How to Reach North Korea as a Tourist

Known as the "Isolated Kingdom", many people don't realize that you can actually travel to North Korea as a tourist.

Guess what? You can go to North Korea. But it will still be a very strange experience.

North Korea Tours

The best (and only reasonable) way to travel to North Korea is with a tour operator. Several thousand Western foreigners are allowed to enter the country in this way every year.

There are many organizations that organize trips to North Korea, and entry and exit are usually done through China.

There are slight differences in prices and duration of tours with different companies, but since the North Korean government has the final say on itineraries, they all go to the same places in general.

You usually have a Western guide accompany you from Beijing (or from wherever your group meets). Local North Korean guides will then join you upon arrival.

What will I be allowed to do in North Korea?

You'll be surprised at how much you can do it – and how much you can't do.

Your itinerary will be determined by the North Korean authorities and you will have guides with you at all times. If you want to make any changes, it usually takes about three days to get approved, so talk early.

Your guides will take you to see a lot of things - monuments, museums, transportation systems, factories, parks, art shows.

From the regime's point of view, all scenes are supposed to paint a positive image of the country. But you'll find yourself seeing a large part of the country as you drive between all these places and in the surrounding streets.

However, you won't be able to roam alone. You will always have to be in the company of mentors and you will have to follow their instructions on what you can and cannot do.

It will allow you to take pictures, except for military personnel and moving vehicles.

It will allow you to take your camera and computer with you. Now you are also allowed to take your phone with you and use it as a camera (and anything else). However, you will not be able to connect to the telephone network to make/receive calls or use data.

Things to see in North Korea

Most of North Korea's main "tourist attractions" are located in the capital, Pyongyang, and this is where the short trips will focus then. Among the most prominent landmarks of the capital:

Comsosan Memorial Palace: This is the mausoleum of the country's founder, Kim Il Sung, and has a strange sense of everything about it inside.

Gucci Tower: The height of the tower is about 170 meters, and there is an elevator to reach the top. It offers a great view over the whole of Pyongyang.

Revolutionary Martyr Cemetery: The war memorial on the hilltop of those who died fighting the Japanese.

Triumphal March: Deliberately built to be three meters higher than its Paris counterpart, it is the largest triumphal arch in the world. It will be difficult to avoid seeing it while driving around the city.

Museum of the War of Liberation of the Victorious Homeland: It's interesting for its exhibitions but more so for understanding how North Korea's propaganda system works.

Getting out of Pyongyang will be a little harder unless your tour is longer than a few days. You won't have much control at all over the areas you visit. Here are some highlights and it would be helpful to know if they are included in any trip you are considering.

Demilitarized zone: You can also visit the demilitarized zone from South Korea, but there's something fun waving to confused tourists from the North Korean side.

International Friendship Exhibition: This exhibition is promoted as a display of gifts given by world leaders to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, although I am convinced that the bunker built into the mountain is actually a bunker when a nuclear war breaks out. One of the highlights of the trip will be due to the exotic gift set.

Ryongmun Cave: A strange area of caves that is lit up in different colors all the time. It seems to be a popular place for school groups to visit.

West Sea Barrages: This dam is eight kilometers long and was built during the eighties and is the industrial pride and delight of North Korea.

Safety in North Korea

As long as you don't go to North Korea with the clear intention of stirring up trouble, you'll find things very safe.

You are always taken care of by local North Korean guides, so you can't have a problem with the authorities because the guides will prevent you from doing anything that could put you in a difficult position.

One of the goals of the trips for foreigners is to send a positive message about the country. The regime basically sees it as a big PR campaign – where you are part of the propaganda machine – so it doesn't want anything wrong to happen.

If you did what you were told, it would be one of the safest trips I've ever taken.

However, you may have read some stories about tourists detained in North Korea. These unfortunate situations are rare and usually occur because the tourist did something he shouldn't do.

I think it is clear that their punishment far outweighs their "crime", and it is clear that they were used as a form of hostage in political negotiations. But the advice all experts give is that if you don't do anything wrong, you have nothing to fear.