My journey into North Korea tourism started almost a decade ago. Almost to the day, actually. I’ve recounted the story of my first tour to North Korea countless times, but it began from a desire to see this country shrouded in mystery for my own eyes. Not dissimilar to thousands of other tourists to North Korea, eager to gain a better understanding of this country we only know from the media as pretty crazy and downright scary.

My own mother cried on the phone when I told her about my plan to visit all those years ago. 

It wasn’t long after my first trip that I entered the North Korea tourism industry and enjoyed a few years of regular trips that averaged out to visiting North Korea around once a month. So much so that it certainly became something I took for granted. 

Visiting North Korea frequently just became the norm for me.

The goodbyes to my colleagues, some of whom I can confidently call friends, got easier every time I departed Pyongyang. Despite our inability to contact each other outside the country, I was always confident I’d see them soon enough to catch up with any life events. 

Indeed, my last conversation at Pyongyang Airport I remember clearly. It was the 16th January, 2020. That faithful brief time of normality of 2020 before, well, you don’t need me to remind you. 

“When will you be back?” Asked my North Korean colleague. 

We’d worked together multiple times over the years and got to know each other quite well. Even celebrating important life events together, such as in the summer of 2019 when his first baby was born during one of our group trips (he took a short leave during the day to see his wife and new baby at the hospital). 

“Hm, not until April actually” I realised as my next planned trip wasn’t until the Pyongyang Marathon 2020. 

“Wow, April? That’s so long”. He replied. 

We pondered this briefly before I had to leave and waved cheerily as I went through passport control.

The “long” three months until my return to North Korea I originally anticipated turned into over 5 years. 

Until earlier this month, when I finally made it back to North Korea. More specifically to Rason, North Korea’s far northeast region and Special Economic Zone. 

Let me take you on the abrupt journey back to North Korea and on a trip to one of the first group trips in over 5 years. 

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A Journey to Rason

For the past 5 years, I’d been positioning my life for this moment.

The moment when North Korea would open. With no job for me there, I’d moved out of China - but was always ready to hop on a flight back when the time called for it. The past 3 years I’d spent in Taiwan largely for this reason. 

You can imagine the stress, then, when Rason announced its sudden opening as I was halfway through month-long back-to-back trips to Afghanistan and Bangladesh. 

I completed the trips and, jet-lagged but adrenaline-fuelled, headed on the first available flight to Beijing, ready to take our second group trip to North Korea. 

From Dhaka to Beijing, Beijing to Yanji, Yani to Rason

To get to Rason, you have to first head to the Chinese province of Yanbian. This is about a 1.5-hour flight from Beijing - and a good few degrees colder. Especially during the months of February and March, as the region is just coming out of the depths of winter. 

I met our group in Beijing where we had a tour briefing - the first one I’d conducted in over 5 years and, of course, I was a bit rusty. 

With Rason being one of the least visited areas of North Korea, I’d only ever been here twice before - on top of not going to the country for years. Nevertheless, the group were incredibly relaxed and understanding despite all the chaos. 

After copious coffees, we finished the tour briefing and it was time to make our way to the airport in Beijing to begin our journey across north-eastern China. 

Taking the flight to Yanji is quite the experience in itself. Yanji airport doubles up as a military airport, so for take-off and landing the windows must be strictly closed shut. 

This didn’t make much difference to us as we landed at night with little visibility, anyway. But added a nice bit of mystery to the trip. 

From the airport, we made it through the busy streets of downtown Yanji, lit up with a mix of Chinese and Korean characters.

Yanji is one of the more unique cities in China. It’s home to one of the largest ethnic Korean minority populations in the world, and this is shown clearly through the Korean restaurants, Cold Noodle stores and Korean karaokes competing with the KTVs and northern Chinese cuisines next door. 

If you have some time in Yanji, I thoroughly recommend spending time there, soaking up this cultural fusion. 

Our group however had an early morning, so it was straight to bed and to get some rest before we were up again for the 6 am start.

Driving to the North Korean Border

The North Korean border is around a 3-hour drive from Yanji city centre, depending on how many checkpoints you’re stopped off at. And for the next few hours after that, it’s about working your way through the multiple layers of border control and security.

You’ll first go through the process on the Chinese side. With hardly any traffic, this border crossing is very small. This can result in some big queues if there is a lot of you. 


Luckily, we were a nice group of 8 only. 

After some questioning from the Chinese on ‘why on earth are there so many foreigners coming through recently’, I’ve never been more grateful to have continued my Chinese studies over the years which helped me explain the situation and breeze on through. 

Once you make it out of China, you’re then stuck in no-man’s land for a good while. It’s a land border, but you’re not permitted to walk across. The only way to go across is by walking over or by bus - which you have to both pay for and wait for. 

After a long wait stuck between countries, we finally boarded the bus to cross over into North Korea. Halfway through the 5-minute journey, you will come to your first North Korean security check and see in the distance the building for the North Korean border control - easily recognisable for the big North Korean flag hanging from it. 

The bus made a stop at the North Korean security checkpoint and I was reminded of a familiar sight - North Korean border officials with their large hats and stern faces that easily break into a smile with an exchange of some simple Korean. 

They checked our documents and let us move onto the official North Korean border control where we’d go through a fairly mild security check before finally getting stamped into the country.

Honestly, the most difficult part of the entire trip thus far was fighting the many Chinese tourists and businessmen all fighting their way to be the first in the queue. 

It takes a certain amount of ‘not giving a -’ to fight yourself through Chinese crowds. Something I’ve not only learnt but learnt to embrace over the years.

The passive-aggressive Brit in me finally being able to let loose. 

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On a Tour to Rason

At the border, we finally met with our local guides who would be joining us throughout the trip. A young and fresh-out-of-school Ms. Kim, and the much older and sterner Mr. Pak. And despite it being my first trip in over 5 years, the cogs all fitted smoothly back into place.

After some formalities with my two newly acquainted colleagues, I took my spot on the bus and breathed a sigh of relief as we’d made it into North Korea without a hiccup; everyone was happy. Now I could relax and let the Koreans take over for a few minutes. 

"Welcome to our country…’"

I zoned out at the familiar sound of the Koreans introducing themselves and welcoming the group to the country with the typical lines played in the background and I took in the familiar brown and grey countryside visuals of the northeast of the DPRK. 

It wasn’t long before the karaoke mic was out and we were singing the viral ‘Friendly Father’ song; now a sure to be tourist-favourite, replacing those anthems like ‘Pangapsumnida’ (Nice to Meet You) and ‘Let’s Go to Mt. Paektu’. 

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Rason Tour Day 1

Our first stop caught us all off guard - myself included. 

We pulled into a small gated driveway. Inside, was a herd of deer, eager to come and say hi - and to steal the carrots we had bought for them from the on-site stall. 

Obviously quite domesticated, they didn’t hold back from trying to take the entire bags out of our hands and indeed try to take anything else we had in our pockets. 

Funnily enough, it’s these exact things I love doing in North Korea. The monuments, museums, and revolutionary sites are one thing - but for me, it’s doing the absolutely normal but absolutely unexpected things. Unexpected simply because it’s North Korea.

A haircut? A drink at the bar? A walk through the… deer park? 

Next up was a fairly empty water factory.

Aside from the fantastically decorated bar downstairs, that is. The deer theme carries on as suddenly you’re transported to the forest, with vivid greens and 3D decor with leaves and branches that stick out. It reminded me of the kitsch decoration at the guesthouse in Kaesong where there is one specific section on the way to the main dining area that suddenly - and for no reason - has you walking through an artificial forest complete with plastic deer. 

We then carried on our journey to the city centre of Rason, North Korea’s Special Economic Zone. In the past, the main attractions here were being able to go to the local market, as well as visiting the port - both of which were now off-limits. 

But that didn’t mean we couldn’t have some fun! 

Even though it was already late afternoon at this point, we stopped for a well-needed lunch.

Stopping off for some (cold) North Korean food

I was greeted with the familiar sites of the DPRK pastel blues and pinks that usually decorate the restaurants tourists eat at, which often double up as wedding locations. 

And the food hadn’t changed one bit. 

A nice mix of meats, fish, veggies, and salads covered in too much sauce. 

And, of course, all served… cold. 

After lunch, it was finally time to get checked into the hotel to have a bit of a relax. 

The Namsan Hotel is the best hotel in Rason. And the decor in there is absolutely fab. 

It’s located in the centre of Rason City and is kind of like a hub where people gather. There’s a big screen which plays the news and kids' cartoons. So, at the end of the day during their commute home, children will huddle here to enjoy the cartoons on the big screen. 

There’s also a cinema in the square, as well as a local supermarket.

The hotel lobby is fairly swanky - but that’s pretty much where it stops. The rooms are outdated from the time of building, resulting in rooms resembling something that might even seem outdated in your grandma’s house. 

Think kitsch lighting, frills, and a worn, patterned carpet. 

Nevertheless, it all adds to the charm. As does the overpriced coffee ($12) in the rustic wood-decorated dark-lit coffee shop next to reception.

Before the sun set on our first day, we went for a - very brisk - stroll at the local park. Very brisk because otherwise our toes and fingers would’ve fallen off. It was around -7 at this point, and the wind coming in from the sea was not making that any better. 

The speakers blaring out of the big screen located at the entrance of the park were playing some familiar DPRKorean music, complete with the words below. As everyone walked over to the park gates, I looked back to our bus to see our bus driver with mic in hand, singing and dancing along to the song. 

Must have been one of his favourites. 

I gave him a cheeky grin before catching up with the group. 

After a long day, the warm electric blankets at the Namsan Hotel were more than welcome.

Children watching cartoons in front of the Namsan Hotel

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Rason Tour Day 2

I woke up early at exactly 6:00. I know it was this time because it is at exactly 6:00 that the speakers on the big screen - situated conveniently right outside my window - starts blaring the morning music. 

I pulled the curtains back to reveal a rather beautiful scene, as the sun rose right in front of the window from the mountains in the backdrop, and the locals walked their bikes or hopped on their electric scooters and battled the cold and frost during their early-morning commutes. 

It was this very mountain that we would end up climbing that very same morning. 

But firstly, a stop that is a highlight for most on the trip. Going to visit the statues of the leaders that stand tall over the city. 

After paying our respects at the statues, we drove a short while just outside the city to go to the spot where we would start our hike for the day. 

Hiking in North Korea

The hike ended up being a pretty hefty 5.5km climb to the top of the hill, offering us beautiful views of Rason city and the sea below. It’s an incredibly peaceful walk, with no one else around. The pathway is easy to follow for the entire time and there are some interesting things to see on the way, such as ‘Slogan Trees’ - trees with historic markings carved in them, during the time of the fight or ‘revolutionary struggle’ with the Japanese.

These are now carefully wrapped in protective plastic with inscriptions on a panel. 

You’ll find some other areas from this time period, too, such as caves where people would hide out or other revolutionary landmarks. 

After we made it to the pavilion at the top, it was time to head back down to lunch - where we would be treated to one of the best restaurant performances I’d ever been to. 

An actual programme with over 12 different songs and about 12 different passionate and genuinely talented performers. 

Exactly what you need over a nice cold bowl of Pyongyang Cold Noodles… 

Our afternoon itinerary was full of school visits. We spent time at two schools where the children were more than enthusiastic to practice their English, as well as an orphanage. 

Exploring the schools was pretty fun and it was nice to see at least a couple of familiar faces as I recognised the teachers from my previous visits - although they didn’t recognise me. It was also nice to feel like we weren’t barging or interrupting. There was a point at which I tried to sit back and take some photos of the school children talking with the rest of the group but a group of overly friendly English students came up to me eagerly and wanted a chat. 

The evening we spent exploring the School Children’s Palace where we were also treated to a performance by the children, before heading back to the hotel for some dinner, drinks, and well-needed rest.

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Rason Tour Day 3

This morning, we awoke to a beautiful thin fresh blanket of snow on the city, with just a few footprints in them from those crossing the square in front of the hotel. 

The frosty morning would take us first to a Taekwondo demonstration of pretty incredible skills.

Especially impressive (for me, at least) was the performance showing off some serious girl power as the ladies took out the boys one by one. 

The rest of the day would be spent taking a long drive to various spots around the area. The first stop took us north to the China/Russia border and the river Tumen, where you can visit the 3-point country border pavilion and the Russia Friendship House. 

For lunch, we then drove to Pipha Island which - despite its name - is not an island but a peninsula (you can drive on it after all). Nevertheless, it is right at the coast and therefore absolutely freezing as the wind was blowing strongly.

You can go for a walk around the island - which we did very quickly - before enjoying our seafood lunch. 

And what better way than to wash this down with a trip to the local brewery, ‘foodstuffs’ factory (aka soju and more alcohol) and then finally to end the factory tour, a stop at the School Uniform Factory. 

It was the afternoon on this day that I came into signal from China on my phone and learnt the unfortunate news that, from our departure the following day, the borders to Rason, North Korea, would once again be closing… indefinitely. 

I quickly pulled our North Korean partners aside and they, too, had only just been informed of the situation. 

“A few weeks, maybe?” They guessed. 

In reality… No one knew when it would open again. And no one knew why. 

Until today, we are still just as unsure. Perhaps it will remain one of those North Korean mysteries that we’ll never really get to the bottom of and will just have to leave it to guesswork. Perhaps it will all become clear as time passes. 

Either way, there was one thing on our mind now we reevaluated the situation and realised we may well be some of the last tourists in North Korea for a while. 

Enjoy our last evening, of course! 

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Rason Tour Day 4

Our final morning came around far too quickly. 

We enjoyed our kimchi for breakfast before taking some last-minute photos and videos in the hotel. 

Today we had some pretty crucial activities before we headed to the border… shopping! 

Our first spot was the local Art Gallery, and then the all-important Foreign Language Book Store. Equipped with all the books, postcards, and stamps you could need! 

We also got a chance to head to the local pharmacy which was a first for me, and pick up some local North Korean cosmetics. 

Got to try those out when I get home! 

Ginseng, of course. 

After lunch and a game of ping-pong, we managed to squeeze in before getting to the border, it was finally time to say goodbye to our Korean friends. 

It was a strange feeling; knowing that I might not be back for a while. I could sense it with the Koreans too that there was genuine sadness. Miss Kim had only ever guided one other tour before, and it was clear she was disappointed her next one might not be any time soon. 

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What Was it Like Being Back in North Korea? 

Of course, after a 5-year long wait, it was great to finally be back in North Korea. It was also great to be leading tours again, and back to doing what I love. 

However… 

I couldn’t quite put my finger to it, but there was definitely some spark missing from my recent trip back to Rason. 

The trip was in some ways quite overwhelming to me. Like when you put so much time and effort and anticipation into planning the perfect New Year’s Eve that it’s impossible for it to ever live up to expectations. At the same time as it being overwhelming, it was also a little hollow - void of the thing so important to me there. The connection with the local Koreans. 

All the Koreans were new to me - although it was nice running into a familiar face with the English teacher at the No1. Middle School in Pyongyang - which was not necessarily a problem. Indeed, it was great to meet some new people. And I’m sure some of them will blossom into great friendships if I’m lucky enough to go back frequently soon. (Miss Kim, you know this shout-out goes to you!)

But I longed to see the bartender at the Yanggakdo who’s coffees have saved me after many a late karaoke night in Pyongyang. (And who’s beer pouring from the previous night is largely to blame in the first place). 

To hear the charming British accent of the woman who works at the Juche Tower. 

And I longed to catch up with our colleagues in Pyongyang and catch up on the most recent gossip. Who got married, who is still in the company, who moved to a different job. 

Somehow those long 3 months away from Pyongyang continue. 

My colleague’s baby is now an almost 6-year child. The book and teddy bear gift set of my favourite childhood novel I had prepared to bring for my next trip still lies in my closet. 

Perhaps by now his son has a sibling to whom I can gift ‘Guess How Much I Love You’. 

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Koryo Tours
Experts in Travel to North Korea