North Korea is home to several ancient ruins and interesting architecture, including the Koguryo Tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These tombs are known for their unique architectural style and elaborate paintings, providing a glimpse into the …
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Backpacking North Korea in 2025
A complete guide for backpacking in North Korea with best places to go, best time to visit, what to bring and safety advice.
Visit North Korea
Venture into the enigmatic land of North Korea, a destination shrouded in mystery and tightly controlled. Pros? Witness a unique blend of propaganda, monumental architecture, and cultural immersion. Organized tours provide an unparalleled look into the secretive nation. However, restrictions on movement, limited interaction with locals, and strict government oversight are significant challenges. For only the most intrepid adventurers seeking an offbeat experience, North Korea offers a glimpse into a closed society, making it one of the most extraordinary, albeit highly regulated, backpacking destinations in the world.
Why to go?Why backpacking in North Korea
Architecture
Uniqueness
Exploring North Korea is a unique and off the beaten track experience due to the country's isolated and secretive nature. As one of the most closed-off countries in the world, North Korea offers a glimpse into a society that is largely unknown to …
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💡 HighlightsTop-5 things to do in North Korea
- Visit the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun: This grand mausoleum is the final resting place of the country’s former leaders, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. It offers a unique opportunity to learn about North Korea’s history and pay respects to its leaders.
- Explore the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): The DMZ is a heavily fortified border between North and South Korea. It’s a fascinating place to witness the ongoing tensions between the two countries and gain insights into the Korean War.
- Marvel at the Mansudae Grand Monument: This iconic monument features bronze statues of North Korea’s founding leaders. It’s a significant symbol of the country’s ideology and a must-see for visitors.
- Discover the Juche Tower: Standing at 170 meters tall, this tower represents the Juche ideology, which is the guiding principle of North Korea. Visitors can climb to the top for panoramic views of Pyongyang.
- Experience the Mass Games: This spectacular event showcases the synchronized performances of thousands of performers. It’s a mesmerizing display of North Korean culture, propaganda, and national pride.
But North Korea offers more...
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North Korea
How a smelly towel does the trick to smuggle anything into North Korea
North Korea | North Korea! Or should I say just Korea, since, as I learned, Korea is actually one country where the southern part still needs to be “liberated”. It’s an interesting way of looking at the world, for sure.As we reached the last Chinese town, there were only two bridges separating us from Korea. Or maybe it was more the river separating us, ...
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Meeting the entire North Korean national football team U19 on the train
North Korea | On the train, I met the North Korean National Team for boys under 19. It was super interesting to talk and play cards with them since it was one of the few opportunities I had to “freely” interact with Koreans. One boy had bumped his little toe during a match and had a small wound. The team doctor, Doctor An, took no half measures and applied e...
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Meeting the Chief General Manager and our personal private guide
North Korea | And here, I learned that Koreans love titles. Besides Doctor An, there was also the Chief General Manager on board. When I asked about the responsibilities of a Chief General Manager, she weightily answered that she arranged the food for the team. A few moments later, I was considered part of the team too and had a beer in one hand and dried fish i...
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Elevators programmed like gold fishes
North Korea | The hotel, like everything else, was special. It was fully set up for Western visitors, located on an island to make escaping difficult (more on that in a minute), and had all the amenities we foreigners would expect: a marble entrance with a large aquarium, eight elevators, a snooker center, a ping pong area, a bowling alley, and, how could I forg...
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A 4cm high wall separating North and South Korea
North Korea | The first full day started with a visit to the demilitarized zone (DMZ), the border separating North and South Korea. Contrary to what I expected, the wall was just a 5cm high and 15cm wide threshold in an ironically peaceful-looking green lush surrounding, full of trees and chirping crickets. According to the northern part of Korea (as with anythi...
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Empty highways, reserved for government and tourists
North Korea | As we made our way back to Pyongyang, the most remarkable thing was the lack of cars (since nobody could afford to buy one, the only cars on the street were gifts from the government for good labor), which created completely empty highways, while the little side roads were full of pedestrians and bicycles.When we visited a small village, which ha...
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Don’t try this at home | escaping the hotel in North Korea
North Korea | That evening, the four of us (three others and myself) wanted some time without our ever-present security guard and decided to see how far we could venture from our hotel. Surprisingly enough, we were able to walk out of the hotel (which is normally guarded) and pass through the first AND second security checkpoints without being noticed (although ...
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The mausoleum for Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il
North Korea | On August 15th, Liberation Day, a big and important day where Korea celebrates its liberation from Japan 70 years ago, we had a busy schedule. We started the day with the usual cold spaghetti bolognese for breakfast in the non-revolving restaurant at 6:45 am. After an extra half hour to make our way down using the elevators, we were all dressed up ...
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Spying in a real North Korean supermarket
North Korea | Next, we visited a bookstore with many books devoted to the leaders, portraying them in almost god-like proportions, and filled with anti-imperialistic propaganda (they don‘t seem to have a great appreciation for the US :P). I managed to sneak into a supermarket (not on the schedule, and since I was still under surveillance, I had to be quick: ca...
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Joining a mass dance of 15.000 people
North Korea | Later, we stopped to take a picture of a gigantic Las Vegas-style hotel that had been under construction for 25 years but was still unfinished. Since the best shot was in the middle of the road, a police officer closed the road for us so we could all get our perfect shot.Finally, the big moment arrived: the mass dance. When we entered the square,...
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The Orange Ball!
North Korea | The next morning, one of our group members walked off the main path between a fountain and some statues of the leaders. Not even 30 meters away from the group, a uniformed guy stepped out from behind a tree and presented him with a small orange ball, after which our Mr. Li reprimanded him and ordered him to join the group right away. We’re still ...
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How North Korea defeated the entire US army
North Korea | After a satisfying lunch at PFC (Pyongyang Fried Chicken), we visited the war museum, where we learned how the North Korean army defeated the entire US army in just a few days after the US tried to invade the north. Until, of course, the US added some new soldier groups, which was a bit unfair since everybody who has played RISK knows that you’re...
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Visiting the North Korean library
North Korea | Our next stop was the library, where some students were zealously interacting with computers. However, upon closer inspection, it seemed that their only goal was to interact. They would right-click to get a quick menu, close it, move the mouse up and down, and right-click again to get the same quick menu. When a new person came to a computer, they ...
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Jumping in wave pools, what is real?
North Korea | Probably the most fun part was the wave pool, where a small group of foreigners introduced the concept of making noise when you’re having fun. Within minutes, the normally silent Koreans were jumping and shouting with every wave. One boy happily held my arm and showed it to his friends as a big trophy. A few waves later, it was a jumping grandma ...
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Setting a new tap-the-frog record in North Korea
North Korea | During dinner, we experienced five power outages, but funny enough, the TV kept broadcasting lovely propaganda. After dinner, we went to a symbolic tower, a tower with 70 steps on the outside to correspond with each year of the leader’s life, and as a metaphor that everybody can reach the top through self-reliance. I can’t help but think it’s...
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A factory, the beach and a summer camp, seemingly all so perfect
North Korea | Shortly after, we were disrupted by an interesting visit to an old factory, where I hoped the emergency number didn’t contain too many 8s and 9s, as the emergency phone was an old-school rotary device. Our next stop was the beach, passing by a great-looking beach filled with local Koreans. Unfortunately, we were dropped off at a fenced and isolat...
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Peaceful yoga changed to a showcase of military propaganda
North Korea | On the morning we were about to leave the country, the big TV screen in the hotel lobby suddenly showed military parades, missiles being fired, soldiers shooting, bombs exploding, and aircraft attacking instead of the usual happy scenes of healthy Koreans doing easy fitness exercises in peaceful mountain places.Rumors started to spread that North...
Read more Traveled route: Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge, Pyjongyang, Kaesong Checkpoint, Wonsan, Hamhung
🌤️ When to go?Best time to go backpacking North Korea
The best time to visit North Korea for backpacking is during the spring and autumn seasons. Spring, from April to June, offers mild temperatures and beautiful cherry blossoms, making it a picturesque time to explore the country. Autumn, from September to November, also provides pleasant weather with colorful foliage, creating a stunning backdrop for your backpacking adventure. Both seasons offer comfortable temperatures for outdoor activities and sightseeing.
Risk level: high (100%)Safety advice for North Korea
Safety has impact on the way you can travel. Always check the safety of the country you go to and adjust the way you travel to the advice.
source: www.gov.uk
North KoreaMy tips to get you on the way!Does North Korea sound like your next backpacking destination? Use these steps to get you on the way.
Get inspiration 📚
While guidebooks used to be the backpacker’s holy grail for finding accomodation, nowadays that’s more conveniently accomplished online. However, guidebooks remain an excellent resource for familiarizing oneself with the country, gaining inspiration, and discovering itineraries. I enjoy reading them before my travels and then leaving them behind at home when I embark on my journey.
While guidebooks used to be the backpacker’s holy grail for finding accomodation, nowadays that’s more conveniently accomplished online. However, guidebooks remain an excellent resource for familiarizing oneself with the country, gaining inspiration, and discovering itineraries. I enjoy reading them before my travels and then leaving them behind at home when I embark on my journey.
Prepare your trip ✅
Before embarking on your journey, several essential checks are crucial: passport, visa, vaccinations and insurance. Some countries mandate that your passport remains valid for 3 to 6 months post your return. Additionally, it is important to verify the specific visa requirements for North Korea. These differ per country of origin. While you can handle visa arrangements independently, online visa services streamline the process as they know exactly what’s needed for each country. North Korea may require certain vaccinations. Make sure to timely check which ones you still need. Lastly, if you don’t have a travel insurance yet, Safety Wing is a good choice as they are tailored for backpackers.
Before embarking on your journey, several essential checks are crucial: passport, visa, vaccinations and insurance. Some countries mandate that your passport remains valid for 3 to 6 months post your return. Additionally, it is important to verify the specific visa requirements for North Korea. These differ per country of origin. While you can handle visa arrangements independently, online visa services streamline the process as they know exactly what’s needed for each country. North Korea may require certain vaccinations. Make sure to timely check which ones you still need. Lastly, if you don’t have a travel insurance yet, Safety Wing is a good choice as they are tailored for backpackers.
Book your flight ✈️
The flight may be the most expensive part of your trip. Therefore it’s worth spending a bit of time finding the right one. Flight search engines like Skyscanner and Kayak are the best to compare all possible options. A good tip is to be flexible with your exact travel dates. Traveling one or two days earlier/later may save you some bucks. Also booking about three months in advance can help making the best deal for you (though I’m not the best one myself to follow this advice as I tend to decide last-minute). A final tip would be to check airports in neighbouring countries. Not necessarily for cost saving but it can be intriguing to journey into North Korea, travel overland to one of its neighbours and fly back home from there.
The flight may be the most expensive part of your trip. Therefore it’s worth spending a bit of time finding the right one. Flight search engines like Skyscanner and Kayak are the best to compare all possible options. A good tip is to be flexible with your exact travel dates. Traveling one or two days earlier/later may save you some bucks. Also booking about three months in advance can help making the best deal for you (though I’m not the best one myself to follow this advice as I tend to decide last-minute). A final tip would be to check airports in neighbouring countries. Not necessarily for cost saving but it can be intriguing to journey into North Korea, travel overland to one of its neighbours and fly back home from there.
Book your first night(s) 🛌
Depending on your travel style, you can either plan a detailed day-to-day route and pre-book your accommodations, providing peace of mind, or opt to book them spontaneously, offering greater flexibility to adjust your plan. Personally, I am a big fan of the latter approach, but I always ensure to book the first night(s) in advance.
Depending on your travel style, you can either plan a detailed day-to-day route and pre-book your accommodations, providing peace of mind, or opt to book them spontaneously, offering greater flexibility to adjust your plan. Personally, I am a big fan of the latter approach, but I always ensure to book the first night(s) in advance.
My personal packing list 🎒
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Over the years, I’ve learned the importance of packing minimally. It’s so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you’re headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.
Money & Documents
Clothing
Electronics
Health
Others
Over the years, I’ve learned the importance of packing minimally. It’s so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you’re headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.Money & Documents
Clothing
Electronics
Health
Others
Moneybelt
[Amazon]
“Best way to carry your important documents”
Quick dry pant
[Amazon]
“Nothing beats these quick dry and light pants when traveling”
Light rain jacket
[Amazon]
“Hiking in rainy season? These keep you dry”
Thermo underwear
[Amazon]
“Less weight and volume than bulky sweaters or jackets”
Quick dry towel
[Amazon]
“Normal towels get smelly and heavy when traveling”
Power bank
[Amazon]
“Pick a small and light one, with 10.000mAh or more”
Travel adapter
[Amazon]
“Needed as each country has its own electricity plugs”
Number lock
[Amazon]
“No chance of losing your key; handy for lockers in dormitories”
Packing cubes
[Amazon]
“Keep your wet or dirty clothes separate from the rest”
Travel pillow
[Amazon]
“Light and great for flights and long bus journeys”
last page update: 29 September 2024