As you may well be aware, if you want to visit North Korea then you have the choice of entering the country as part of a group or an independent tour. Both have their merits and potential drawbacks, which is what this blog article will highlight in order to help those interested in a trip to the DPRK choose what kind of tour they would like embark upon.
Group Tours
This is the cheaper option of seeing the country, and in to some it’s also more fun than going on an independent tour. Those on a group tour will get to meet interesting new people, a few of whom may develop into real and lasting friendships when the tour is over. I have remained in regular contact with a number of people from previous tours, some of whom I continue to meet whenever I am visiting their neck of the woods. A few tourists I have befriended have even come back for a repeat visit to the DPRK. I love meeting new people and making friends from different walks of life, so the more sociable tourists who feel the same way might want to opt to select this tour.
For many, group tours can also be more fun than their counterpart in the evening upon returning to hotel. In the DPRK, tourists are not given the freedom to wander the streets at night, so when they arrive back at the hotel then this is where they will be based for the remainder of the evening. On a group tour, new found friends can relax and get to know each other better in the bar area, or they can wander around the hotel premises taking advantage of the recreational activities that are on offer (typically pool, KTV, table tennis etc).
There are a couple of potential drawbacks though. Firstly, the itinerary on a group tour is more or less fixed, and is difficult to change. The itineraries are actually designed by ourselves to ensure that the tourists get the most out of their trip. We do not sell on tours passed by a local tourist body, which is the practice for some of the budget tour companies. Therefore, on a group tour, the tourists will have less flexibility to select alternative places to visit. It is possible for the itinerary to change, but this usually only happens on a group tour if a place is declared as ‘unable to visit’ (due to maintenance, renovations etc). In this situation, the guides will inform the group and provide them with an alternative destination. Other than this scenario, the group itinerary more or less stays fixed for the tour, which might not be so appealing to those who are visiting the country for a second or third time. Furthermore there might be those tourists who prefer privacy and quiet, and do not wish to experience the country with a group of potentially 15-20 people who they have never met before. These kind of people would gain more benefit from an independent tour.
Finally, on a large tour (when I say ‘large’, the group would never exceed 20 people, we are always looking to keep our groups small), the tourists get slightly less ‘one to one’ contact with the KITC guides than if they were touring independently. This is only a minor issue though, as even on a large tour the guides make themselves available to those who are interested in interacting with them. I have been on many tours where the number of tourists have exceeded 15 people, but those interested in forming discussions and getting to know the guides had more than plenty of opportunities to do so. If the tourists develop good relationships with their guides (and they often do), then the guides are usually happy to join them for a drink in the bar in the evening.
Independent Tours
One benefit of an independent tour is that they generally contain a smaller number of people (between 1 – 5), and therefore tourists are able to have more control over the itinerary, provided that the landmarks that they want to see are not undergoing reconstruction or renovation. Tourists can to a certain extent tailor their itinerary with Taedong Travel, taking in the places of interests that they most want to see, and missing out landmarks they are not interested in, or have seen before on a previous visit. As there are less people to slow things down, more places of interest can be visited, which is an obvious advantage over the group tour. The greater flexibility of an independent tour also allows the tourists to choose whether they have a busier or relaxed schedule, depending on the number of places that they want to see (Group tours have a full schedule so that people feel that they are getting more value for the money they have spent). If on an independent tour, the tourists wish to have more downtime to relax, then this is entirely up to them.
As mentioned in the ‘group tours’ section, the independent tours have less people and therefore this allows for more one to one contact with the guides, and a chance to interact and get to know them better. It enables tourists to gain a deeper understanding of life in North Korea, and will almost certainly enhance the enjoyment factor of the trip. I recently returned from a three day trip to North Korea, whereby I went in alone. I spent all my time with the guides and it really was a fantastic experience to not compete with other tourists for questions and attention.
A minor downside of Independent tours is that if a tourist goes in alone then at meal times they might be left to eat all by themselves, as the guides eat their breakfast and their dinner separately (they need a break from their work like anyone else). Furthermore, in the evening, when back at the hotel, independent tourists generally will have a smaller group of people to hang out with and relax before they go to bed. Interestingly, when I visited on my own in March 2013, the guides joined me in the evenings and we relaxed, chatted and told jokes whilst sharing a few bottles of Soju. It was a very fun experience and held to break the ice and enabled us to become familiar with one another.
To sum up, the decision about whether a tourist decides to go on an independent tour or a group tour depends on many factors. Group tours are fun as you get to meet new people and possibly develop new and lasting relationships with others. They are also cheaper in comparison to independent tours. The only real drawbacks are limited flexibility in terms of itinerary, and less interaction with the guides. In reality these drawbacks do not take away any of the enjoyment from a tour. The independent tours are more expensive, and lower key than a group tour. However, independent tourists will get more time with the guides and will be able to tailor their itinerary, taking in the sites that they really want to see. These are the factors which need to be considered when deciding which kind of tour to choose. For the more sociable person, group tours are probably more enjoyable, but all in all both give you the chance to experience North Korea and enjoy the sheer uniqueness of the country.
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