Western tour operators enter North Korea for first time since pandemic
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Western tour operators enter North Korea for first time since pandemic

Raw Story  

Western tour agencies entered North Korea for the first time on Thursday since the end of the pandemic, the companies said, voicing hopes the isolated country may soon reopen a border city to foreign visitors. Another travel agency, Young Pioneer Tours, also uploaded a picture of a passport with a North Korean border stamp, declaring they were "first to be back in five years". Koryo Tours last week said that they had opened bookings for "the first trip back to North Korea since the borders closed in January 2020". Itineraries included visiting "must-see" sites in Rason and a chance to "travel to North Korea to celebrate one of the biggest holidays, Kim Jong Il's Birthday", the agency wrote on its website.

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History of this topic

Why North Korean tourist village shut down after just 3 weeks
3 weeks ago

Why North Korean tourist village shut down after just 3 weeks

Firstpost  

North Korea opened its doors to international tourists after a gap of five years. While the reason for the suspension isn’t clear, some reports suggest it may be done to prevent exposing the harsh realities of the isolated nation to the world A group of Russian tourists, likely the first foreign travellers from any country to enter North Korea since …

Britons among group of tourists allowed into North Korea for first time in years
Trending News
1 month ago

Britons among group of tourists allowed into North Korea for first time in years

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A small group of international tourists has made a five-day visit to North Korea, marking a …

North Korea has opened its doors to a group of international travelers for the 1st time in years
1 month ago

North Korea has opened its doors to a group of international travelers for the 1st time in years

Associated Press  

SEOUL, South Korea — A small group of foreign tourists has visited North Korea in the past week, making them the first international travelers to enter the country in five years except for a group of Russian tourists who went to the North last year. A total of about 880 Russian tourists visited North Korea throughout 2024, South Korea’s Unification …

North Korea reopens to foreign tourists for first time since pandemic
1 month, 1 week ago

North Korea reopens to foreign tourists for first time since pandemic

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy North Korea is welcoming foreign …

Western tourists return to North Korea for first time since pandemic border closures
1 month, 1 week ago

Western tourists return to North Korea for first time since pandemic border closures

ABC  

Western tourists are set to re-enter North Korea for the first time in five years today, while Chinese travellers are poised to do the same next week. Beijing-based Zhixing Heyi travel agency said on Tuesday it had received "special approval" from its North Korean interlocutors to conduct a trip for Chinese nationals to Rason on February 24. Participants would be …

US tourists can’t visit North Korea. This American spent six figures on a second passport so he could travel there
55 years, 2 months ago

US tourists can’t visit North Korea. This American spent six figures on a second passport so he could travel there

CNN  

CNN — For most of the world, the dark days of Covid-19 feel like a distant memory. “It made me, I think, the last American tourist on a US passport to leave the DPRK.” Young Pioneer Tours Despite the ban, Martell remained committed to returning to North Korea. “I didn’t want the conversation to end.” To bypass the US travel …

A holiday to North Korea is ‘like a school trip’ says operator behind new tour as isolated nation reopens
1 month, 1 week ago

A holiday to North Korea is ‘like a school trip’ says operator behind new tour as isolated nation reopens

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy As North Korea prepares to reopen to Western visitors, the leading tour operator to the isolated …

Mount Kumgang: Resort that hosted war-separated families being dismantled by North Korea, Seoul says
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Mount Kumgang: Resort that hosted war-separated families being dismantled by North Korea, Seoul says

CNN  

Seoul, South Korea Reuters — North Korea is dismantling a facility at its Mount Kumgang resort used for hosting meetings between families separated after the Korean War, South Korea said on Thursday, in the latest sign of strained tensions between the two Koreas. Seoul’s Unification Ministry, which handles affairs between the two Koreas, urged in a statement North Korea to …

North Korea opens up to tourists after five years with tours to little-known port city
1 month, 2 weeks ago

North Korea opens up to tourists after five years with tours to little-known port city

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Beijing-based tour operator said: “Koryo Tours is happy to announce the first trip back to North Korea since the …

Kim Jong Un set to open borders to international tourists in December
7 months, 1 week ago

Kim Jong Un set to open borders to international tourists in December

Daily Mail  

North Korea is set to open its borders to international tourists in December - for the first time since the pandemic. As other nations slowly began to welcome international visitors, North Korea only welcomed a select few - and they were usually travelling diplomats or the odd tourist group from Russia. Located just ten miles from North Korea's border with …

North Korea to partially reopen for foreign tourists after five years
7 months, 1 week ago

North Korea to partially reopen for foreign tourists after five years

The Independent  

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The leading travel company taking tourists to North Korea says it hopes to send in the …

North Korea will reopen to international tourism this winter, tour operators say
7 months, 2 weeks ago

North Korea will reopen to international tourism this winter, tour operators say

CNN  

CNN — North Korea is to reopen limited international tourism by the end of 2024, nearly five years after it completely sealed the country’s borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic, two tour companies with connections to the isolated country have announced. Beijing-based Koryo Tours and Shenyang-based KTG Tours both made separate online announcements Wednesday, saying tour groups would be allowed …

Kim Jong Un plans for his new tourist resort before strolling on beach
8 months, 1 week ago

Kim Jong Un plans for his new tourist resort before strolling on beach

Daily Mail  

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was grinning as he surveyed plans for his new tourist resort being constructed on the country's eastern coast before strolling on an immaculate white sand beach. The Wonsan-Kalma zone is one of Kim's most talked-about tourism projects since the plans were announced in 2015 and North Korea has been building luxury hotels and recreational …

Wonsan-Kalma: North Korea may finally welcome foreign tourists in 2025 as coastal resort nears completion
8 months, 1 week ago

Wonsan-Kalma: North Korea may finally welcome foreign tourists in 2025 as coastal resort nears completion

Hindustan Times  

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a major tourism site being constructed on the country's eastern coast and discussed steps to open the zone by next year, state media reported Thursday, though the country still blocks visits by most foreign tourists. Wonsan-Kalma: North Korea may finally welcome foreign tourists in 2025 as coastal resort nears completion The Wonsan-Kalma zone …

North Korea plans to launch major tourism site next year though it still blocks foreign tourists
8 months, 1 week ago

North Korea plans to launch major tourism site next year though it still blocks foreign tourists

Associated Press  

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a major tourism site being constructed on the country’s eastern coast and discussed steps to open the zone by next year, state media reported Thursday, though the country still blocks visits by most foreign tourists. A return of Chinese travelers would likely provide a much bigger source of revenue …

Tourists have returned to North Korea for the first time since the pandemic
55 years, 2 months ago

Tourists have returned to North Korea for the first time since the pandemic

CNN  

CNN — Lena Bychcova couldn’t really believe it when her North Korean tourist visa came through. Courtesy Elena Bychcova Russia and North Korea’s relationship Before the pandemic, the largest source of inbound tourists to North Korea wasn’t Russia – it was China. The Russian ski trippers were the first tourists allowed into the hermit kingdom since the pandemic, a sign …

Tourists have returned to North Korea for the first time since the pandemic
55 years, 2 months ago

Tourists have returned to North Korea for the first time since the pandemic

CNN  

CNN — Lena Bychcova couldn’t really believe it when her North Korean tourist visa came through. Courtesy Elena Bychcova Russia and North Korea’s relationship Before the pandemic, the largest source of inbound tourists to North Korea wasn’t Russia – it was China. The Russian ski trippers were the first tourists allowed into the hermit kingdom since the pandemic, a sign …

Russians arrive in North Korea as first foreign tour group since COVID-19
1 year, 1 month ago

Russians arrive in North Korea as first foreign tour group since COVID-19

Al Jazeera  

The visitors’ arrival comes as Moscow and Pyongyang bolster ties, pledging closer economic and military cooperation. A group of Russian tourists have arrived in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, becoming the first foreign group to visit the country since the COVID-19 pandemic. Their arrival comes as Moscow and Pyongyang bolster ties, with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un making a …

North Korea to welcome Russian tourists in February, the country’s first since the pandemic
1 year, 2 months ago

North Korea to welcome Russian tourists in February, the country’s first since the pandemic

Associated Press  

SEOUL, South Korea — Russian tourists reportedly going on a ski trip to North Korea will be the first international travelers to visit the country since border closings in January 2020 amid the global pandemic lockdown. The trip scheduled for February was a surprise to Asia observers, who had expected the first post-pandemic tourists to North Korea to come from …

North Korea approves return of its citizens from abroad after COVID lockdown
1 year, 7 months ago

North Korea approves return of its citizens from abroad after COVID lockdown

Firstpost  

The announcement comes days after an Air Koryo flight from Pyongyang landed in Beijing for the first time since pandemic lockdowns began in 2020 amid a slow reopening of one of the world’s most politically and economically isolated countries North Korea has approved the return of its citizens who were abroad after years of strict border restrictions during the COVID …

North Korea signals reopening with first passenger flight in three years
1 year, 7 months ago

North Korea signals reopening with first passenger flight in three years

Live Mint  

BEIJING/SEOUL: An Air Koryo flight from Pyongyang landed in Beijing early on Tuesday for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns began in 2020, as North Korea cracks open its border to some passenger travel. It wasn't immediately clear who was aboard, but Western tour companies that operated in North Korea said it appeared to be a special flight …

The American couple who met on vacation in North Korea
3 years, 8 months ago

The American couple who met on vacation in North Korea

CNN  

CNN — Ryan Carlson was in the middle of a backpacking trip in New Zealand when he got the email: North Korea was opening its borders to American tourists. “The anticipation of seeing someone you love and only getting to be with them for a fixed amount of time before leaving again, makes for a unique energy that doesn’t come …

North Korea plans to open up to foreign visitors for medical tourism
5 years, 3 months ago

North Korea plans to open up to foreign visitors for medical tourism

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy North Korea, one of the …

Tour group launches new North Korean rail tour
9 years, 8 months ago

Tour group launches new North Korean rail tour

CNN  

CNN — What’s the worst reaction you could possibly get when you tell your friends you’re going to North Korea? Koryo Tours’ 11-day train tour, dubbed “Eastern Adventure by Rail,” departs October 2 from Pyongyang and includes stops at Mt. “Chongjin plans to do the same too, but it hasn’t so it’s more like what lots of tourists would expect …

North Korea tours: What to expect
11 years, 3 months ago

North Korea tours: What to expect

CNN  

Story highlights About 6,000 Western tourists have visited North Korea this year, says North Korea travel company Koryo Tours North Korea visitors are given a strict set of guidelines to follow Outside the hotel, a guide accompanies visitors at all times and every tour is a carefully choreographed affair CNN — The tour bus bounces along one of North Korea’s …

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