North Korea Is Reopening Its Doors to Tourists

Abby Montanez

18 August 2024 at 11:00 am·2-min read

North Korea is slowly beginning to reopen its borders.

For nearly five years, North Korea’s borders have remained closed to foreign travelers due to restrictions put in place during the pandemic. Now, the country is gearing up to gradually reopen for tourism, starting with the city of Samjiyon, BBC News reported on Thursday.

More from Robb Report

This Chinese Autonomous Car Start-Up Is About to Go Public in the U.S.
A Hong Kong Billionaire Says the City Will Become a Global Hub for the Ultra-Wealthy
'Experience Is Not Expertise': Why Rich, First-Time Hoteliers Are Failing So Spectacularly

In January 2020, North Korea was the first country in the world to go into lockdown and shut its international borders amid the Covid-19 outbreak. Since then, the country has been sluggish in lifting the closures. But those constraints are easing. Last August, Air Koryo carried out its first commercial flight in three years between Beijing and Pyongyang. Around the same time, North Korea announced that it would allow citizens living abroad to return home with the caveat of completing a one-week quarantine upon arrival.

According to BBC, China-based tour operators have recently revealed plans to restart tourism in certain parts of North Korea. “We have received confirmation from our local partner that tourism to Samjiyon and likely the rest of the country will officially resume in December 2024,” Beijing’s Koryo Tours wrote on its website. “Having waited for over four years to make this announcement, Koryo Tours is very excited for the opening of North Korean tourism once again.”

Separately, Shenyang’s KTG Tours announced the news in a post on its Facebook page. “So far just Samjiyon has been officially confirmed but we think that Pyongyang and other places will open too!!!”

Interested travelers will have to stay tuned for itinerary dates, which will reportedly be released in the coming weeks. Samjiyon is located in North Korea’s Ryanggang Province, positioned near Mount Paektu—the highest peak on the Korean peninsula. The resort town gets its name from the three lakes in the area and is home to Samjiyon Grand Monument. In addition, it hosts an annual ice sculpture festival every winter.

“Samjiyon is the most famous region in North Korea in the winter for tourism and is the home to the country’s famous volcanic mountain Mt. Paektu,” Koryo Tours said on its website. “In North Korea, it is seen as the birthplace of the revolution and the reputed birthplace of Kim Jong Il. For the South, it is the birthplace of the Korean people. For the whole Korean Peninsula, it is the most significant and sacred place.”

Best of Robb Report

Click here to read the full article.

Manchester Evening News
Man orders vodka and Coke in Turkey and is speechless when bill arrives
A man ordered a spirit and mixer in a bar in Marmaris, Turkey, and wasn't very impressed when the bill came. He thinks tourists will stop going to the destination altogether
The Argus
Traumatised mum's passport warning as family 'held like criminals' on £6,000 trip
A 'traumatised' mum claims they were given barely any food or water - only a 'rotten tomato and an egg' that was 'kicked at them'
The Independent
This destination beats Paris and Amsterdam as the best European city break by train
Which cities are the best to visit by train from the UK for a holiday on the continent
The Independent
British Airways refuses compensation for ‘Stanley Johnson flight’ diverted from Gatwick to Heathrow
Exclusive: BA appears to be using a little-known clause in European Union guidance to save it from paying out £350 per passenger
The Independent
Sunshine, £2 pints and beautiful beaches – inside the lesser-known Black Sea city that is a holiday hit
Seeking a lesser-known seaside destination with fewer crowds and low prices, Benjamin Parker heads to Bulgaria’s coast to explore Varna
INSIDER
7 things you should never do when traveling by train, according to an etiquette coach
Etiquette expert William Hanson told BI train travelers should avoid talking on speaker phone and leaving their bags on seats.
CBC
Parents outraged after girl, 14, forced off Porter Airlines flight
The parents of a 14-year-old girl say they're outraged after their daughter was removed from a Porter Airlines flight last month and left to fend for herself for the next 24 hours — without compensation or supervision from airline staff.
Hello!
5 hotels with totally unique amenities you never knew you needed
Discover the fascinating secret perks that five hotels around the world have
The Independent
Eurostar launches sale with tickets as low as £35 each way – but you’ll have to be quick
With the Olympics over, Paris is continuing to welcome tourists for autumn and winter city breaks
The Guardian
‘Secret Garden on steroids’: the Cornish cottage that comes with its own jungle and private beach
Guests staying at a new holiday cottage in the grounds of Trebah Gardens will get after-hours access to this sub-tropical wonderland and its private cove
The Telegraph
‘I was thrown off my dream world cruise because I complained in a WhatsApp group’
A woman who sold everything to cruise around the world says she has been banned from a residential ship’s maiden three-year voyage for complaining about ongoing delays in a private WhatsApp group.
Euronews
‘We must avoid tourists becoming public enemies’: Ban on new hotels as overtourism threatens Bali
Last month, tourism minister Sandiaga Uno warned that the situation in south Bali was verging on overtourism.
Storyful
'Titanic Moment': Carnival Cruise Ship Smashes Into Large Piece of Floating Ice
A Carnival Cruise Line ship collided with a large piece of floating ice while traveling in the Tracy Arm Fjord in Alaska on September 5.Cassandra Goskie was a passenger on the ship, named the Carnival Spirit, and recorded the moment it struck the piece of ice. She told Storyful she was standing on her balcony when she noticed they were getting pretty close.“If we die, it was damn well worth it. It’s a Titanic moment,” Goskie said as they approached the ice.In another clip, a smaller boat can be seen examining the ship as the cruise director confirms there was no damage.In a statement to news outlets, Carnival said the ship struck “an errant piece of drifting ice last Thursday while sailing in Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska” and added that “the vessel continued on its cruise and there has been no impact to operations.”While Goskie made a comparison to the Titanic which sank after striking an iceberg in 1912, the ice the cruise ship struck would not be classified as an iceberg. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an iceberg is a piece of ice with a height greater than 16 feet above sea level, with a thickness of at least 98 feet, and must cover an area of at least 5,382 square feet. Credit: Cassandra Goskie via Storyful
The Telegraph
The 17 regions of Spain, ranked from worst to best
Spain as we know it is a relatively recent construct. There are officially 17 regions, but most of the boundaries were only drawn up in 1833. They were then revised in the post-Franco era, creating the country in its current form.
The Independent
Flight chaos at London Gatwick as air-traffic control staff shortage hits airport again
EasyJet passengers have seen 64 Gatwick flights cancelled, while British Airways, Vueling and Wizz Air were also among airlines affected
INSIDER
I stayed in 5-star hotels for the first time after years of booking cheap Airbnbs. Here are 15 things that surprised me.
Business Insider's reporter found unexpected perks at five-star hotels like free minibars, nightly s'mores, and complimentary car rentals.
Manchester Evening News
'I thought my seven year-old was going to die': Holidaymakers claim bug sweeping through Turkey hotel as ambulances pictured outside
Families say they're staying in their hotel rooms eating noodles from a shop
Business Insider
I've sailed alone on 8 cruise ships. Here are my top 5 tips for taking a solo cruise.
Going on a solo cruise vacation can be great — if you plan it right. Here's my advice on when to board the ship and how to avoid budget-busting fees.
Good Housekeeping UK
The best cruise destinations for 2024 and 2025
The best cruises to book, from the Mediterranean to the Douro River. Here are the best cruises to book around the world for 2024 and 2025.
LoveEXPLORING
Revealed: The scariest airport landings in the world
Seatbelts fastened? Tray table in the upright position? Excellent, because you’re in for a bumpy ride. Here we take a look at the world’s scariest airport landings.

Latest stories