DMZ Tour
A tour of the DMZ was high up on our list of things to do while visiting Seoul. In fact we added Seoul to our itinerary specifically because we thought it would be a really interesting thing to see first hand. It definitely didn’t disappoint and was well worth the $42 each it cost us. There are several companies offering tours to the DMZ but as far as we know only one which includes the JSA (Joint Security Area), which includes the blue buildings which you will have seen on TV and an opportunity to technically step across into North Korea. Unfortunately for us due to military exercises the JSA tour was not available during our visit. Be aware even if you have booked the tour which includes the JSA they can cancel them last minute depending on the security situation or activity by the military.
The company offering these tours which include the JSA is Koridoor. Even if you are only doing the DMZ tour, which we found a fascinating experience, we would advise you go with Koridoor even though they are more expensive than the alternatives. The guides are very knowledgable and speak good English, they don’t waste time taking you anywhere to try and make you spend money and don’t rush you through the different stops on the tour which is a regular complaint with other tour providers. We also seemed to get to each stop before other tours did so didn’t have to deal with overcrowding!
Prior to the tour you need to provide passport information two days in advance for security reasons. You should also book as early as possible as the tours often fill far in advance. You will need to make payment through their website which now offers credit card payment and asks for payment four days before your tour date. Despite the advice I’m giving here we didn’t book in advance and got very lucky booking two days beforehand, which lead to a nervous wait to see if our payment had been processed in time to be accepted onto our tour. So if you haven’t booked in time, there is still hope!
The tour was on a comfortable bus and began by taking us from the Koridoor office (which was easy to find) to the start of our tour – Imjingak and Unification Bridge. Here you get a first taste for the history of the area with Mangbaeddan, a memorial/monument for families separated by the war and the closed off Freedom Bridge which was previously used for returning POWs from North Korea. The road leading in and the Unification Bridge gives you the overwhelming sense you’re entering a non-civilian area as barbed wire, gates and watch towers become common sights with nothing much else around.
Next up is a visit to the 3rd infiltration tunnel, dug by the North Koreans to be used for an invasion into the south and is one of four discovered since 1974. The tunnel itself is steep on the way down and gets continually tighter and lower. Tall people beware you will be bent over most of the way and banging your head (they provide hard hats)! We found the walk back up fine but there were several people who stopped and took breaks part way up, clearly struggling with how steep it was so make your own decision about whether to go down the tunnel based on how fit you are! After the tunnel we got taken into a mini cinema to watch a video giving some background information on the situation between the North and the South which was informative and helped add context to the day.
Moving on from there we got taken to one of the most interesting spots of the day, the Dora Observatory, a viewing platform where you can look across into North Korea. After watching another short video which explains what you can see from the platform you go up to the roof and can use binoculars to look for yourself into the secretive country. If the weather isn’t good you may have to take a while to pick out the landmarks the video tells you to look for! So try to go on a sunny day! There’s also a shop here where you can buy products from North Korea such as stamps and alcohol and old currency from before Korea was split. This is far more interesting than most souvenir shops you get taken to on tours and everyone bought something!
The final stop on the tour is Dorasan train station which is the last station on the South Korean side of a train line linking the North and South. There are lots of photos showing important moments in recent history and you can also buy a ticket (very cheap) to go through the barriers and out onto the platform as if you’re about to get the train. It’s a modern station that they hope will eventually be in use. Everyone we spoke to seemed certain that eventually there will be unification and along the way improved relations between the two sides. On the platform is a piece of the Berlin Wall symbolising this quest for unification.
Overall we found the tour to be really educational and well worth the money. We were kept interested all day and each stop seemed like a worthwhile place to see rather than time fillers. We would highly recommend doing this tour if you’re visiting Seoul, you won’t regret it!