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Half-Day Korean DMZ Tour from Seoul

204 reviews

from USD $52.56

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This half-day tour will take you to the Korean DMZ that is located about an hour away from Seoul. You will see the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel, the DMZ Exhibition Hall, the Dora Observatory, the Dorasan Station and pass the Unification Village on the way back to Seoul. It will be an educational experience to learn about the Korean War and its history.

*** Special note:
The Korean Demilitarized Zone is temporarily closed due to African Swine Flu until the further notice from the government (we assume it until the beginning of Feb. 2020). During this time, the tour will visit Imjingak Park, Freedom Bridge, Odusan Observatory and War Memorial Museum to learn about the Korean War.

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In Brief

Location:

Seoul, South Korea

Country:

South Korea

Duration:

6 hours

Operates:

Daily, except Mondays

Highlights:

Choice of several departures throughout the day

All entrance fees included

Hotel pickup included

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: DMZ, Munsan-eup, Majeong-ri Imjingak Tourist information center, Paju, Gyeonggi-do South Korea

You will be picked up at your hotel in Central Seoul or subway station then taken to Imjingak Park.

Once you arrive at the park, you can see the Freedom Bridge and an old steam train that shows the extremity of the tragedy that was the Korean War at Imjingak Park.

Then, the DMZ bus will head to the 3rd Tunnel that North Korean Army built to infiltrate South Korea in 1970s. You will walk down to the tunnel (about 500m, round trip) wearing a safety helmet. After coming out of tunnel, you will have some time to look around the DMZ Exhibition Hall which shows the Korean War, old weapons and Korea's history.

After the Exhibition Hall, you will head to Mt Dora to see North Korea from the Observatory. There are many telescopes to look at North Korea’s propaganda village.

Then you will move to Dorasan Station, the last station before entering North Korea from South Korea. You can get a stamp that resembles the immigration desk in the airport, as a souvenir (You will not be entering North Korea).

On the way back to Imjingak Park, your vehicle will pass by the Unification Village before heading back to Seoul.

Once you return to Seoul, you will stop-by a Korean Ginseng Center (This place will be skipped if you choose "without shopping tour" option) before you will be dropped off at the City Hall.

You can choose 1 of 2 half day tours with morning or afternoon.

Duration: 6 hours

Inclusions

Professional guide
Hotel pickup
Entry/Admission - DMZ

Exclusions

Food and drinks
Lunch
Gratuities
Hotel drop-off

Departure Point

Hongik Univ. Station, Donggyo-dong, Seoul, South Korea

Traveler pickup is offered
Please provide us with the name & full address of your accommodation in Seoul if there are no listed.

And we can meet at subway stations in Central Seoul.

Returns To

City Hall Station, Jeong-dong, Seoul, South Korea

Additional Information

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Children must be accompanied by an adult
A minimum of 2 adults per booking is required for afternoon tour
A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
*** The Korean Demilitarized Zone is temporarily closed due to African Swine Flu until the further notice from the government (we assume it until the beginning of Feb. 2020). During this time, the tour will visit Imjingak Park, Freedom Bridge, Odusan Observatory and War Memorial Museum to learn about the Korean War.
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers

Booking Information

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Cancellation Terms

This trip is fully refundable up to 96 hours prior to the commencement of your trip.

Booking Terms and Conditions

When you book this trip, you need to read and accept the terms and conditions for booking our day trips in excursions.

Hotel Pickup

When you book, we will ask you to select a hotel to be picked up from. Once your booking is confirmed, we'll send you a confirmation voucher with full contact information (phone number, email address) for our local operator in case you need to update or change your hotel pick-up details.

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about hotel pickup:

What if my hotel is not listed?
That's okay. When you book you can select an hotel from our list and make your way there on the day of departure; or you can contact our local operator directly to make alternate pick-up arrangements.

What if I have not yet booked a hotel?
Once your hotel arrangements are finalised, you can contact our local operator directly with your hotel details.

What if I live locally, am staying with friends or relatives, and/or don't require pick-up?
Once your booking is confirmed, we'll send you complete details and directions to the tour/activity departure point.

Scoring an average traveller rating of 5 out of 5 based on the last 24 recent reviews

“

The DMZ was closed on our tour date (due to the government), but the company provided a great, alternative tour. Mr. Kim shared a vast amount of knowledge and stories about the DMZ, the Korean people and the two countries. It was perfectly timed to keep people engaged and interested! Highly recommended!!”

Edmund M • Submitted 24 Dec 2019

“

It was a great tour and very informative. We had to do an alternative tour as the DMZ was closed to the public that day but we still had a great time. Thank you Mr. Kim! :)”

Pat • Submitted 06 Dec 2019

“

Our family enjoyed learning about this history. It was humbling eating in the observation tower cafe overlooking North Korea. Bus pick up and drop off was very convenient, our guide was very knowledgable and friendly. Sturdy shoes are a must if you walk down the tunnel, it's extremely steep and about 1/4 mile down then another 1/4 mile underground to the end. We didn't watch the video explaining the tunnel but our guide gave us the history. If you skip going down the tunnel, go across the parking lot and watch the video.”

Whitney J • Submitted 18 Nov 2019

“

Especially enjoyed the War Museum. Good guide and narration. Opportunities for lunch time slot not enough time to really eat.”

David C • Submitted 28 Oct 2019

“

A very enjoyable and efficiently managed tour. Unfortunately the main DMZ area was closed at the time but we managed to see some very good alternatives around the area. I do recommend this tour - it’s a great morning out and you come back to Seoul by the afternoon.”

M. Saad Ullah U • Submitted 17 Oct 2019

“

Tour was truly interesting and our guide was very informative and knowledgeable. I understood a lot more about Korean history through his talk. The scenery and facilities were beautiful. Korean War Memorial was very well displayed and was truly sensitive. Nothing was crowded or overshadowed by another display. Amenities and facilities at all venues were excellent and all ages were catered for. The weather in Korea in October is perfect for sightseeing. Most people are very helpful and we were able to communicate easily with English.”

Edna J • Submitted 14 Oct 2019

“

The guide is very knowledgeable (a handsome patriotic Korean guy). Not too rushed. Prompt pick up and drop off. Comfortable transportation. Well organized”

Jasmine Fei Q • Submitted 04 Oct 2019

“

Very informative tour with a helpful, articulate guide. Comfortable transportation and plenty of time at each stop for sightseeing, shopping, refreshments. The hike down into tunnel 3 is not for the faint of heart. In fact, I think too many people went it who should not have, clogging the way down and up. It is a tight squeeze, so not for the claustrophobic. And if you are 6’ for taller, you have walk bent over for a long spell.”

RONALD N • Submitted 23 Sep 2019

“

This is a great experience that is a must for every history lovers. Gives a good insight to the story of two countries and one nation. The guide was great and spoke English flawlessly.”

Maayan D • Submitted 23 Sep 2019

“

We enjoy so much the way to DMZ. The pick up was on time, the bus was neat and clean. Kim was a very nice tourist guide. Thanks!”

rosidaliav • Submitted 09 Sep 2019

“

I had Mr. Kim as a tour guide to the DMZ. I was ready to listen to music and read my book during the ride to the DMZ but Mr. Kim grabbed my attention since he started talking about the history of Korea, the war, and how and why the DMZ existed which i found interesting. Each sites of this tour he provided some informative information about the history and purpose of the site. I read some reviews saying he was hard to understand but Mr. Kim was more than open to answer any questions I had through out the tour. I didn't feel it was too rushed and Mr. Kim provided very clear instructions on how long we were supposed to stay at each site and when to get back to the bus..Overall, it was an interesting tour if you want to learn about the history of the DMZ.”

vrimandojr • Submitted 03 Sep 2019

“

Our tour guide gave a good introduction into the history of the Korean War and how the South discovered the tunnel, which was really interesting. The length of the trip was just right too!”

Jin Hui T • Submitted 16 Aug 2019

“

Sadie was an excellent guide and the tour gives you a very good idea of the tension between North and South Korea. It also showed, the hope that the Korean people will be re-united but not as a communist country.”

Marian G • Submitted 15 Aug 2019

“

We chose the morning option. Our tour guide Mr. Kim was great, gave us a lot of information both on the road and on each stop of the tour, on the history of Korea and the present situation of the 2 countries. It was also great that we arrived early at all the stops and had time to take it all in, cause once we were done with each place, a lot of other tour groups were coming and it was visible that it got crowded. The tour is really interesting and worth it!”

Roxana B • Submitted 12 Aug 2019

“

Sadie was a fun guide and very knowledgeable. learned a lot from Sadie just from the bus ride to the DMZ.”

Chen L • Submitted 08 Aug 2019

“

Very fascinating tour! We had guided access to otherwise-restricted DMZ. Our tour guide Mr Kim ('Gold') was knowledgeable, experienced and shared a lot of information; I learnt so much! The visit to the Third Tunnel was physically quite demanding (it's quite an incline) and not for anyone with claustrophobia as it went quite deep down, and some parts were very low and narrow. My favourite part was the visit to Dora Observatory where you could see North Korea. I picked the half-day tour from Seoul without shopping, and would recommend this to anyone who has half a day in Seoul. The tour ended at around 2PM near Seoul City Hall and I had the rest of the day to do other things in Seoul.”

Siti Farhana M • Submitted 05 Aug 2019

“

This was a great tour for the price! Our tour guide, Sadie, was wonderful. In addition to being well-informed about each of the places we visited, she told some great jokes and stories along the way. Yes, you may feel rushed at some of the stops, but as long as you do your research ahead of time, you'll know exactly how to spend your time wisely.”

Ashley D • Submitted 05 Aug 2019

“

Shiney was an amazing tour guide. The tour was informative and fun. I would recommend to anyone interested in the DMZ.”

Jason B • Submitted 24 Jul 2019

“

I was on a tour with JAKE! He was very informative and funny. Glad I was able to take this tour, the pink bus was an added bonus ;}”

Leslie S • Submitted 19 Aug 2019

“

I was on a solo trip, but had a lot of fun with this small group. 'Shiny' was fun and engaging. She made sure we knew what was going on and what we were planning on seeing next. The DMZ overall isn't super thrilling unless you're a history buff. That's not a knock on this tour, just the DMZ in general. Be warned, there's a lot of walking especially at the tunnel. That was the most interesting section as I had never heard of N. Korean tunnels. It's very steep, and you're bent over most the the walk through the tunnel itself.”

Jennifer O • Submitted 08 Jul 2019

“

This tour was great. The van to pick my friend and me up was prompt and our tour guide (Ms. Shiny) met us in the lobby to let us know that they had arrived. The van was nice and air conditioned and during the drive to the DMZ, Ms. Shiny kept us informed with some facts about the relationship between North and South Korea and their history. At each stop on the tour, I think we were allotted a perfect amount of time to explore the area and take pictures and during the travel between each stop, we were provided a bit of background about the next stop which was nice. Overall, I thought this was a well prepared tour and Ms. Shiny was also great.”

Kevin M • Submitted 08 Jul 2019

“

We loved it. Interesting tour, and great view to North Korea from the new Dora-observatorium (inside the DMZ).”

Janiche P • Submitted 03 Jul 2019

“

Everybody thinks they know about North Korea, but almost nobody really does. This tour is informative and interesting, and whilst you don't actually set foot in North Korea, you come away with a much better picture of how the DMZ came about and just some of the fascinating history around this modern day no-go zone. You will get to step into a small section of the DMZ, and you'll get a great view across it with strong binoculars which are sited on the top of an observatory. You'll also explore one of the tunnels dug by the North Koreans but subsequently discovered. You'll even see where the train that should/could go into North Korea, but of course doesn't. Plenty of photo opportunities, and great value. A fun and interesting wat to spend a half day, with an excellent guide.”

Martin E • Submitted 03 Jul 2019

“

Our tour guide, Shiny, was very informative and friendly. Learned a lot. Note that this is not the tour in which you visit the conference room that straddles the border.”

Brian L • Submitted 03 Jul 2019