Taking a guided tour of the DMZ was the top-ticket item on our Seoul bucket list when we visited South Korea for the first time in March 2023. We ended up spending 2 amazing weeks ticking off palaces, hikes, museums, food markets and so much more, but our DMZ tour was a standout experience from the trip. There’s no question it’s worth doing, the real question is: What’s the best way to do it?
We didn’t want to risk missing out on anything (or worse yet not actually getting into the DMZ), so we squashed the idea of renting a car and trying an independent DIY-style visit. With a guided tour, we knew the local guide would take care of getting our group through security, and after arriving at the chaotic and tense staging area, we were so happy with our decision to book a guided tour from Seoul.
Hi, we’re Mark and Kristen Morgan. We left our scientific careers in 2018 to become travel writers and photographers, and since then our expert guides have helped millions of travel planners take better trips. Read more about us.
Why trust us with your DMZ visit? We took a guided tour of the DMZ from Seoul in March 2023. We know what worked well, what was missing, and what we’d do next time. As always, every photo in this guide is ours.
We looked at the different tours available at the time, and ended up booking this guided tour from Seoul. It had thousands of near perfect ratings, it was affordable, it had the early 8:00 AM start time we wanted, and it turned out to be excellent.
But since our 2023 visit, the tour has evolved to include a meetup with a North Korean defector, and add-ons to walk on suspension bridges. The Joint Security Area (JSA) was still closed due to covid during our visit, and it’s been closed permanently since October 2023 when a US soldier crossed the border on a tour.
Now, our tour was great, but there are other guided DMZ tour options from Seoul with Klook and Viator that we’d consider booking next time for different types of experience, so in this guide we’ll walk you through what we did during our DMZ tour, before explaining the best tours available for your visit. Let’s dive in!
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Exactly What We Did On Our DMZ Tour
First, we want to show you our DMZ tour experience, so you can see what to expect at each stop. Then later in the guide we’ll compare the various tours available for your visit to help you choose the right one.
Getting To Our Tour Bus
We wanted to get ahead of the crowds and be among the first to get cleared through security, so we booked the 8:00 AM tour start time instead of the 10:00 AM tour. What that meant in reality was meeting point options of 7:25 AM at Myeongdong subway station, 7:35 AM at City Hall subway station or 8:00 AM near Hongik Univ. subway station.
We were staying near Hongdae so the 8:00 AM meet was perfect, and we were driven from our hotel to the tour bus by a super fun local guy. Most first timers stay in Myeongdong (we spent our second week at G2 Hotel in Myeongdong), so the bus was full and we were the last to arrive from Hongdae.
Mark’s “be aware” tip: We chatted to a few others on our bus and they said they’d originally booked the 10:00 AM tour, but received phone calls the evening before asking to change. The whole tour has the potential to be changed, cancelled last minute, or altered in terms of what’s included based on real-time conditions at the border.
Our Bus Ride To The Border
Once everyone was accounted for, our tour guide called Spring introduced herself and told us about the plan for the day. The first thing on her agenda was explaining that the DMZ was limiting tickets that day due to an influx of visitors (probably because we went to Seoul for the beginning of cherry blossom season), so her first priority when we arrived to Imjingak Park would be to secure our groups tickets.
The bus ride from Seoul to Imjingak Park was about 1 hour and 30 minutes. During the drive, Spring talked into her microphone so the whole bus could hear easily, explaining relevant things like the history of South Korea, what we could expect for the day, and the current situation at the DMZ.
Kristen’s packing tip: Do not forget your passport. Without it, you will not be able to visit the Third Infiltration Tunnel or the Dora Observatory inside the Demilitarized Zone. It’s the only thing you must pack.
Exploring Imjingak Park (Before Entering The DMZ)
The second we arrived into the massive parking area at Imjingak Park at around 9:30 AM, Spring got straight in line with our passports to hopefully get our DMZ tickets. She was honest and said there is a chance you won’t be able to go into the DMZ today, which we’ll admit was slightly concerning considering we’d paid and used up the time on our itinerary, but she told us that’s just the way it goes.
We saw Spring standing in a huge queue and it was going slowly, so we had a look around the main tourist information building. There wasn’t much going on except for a few poorly rated eateries and a Dunkin’, which is exactly where we went for a coffee and donut. Luckily, not long later Spring was able to secure tickets for our group with a 12:00 PM entry time to the DMZ.
That meant we had around 2 hours to explore Imjingak Park on the South Korea side (not part of the DMZ), which was bigger than we expected. Spring explained the significance of the important sites like the Steam Locomotive at Jangdan Station, Mangbaedan, and the Freedom Bridge which was built in 1953 for the temporary purpose of exchanging 12,773 Prisoners of War (POW) from the Korean War. It was closed off when we visited, but a section of it is open now.
Spring then gave our group the last hour to explore Imjingak Park before our DMZ tour began. We spent our time walking through the Veterans Memorial Complex and visiting the harrowing National Memorial Hall of the Korean War. Read our guide on what to do at Imjingak Park next so you know how best to spend your time in the park.
Mark’s activity tip: The only major activity we didn’t do at Imjingak Park was the gondola ride. It goes over the Imjin River to Camp Greaves, but never crosses into the DMZ. The only reason we’d do the gondola is if we tried to do the DMZ by ourselves without a guided tour, and for whatever reason they wouldn’t let us through security to access the DMZ proper.
Taking A Walk Through The 3rd Infiltration Tunnel
Back in our bus, we crossed over the Unification Bridge into the Civilian Control Zone (CCZ) with a passport check. A thin blue painted line on the road marked the international border, which meant we were entering the DMZ.
The first place we stopped inside the DMZ was the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, and we thought it was the most interesting part of the entire tour. Also known as the Third Tunnel of Aggression, it’s one of four known tunnels running beneath the border between North and South Korea. It was built by North Korea for a surprise attack on Seoul, but it was discovered in October 1978 and the attack was thwarted.
The underpass was 1,635m in length, 2m in width, and 2m in height. And at the time of discovery, it was estimated the North Koreans would be able to send around 30,000 men through per hour with light weapons. An accidental underground explosion and a North Korean defector both played roles in the tunnel’s discovery.
During our DMZ tour, we walked down a very steep decline to actually access the tunnel. It had railings for support and was lit up well, but it was definitely a bit more physically demanding than we expected. After entering the tunnel, we walked for a short amount of time before turning back around and leaving the same way. Photos aren’t allowed inside the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel. We had to leave our phones and belongings in a locker.
Kristen’s photo tip: You know the famous DMZ sculpture photo spot with human sized letters? That is right outside the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, so make sure you get the iconic photo before heading to the next stop.
Looking Into North Korea From Dora Observatory
After the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, our next stop was Dora Observatory. Sitting on top of Dorasan (Mount Dora) in Paju and first opened in 1987, the observatory gave us the opportunity to actually see into North Korea.
Looking through binoculars from the rooftop deck we could see Kijon-dong, which the South Koreans call North Korea’s “propaganda village” because there’s nobody actually living there. Beyond the empty village and North Korean flag on a massive pole, it was just about clear enough to make out the city of Kaesong. And we also had panoramic views of the Demilitarized Zone.
Back inside the building, we looked at historical exhibits about the conflict, and Spring talked to us inside what felt like an auditorium with gigantic floor to ceiling windows. But really it was all about the 30 minutes or so we had on the rooftop with those views into North Korea. That was the once-in-a-lifetime selfie we wanted.
Mark’s planning tip: Don’t be surprised if the Dora Observatory is suddenly removed from your tour itinerary. It happened in 2024 when North Korea sent trash filled balloons over the border.
Quick Stop At A Souvenir Shop
The last stop on our DMZ tour was a souvenir shop in the Unification Village (before crossing back over Unification Bridge and out of the passport controlled area) and it lasted around 15 minutes. The key thing to note here is that this wasn’t a forced shopping experience. The forced shopping stops are usually at amethyst, ginseng or cosmetics shops. Ours was a legitimate food and souvenir stop.
A few people in our group stayed on the bus, but we went inside for a quick look around. If we wanted to buy any wines, chocolates or ice creams that are only produced in the DMZ area, it would have been ideal. Essentially, it’s a good spot to grab a unique gift for someone at home.
On the bus ride back to the city, our entire tour group was noticeably exhausted from the long day. We were back on the road about 4:00 PM so it was almost 6:00 PM by the time we slowly inched through rush hour traffic and arrived back into Seoul.
What Did We Miss?
JSA: The Joint Security Area was closed due to covid during our visit in March 2023. Then in October 2023 a US soldier ran across the border on a JSA tour, and regular tour access has been closed to tourists ever since. The JSA is also known as Panmunjom. It’s the closest point to North Korea within the Civilian Controlled Zone, and it’s where North and South Korean soldiers stand face to face. Hopefully the JSA opens to guided tours again in the future.
JSA Museum: This new museum was opened in the Unification Village as a substitute for the actual JSA area. It provides context about Panmunjom and the ongoing tension at the border. It only seems to be included on high-tier or private tours, but we don’t think it’s make or break.
DMZ peace gondola: We talked about this earlier. It looks okay, but we wouldn’t pay the extra money or lose the time if we were already booked onto and cleared for a DMZ tour.
Suspension Bridges: There are two striking red suspension bridges that are often included as add-ons to a DMZ tour with Klook or Viator. The Majang Lake bridge crosses a reservoir and the Gamaksan bridge spans a mountain valley on Mount Gamaksan. We’re not sure why but these add-ons weren’t available when we booked our DMZ tour in March 2023. Even if they were, we’re not sure we’d add them in because they’re nothing at all to do with the DMZ.
North Korean defector meet-up: This is the one we’re most disappointed about missing. It was only added as a core part of the tours after we took ours. It’s essentially a live Q&A with a real person who escaped from North Korea, where you can ask anything. Despite being a very quick stop, we imagine this would be a highlight of the tours today.
North Korea experience hall: A newer indoor exhibition recreating daily life in North Korea, showing what everyday life would look like. This also wasn’t in Imjimgak Park during our visit, and we feel like this would have helped with context, especially combined with the defector meet-up.
The Best DMZ Tours From Seoul That We’d Book Right Now
Similarly to most popular travel destinations across eastern Asia, the three main third-party guided tour companies offering tours from Seoul to the DMZ are Klook, Viator and Get Your Guide. We’ve personally booked tours with all three companies in various parts of the world, and they’re almost always worthwhile. At the DMZ, we would 100% book a guided tour again, no question.
Back in March 2023, we chose to book our DMZ tour through Klook because at the time they offered the cheapest deals with the highest number of positive reviews from previous visitors. But now they all offer very similar tour itineraries and similar prices, to stay competitive with one another. So we’d probably look for something that makes a tour standout or be different. Here are the tours we’d consider now:
Klook
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) tour from Seoul: This is the tour we booked. We selected the 8:00 AM departure (which now comes with North Korean defector meet-up included) for US $50 each. It was a great tour and our guide Spring was excellent, but we’d actually choose one of the Viator tours below next time for something a bit more unique.
Viator
DMZ tour led by retired military officer: This one doesn’t meet a North Korean defector, but it’s unique selling point is that it’s led by real soldiers who actually served on the DMZ which would be a cool way to do it. The reviews are outstanding and we think it would be better suited to anyone with military connections.
Private DMZ Tour Option: If we had a bit more money to spend or we just wanted a far more comfortable day, we’d book this 9-10 hour private tour including hotel pick up and drop off in Seoul, all the usual DMZ sites with NK defector meet-up, and one of the two suspension bridges. Honestly, we think this is the best DMZ tour option available right now, even though it costs a bit more.
Get Your Guide:
DMZ & JSA Museum: This one doesn’t have the NK defector meet-up, instead it includes access to the newer JSA Museum. We’d only choose this one if we really wanted to see what the JSA would look and feel like if it were still open to tours.
Kristen’s booking tip: Read tour descriptions carefully. Each company offers add-ons, different start times, private options etc. You can keep costs as low as US $50 per person by booking for the most basic tour with any of the companies.
Things To Know Before Booking
Passports are mandatory: You absolutely must carry your passport during a visit to the Korean DMZ. Photos on your phone, drivers license, anything else won’t work. It would be such a shame to pay for a tour, get on the bus, arrive and realize you’ve forgotten your passport.
Booking in advance: The DMZ isn’t an attraction like the Vatican Museum or Louvre where you need to book weeks or months in advance to get a certain time slot. But it still does get booked up, and some nationalities may require longer processing times. So we’d aim to book no later than two weeks before we wanted to tour the DMZ. Any earlier is only going to be better.
Weather: At the risk of contradicting ourselves, we’d maybe consider holding off on booking until we knew the weather was going to be clear so we could actually see into North Korea from the Dora Observatory. This would work on a longer trip to Seoul, where you could look at the forecast and book 5-7 days in advance if the weather looked good.
Suspension bridges: To be fair, the two bridges look like great photo spots. The thing that would put us off adding one in next time is that our tour was already a long and tiring day, and we didn’t get back to Seoul until 6:00 PM. We’re not sure how they would have had time to add a bridge in without removing time from the DMZ itinerary.
JSA: If or when the JSA area opens back up for tourism, we would absolutely try to add that area into our DMZ tour.
Monday closures: Maybe the most important advice we can give you is not to book a DMZ tour on a Monday because the Dora Observatory and 3rd Infiltration Tunnel are closed. They are the only two spots we visited inside the actual DMZ area. On a Monday, the tours focus on Imjingak Park only.
Our Pros & Cons
Pros ✅
- We learned so much
- Our tour guide was great
- Didn’t have to worry about transport
- Plenty of time to explore Imjingak Park
- 3rd Tunnel was interesting
- Wide open views into North Korea
- Surprisingly affordable
- Thought provoking
Cons ❌
- Tours can be cancelled last minute
- Certain areas may close suddenly
- Waiting around for a DMZ time slot
- Long and tiring day overall
- Steep access into 3rd Tunnel
- Strange theme parks at main entrance
Was Our DMZ Tour Worth It?
We both agreed without hesitation that our DMZ tour from Seoul was absolutely worth it. In truth, it’s one of the most fascinating places we’ve ever visited. The tour guide explained the current climate of South Korea and the history between North and South Korea in a way that gave us context and understanding of the situation, which we found invaluable and wouldn’t have gotten if we tried to visit independently.
We didn’t love the anxious wait we had upon arrival to see if we’d even get cleared to go into the DMZ, but that kind of added to the tension and eeriness. Looking a bit deeper, we actually left feeling sadness for the people who suffered, it’s not just a place you go to look into North Korea. But overall, we can confidently say that a DMZ tour should be on every first-timers Seoul list of unmissable experiences.
More Photos From Our Tour
We took so many photos during our DMZ tour (in permitted areas of course) so we wanted to share a few more to help you see what it’s going to be like when you arrive.
Next Steps
We hope our DMZ tour review helps with planning your trip to Seoul.
If you’d like more personalized help, we offer expert travel planning consultations where we answer any questions you have, help you avoid tourist traps and plan out your entire itinerary step by step. See how we can help.
Still researching for your trip?
- This is what to do at Imjingak Park.
- Discover Seoul’s five royal palaces.
- Here’s exactly what to see and do in Seoul.
Finally, we recommend reading our South Korea travel guide for first-timers to get helpful tips and advice, top attractions to see, itinerary ideas and more.
Happy travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.