A Complete Guide to Visiting the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ Tour)

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When I visited South Korea, I knew I wanted to learn more about the countries history, something far behind the vibrant cities and stunning landscapes.

I really wanted to visit the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone between South Korea and North Korea) when I was visiting Seoul. The DMZ tour offers a completely different kind of historic experience, something that is completely eye opening to truly learn about the sadness this country has once endured. I must admit, this whole experience was eiry and emotional, was I a little nervous doing this tour? Yes. However, when visiting new places, it's so important to learn about the history of the country.

What To Expect

First and foremost, you must bring your passport with you on this tour. If you don't bring your passport with you, you will not be able to visit the DMZ. At the beginning of your tour (when you meet with your guide) you will present your passport; this is so you can obtain a permit to enter and visit this zone.

There are two departure times you can choose from when booking your tour - 8am or 10am. You can book to make a stop at either Majang Lake suspension bridge or Mt. Gamaksan suspension bridge (both are popular options). This is the first stop you make on tour. Your tour guide is an absolute wealth of knowledge, you can ask them as many questions as you would like and they'll be happy to answer. It's approximately a 1 hour drive from Seoul to your first stop.

Please note: The normal DMZ tours and infiltration tunnel are closed on Monday's.

Once you enter the DMZ and pass the military check point, you'll make 3 key point visits - Imjingak Park (where you'll see The War Memorial, Freedom Bridge, Peace Bell and Steam Locomotive),  the Third Infiltration Tunnel and The Dora Observatory. There may also be the opportunity to listen to a North Korean Defector, they will share their story.

What You'll See

The 3 main stops you visit on this tour are Imjingak Park, The Third Infiltration Tunnel and The Dora Observatory.

Imjingak Park

In Imjingak Park, there are 4 main stops - The War Memorial, Freedom Bridge, Peace Bell and Steam Locomotive. Your guide will explain to you the significance of each of these. There is a small museum located here as well, where you can see exhibits from North Korea such as their currency, cigarette packets and more. A short film was shown, showing us what life is really like in North Korea which was very insightful. The defector meet up is here as well (this was an additional cost); they had an open question time for a few minutes after they shared their story to the group (believe me, some of the questions the other tourists from other groups asked were so unhinged, yet they were still answered in the most polite way possible).

The Third Infiltration Tunnel

This was one of the most critical viewing points, you are not allowed to take any cameras or phones with you here (as this still is an active miltary zone). You can store these in a locker before you recieve your hard hat and make the journey underground. The Third Infiltration tunnel was built by North Korea to invade South Korea and was discovered in 1978. The tunnel itself is about 1.6km long, it's steep, damp and gets narrower the further down you go (so please where closed toe shoes for this one, as you don't want to slip). The height of the tunnel changes as you go deeper - hence the hard hat, unless you're short you could possibly knock your head a couple of times (I certainly did). At the end of the tunnel, it's blocked off and there is a small viewing platform so you can see on the other side - you've got a brief time limit to stay down here, then it's time to hike back up to the waiting area and return your hard hat.

The Dora Observatory

The very last stop on the tour, The Dora Observatory. This was my favourite stop on this day trip as up the stairs and out of the window you can see snippets of North Korea and its flag blowing in the wind. Our guide explained what some of the buildings were that we could see from the observatory. It was a very eery feeling being able to see the North Korean flag in real life (in the distance, blowing in the wind). You are not allowed to take photos whilst in the observatory, so please take note of this.

Tour Options

There are quite a few different tour options (mainly which suspension bridge you want to visit) and departure times you can book through Klook. The exact tour I booked was the - DMZ Tour; Suspension Bridge & NK Defector Meet up. There are a few different departure times, but as always I'd recommend doing the earliest pick up/start time (less crowds and wait times).

Is It Worth Visiting?

100% Yes. Personally, I thought this was one of the most insightful, interesting and a great learning experience to learn more about Korean history and the Korean war. It's a fascinating part of a history and to be able to hear stories from a defector was just mind boggling. This is one of those activites I'd recommend everyone to do, so if you've got a few spare days in Seoul, I'd dedicate a day to this - you won't be disappointed. This is a tour you'll need to book in advance as it does sell out.