Visiting Rason, North Korea

13th Feb, 2025

Koryo Tours are officially back in North Korea! 

After waiting over 5 years since the closure of the North Korean borders to tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic back in January 2020, we're happy to finally enter North Korea. 

We have waited several years (with several false starts..!) to make this announcement and we couldn't be more pleased when our staff crossed the border in the early hours of this morning. 

We cannot wait to share with you everything we get up to in Rason, so make sure you're following us across our social media platforms on Facebook and Instagram, and signed up to our newsletter!

Border between China and North Korea - 13 February 2025

Crossing into Rason

Koryo Tours crossed into Rason in the early hours of February 13th, 2025.

The country is not yet fully open to tourism and this is a special trip for staff only. 

We will use our time in Rason to discuss with our partners as well as check out any new tourism sites and find out any key North Korea tourism updates.

Bridge to Rason, North Korea - 13 February 2025

Is Tourism Open Now? 

Not yet. We hope in the coming days/weeks we will be able to 100% confirm the opening of Rason, North Korea, to tourists.

In the meantime you can browse our itineraries online. 

Can I book a Tour?

Yes, our Rason tours are now available for booking for March and April. More dates will follow in the coming days.

Whilst the tours are bookable, they are not yet 100% confirmed and therefore we do not recommend buying flight tickets or organising travel. 

Koryo Tours will never ask for any payment upon booking unless the tour is 100% confirmed. Simply by booking a place you can secure a spot with us on your North Korea tour. 

Do I need a Chinese Visa? 

Yes, if you need a visa to enter China, you must have a double entry Chinese visa.

The Chinese transit visa does not apply when visiting Rason. 

Visa Exemption Policy

Until 31 December 2025, nationals of 38 countries can visit China for tourism, transit, and other purposes for up to 30 days without a visa.

The list of eligible countries is as follows: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea (NB: banned to visit the DPRK by both the ROK and DPRK governments), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia (NB: banned to visit the DPRK by the Malaysian Government), Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland.

Koryo Tours
Experts in North Korea Travel Since 1993