What is the DMZ?
After World War II, a 4-kilometer-wide buffer zone was created between the North and the South. This area is known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). You can only visit the DMZ through a tour from Seoul. It is a popular attraction and it receives many tours from Seoul every day.
Good to know about the DMZ tour from Seoul
Pay attention to the following things before leaving on your DMZ tour from Seoul:
Passport – most important, don’t forget to bring your passport. You’ll need to show this when entering the DMZ.
Weather – even though it is difficult to predict the weather, it is best to go on a clear day as you’ll be able to see much more from the observatory.
Outfit – because a substantial part of the tour takes place outside, make sure to dress warm during the winter months.
Bus – you’ll take the same bus from one place to the next, so you can leave your coat or bag inside.
Lunch – there are a few cafes and shops, but since there is only limited break time it’s a good idea to bring some food from Seoul and enjoy it while moving between different locations.
Prepare – for a better understanding of Korea’s history, we highly recommend visiting the (free) War Memorial Museum in advance. Below we’ll give you a short overview of Korea’s history.
Korea’s history recap
In 1910, the Joseon Dynasty (Korea’s last kingdom) collapsed as the Japanese occupation began. This occupation lasted until 1945 when the United States and the USSR took control of the peninsula. Despite gaining independence from Japan, Korea was immediately divided in half, with the communist USSR taking the north and the democratic US taking the south. Koreans had no say in this division and many families got separated.
Then in the summer of 1950, the North Korean army crossed the division line (at the 38th parallel) and invaded the South, capturing Seoul in just three days. UN members intervened to prevent the spread of communism and U.S. forces conducted the Incheon Landing and recaptured Seoul. Peace talks between the North and South began in 1953. However, as of today, apart from a ceasefire agreement, a peace treaty has never been signed. The 38th parallel continues to be the most militarised border in the world and a DMZ tour from Seoul is a great way to learn all about it.
The DMZ tour
The DMZ tours from Seoul run every day except Monday. With numerous companies and websites offering similar tour experiences. But picking the right one can be difficult. We opted for a tour organised by VIP Travel (a Korean travel agency), booked on TripAdvisor for 63,000 won per person (€45 or $70 AUD).
Our experience with this tour group was good; it was well organised, and our guide, named Moon, was very sweet and shared a lot of information with us. We’ll go through the places we visited below! Are you interested in this tour yourself? Then check it out here DMZ tour!
Wanting to book?
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Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park
The monumental park just south of the Civilian Control Line (CCL). This line marks the start of the DMZ and you can only cross it in a tour. Therefore, this park is the closest anyone can get to the border with North Korea. Families go here during Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) to get as close as possible to family members that got separated.
Bridge of no return
A small wooden bridge used for prisoner exchanges between the North and South. Prisoners from both sides were given the chance to either remain in the country or cross back to their homeland.
Freedom Bridge
This large railway bridge crossing the river can be seen in the distance. It was used to transport prisoners of war and soldiers back from North Korea to South Korea.
Locomotive
Said to be the last train to ever cross the border between the North and South. The tracks got destroyed by the North so this train had to reverse back to the South. When arriving in the South, it got destroyed by US soldiers, fearing it would fall into the hands of the North. The train is now rusted and full of bullets holes.
North Korean money
This is the only place in South Korea you can buy North Korean Won. You can purchase the old or new money, but it is quite expensive. A single bill costs between 6,000 and 30,000 KRW.
Gondola ride
There is a cable car that runs out over the CCL, which you can book in advance. Honestly, we don’t recommend this, as you’ll have very little time to learn about the rest of the monuments in the park.
Third infiltration tunnel
Despite the peace talks, North Korea still attempted to infiltrate the South through the construction of deep tunnels going underneath the DMZ. Until now 4 tunnels have been discovered, but it is believed that there are many more.
Among these tunnels, the third tunnel is accessible to tourists during a tour. Discovered in 1978, this incomplete tunnel stretches for a total length of 1,635 meters, dug straight in the direction of Seoul. Interestingly, North Korea denied this and applied coal powder on the tunnel walls claiming that they built it as part of a coal mine.
To reach the 73-meter deep tunnel, you need to walk down (and up) a very steep slope. The passageway itself is cramped and narrow, requiring tall individuals to bend down. We wouldn’t recommend going in if you’re claustrophobic or in bad physical condition.
While photography is not allowed, our guide managed to provide us with some glimpses of the tunnel. Even though the tunnel itself doesn’t show much, the idea and history behind it made it the most exciting part of the DMZ tour for us.
Dora Observatory
This is the lookout point where you can peek over the 38th parallel and into North Korea using binoculars. Inside the observatory, there is also a café and a theatre. On a clear day, you can see a long way. During our tour it was a little cloudy, but we were still able to see quite far.
From the observatory, you can spot the propaganda village with the large North Korean flag, weighing 250kg. In true North Korean style, it was built higher and bigger than the South Korean flag on the opposite side. You can also see two other ‘real’ villages where people actually live plus the city of Gaeseong.
We were astonished to see many people riding their bikes and walking around; more than usual according to our tour guide. We could also see a North Korean soldier post with two soldiers patrolling.
Even though you really need to squint and won’t see anything too extraordinary, it is bizarre to think you’re peaking into North Korea (and that their soldiers are probably looking back at you too).
Unification village
Near the DMZ, there are a couple of so called unification villages. These farming villages are located in the DMZ, and with the threat of the North people didn’t want to live here. However because of the rich soil found here, the South Korean government offered to pay people to live here and use the soil to grow certain crops, like soybean and ginseng (roots of a plant with health benefits).
This is typically the last stop on the DMZ tour before heading back to Seoul. There is a little cafe and a shop selling some of these local products. We decided to try soybean covered white chocolates (which were delicious) and beer with ginseng (tasted bitter but nice).
Suspension bridge
You can add a visit to South Korea’s longest suspension bridge to your DMZ tour, making it a full day trip instead of half a day. If you decide to do it, you will get onto another bus after visiting the unification village, while the rest of the group will be brought back to Seoul. This bridge is not related to the history of the Korean war.
If you have the time and budget, the views seem to be very beautiful. To book this in addition to the DMZ tour, click here!
Important DMZ 2023 updates
While doing research into the many different DMZ tour options, we learned that some things are no longer possible to visit.
Dorasan station is closed – We read on some blogs that visiting Dorasan station was included in their tours and that you could get a “ticket” to North Korea’s capital. However, after contacting multiple tour agencies, we found out that this station is now closed for visitors and therefore not included in the tours anymore.
JSA tours are closed – JSA stands for Joint Security Area, this is the only spot in the DMZ where North and South Korean forces stand face-to-face. It used to be possible to visit this with a more extensive and expensive tour through the UN. However, not too long ago a US soldier stepped over the line and was taken into North Korea. Even though he has been returned, it got closed off for tourists because of safety concerns.
Overall, we had a great experience on the DMZ tour from Seoul. It started at 8am and we were back in Seoul around 2pm. Even though the tour was very touristy, it is the only way to get into the DMZ and it was a very unique way to learn more about Korean history.
Hopefully this post has prepared you on what to expect from the tour if you are planning to go here yourself.
What to do after the DMZ tour in Seoul
We had the option to be dropped off at either City Hall or Myeongdong. We got off at Myeongdong as we love this area. It is great to do some shopping and have food. A recommendation is the Michelin Star restaurant Myeongdong Kyoja with amazing noodle soup and dumplings!
A bit further north of Seoul, you’ll find Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was the main royal palace during the Joseon dynasty. If you’re looking for another unique experience while visiting Seoul, we would highly recommend visiting the palace in traditional Korean clothes. This is a lot of fun and gives you free entrance to the palace. Read all about it in our post here: Renting a Hanbok in Seoul!
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