic, the cash-strapped North Korean government is desperate to get tourism back on track, and Pyongyang in recent months has been pursuing warmer relations with Moscow, including through various sports and cultural exchanges. 

Vostok Intour is offering a four-day tour departing on March 8 for US$800 and a five-day tour departing on the 11th for $900. These will be the final tours that offer access to North Korean ski facilities this year.

In addition to the strict dress code for the Kim Dynasty’s mausoleum, Vostok Intour’s guidelines told travelers that their ability to communicate with the outside world will be limited. 

While they will be allowed to bring their mobile phones, without a roaming contract they won’t be able to use them.

Even then, the users must purchase a SIM card for $120, which will allow them to make calls internationally, but domestic calls will still be forbidden. If they need to send messages during their visit, they can pay $2.20 to the hotel to send emails on their behalf from the hotel’s account.

The guidelines also assured travelers that if they had stamps from either the U.S. or South Korea in their passport, this would not be a problem.

Another section of the guidelines discussed poor economic conditions in North Korea, including a severe lack of infrastructure.

Visitors should bring extra clothing because many North Korean buildings are not heated properly, if at all. Most buildings cannot expect hot water except for at specific times in the morning and evening.

Information ban

The guide also advised against taking photographs in certain situations or bringing in Western literature.

“Propaganda promoting the Western way of life, as well as books about North Korea published in the West (including tourist guides), are officially prohibited from being imported,” the guidelines said. 

“Since 2015, the rules for importing literature into North Korea have been tightened,” it continued. “We have encountered several cases of confiscation of North Korea travel guides during customs inspection at the airport.”

The travel guide said that tourists have free time after scheduled sightseeing tours, but this must be spent inside their hotel. 

When Voskresensky, the Russian tourist in the first tour group this year, asked why he couldn’t go for a walk, he was told: “You don’t know the Korean language and you will have problems.”

Translated by Claire S. Lee and Leejin J. Chung. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.

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Borders Of Adventure

Leading Culture and Adventure Travel Blog by Becki Enright. Looking at the world with a different angle to change perceptions of misunderstood places, for the best in travel.

Misunderstood Destinations , North Korea

North Korea Travel Guide – The Truth About Visiting the DPRK

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to handpicked partners, including tours, gear and booking sites. If you click through or buy something via one of them, I may receive a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you and allows this site to keep running.

This guide to travel in North Korea talks about tourism in this very restricted country and what it is really like to visit the DPRK. 

Travelling to North Korea for seven days was hard. It’s propaganda via the medium of travel. I was overwhelmed, confused, upset, surprised, and returned with more questions than I had before I went.

My perceptions were certainly challenged while visiting the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Living in the western world means I have always been exposed to a one-sided and exaggerated view of what goes on there. A biased view that never mentions anything positive and masks any forms of progress that might just pave the way for a better future, even if it evolves slowly from an extreme belief system.

At the same time, any showcased achievements you see when there entirely mask the atrocities that we know about but are obviously not mentioned. 

North Korea is a country held high as the ultimate war trophy, whose unpardonable extreme ideological policies are mocked alongside the suffering of its people, rather than put into context and explained. Yet interaction with North Koreans, however limited, paves a way for understanding. The more we learn, the less inclined we are to make assumptions. Travelling can help provide that context. 

North Korea Travel Guide – The Reality of a Visit to the Hermit Kingdom.

Can Anyone Travel to North Korea?

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You can’t travel to North Korea unless you are in a guided tour group. Tourism in North Korea is very restricted and you almost feel as though you live on the tour bus as you can’t wander around freely. At all times, you have two guides who chaperone you every step of the way.

It’s a completely different way of travelling, and as held back as you feel, the local people simply are not used to western faces and so this form of control allows them a slow introduction. When you visit North Korea, it is not a holiday.

South Koreans are not permitted entry to North Korea.

North Korea travel is all about spending most of your time on the bus.

Following the death of American tourist, Otto Warmbier after he was arrested and detained in North Korea, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson authorised his department to block Americans from traveling to the country, which already advised against travel to North Korea.

The ban came into effect on 1st September 2017, leading some tour companies, such as Young Pioneers no longer taking American tourists into the country (effective as of June 2017). Journalists and humanitarian workers are allowed to apply for exemptions under the ban.

Choosing a North Korea tour isn’t too difficult since there are not an abundance of companies offering travel experiences there. I went with Koryo Tours in 2012, given their great reputation and the fact they opened up the concept of tourism there first.

Not only is it very expensive to go to North Korea, but I wanted my trip to be expertly organised. With the tour starting and ending in Beijing , and all your visa requirements taken care of, the whole process was hassle-free.

The night before I remember sitting with a guy in my Beijing hostel, who was also going, and feeling overwhelmed. “We are going to North Korea! I can’t believe it!” which was quickly followed by “I’m scared”. Really scared of the million rules and regulations we had to adhere to, scared of what we might see, doing something wrong and being in trouble. And scared of what I would end up feeling.

In the departure lounge, nervousness and excitement were expressed through a mutual exchange of our knowledge and opinions. It’s better to get everything out of your system before you are exposed to exaggeration, propaganda, and overshadowed facts where you have to keep a straight face. You will only be shown what they want you to see.

North Korea Koryo tour group.

No – the visa is simply printed out and kept together in one big file for the entire group which includes individual images of everyone on the tour (a page that is also stuck on the bus window for reference).

The tourist visa card to North Korea.

After signing up for a tour and when your visa and permission for entry to North Korea is granted, you will fly from Beijing to Pyongyang on Air Koryo – a state-run airline. Air Koryo has consistently bad ratings, but flights to North Korea are the only means to enter.

The majority of organised tours leave Pyongyang via train, back to China (specifically Beijing), upon which North Korean guards will enter the train before its entry into China to check your camera and make sure you are not taking any offending material outside of North Korea. Other tours may also fly back to China via Air Koryo.

Boarding the Pyongyang to Beijing train.

As long as you follow all the rules outlined to you before you enter North Korea, travel is ‘deemed safe’ in the respect that you are never alone, never allowed to travel at your own will or allowed to travel outside of the designated areas where North Korean guides chaperone you at all times. This means it is highly unlikely that you will be affected by any serious crime or be the victim of it, nor witness any major situation in the country at the time due to the controlled nature of the visit.

North Korea isn’t a communist dictatorship where people and visitors have relative freedom, like Cuba . Every DPRK tour factors in a full briefing, before departure, on every applicable rule you must follow. These are often reiterated on the trip itself. There is no excuse for breaking the rules which are very clearly laid out.

There is nothing brag-worthy about travelling in North Korea; everyone is effectively at risk travelling there.

It is also wise to keep up to date with the latest news agenda, alongside political tensions in the area and those between North Korea and your country of citizenship that may affect your entry to the country as well as any pending bans or rule changes.

You will attend a meeting in Beijing at the offices of your designated tour company before the start of the tour (normally 24-48 before), which outlines the rules you must adhere to when travelling in North Korea. These include:

• The types of camera and lens size permitted for use in the country.
• How your Passport will be taken from you when you enter North Korea, for the duration of the tour (and usually kept by your tour group leader) and returned to you upon arrival back into China. The reason for this is stated as being “for security reasons”. At the time I travelled, my mobile phone was also confiscated.
• How to take pictures of the Kim statues , which cannot be captured close up or cropped. They must be captured in their entirety.

Bronze statues of the Kims in North Korea.

• The kinds of pictures you are NOT allowed to take. Pictures of any form of construction, scenes that denote poverty and images of the military are not permitted. When in doubt about the nature of what can and can’t be photographed, ask first.
• How you will be expected to honour the leader.  When visiting the statues of Kim Il Sung your group will be expected to bow and lay flowers, just as the North Koreans do. You are also obliged to pay respect when visiting all monuments of national importance.
• The importance that any kind of independent travel in North Korea is in no way allowed, anywhere or at any point of the tour.

Pyongyang city seafront.

• Do not try to reason, state facts, change the narrative or attempt to overturn the words and actions of your North Korean guide or those you come across at designated sites.  This is their job, and while you might categorically know something not to be true, they have no choice, and you chose to be in this restricted and propaganda-heavy situation.
• Any attempt to converse privately with a North Korean citizen will be seen as an act of espionage.

North Korea guard explains the history to tourists visiting the border with South Korea.

• To act positive, praise-worthy and keep any negative thoughts to yourself and not say anything derogatory out loud.  It’s better to be submissive and accept the situation than to be seen as trying to overturn it.
• Do not bring with you any materials pertaining to South Korea, religion or anything that can be seen as a form of ideology of which you will be seen as imposing.

You must absolutely follow the rules for travel in North Korea and don’t do anything outside of those rules which may draw attention to yourself.

There are no exceptions to these rules and nor will you get off lightly. Imprisonment and torture are common forms of punishment and your tour company has no special command to get you off the hook.

Also, anything you do wrong also puts your North Korean’s life (and their family’s lives) at risk.

My North Korea Experience

Pyongyang, where the North Korea tour is mostly be based, isn’t a grim and frightening ghost town. Looking out from the top of the hotel, you are afforded a view just like any other big city, including skyscrapers, factories, monuments and mass housing. It is, after all, the centre of the country’s most elite – it exists as a centrepiece and to house particular people.

I thought Pyongyang would be a small concrete city, hidden from view. Instead, it sprawls for miles and miles and looks just like any other city, except it’s scattered with propaganda posters, mosaics and bronze sculptures of the Kims. It is both the pivotal destination for tourism, the capital and at the heart of the regime.

View of Pyongyang from the tourist hotel.

The high-rise buildings of Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

There is no denying that it is for show. This is not how the majority of North Koreans live. The city gleamed with new and pristine buildings, built to the grand imposing communist-style façade of dominance, modern progression and increasing wealth.

There are statues so immense that their towering presence automatically creates an air of intensity, like the artistic propaganda posters you can’t miss – a style I had previously learnt about at the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre prevalent during the Mao’s Communist Regime in China. The stylised shop fronts we too often take for granted when at home are, in fact, empty. Or they happened “to be closed” that day, of course.

Sightseeing in Pyongyang.

Bronze statues of the Kims riding horses.

Elevated view of Pyongyang City. 

It was, seemingly, a functioning city full of local people going about their daily lives. Whether that was the queue for a building we could only assume is a food and ration station (there are only tourist stores open), the pockets of people disappearing underground to use the Metro station or walking to the office, or the mothers out with their children, we got only a very, very small glimpse of daily life. Mostly from the bus window.

Streets of Pyongyang.

Pyongyang Metro entrance.

You must always remember what is deliberately presented to you when you travel in North Korea. 

Whilst you know about malnourishment and mass electricity blackouts, you don’t see it in the show city. So whilst there’s no denying the existence of this because there’s proof from defectors and undercover reporters, in Pyongyang it is not on the scale we are told about because the set-up is very different. Although extreme poverty does exist en masse throughout the country (as footage shows), this is what you (strategically) won’t see.

When we drove out of the city, we did pass shanty-type, less affluent towns. This was a real glimpse into how some of the population live outside of the capital and was the more shocking side to travel here. Of course, upon leaving Pyongyang, you can’t take images. Instead, you only remember what you saw. 

Construction was taking place everywhere, and we still wondered why many people were living in semi-completed buildings. I’ve also seen similar neighbourhoods in China and other parts of Asia, where buildings are left rather than being maintained and where wealth distribution is unbalanced. I wouldn’t say this housing is unique to North Korea, but it did show the existence of the same underbelly of poverty. From news investigations, we know deep down it’s far worse than what we see from a quick glance out of a bus window, of course. 

DPRK Propaganda sign in a neighbourhood in Pyongyang.

Life in Pyongyang.

What confused me the most about North Korea was the beautiful countryside in Nampo and around – green hills and yellow crop plantations, trees and orchards. In a land that has around 70% mountainous terrain, it looked pretty impressive.

Our British guide told us that North Korea had admitted to bad farming practices and that it lacked knowledge about beneficial methods, but it looked as though things were improving. Or could. If it was put into practice for the benefit of the people.

The countryside of North Korea.

I’m no farmer, but I wasn’t expecting to see so much green and grain. Whilst this may not produce a plentiful supply for the entire population, there is production in farming, although I have no doubt that it’s far from enough or distributed properly, if at all. There have been famines since the 1970s when the help from the Soviets ended, and the need for international aid began. 

The countryside near Nampo outside of Pyongyang.

Our visit to a local farm was very set up, and we had no belief that anyone we met actually lived there. The shame is that it still provides a window of hope for what can actually be.

A working farm in North Korea.

Farming in North Korea.

Our visit to an apple factory with its investment of millions of pounds worth of equipment looked as though a slow growth of manufacture and export is on the cards – or again, one could hope. The mechanism is there – it just needs to be implemented.

A mural of King Jong Il adorns the apple factory near Pyongyang.

Apple factory tour.

Apple products from the factory are on sale for tourists.

The question of what it is like to live in North Korea fascinates everybody. When you look into it a bit more deeply, we all are cut from an ideology of the society we are brought up in, except that in North Korea, it is on a very extreme scale to what we will ever know.

From what I observed when I was in North Korea and what I read before and after my visit, the majority of North Korean people know of nothing else, and by having no access to other sources or information and, therefore, no comparison (except the few who retain and obtain information and later defect), it appears they live in a world they assume is normal.

From that sense of normal appears to be a genuine love for the Kims – nearly everybody wears a pin badge bearing one or both of them, and many bow to the statues before work in the morning. They believe in everything they have been told as they have never known the full facts, or been given the means to find out or make a personal judgement. If you knew of nothing else, what would you do? Sure, there must be people from older generations who also know the absolute truth but have no option but to live in submission.

My point is that we shouldn’t be so quick to judge a nation of people without looking at their ideology in context. It’s devastating that people have to live in such isolation in this day and age. We, in the Western world, are lucky to live in societies where we have freedom of speech, freedom of expression, access to information and means from which to realise our aspirations and make informed choices.

We shouldn’t be so quick to brand a nation of people as odd, weird or crazy when they have no clue and are just going about their normal lives.

The normal they know.

The ethical question of visiting North Korea is a tricky one, and I sit on both sides of the fence.

On the one hand, everything that happens in North Korea is wrong. At the same time, in that case, we wouldn’t be travelling to many places. Some argue that by visiting North Korea you are helping to fund the regime or government’s objectives, but this applies to many countries open to tourism. Think of the corrupt governments that still exist in Asia and the Middle East, but you don’t think twice about heading there.

On the other hand, meeting North Koreans is a gateway to openness. The North Koreans we met were kind. Our guides were easy-going, approachable, witty and caring. Of course, you can’t talk openly to them, speak of things at home, or try to inform them of the facts behind the Korean War. This would be against the rules set upon you and at risk to them. Beyond the historical ‘facts’ they had to tell and the rules they had to impose (since they would be in serious trouble over any of our irresponsible actions) they weren’t lifeless robots. They became our friends, just like any other person.

On National Day, we walked through a park where locals were celebrating with their families, laying out a huge picnic, firing up the barbeques, playing music and dancing. Some were unsure of us, giving a stare that suggested a slight fear of the unknown and given what they have probably been told about the Western world and its people, others were welcoming, offering food and pulling us into their dancing circles.

You might question the serendipitous encounter at the time visitors arrived. Even if they were told to be there (which is highly likely), shaking hands, smiling and interacting was the only reassurance we could provide that we are not all bad, and I feel that is a positive start to what could be a slow but positive change in this country. 

Travelling to North Korea and a tourism drive could be one way to start opening the cracks.

National Day in North Korea.

What Do You Get to See in North Korea?

The number one rule of travel to North Korea is that you will never see the real North Korea. Travelling to North Korea is in no way a relaxing holiday or a form of vacation. They want you to return having believed the PR presentation about development, happiness and loyalty. 

A trip to North Korea is not complete without the sites they want you to see – the showpieces of the regime and the points of Hero Worship – such as Kim Il Sung Square and the statue we had to bow to, the Tower of Juche Idea, the Founding Party Monument, the captured US spy ship USS Pueblo, Kim Il Sung’s native home.

The Monument to Party Founding in Pyongyang.

Monuments and murals in North Korea.

Pyongyang parade ground markings.

One of the many monuments in North Korea.

Captured ship US Pablo shown to tourists in Pyongyang.

Korean traditional dress and dancing.

A fairground, a bowling alley, nights of karaoke. That’s also part of the itinerary and which you realise are places built for the elite locals and not just for western entertainment. Keeping the people happy and occupied – distraction keeps the ideological machine in motion.

The main downside to what you see is the imposed order and structure as well as the exaggerated explanation, yet this is what you expect before you come on the trip. Some things you visit, such as the farm collective, appear a little too set up with the people ‘placed’ there, which didn’t feel right or real at all. But you only had to look into the distance to get a better picture, without taking an actual photograph.

Propaganda literature and videos on a North Korea tour give an extremely one-sided argument to the history of the Korean War. It is frustrating, but you have to grin and bear it. Everything is built in what they call ‘chollima time’ such as their version of the Paris Arc de Triomphe, of which North Korea’s is bigger and took less time to build. “This would normally take five years to build, but we built it in three!”

North Korea’s version of the Arc de Triomphe in Pyongyang.

Local guides gush about Kim Il Sung more than you would declare the love you feel for your parents – he is often referred to as ‘our father’ much like religious terminology. Films detailing milestones of the country such as the building of the West Sea Barrage dam are long, tedious and full of descriptions of the ‘revolutionary spirit’ behind its construction. Every place of high importance bears a plaque of when one or both of the Kims made a visit, alongside a giant painting of them. 

This can become very tiring but does give solid insight into the way the minds of the people have been moulded and the lessons to be learnt from that.

While tourists can easily visit the DMZ in South Korea, North Korea’s tourism doesn’t leave this off the agenda. This is your chance to see it from the other side and, of course, hear the story from their perspective.

You get to sit in the same room, converse over the negotiation table (which you are not allowed to sit at when you visit from the South Korea side) and see the North Korean guards on duty at the borderline.

Visiting the DMZ on the North Korea side on a guided tour.

Around the table at the DMZ meeting room on the North Korea side.

North Korean guards at the DMZ border line.

After that, you will get to look through Binoculars out into the DMZ ‘No Man’s Land’ area in-between the two country borders, where you are informed North Korean guards keep constant watch.

Looking out into the DMZ No Mans Land from North Korea.

READ MORE: Visiting the DMZ in North and South Korea – The Story of Both Sides

One of the deepest metro systems in the world, you get to go 110 metres underground to ride the Pyongyang metro. Adorned in intricate mosaic tiled propaganda images and bronze and with revolutionary themed names like ‘Comrade’, ‘Glory’ and ‘Reunification’, North Korea’s subway is quite the experience.

This is a stop included on your organised tour since North Korea is both proud (of those stations on show) yet secretive and guarded since you can ride only five of the 16 stops. Of course, you embark and disembark at the grandest station of them all – Prosperity.

Hundreds of people can be seen making their way to and from work and home, on a ticket that costs 5 Won (less than one US cent). I have seen images of all 16 stations in use and apparently, you can ride all of them – you just don’t on a tour as it would take too long. But in reality, we will never know if the entire metro system is in constant working order and for whom such a service is for.

I’m fascinated by metro systems all over the world and the Pyongyang subway is a highlight for the curious-minded. I would love to ride them all since it is said each station exists as a timeline and story flow of North Korea’s history.

The part of the metro in Pyongyang open to tourists.

Inside the decorated Pyongyang metro station.

Newspaper on the platform of the Pyongyang metro subway platform.

When you sign up for your North Korea tour you will be asked if you would like to purchase a ticket to the famous Arirang Mass Games spectacle at the Rungrado May Day Stadium, also known as the Arirang Festival. It is deemed a highlight and THE thing to see in Pyongyang, There are various tickets for different seating plans, but for the majority of tourists this feat of athleticism and showmanship of gymnastics is a highlight.

The Mass Games in North Korea.

While no show on earth will ever compare to that of the Mass Games in North Korea – a spectacle so incredible and full of athletic prowess that it blows your mind – it was also very uncomfortable to watch.  

At the back of your mind weighs the reality of the extreme training of the participants, who live within a gruelling and dominant regime where the Mass Games is a part of the societal showcase. You can imagine the pain and endurance to be perfect, and exactly what would happen if someone messed up. No one puts a foot wrong during the performance.

As a communist state, North Korean flags and red symbols appear heavily throughout. The huge picture in the background? That’s school kids trained all year to make images from pieces of coloured cards for hours on end at this show.

Watching the Arirang Mass Games in North Korea.

The hundreds of performers at the Arirang Mass Games.

The Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance Arirang.

While places of communist past have or are slowly moving on, becoming ‘socialist’ and slightly more progressive, North Korea lags behind by still keeping an ultimate grip on its people, yet struggling with the realisation that it needs to develop, trade and open up with the rest of the world in order to sustain itself in the modern age.

A country striking fear into the heart of its people is the only way it maintains control. This is something my generation, in particular, doesn’t understand as many of us have never had to live in a country in serious conflict with another. Whilst we would all love to see a united Korea, it wouldn’t be that easy.

Think of the differences between East and West Berliners when the wall came down. Two ideologies and different ways of life collided; two economic and education systems trying to integrate. I couldn’t imagine this would be an easy process of bringing immediate peace, but hopefully, I will see some movement towards this in my lifetime.

In tourism’s infancy, around 1,500 tourists visit North Korea annually. Today, that number is more in the regions of hundreds of thousands, but mainly from the Chinese market in comparison to the smaller numbers of western tourists going to the DPRK. Still, that’s thousands more than we ever thought possible.

From what we were told from the Koryo Tours representative with us, the more time goes by, the more tourists are allowed to see and do – a two-way trust process that slowly grows, where we can show the North Koreans a positive side to the Western world and its people and where we can try to understand them. A hope that it somehow paves the way for openness.

Maybe one day the people will harness the power for change or the ideological system will change.

Only then can we be friends without restriction. 

It was important for me to gain a wider perspective on the culture and history of the Koreas and the conflict, and so a few months later I travelled to South Korea for three weeks. I was able to see some core sights and gain a better understanding of just how different life is on the other, more accessible side of this heavily tested border.

About Becki

Becki Enright is a British Travel Press Award-winning writer whose work focuses on changing perceptions about misunderstood aspects of destinations. Her writing combines storytelling with insight into the social, historical, political and economic factors that shape the country or place in relation to tourism. Becki has appeared live on Sky News and CNN and has contributed to high profile media including National Geographic, Time.com, Guardian online, New York Times, Grazia and Buzzfeed.

Chris Padley says

19 August 2023 at 8:47 am

In his TV programme made of his visit to N.K. Michael Palin visited a park on National Day too. A comparison between this, as seen in the TV programme, and your description of your own experience is interesting.

Paul Cosgrave says

13 June 2023 at 9:56 pm

Becki: Great Article. You are a brave person to have gone to North Korea. As an American I will not be going anytime soon. I agree with your comments that travel is so important to help us understand the people and their motivations who have grown up in different cultures than ourselves. I realized this in a recent trip through Vietnam and Cambodia where the culture is clearly not as different from our western background as what you experienced in North Korea, but nevertheless very different from what I had expected. The one thing I have learned from my travel is that people around the world are much more similar than they are different.

6 January 2023 at 7:27 am

I traveled to North Korea in 2007. Americans were not allowed to visit for a long time but when they allowed a few American tour groups in that year I jumped at the chance

Everything in this rings true to me. I am still conflicted as to whether giving money to the regime was a good thing

However there were several moments when I had a brief but human chat or laugh with one of our guides. Talking about family and universal stuff. I hope that made a tiny bit of difference in understanding

6 January 2023 at 1:46 pm

It’s a real conflict mentally and morally. Although North Korea is up there as one of the worst, we sadly give our money to many regimes when travelling. But I firmly believe that those chats on universal stuff are a way of paving the way to openness, truth and understanding.

Aaron Galan says

17 May 2020 at 8:30 am

I would love to go to North Korea just to have another perspective of what it is shown on TV. Maybe give a chance to this country, because it’s easy to say that a country is bad for its bad reputation on TV. And I know this because sometimes other countries think that Mexico is just as bad as a Warzone. Apart from that I would like to see if it’s true that everything is as Asymmetrical as everyone says. I would also like to visit the DMZ from both perspectives to compare each sides of the stories

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10 Things Tourists Should Never Do While Visiting North Korea

Despite rising tensions surrounding North Korea , many tourists continue to flock to the nation, which is often described as one of the most mysterious in the world. And while the isolated country has come to recently embrace visitors from beyond its borders, it has not eased up on its notoriously stringent rules – or its harsh punishments.

The appropriateness of tourism in North Korea has long been debated, but has become increasingly discussed in the past few months. Advocates argue that the local-to-tourist contact made possible by tourism helps improve citizens’ views of outsiders, which, following years of propaganda that paints the West as an evil enemy, is a step in the right direction.

Those who are against it say that tourism legitimizes the government, which over the years has become infamous for its human rights mistreatment. They also suggest that tourists – often unintentionally – serve as propaganda tools, with their presence used to illustrate foreign advocacy for the Kim regime. Furthermore, many argue that tourist dollars are likely being used to help fund the nation’s nuclear and missile programs.

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Don’t call the country North Korea.

Referring to the nation as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK, will help to keep you out of trouble.

Don’t expect privacy.

Travel to the country is only possible as part of a tightly controlled guided tour, and tour guides are with you every second you’re there. Really, though. Every second.

Don’t expect to see the real North Korea.

Your tour will be highly choreographed so that you will only visit authorized sites, shop in approved stores, and speak only to official guides. You will not have access to anything or anyone that is not part of your tour. In other words, you will not get any insight into how the local people live .

Don’t go off on your own.

You are not permitted to go anywhere without an escort. You must not leave your hotel. You must not use the public transportation system. You should not even attempt to stray a few feet from the group to get a closer look at something.

Don’t speak negatively about the country, its people, or its leaders.

Disrespecting the North Korean government is considered a major offence and has landed tourists in hot water, such as being sentenced to hard labor . In fact, travelers in North Korea are expected to praise every stop and landmark . Some may even be required to present flowers to or bow in front of statues of the regime’s past and present leaders. When in doubt, take Thumper’s advice: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.”

Don’t pack a lot.

If you want to avoid a more-rigorous-than-usual screening process at the border (and trust us, you do!), then consider packing light.

Upon your arrival, DVDs, USB drives, laptops, cameras, and other electronics – not to mention your browsing history – will be inspected by customs officials to ensure that you’re not carrying in any material critical of the DPRK government , or pornographic or religious content. Attempting to bring in any sort of Western literature about North Korea (including guidebooks) or media such as music or films from South Korea could be a very risky decision.

GPS trackers, satellite phones, and camera lenses more than 150mm are absolutely not permitted, so leave them at home. If any questionable item is found, it will be confiscated, and may or may not be returned to you upon your departure.

Don’t bring your phone, either.

Although the country’s previous rule banning mobile phones has been relaxed, mobile devices are often still confiscated at customs. It should be noted that if DPRK authorities permit you to keep your phone when you enter, it will not function unless you use the DPRK mobile service, which will enable North Korean authorities to monitor your calls.

Don’t discuss or practice your religious beliefs.

North Korea is an atheist state that restricts public religion. Participating in unsanctioned religious activities such as publicly praying or toting around a Bible is a sure-fire way to get arrested, detained, or expelled from the state.

Don’t take the wrong pictures.

The regime is famously paranoid about keeping its internal affairs secret, so even seemingly innocuous photos — such as of people strolling down a sidewalk — could cause an issue. Travelers are instructed to avoid photographing scenes of poverty and construction sites. Should they want to snap a shot of a statue, they must capture the whole body in the frame, as no close-ups of the head are allowed.

Don’t break the rules.

Breaking a rule of the tour will not only put your life in danger, but will also put your guide at risk. He or she will face imprisonment and even torture for assisting your attempts at alleged espionage. Follow the lead of the guides, and do not take the rules lightly. If you are not willing to accept extreme limitations on your whereabouts and behavior, North Korea is probably not the right travel destination for you.

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Watch CBS News

Solar eclipse maps show 2024 totality path, peak times and how much of the eclipse people could see across the U.S.

By Aliza Chasan

Updated on: April 9, 2024 / 5:00 AM EDT / CBS News

A total solar eclipse  crossed North America Monday with parts of 15 U.S. states within the path of totality. Maps show  where and when astronomy fans could see the big event  as skies darkened in the middle of the day Monday, April 8.

The total eclipse first appeared along Mexico's Pacific Coast at around 11:07 a.m. PDT, then traveled across a swath of the U.S., from Texas to Maine, and into Canada.

About 31.6 million people live in the path of totality , the area where the moon fully blocked out the sun , according to NASA. The path ranged between 108 and 122 miles wide. An additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of the path of totality.

Solar eclipse path of totality map for 2024

The total solar eclipse started over the Pacific Ocean, and the first location in continental North America that experienced totality was Mexico's Pacific Coast, around 11:07 a.m. PDT, according to NASA. From there, the path continued into Texas, crossing more than a dozen states before the eclipse enters Canada in southern Ontario. The eclipse exited continental North America at around 5:16 p.m. NDT from Newfoundland, Canada.

The path of totality included portions of the following states:

• Pennsylvania
• New Hampshire

Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan also experienced the total solar eclipse.

Several major cities across the U.S. were included in the eclipse's path of totality, while many others saw a partial eclipse. These were some of the best major cities for eclipse viewing — though the weather was a factor :

• San Antonio, Texas (partially under the path)
• Austin, Texas
• Waco, Texas
• Dallas, Texas
• Little Rock, Arkansas
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Dayton, Ohio
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Buffalo, New York
• Rochester, New York
• Syracuse, New York
• Burlington, Vermont

Map of when the solar eclipse reached totality across its path

The eclipse began in the U.S. as a partial eclipse beginning at 12:06 p.m. CDT near Eagle Pass, Texas, before progressing to totality by about 1:27 p.m. CDT and then moving along its path to the northeast over the following few hours.

NASA shared times for several cities in the path of totality across the U.S. People could have also  checked their ZIP code on NASA's map  to see when the eclipse was to reach them if they were on, or near, the path of totality — or if they saw a partial eclipse instead.

How much of the eclipse did people see if they live outside the totality path?

While the April 8 eclipse covered a wide swath of the U.S., outside the path of totality observers may have spotted a partial eclipse, where the moon covers some, but not all, of the sun, according to NASA. The closer they were to the path of totality, the larger the portion of the sun that was hidden.

NASA allowed viewers to input a ZIP code and see how much of the sun was to be covered in their locations.

Could there be cloud cover be during the solar eclipse?

Some areas along the path of totality had a higher likelihood of cloud cover that could interfere with viewing the eclipse. Here is a map showing the historical trends in cloud cover this time of year. 

You could have checked the latest forecast for your location with our partners at The Weather Channel .

Where did the solar eclipse reach totality for the longest?

Eclipse viewers near Torreón, Mexico, got to experience totality for the longest. Totality there lasted 4 minutes, 28 seconds, according to NASA. 

Most places along the centerline of the path of totality saw a totality duration of between 3.5 and 4 minutes, according to NASA. Some places in the U.S. came close to the maximum; Kerrville, Texas, had a totality duration of 4 minutes, 24 seconds.

What is the path of totality for the 2044 solar eclipse?

The next total solar eclipse that will be visible from the contiguous U.S. will be on Aug. 23, 2044.

Astronomy fans in the U.S. will have far fewer opportunities to see the 2044 eclipse they had on April 8. NASA has not yet made maps available for the 2044 eclipse but, according to The Planetary Society , the path of totality will only touch three states.

The 2024 eclipse will start in Greenland, pass over Canada and end as the sun sets in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to the Planetary Society.

Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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China's leadership is willing to work with its North Korean counterparts to deepen trust and boost cooperation, China's top legislator Zhao Leji said in a speech in Pyongyang published by the official Xinhua news agency late on Friday.

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