DMZ Tour: A Deep Dive into Korea's Divided History with North Korean Defector Meet-Up
4.8
496 Ratings
Eulji-ro
Embark on a captivating 7-hour tour of Korea's demilitarized zone, exploring its divided history and meeting a North Korean defector. Witness stunning views of North Korea and visit iconic landmarks like the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel and Dora Station. Book now!
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Imjingak Pyeonghoa-Nuri Park - Imjingak, a symbol of Korean reunification desire, is a unique theme park featuring rides alongside barbed wire fences. It houses historical relics like the Freedom Bridge, used by 13,000 POWs for freedom, and a steam locomotive smokestack from the Korean War, abandoned for 55 years.
Read more about DMZ guided tour with North Korean Interview Program - https://www.viator.com/tours/Seoul/DMZ-TOUR-from-Seoul-with-English-Guide/d973-58847P1?mcid=56757
- Bridge of Freedom - Bridge on Imjingang River, crossed by 13,000 POWs in 1953 during the Korean War, symbolizes their “return to freedom.”
- DMZ - Korea’s DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) is a military demarcation zone between North and South Korea, where military activities are prohibited. It remains a significant symbol of division on the Korean Peninsula since the Korean War.
- The Third Tunnel - The DMZ tour’s highlight includes exploring a North Korean tunnel, possibly for military purposes, with the 3rd tunnel extending 435 meters into South Korea. Visitors can also watch a documentary, view Korean War relics, and learn about the tunnel’s discovery.
- Dora Observatory - Dora Observatory provides a close-up view of North Korea, including Gaeseong City and the Gaeseong Industrial Complex. Visitors can also see a fake North Korean border village called “Propaganda Village,” where lights are manipulated to create the illusion of activity.
What's Included
- Optional interview with North Korean defector
- Handy Q&A card with FAQs
- Comfortable in-vehicle air conditioning
- Experienced English-speaking veteran guide
- All fees and taxes included
- Convenient Myeongdong drop-off
- Pick-up service offered
What's Not Included
- Lunch & Personal Expense
Additional Information
Experience the most popular tourist spot of Korea on this 7-hour tour of the demilitarized zone. The DMZ Area is the only place that you can see the reality of the most divided area in the world. Enjoy the following sights: Imjingak Park, the Unification Bridge, ID Check, DMZ theater and exhibition hall, the Third Infiltration Tunnel, Dora Observatory, Dorasan Station, and Amethyst or Ginseng Center. Choose from one of two departure times when you book.
Tour can be extended up to 10 hours depending on local condition.
- Comfortable shoes are required to enter 3rd infiltration tunnel.
- If there’s an unannounced military training or official event in the DMZ, the tour will be replaced with a tour of Tomorrow’s Whistle-Bunker Beat 131-Odusan Unification Tower-The War memorial of Korea
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel (only original, No copy)
Location
President Hotel
Drop off in Myeongdong
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(496 Ratings)
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Coastal568599
Apr 2, 2024
Educational, interesting and enjoyable DMZ tour. - Han was knowledgeable, helpful , on time and organized. He made our DMZ tour experience so educational, informative and enjoyable. Thank you for a great day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rachana_t
Mar 25, 2024
Awesome - Wonderful experience- tour guide Hans was very good! Hans did a great job explaining all the details in English.
Review provided by Viator
Douglaskarren
Feb 11, 2024
DMZ treadmill - Our guide SP was very knowledgeable and funny plus spoke very good English. To add was very fashionable. The bus was clean and comfortable and we learnt a lot about Korean history. Because of the snow and ice road conditions we were delayed a couple of hours. So we did the chair lift Injingak Park over the river. The 3rd tunnel was very interesting but coming back up was a workout at the gym. The Dora observatory we were able to see North Korean soldiers in a tower. It was disappointing not to be able to visit the JSA area as it’s not open to the public. Would totally recommend if going to South Korea.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
303mariy
Jan 7, 2024
Highly recommended tour😊 - Our guide SP was very professional, informative and funny, his English is very clear for me(Japanese) and my friend (Taiwanese) to fully understand.
Clean and comfortable bus, all the stop had clean toilets and cafe.
We feel we learned some history of Korea and we got to see a beautiful country side.
We recommend this tour to everyone 😊
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Charissa_q
Dec 31, 2023
A Definite Must! - Wow! What can I say... this was an excellent experience. We got to sit down and have lunch and a chat with a defector. It was so interesting and inspiring to hear of her life in North Korea and her journey to get to South Korea. A very relaxed and informal lunch in which you felt comfortable to ask anything.
Review provided by Viator
Nicola_y
Dec 30, 2023
DMZ tour with SP! - My partner and I did the DMZ tour and SP was our guide. He was organised and accommodating and a very friendly guide. He spoke wonderful English which helped with understanding the history. Meeting the North Korean defector was very interesting. Would have loved to have done it over lunch instead but it was such a wonderful insight. It was the perfect amount of time as well as we wanted to get back to Seoul and explore more. Would recommend SP to anyone!
Review provided by Viator
P5219czmarkl
Apr 2, 2024
Very good overall. - Excellent tour overall. Our guide was very informative. My only suggestion would be to tell us more about some of the sites we visited like, for example, the National Memorial for Abductees during the Korean War that I found on my own without the help of the guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A9441jjheatherm
Apr 2, 2024
Very interesting experience - Han was a great tour guide - learnt a lot and was very educational.
However there was also a lot of waiting around as DMZ tours are so popular.
All round, was definitely worth the trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Katherine_q
Mar 23, 2024
Worthwhile trip - DMZ tour was fascinating and Mr Han was an excellent guide who speaks very good English. Only downside was a previously unannounced stop at an amethyst factory which took up time.
Review provided by Viator
John
Jan 6, 2024
DMZ Half Day, with defector add-on - Had a very well organised tour of the DMZ - our guide SP was very professional, knowledgeable, engaging with a terrific sense of humour. While we had limited time to look around, it was enough from our perspective. Our driver was very good also and we felt safe with him at all times. The tunnel return was tough going - a great work out. Highly recommend to anyone wanting a comfortable and informative tour of the DMZ with a great local guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
