The DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) is a 250 km long and 4 km wide zone in between North and South Korea, established at the end of the Korean War in 1953. It is one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world, serving as a constant reminder of the unresolved conflict between North and South Korea.
To learn more about the history of the Korean Peninsula and the ongoing conflict, the DMZ can be visited by tourists as part of a day trip from Seoul. These DMZ tours offer a rare look at the lingering effects of the Korean War and the ongoing division between the two countries.
Joining an organised tour to visit the DMZ
Our tour started in Myeongdong, in Seoul, where we got picked up at 7am in the morning. However, depending on where you are staying, there are other pick-up points available, such as Hongdae. If you want to enter the DMZ, you will need to join a tour, as it is not possible to enter the DMZ on your own.
Depending on which DMZ tour you book, your experience might be a little different. But in this post you can find a summary of the DMZ tour I had booked and my experience with it.
First stop near the border: Imjingak Park
Imjingak Park is a symbolic site near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in South Korea, dedicated to the memory of the Korean War and the hope for reunification. It includes monuments like the Freedom Bridge, which once connected the two Koreas, and Mangbaedan Altar, where people pay respects to family members separated by the conflict.
If you have some more time at Imjingak Park, you can go on a ride on the Paju Imjingak Peace Gondola. This lets you see the border region and the surrounding landscape. It also takes you to a little museum with further information about the border and stories about soldiers fallen in the war.
Entering the DMZ
While at Imjingak Park, the tour guides of each tour queue at the ticket office to secure entry for their tour into the DMZ. Depending on which timeslot your tour gets, you might have a bit more or less time at Imjingak Park.
Once your tour bus is allowed to enter the DMZ, it will make its way towards the military checkpoint. Here, the military will board the bus and check the passports of each individual. Keep in mind that it is not allowed to take any photos of the military checkpoint or any military facilities in general.
Within the DMZ, most tours will stop at 3 different stops, but the order of these might differ: The third infiltration tunnel, the Dora Observatory, and a DMZ village.
First stop within the DMZ: The 3rd infiltration tunnel
The Third Infiltration Tunnel was discovered in 1978. It is one of several tunnels that North Korea built for covert operations into South Korea. It’s about 1.6 kilometres long and located just 44 kilometres from Seoul.
The tunnel can be visited by tourists, who can walk through a portion of the tunnel, watch a short film about its history, and explore the exhibition hall that provides more context about the Korean conflict. No photos are allowed within the tunnel. You have to lock all your belongings in a locker before entering the tunnel. It was a very strange and interesting experience, walking through the tunnel.
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Second stop within DMZ: The Dora Observatory
The Dora Observatory is the famous viewing platform from where you can view North Korea using binoculars. You can also see the North Korean flag and a North Korean village.
Third stop within the DMZ: DMZ Village
Our final stop, within the DMZ, was one of the DMZ villages. These villages are unique, often tightly controlled, and have a small population living under special conditions.
Residents are exempt from taxes and compulsory military service but live under strict regulations due to the proximity to North Korea. We had lunch here and there was also a shop where you could purchase local products.
And you might have heard about the JSA (Joint security area) where you can see North Korean guards and walk around the table, stepping into North Korean territory. This area has been closed since July 2023 due to an incident of an American soldier crossing into North Korea. It is currently not known if and when it will open again for tourists.
Additional stop on the way home: Gamaksan Chulleong Bridge (optional)
After the DMZ village, we departed from the DMZ and made our way back towards Seoul. On the way back, we did make an additional stop at Gamaksan Chulleong Suspension Bridge.
This part is optional, and you can decide during your booking process if you want the suspension bridge included in your DMZ tour or not. However, I’d highly recommend it. It was a bit of a walk-up, but the bridge and the surrounding nature around it were incredible. There even was a little waterfall.
After stopping at the beautiful suspension bridge, we made our way back to Seoul. Most people were sleeping in the bus (me included), but it must have been a little more than an hour until we arrived back in Seoul. We got dropped off at Myeongdong metro station (which was also our meeting point in the morning) at around 16:30.
Summary of the day trip to the DMZ
It was a long day, but very interesting, sad and educational. I learned a lot, and even though I did know quite a bit about the conflict already (I learned quite a bit about the aftermath of the Korean War in my Korean Foreign Policy classes while studying in Korea for a semester), I did learn a lot more during this tour.
If you’re visiting Seoul, I highly recommend taking a day trip to the DMZ. I’ve included it in both my guide to one week in South Korea and my 10-day South Korea itinerary, as I think it’s one of the most interesting day trips you can take from the city.
Book your tour: This is the tour I went on! Our tour guide was called Yuna and she was great!
Let me know if you have any further questions about what to expect from the DMZ tours.
Talk to you later x
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