One of the top things I wanted to do during my trip to South Korea was visited the DMZ. The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ for short) divides North Korea and South Korea, and is one of the most interesting borders around the globe. I visited the DMZ as a daytrip from Seoul – here’s everything you need to know to plan your trip!

Which Tour Company Should I Pick to Visit the DMZ?

There are loads of different tour operators that offer daytrip tours from Seoul to the DMZ. I booked this exact tour with Get Your Guide – the local operator was PLK Travel. Most of the daytrips all offer the same itinerary, with a few variations. As far as I’m aware, you can only visit the DMZ on a guided tour – you can’t just rock up there on your own and expect to be allowed in. The total cost of my tour to the DMZ was £51 (~$61 USD), which was pretty similar to other tour prices.

I really wanted to visit the JSA (Joint Security Area), but it was closed to tours when I was in South Korea. The JSA is the actual building that crosses the border – walk across the room and you’re in North Korea! These tours are much pricier than the regular daytrip tours. If you’re looking for a tour that includes a visit to the JSA, first confirm you will actually be visiting the JSA. This tour was recommended by a friend of a friend.

What You Need to Bring to the DMZ

You will need your passport to visit the DMZ – do NOT forget this, as you won’t be allowed into the DMZ! I’d also recommend wearing comfortable shoes as there’s a decent amount of walking. Dress appropriately for the weather; I went in February without a hat or gloves and I was freezing! Your tour operator will let you know anything more specific that you need to bring with you.

Starting the Day: Imjingak Peace Park

It’s an early start to the day, as tour operators want to get to the DMZ to make sure they can get their groups in and run their itineraries to plan. We met just before 7am at Myeongdong Station. It was about a 1.5-hour drive to our first main stop of the day, Imjingak Peace Park.

There is a lot to see in the park – while our tour guide was off sorting stuff out with our passports, we went to a Dunkin Donuts with a casual view of North Korea! There are loads of pinwheels in part of the park, which was started in 2005 – the pinwheels are allowed to spin freely in the wind.

From there, our guide took us on a brief tour of the memorials throughout the park. The Mangbaedan Alter is dedicated to those who were displaced during the war. Every year, people come to pay their respects to lost or separated family members. We also saw the ruined steam train, which was destroyed during the war; you can still see the bullet holes. In the distance, you can see the Freedom Bridge – it connects North Korea with South Korea, and it’s where thousands of POWs were exchanged during the war.

There’s also a large memorial to the United States here. Each state is honored with a flag (I found Minnesota, of course) and a large statue of President Truman.

Hiking in the Mountains: Gamaksan Bridge

We had time for lunch at Imjingak (there are a number of different food options here – I recommend the burger place!) and then got back on the bus to go for a bit of a hike. We did a short walk to Gamaksan Bridge, a beautiful suspension bridge above a valley. The scenery here was stunning, but it was cold! If your tour visits here, I recommend hiking up to the pagoda for a view of the bridge itself.

The DMZ: 3rd Tunnel and Dora Observatory

Next, we headed back to Imjingak and into the DMZ itself. This was the real highlight of the whole tour for me! Our bus went through security over the bridge, and then drove to the 3rd Tunnel. On the way, we saw the roadblocks and gates to enter North Korea by road!

The 3rd Tunnel is absolutely fascinating to learn about – and luckily there’s a whole museum dedicated to it! It was discovered in 1978, and was one of a series of tunnels dug by North Korea to try to infiltrate the south. One of my favorite parts of the museum was the large-scale diorama of the DMZ and the border itself.

No cameras, phones, or bags are allowed into the 3rd Tunnel itself, so unfortunately I don’t have any photos to share. But this was one of the coolest parts of the tour! It’s a steep, sloped walk down to access the 3rd Tunnel, and then you can walk in the tunnel to see the next barricade.

The last major stop of the day was at Dora Observatory. This is where you can look across the DMZ and into North Korea! While it does seem a bit creepy, they have large binoculars you can look through to see people in Kijong-dong, the North Korean propaganda village right across the border. I saw some people walking, riding bikes, and playing what looked like soccer! I loved getting to see the North Korean flag flying through the telescope.

The views over the expansive landscape are really something else. There’s so much history here – a relatively small area that has seen so much political drama and warfare. Before long, it was time to get back on the bus, and head back to Seoul.

Planning Your Trip to Seoul and the DMZ

I booked this exact tour to the DMZ with Get Your Guide, which I’d definitely recommend! You can search for other tours below.

I stayed at Zzzip Guesthouse in Seoul, which has to be one of my favorite hostels of my Asia trip! I absolutely recommend staying here if you’re in Seoul – there’s a great social atmosphere, free breakfast, super clean bathrooms, and it’s in a really convenient location. If you stay here, look for my picture on the wall from March 2023! If you’d rather stay somewhere else, you can search for hotels and B&Bs in Seoul here, or use the map below.

Booking.com

Seoul Incheon is the main international airport for the capital. Domestic flights operate out of Gimpo airport. I use Skyscanner to book my flights. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Visiting the DMZ was a bucket-list experience for me on my trip to South Korea. I learned so much about the history of the border, and what the DMZ actually is. If you’re visiting Seoul, I cannot recommend doing a daytrip to the DMZ enough. I hope this post helps planning a guided tour to the DMZ from Seoul!

Have you visited the DMZ? What was your experience like?

You might also like my posts:

What to Do in Seoul: 5 Days in the South Korean Capital

What to See and Do on Jeju, South Korea

A Daytrip From Shkoder to Blini Park and Lake Koman: The Craziest Day in Albania!

A Daytrip to Kazbegi and the Russian Military Highway in Georgia

Like this post? Pin it for later!