North Korea Opening For Tourism!

Ben Johnson

Aug. 14, 2024

After almost 5 years of waiting, it seems North Korea is finally going to reopen its borders to international tourism. While Chinese nationals have been able to travel to North Korea on business visas, and Russians have been going in tourist groups over the last year or so, the rest of the world has been waiting for this announcement for a long time.

As it currently stands, the borders of the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK), or North Korea as it's commonly known, have been closed to the majority of foreigners since January 2020. Even foreign diplomats and officials have been unable to visit the country with the exception of Chinese and Russians.

Our contacts at the Korean International Tour Company, or KITC, have confirmed the announcement that in December it is planned that international groups will be able to travel to Mount Paektu in the far north of the country.

The announcement has been made that all nationalities will be able to travel to Samyijon region, which Mount Paektu is in, and borders China in the mountainous north.

Of course, this is amazing news and quite probably means that the rest of the country will either end up opening at the same time or not long after. However, it’s important to note that the country has not yet started processing tourist visas for international travellers. Likewise, until the first exact booking dates are confirmed, there are always chances of slight delays.

Mount Paektu is considered the most sacred place in all of Korea and according to North Korean history it is where Kim Jong Il was born during the anit-Japanese guerrilla war. It is also the birthplace of the entire Korean people, so it’s a significant place of pilgrimage for South Koreans as well. Aside from it's cultural importance, the region around Samyijon and Mount Paektu are considered the most beautiful on the entire Korean pennisula and a popular holiday destination.

The announcement that North Korea is opening was first circulated by industry insiders and is now being confirmed by the wider community, and of course, the North Koreans themselves. This is very exciting times for travel to North Korea and luckily we have you covered with tours announced for next year which you can find here .

In an unusual turn of events, the stars have all aligned to make it a perfect time to visit North Korea, as China has also recently announced a dramatically liberalised visa regime, making it easy for most passports to travel to North Korea, as most foreign tourists will use China as their launching pad for the Hermit kingdom.

As always, SAIGA tours will keep you up to date with all events related to tourism in North Korea, as well as our other amazing destinations.