Photo: Natural monuments of North Korea Β· Bdpmax Β· CC BY-SA 3.0
First-Timer Guide π°π΅North Korea: What to Know Before You Go
Destination Intel / North Korea
Travel advisory: The US State Department lists North Korea as Do Not Travel. This page is here to help you understand the place, not to plan a trip there. Read the safety report and check the official advisory before you make any decision.
Culture, Food and Etiquette
- Naengmyeon, cold buckwheat noodles in icy beef or radish broth; Pyongyang is their birthplace; now iconic throughout Korea but originated here
- Sinsollo, elaborate royal hot pot of meat, vegetables, fish, and eggs cooked in a charcoal-heated brass vessel; a Joseon-era aristocratic dish
- Dogak-guk, a thin soup made with radish and beef; simple, clean, and typical of North Korean home cooking
- Korean kimchi and fermented vegetables, central to all meals; North Korean kimchi tends to be less spicy than its southern counterpart
- Day of the Sun (April 15), birthday of founder Kim Il-sung; the most important holiday with mass games, fireworks, and mandatory celebrations nationwide
- Arirang Mass Games, extraordinary synchronized performance of tens of thousands of people forming images with cards and choreography; held periodically in Pyongyang
- Chuseok (autumn harvest festival), Korean mid-autumn harvest celebration with ancestral rites and traditional foods; observed on both sides of the Korean peninsula
Korean (ChosΕn'gΕl) is the official language. No independent travel is permitted, all visits are conducted exclusively through state-approved guided tours.
Guides accompany visitors at all times. Note: North Korea is one of the world's most closed and repressive states, most Western governments strongly advise against travel; the US bans its citizens from traveling there.
Individual tourists from most countries have limited or no access.
- Never photograph military personnel, poverty, or anything that could be construed as unflattering to the state, cameras are monitored and images can be deleted
- Bow respectfully at statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, this is mandatory and non-compliance can cause serious problems for your guides
- Do not bring religious materials, South Korean media, or items critical of the government into the country
- Everything you see and do is carefully managed, maintain respect and composure regardless of personal views about the political system
Common Questions
Can US citizens travel to North Korea?+
US passports are not valid for travel to, in or through North Korea without a special validation from the US State Department, which is granted only in narrow circumstances.
Source: travel.state.gov
Is North Korea safe to visit right now?+
The US State Department advises Do Not Travel to North Korea due to the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention of US citizens; check the advisory before any travel.
Source: travel.state.gov
Latest for North Korea
Updates for North Korea will appear here as they are published. Every update cites official sources, so you can plan on it.