North Korea Travel Forum

What is the cheapest way to go? Is the only option the tours from beijing or SK? How much should I expect to spend minimum to go?

I didn't see any mention of museums in the tips section. Are there art museums and such that one could go see?

What sort of food should one expect at the hotels? Genuine NK fare, or is it different sorta stuff made for visitors to the country?

Thanks!

-D

You can also enter North Korea free from Dandong in China's Liaoning province, but it's theoretically illegal.
I don't know the cheapest way to go because I never pay.
There are museums in Pyongyang, but I don't know about art museums specifically. How many different ways can one paint a portrait of Kim IL Sung?
For food tips, please refer to the article I posted in my North Korea page travelogue.

HI! David:

Just a note: Technically South Korea and North Korea is still at war, something that started in 1953. It's detente at the moment. I hardly think there are any tours from South Korea. The closest thing into stepping into NK from SK will be at the DMZ.

North Korea is not called the "Hermit Kingdom" for nothing. They do not really welcome you....though some countries (like mine) do run occasional very tightly-run chartered tours into North Korea. Heavily supervised and virtually no contact with the real North Koreans.

HI! Xuessium:
Just a note: There ARE tours from South Korea to North Korea. They go to Mount Kumgang by cruise ship in an operation run by the Hyundai company. New tours to Kaesong from South Korea are presently being negotiated.

HI! "Mr.Perfect" aka "Confucius":

Thanks for the valuable info and I apologise sincerely to the VTer who raised the query....I guess Mr Kim Dae Jung's "Sunshine policy" yielded real results.

But I do reckon that they be heavily supervised tours though? I still hardly think you can roam freely in N.Korea....do correct me if I am wrong...I am interested to know...

you may want to check out www.koryogroup.com. to my knowledge, they are one of the few known tour companies allowed in north korea. they are run by westerners and offer guides in various languages. south koreans are not allowed in the country at all and us americans can only visit during the parade time. independant travel is not allowed and you will be saddled with two tour guides and a driver the whole time if you're alone. its recommended you go with a group because its cheaper.

i myself have been checking into this and am very interested in touring next year if possible.

I have to disagree with the spirit, if not the accuracy of the reply from Mr Confucious regarding entry to North Korea from South Korea - yes, cruise ships go to Mount Kumgang from South Korea, but that is hardly what one would call visiting North Korea. Hiking through a mountain park is wonderful in its own right, but people want to visit a country for all the experiences of food, local contact, freedom to roam as one feels like, etc, exactly the kind of holiday Mount Kumgang via SK does NOT offer. Not access to locals, heavily controlled and fenced off, only a pretty hiking experience does not warrant a justification in calling it "access to North Korea "

Somebody wants to debate moi about how one should visit North Korea?

I have made enquiries with Hyundai Asan before in Oct. (If you want their trip plan and pricing Excel sheet and email contact, please email/msg to my VT mailbox.) I do not know if they are still organizing it after the North's nuclear detonation test.

I have also read LP's North Korea section - I reckon it is possibly cheaper to go to North Korea via China than via Seoul, however I do not know if there's any differentiation or restriction between Chinese and foreigners joining China-organized trips to N.Korea, you should check with the tour operator.

I have also read accounts of North Korea travel in Simon Winchester's book, I think if you are going on an organized tour, there's should be no cause for worry about war or anything.

I disagree with Nikita-the-cat.

The traveller is a _guest_ to everywhere else except his home country for which he holds the passport. It is in the twentieth century that air travel, border customs control, country's travel industry have got so well developed in many developed countries that many people think there's freedom to travel all over the world, except for a few countries where border control is strict, this is largely true.

But it doesn't mean that the traveller's ability to spend money entitles him/her to all the rights and freedom of behaviour when travelling in a foreign country.

Another thing is: language _IS_ indeed exclusionary. For people who cannot speak the language travelling in another country will encounter greater difficulties even when doing free and easy travel, this is why there's always a market for joining organized tour groups with tour guide translators (their job).

Based on what I know and read, the current fact is there's no freedom of travel in North Korea now. For the common folks, you can only choose to pay to join organized trips. There are some foreigners who do have special access and more freedom in Pyongyang bcos they are there for special or approved missions, but I bet you there will likely always be a NKorea government officer sticking around with them.

The above is just my two cents....

Here's a Hong Kong journalist account on his North Korea visits:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/chinese/specials/1211_nkorea/index.shtml

You may find it interesting. The journalist is in Singapore and will be giving a talk on insights on North Korea this Thursday.