One of the most secretive, regimented, and closed-off countries on earth, it still makes for a fascinating . if hyper-controlled - visit. Here we discuss the details of how to get there - still tour groups only - and  what you'll find.

27 Members
Join Us!

on our blog: Communist Disneyland in an uncertain state

North Korea is like the urban legend of the Japanese soldier still fighting WWII out on some lonely island in the remote Pacific.  In his mind, it’s all still very real for him.  When he starts shooting at us, then it’s real for us, too.  At first I didn’t know if they were even going to let me in the country, something about journalists not allowed in on tourist visas.  That’s the first time I’ve ever been accused of journalism.  Them’s fightin’ words.  Obviously they’ve never read my work. …

Read more…
0 Replies

Asia Pacific Travel, Ltd. Announces its 2012 North Korea Tours

Asia Pacific Travel, Ltd. Announces its 2012 North Korea Tours Highlights include: The April 2012 tour coinciding with the 100th Birthday celebrations of North Korea’s founder, Kim Il Sung; New visits to beautiful Kumgang, the “Diamond Mountains”, open to tourists for the first time since 2008; New visits to several pristine remote DRPK mountain ranges for intrepid travelers.   Chicago, IL, August 25, 2011 … Asia Pacific Travel, Ltd. (APTL), announces its 2012 group tour packages to North Korea…

Read more…
0 Replies

You need to be a member of Tripatini to add comments!

Join Tripatini

Comments are closed.

Comments

  • We are North Korea Tour organizer based in Dandong of China just next to North Korea operate the tour to North Korea since 2000.We don't know how to introduce us to the tourists. Hope this will not break the rules here. But we really would like to help to answer the questions who would like to travel to this country.

    We would like to answer all the questions from the tourists who would like to travel to North Korea here.

  • Anyone else been? I went in September 2009 and it was the most interesting place I've traveled to so far. I've been blogging about it at http://www.lindsayfincher.com/category/north-korea-2009
  • Big news on the NK travel front! Here's a press release we just received from the PR rep of Tripatini member Walter Keats of Asia Pacific Travel. Hopefully Walter will soon weigh in himself with some additional details.

    Asia Pacific Travel Ltd Announces that North Korea Confirms American Travelers are Allowed to Visit Year-Round

    Chicago, IL, January 27, 2010 … North Korea’s state-run travel company, the Korea International Travel Company, has confirmed to Walter L. Keats, CTC, CMP, President of Asia Pacific Travel Ltd (APTL) their decision to allow American tourists permission to visit the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) all year long, just like other nationalities. Since 2005, American tourists have only been allowed to travel to the DPRK during the special Arirang synchronized gymnastics performance period in August to September.

    The issues of whether to allow Americans to stay longer than the five day limit that is currently in place, and to travel on trains to and from China, are still being considered.

    Mr. Keats is optimistic the other two policy changes will be implemented also. In accordance with this, APTL has already posted new itineraries on its web site, www.NorthKorea1on1.com, taking advantage of these changed policies. Mr. Keats said that, “APTL tours for 2010 will offer a different and more extensive mix of long and short-stay study tours, from April through October.”

    Mr. Keats acknowledges that the most important factor in this change in travel policy toward US citizens is the improved relations between the US and the DPRK, as evidenced by the visit last month of Ambassador Stephen Bosworth to Pyongyang. However, he also feels that the meeting he personally had with two DPRK officials at the DPRK UN Mission in New York in December 2009 may have been an additional positive influence.

    Asia Pacific Travel's North Korean tours are based on over 15 years experience working with the DPRK. Mr. Keats is a North Korea expert and an experienced tour leader who has visited North Korea 19 times since 1995. He escorts almost all of APTL’s North Korean travel programs.

    Asia Pacific Travel, Ltd. is the only “officially recognized” American tour operator to North Korea with a Letter of Commission from the DPRK (www.northkorea1on1.com)

    A further announcement about the final two possible policy changes for travel to the DPRK will be made immediately after the DPRK’s official determination.
This reply was deleted.