North Korea reopens for tour groups

Saturday, 08 Feb, 2025 0

Part of North Korea is reopening to tourism this month, with the first organised tours for international visitors in more than five years.

Beijing-based specialist North Korea travel agency Koryo Tours is promoting a five-day trip to the city of Rason.

The destination is close to the China and Russia borders.

The tour includes wildlife watching and a cookery course.

Rason is unique in North Korea in that it has something of a free market economy, where limited home ownership is permitted and it has a casino.

The ‘Return of North Korea Tourism Tour’ starts in Yanji, China with a ‘pre-tour briefing’ before crossing the border.

The tour includes a taekwondo demonstration, visiting a foreign language bookshop, an art gallery a cruise to Pipha Island to see seals.

There is also the opportunity to make kimchi and a tour of a school uniform factory.

It is the first opportunity for tourists to visit the country for several years, although a limited number of post pandemic tours have been organised for Russian tour groups.

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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

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