Private DMZ Tour: Half-Day Exploration of Korea's Divided History
4.7
42 Ratings
Paju
Embark on a half-day private tour of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to explore Korea's divided history. Visit iconic sites and observe village life in North Korea.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
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DMZ - After pickup at your Seoul hotel in the morning or afternoon, drive to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). En route, your guide shares expert commentary on the dividing line between North and South Korea.
Get out at Imjingak Park along the banks of Imjin River to see artillery and war artifacts that were used during the Korean conflict before proceeding to Freedom bridge, where nearly 13,000 Korean POWs crossed on their return back home to South Korea.
Reboard the coach and head to the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, located beneath the border of North Korea and South Korea. See where the South Koreans have blocked the actual Military Demarcation Line with concrete barricades, and browse photographs and war artifacts at the DMZ exhibition hall.
Your next stop is Dora Observatory, where you can use binoculars to get a glimpse of North Korea. Listen to your guide explain daily life in the village of Kijongdong across the river.
Continue by coach to Dorasan Station, a historic spot that not only marks the division, but also serves as a gateway for exchanges between the north and south. Pass by the Unification Village, a small farming community that specialized in creating soybean milk, traditional soy sauce and corn goods.
We will take you back to the hotel after the tour.
What's Included
- Comfortable, air-conditioned coach transportation
- Admission fees included
- Convenient hotel pickup and drop-off
- Guidance from an expert guide
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Tram
- Lunch
Additional Information
Acquaint yourself with the partitioned history of Korea at the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on a half-day guided tour. Choose to embark on this journey either in the morning or afternoon from Seoul to the DMZ, which is the symbol of division marking the separation of the country since the Korean War. This tour will take you through gripping locations such as Imjingak Park, the Freedom bridge, the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, and the DMZ exhibition hall. At the Dora Observatory, experience a unique opportunity to witness the everyday life in North Korean villages through binoculars.
- A current valid passport is required the day of travel
- You do not need to send a copy of your passport
- Please follow the instructions of your tour guide about when and where you may take photos
- If a part of the tour itinerary is cancelled by unexpected military conditions or local circumstances, there will be no refund
- A moderate amount of walking through a steep and narrow tunnel involved - Comfortable clothes and shoes are recommended
- Please contact the local operator for exact pickup time
Location
DMZ
Munsan-eup, Majeong-ri, Imjingak Tourist information center
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(42 Ratings)
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Nobu1105
Apr 11, 2024
Best experience - Laura was a very friendly and knowledgeable guide of us. She took us smoothly and gave us many important information.
We highly recommend her.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lilyak2536qm
Apr 9, 2024
Best DMZ tour experience! - We had an absolutely delightful time on the tour. We had Brian Kim who is an absolute legend. He was extremely thoughtful and made sure we had the best experience, looking at everything, taking photos of our group, getting us discounted gondola tours, man was doing the most. He was also very knowledgeable in the conflict and history of the DMZ & also made sure we all were understanding what he was saying & allowed us to ask lots of questions about anything Korea related.
Would highly recommend as you avoid the hassle of big groups and having to wait for everyone at every single desination & not having much freedom to walk around and ask questions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Courtneytj807hx
Apr 9, 2024
A really nice experience - Bryan Kim was our guide. Overall a really enjoyable day with lots of information. Would recommend to those in the future.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gnarlyj2018
Apr 9, 2024
Great day out to see the DMZ sights - Great day out. Got to see all the sights that we wanted to. The 3rd invasion tunnel was great and the view into Korea was really cool. Our guide Brian Kim was wonderful and gave us a great understanding of the DMZ and Korean History. Travel was super easy and seamless, would highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tristan_d
Apr 5, 2024
This was my birthday... - This was my birthday present to myself and I couldn’t ask better that Laura. She was an incredible guide and I highly recommend her. She was pleasant informative and very kind and knowledgable. Just Amazing!
The tour was fascinating and I am so glad I did it and highly recommend the private tour if you can afford it I spent USD$480 dollars for the private tour with Viator which was a little expensive but as I had booked only the day before and there were no other spaces and being my last day in Korea I had little choice but was treated like a vip so thank you and my birthday was a great success thanks to Laura. Cheers Tristan
Review provided by Viator
Meander08009648189
Apr 4, 2024
Dmz tour - Brian was amazing. He explained everything to us. We recommend him as a tour guide. We will definitely come back again. Thank you
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Markgf842sq
Apr 3, 2024
Outstanding!!! - This tour was amazing. Even thought the JSL was closed, we still learned a lot and saw amazing views of North Korea. Our tour guide was Brian Kim. He was excellent.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trek11192860995
Apr 2, 2024
Educational and engaging! - Great private tour to the DMZ. Brian, our guide, was knowledgeable and engaging, making the tour highly educational, and fun. Must do trip if want to better understand the history of the Korean Peninsula.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paul
Mar 27, 2024
Fascinating experience - We had a great day! Our guide, Laura, had lots of interesting insights to share along the way.
Tunnel number three was an unexpected burst of high intensity training. The views of North Korea were spectacular. I finished the tour with a better understanding of the unhappy division of this wonderful country and with an even stronger wish for their future peace and unity.
Thank you, Laura, also for the restaurant and shopping tips around Seoul. We finished the day with an excellent bibimbap, a beer and some lovely ceramics and textiles from the antique market street.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
566sunshineb
Mar 27, 2024
Very educating and fun - The private tour is so nice. Our guide and driver Me. Brian Kim is very nice and accommodating. Will definitely recommend this to friends and family
Review provided by Tripadvisor
