FAQs

What are the steps required to apply for a tour to the DPRK?

It is important that you apply for a tour and submit the relevant documents one month prior to the tour commencing, as this will give us enough time to arrange your DPRK visa.

1. Decide the date in which you wish to travel to the DPRK, or choose one of our group tours.
2. Fully and accurately complete the application form.
3. Email us a colour scan of your passport ID page (full page spread).
4. Email us a colour scan of a recent passport photo.
5. When we have received the scans of your passport ID and recent photo, we will send you an invoice for the 50% deposit. The remaining 50% will be required to be paid at the tour briefing, which will be held on the day before the tour commences.
6. Please ensure that you have a double entry visa for China. It is possible for the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang to issue you a re-entry visa for China, however you will require the following:
   • a blank page for the visa
   • your passport be valid for at least another 6 months
   • printed confirmation of hotel bookings and flights exiting China

Note: It is now possible to visit China with no visa for up to 72 hours, but you must be able to show Chinese immigration evidence of an onward flight out of China.  We are happy to send you a copy of the DPRK plane ticket in advance, enabling you to arrive just before the tour starts without the need for a Chinese visa.  When you return back to Beijing from the DPRK, then you again have 72 hours stay in the country if you have an onward direct International air ticket from Beijing.  Please note, your flight out of China must be direct, and must be from Beijing!  If you enter China by train from DPRK, then you will need a Chinese visa.

When the visa is issued by the North Korean authorities, we will collect and hold for you until the day of the tour.  Please note, you will not be allowed to keep your visa, so it’s a good idea to take a photo of it before you leave Pyongyang as you will need to hand it over at border control.

How much chance do we get to meet and chat to local North Koreans?

It’s not against the law to chat to locals in Korea, but it can be difficult as many Koreans do not speak English and are also quite cautious and shy in nature.  On a recent trip to the DPRK, there was a tourist who spoke Korean, and on a few occasions he was able to strike up conversations with some of the local people he met on the tour, which was a very rewarding experience for him.  It is possible to interact with Koreans in other ways, and a good time is to visit is on a national holiday when a lot of Koreans are outside having barbecues, drinking Soju and generally letting their hair down.  The chances of you walking past them in a park, and not being asked to dance with them are very slim indeed.

Is the DPRK a dangerous country for tourists?

The answer is quite simply ‘No’.  On the tours we have been on there has never ever been a time when the tourists have felt remotely threatened or unsafe in anyway.  If anything, people come away from the DPRK stating how safe they felt, and how rewarding it was when they got a smile or a wave from local people.  There is nothing to worry about when visiting the DPRK provided you respect the culture and laws of the country.

Do we have freedom of movement in Pyongyang or other places that we visit?

Unfortunately tourists to the DPRK do not have freedom of movement in any of the places that we visit, even in the capital Pyongyang (though diplomats living in the capital are entitled to freedom of movement around the city).  Each tour will have 2 guides to accompany the group, and they are there to provide historical and cultural information about the various landmarks that you’ll visit.  They are also on-hand to ensure that tourists do not wander off to places that are politically sensitive. The guides are very friendly people, and it always pays to ask if you want to walk down a certain street, visit a building across the road, or take a photo of the local people.  They will do their best to accommodate you, though there may be occasions when they might politely refuse your request.   It is important to understand that it is not the guides that make these decisions, but authorities higher up, and they do not have any say in the matter.  It is also important to note that if a tourist does try and sneak off, it is not the tourist that will get in trouble, but the guide for failing to control the tourist. This can have serious implications for the guides and it would affect the relaxed attitude of the tour, so it is essential that tourists remain with the group and respect the instructions of the guides when it comes to visiting places.

Can we take photographs?

There are restrictions in the DPRK regarding photography, though not so many if you are only on a short trip to Pyongyang. In Pyongyang, you can more or less take photos at will (apart from in the Mausoleum), however if you travel out of the city then you must obey the instructions from the guides and resist temptations to take photos from the bus, or of military installations.  The guides will tell you when you are not to take photos, for example, when entering the DMZ in Panmunjom. Taking photos in places where you are not allowed can cause huge problems for the guides, and there is a chance that you’ll get your photos deleted by the guards if you are travelling out of the DPRK by train.  It is common when you cross the border into China for the border guards to board the train and look through the photos on your digital camera.
It is also good etiquette to ask the guides for permission to take photographs of local people, this is the same for any other country.

Can we take in our mobile phones?

Gone are the days when tourists had to hand in their mobile phones upon arrival at Pyongyang International airport. Visitors to the DPRK can now bring mobile phones into the country, and they are also able to purchase sim cards for use in the DPRK.  Foreigners are also able to rent a mobile phone handset, which will allow them to make international calls to most foreign countries.  However, it will not be possible to communicate with local Koreans as they have handsets which operate on a different mobile network.

Can I use the Internet in the DPRK?

Currently it is not possible to use the Internet in the DPRK, although there is a chance that this may change in the future after the recent visit by Eric Schmidt, the chairman of Google.  If you are staying at the Yanggakdo Hotel, then it is possible to send an email out of the country to someone back home using their email system, however it is not possible to check your own inbox for mails that you have received.

What kind of food can we expect to eat in the DPRK?

In the last few years the standard of food on the tours has improved significantly. It is important to remember though that you are visiting a country well known for famine and food shortages.  Whatever food you eat on a tour will be a feast compared to what many people will eat in the country. In Pyongyang, you may eat food such as Korean mixed rice, cold noodles, duck barbecue, and you may also get a chance to visit the fairly newish pizza house (which is definitely worth a visit if time permits). In Kaesong, you will have the option to eat the local delicacies of either dog or ginseng chicken soup, both of which are delicious and highly recommended. For the fussy eater, it might be worth bringing snacks such as chips or biscuits just incase the food is not what you expected.
It is worth noting that vegetarians are catered for in DPRK, so it is not a problem for those tourists who do not eat meat.  However, we cannot 100% guarantee that the utensils used to prepare vegetarian food, have not been used to cut meat.  On previous trips to the DPRK, vegetarians on the tour have had no problems, and the only slight gripe was that after a week or so the food for them became a little monotonous. We would therefore advise any vegetarians on the tour to bring snacks from their home country, or Beijing.

Are our rooms bugged, and our conversations listened to?

This is a question that crops up a lot on tours, and the answer is almost certainly ‘no’. However, if believing that you are being spied on makes the tour more ‘authentic’ then tourists can choose to act as if it is the case. There is no information really of interest that the DPRK authorities would want to glean from the average tourist, so why would they bother wasting their time listening in on conversations in the hotel rooms?

Can I buy the ‘leader‘ badges that the Koreans all wear?

Many people make requests for the badges of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, as they want to collect them as souvenirs of the trip. However it is not possible to buy these in Korea as only Koreans are allowed to wear them.  If you ask a guide to obtain these for you then you will be politely refused.  It is simply not possible.

What currency should I take to the DPRK?

If you ask the guides nicely, then it is possible to obtain DPRK Won, but this is for souvenir purposes only, and you cannot use this to spend during your time on the tour.  The most widely accepted currencies used for spending in the DPRK are the USD, Euro or Chinese RMB. It is important to note though that tourists should ensure they have small denominations of their notes, as at times it can be difficult to obtain change from large notes. If bringing in USD, then bring lots of $1, $10 bills as opposed to $100.  Please also bring enough money to cover the whole trip, as once you are in the DPRK, you’ll not be able to withdraw money from the nearest hole in the wall (as they do not exist).

Are there any topics that tourists should not broach with the Korean guides?

As mentioned before, the guides are very kind and friendly, and often they develop a good rapport with the tourists during the trip.  However there are certain areas of conversation that you should avoid. North Korean leader Kim Il Sung is revered in the DPRK, and it is very insulting to the Koreans if you criticise him, or talk about him in a negative way. This also applies to Kim Jong Il and his son Kim Jong Un. It will also come as no surprise to know that DPRK history and news reports often differ from the version of events heard in the west. It is not advisable to challenge the guides on historical perspectives, or try to convert them in any way shape or form, as this will only be an unnecessary and unpleasant irritation for them and will create a bad atmosphere during your stay.