North Korea: How to Travel to ‘The Hermit Kingdom’
If there is one country in the world that could be described as “off the beaten track” more than anywhere else, it is North Korea. Whilst countries like Kiribati in the Pacific and many other island nations are off the beaten track geographically, North Korea has earned the name ‘The Hermit Kingdom’ because of its restrictions on travel in and out of the country.
Other countries have closed borders for reasons of war or political unrest, but no country has been so isolated for as long as North Korea – or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to use its official name.
North Koreans cannot travel out of the country unless they are travelling in pairs on government business, and foreigners cannot enter the country without visas, which are not easily obtained except for travellers on government-approved group tours. From time to time North Korea closes its borders completely, and that can happen at very short notice.
Most countries recommend against travel to the DPRK. South Koreans are not permitted to enter the country and U.S. citizens are prohibited from travelling to North Korea without special validation from their State Department. But for other nationalities there is no reason they shouldn’t travel there provided travellers understand the restrictions that will apply.
Other than for US citizens, North Korea is a very safe country to visit because you will always have one or two guides with you, and your visit will be so tightly controlled that it is highly unlikely that you would ever find yourself in a situation where you would be the victim of any criminal activity.
But why would anyone want to visit North Korea? It’s not a country to which you can go for a relaxing beach holiday, or explore the countryside or famous landmarks at your own pace. There is no independent travel (all travel is with state-appointed guides) and the food is very basic because there are often shortages of basic commodities.
Many people refuse to even consider travel to North Korea because of the oppressive political situation and gross human rights abuses. They argue that buying a tour to North Korea is putting money into the coffers of a despot government (the contrary argument is that it is helping a few ordinary North Koreans to have some income and a better life).
For others, there is one very good reason for visiting North Korea: to be educated about what life is like inside The Hermit Kingdom. Unless you’ve been to North Korea, it’s almost impossible to imagine that such a place exists on this planet today, and what life is like inside the country.
However, do remember that North Korea is still technically at war with South Korea, and it is under sanctions from the United States, so when planning a trip to North Korea always be prepared to call it off or postpone the trip if relations with South Korea or the U.S. appear to be deteriorating.
North Korea is not a country in which you would want to be stranded in the event of a sudden flare-up in hostilities. Once inside the country it is unlikely that you will have any access to international news, so it will be difficult to keep track of what is happening in the outside world.
Getting to North Korea
Travelling to North Korea requires a great deal of forward planning. It’s a destination more suited to older travellers with time on their hands because there may be cancellations (the North Korean government can change entry requirements at any time), rescheduling of flights or tours, and changes to itineraries without notice.
That said, there are many travellers who have taken tours to North Korea without any incidents whatsoever, but you should always be prepared for the worse and give yourself plenty of leeway on inbound and outbound connections in China.
Tourists can only visit North Korea on organised tours booked through government-approved travel agencies. No independent travel is permitted. There are several Beijing-based agencies that speak English and have English websites – Uri Tours and Koryo Tours are the most well known – and China-based KTG Tours and Young Pioneer Tours (don’t let the name fool you – plenty of older travellers book with them) offer budget tours.
There are also booking agents based in the UK (Juche Travel Services and Lupine Travel) and Germany (Rocky Road Travel) and a few smaller outfits in other countries. It’s worth checking all of their websites because although most of the tours on offer are the same, a few of the agencies offer variations that may suit your interests better.
Some agencies send a western guide with the group, whilst others rely on the North Korean guides employed by the government-owned tour operator inside North Korea. Those with a western guide tend to offer a better experience because they will help smooth over any problems experienced with the North Korean guides – but of course they will cost a little more.
Some travellers who have been on the cheaper group tours with larger numbers and no western guides have reported problems with the North Korean guides bullying them, but this usually only happens when travellers don’t comply with the restrictions imposed on tourists (more on that later).
Most tours start from Beijing or Shenyang and include the cost of the airfares. Some agents may also offer a few departures from Shanghai (these are usually charter flights). You will need to make your own arrangements to get to Beijing, Shenyang or Shanghai.
Most standard tours work out at around US$250 per day per person, which includes airfares, accommodation and meals. This is similar to what tour costs are in other countries like Bhutan where you can only travel with government-approved guides (although for Bhutan $250 per day does not include the cost of airfares).
Tour groups are usually capped at either 12 or 24 persons, but some agents offer tours for smaller groups (and even couples) but you will still have two North Korean guides with you. The smaller group tours will cost up to $350 per day.
There are also rail tours available from Beijing, Shenyang and Dandong, which are cheaper, but many travellers say the train is not very comfortable. Those agencies offering budget tours can usually keep the price to below $200 a day by using the train and cheaper accommodation options.
The tours incorporating air travel mostly use Air Koryo, which didn’t have a good safety record for many years, but hasn’t suffered any fatal accidents since 1983. Air Koryo currently operates Russian Tupolev Tu-204 aircraft on its international routes, which is a big improvement on the old Ilyushin Il-62s that it used to operate, which didn’t have oxygen masks for the passengers.
If you are a nervous flyer and prefer not to fly on Air Koryo, you can enquire with your travel agent as to whether they offer any departures on Air China (Beijing only) or you can take the rail tour option instead.
Some travel agents claim that their tours offer travellers the opportunity to interact with local people. These claims should be viewed with scepticism. In general you will not have the opportunity to interact with any local people other than your guides, and if you do, it will likely be staged and the ‘locals’ will be privileged citizens who have been engaged for a carefully managed interaction.
In any event, very few people in North Korea speak English or any languages other than Korean, so even if you have some local interaction, you will not be able to converse.
What’s on a North Korean tour?
Your tour will be confined mainly to historic sites, museums, mausoleums, monuments and parks, but some include a ride on the Pyongyang Metro – the world’s deepest underground railway. The Metro is very interesting, so try to find a tour that includes that option.
The captured American spy ship, the USS Pueblo, which is moored in the Potong River in Pyongyang near the Monument to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War, is another stop on most city tours that visitors are taken to.
Not many tours will take you outside of Pyongyang, but some of the longer ones (meaning at least 4-5 days) may take you south to the DMZ on the South Korean border, or north to Hyangsan near Mt Myohyang, about halfway to the Chinese border. Both involve 2-3 hours on the road each way.
Hyangsan is where the International Friendship Exhibition is located. The exhibition is of gifts that have been given by foreign governments and businesses to the leaders of North Korea. It’s a mind-boggling exhibition comprising everything from a bullet-proof car gifted by Joseph Stalin to a suitcase made from crocodile skin from Fidel Castro.
There are estimated to be between 100,000 and 200,000 gifts on display in the 150-room complex, which is built into the side of a mountain. It’s a nice spot to visit during the autumn when all the trees in the landscaped grounds are changing colour.
Although most tours are centered around the capital Pyongyang, the DMZ and Mt Myohyang, several of the North Korean travel agencies have started to offer cycling tours in recent years. These are usually longer in duration (5-7 days). Whilst these are still tightly controlled with guides, they provide an opportunity to see something of the North Korean countryside that you won’t get to see on the standard tours.
If you are travelling in August or September, you may also have the opportunity to attend the Mass Games in Pyongyang. Previously known as the Arirang Games, they are a colourful spectacle of dancing and gymnastics on a par with an opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
Tickets to the Mass Games are not cheap. For foreigners they cost between $100 and $900 depending on how good a seat you want. But it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you can’t see anywhere else in the world. You may need to book months in advance to secure entry to a performance on the dates you will be in Pyongyang because tickets are always in high demand.
Tour restrictions
Your passport and mobile phone used to be taken off you upon arrival in North Korea, but nowadays it is not. But always be prepared for an unexpected change in the rules. There is no international roaming in North Korea, but you will be able to buy a North Korean SIM card at Pyongyang airport that will enable you to make international calls.
You will not be able to leave your hotel without a guide (in most cases they won’t let you leave anyway outside of the tour arrangements) and you won’t be taken to any areas where ‘ordinary’ people are living (although you may catch glimpses of them from your tour bus).
On your North Korean tour you won’t have much contact with local people aside from your guides, airport personnel and shop assistants in the souvenir shops to which you will be taken. Any attempt to engage with local people outside of planned activities will be quickly curtailed by your guides.
You will only be able to take photographs in places approved by your guides. In many places there will be statues of former North Korean leaders Kim Il-Sung or Kim Jong-Il. You will be expected to take a photograph and include the whole statue. Your guide may inspect the image on your camera to make sure you haven’t chopped the legs off. If you have, you will be asked to take it again.
On at least one occasion on your tour you will likely be asked to lay flowers at a monument to the former leaders, and bow to show respect. You should comply and be careful to never do anything that shows disrespect as that is a criminal offence in North Korea, and you’ll find yourself being promptly deported.
Do not say anything negative about the places you visit. Do not challenge anything that your guide says and do not ask any questions about human rights. Be careful when having conversations with other people on your tour because your conversations in the bus or hotel might be being recorded.
Your guides will generally be polite and friendly and they will give you a lot of information about North Korea. All of it will be positive and will most likely sound scripted. Your guides will generally not ask anything about you or your country, and it’s advisable that you do not volunteer any information about life in the outside world because your guides will have been trained to ignore it or to change the subject.
Trying to engage your guides in conversations about the outside world, politics or human rights, will make life difficult for both you and them. If you come across as a ‘difficult’ tourist, your guides may be reprimanded (or worse) for not doing their job properly and keeping you under control, so just go with the flow and observe, listen and smile.
If you feel you cannot accept these restrictions, then do not travel to North Korea.
A final note
I’m often asked whether I enjoyed my trip to North Korea. ‘Enjoy’ is not the right word. I was pleased that I had the opportunity to experience it and learn more about the country, but there were times that I was downright bored listening to the propaganda being espoused by my guides.
Would I go back there again? No, because North Korea is a place that you only need to visit once – unless you have a specific interest in Korean history or culture. Would I recommend it to other travellers? Yes. If you are an inquisitive person with an interest in world affairs, you won’t regret it. If nothing else, it’s an eye-opening experience.
Header Image: © Znm
