After 4 Years of Border Closure, North Korea Is Finally Reopening to Tourists After COVID-19

If you weren’t aware, there’s still 1 country with its borders closed from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that’s set to change, as North Korea will finally reopen to tourists in December.

After some trial runs with business travel and a tour group from Russia, the country will finally open to general tourism at the end of the year. Here’s what you should know about the opening plans and the first tours to North Korea in over 4 years.

North Korea Reopening to Tourists in December 2024

For those who weren’t aware, North Korea — officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — still hasn’t opened its borders to tourists since the outbreak of COVID-19 that led countries around the world to close their borders. However, the last holdout is set to welcome tour groups for the first time in over 4 years.

Koryo Tours announced the information on its website earlier today. The tour group has been leading tours to North Korea for over 30 years and plans to lead tourists to Samjiyon in the country’s northern Ryanggang Province. KTG Tours, which also leads groups to North Korea, confirmed the opening with a banner at the top of its North Korea tours page.

While specific dates aren’t known yet, tourists will be able to visit starting in December 2024.

After the initial visits to Samjiyon, the rest of North Korea should open to tourists as well, though a timeline hasn’t been confirmed. Samjiyon was selected as the first destination due to its popularity in winter and its folkloric connection to the birth of the Korean people at nearby Mt. Paektu.

Samjiyon also likely got the nod for the first tourists due to massive investment in the area in recent years, building new apartments, hotels, medical facilities, and a new ski resort.

For now, we expect the area of Samjiyon to open in December and Pyongyang and other areas may open around the same time, too, although this is yet to be confirmed. Samjiyon in winter is great for skiing, which will be available. North Korea has been working on the tourist facilities here for some years, so it’s great to see that open and ready.

Zoe Stephens, tour guide at Koryo Tours

Given that plans aren’t set in stone, Stephens encouraged interested tourists to follow Koryo Tours for updates after their visit to Samjiyon next week to confirm details and set tour details. After that, dates, itineraries, and prices should be available for the first tours.

Bad News for U.S. Citizens

While this announcement is generating interest for travelers seeking unique destinations or trying to visit every country in the world, it comes at a bad time for U.S. citizens. The U.S. banned the use of its passports for travel to North Korea in 2017, and that ban was recently extended through August 31, 2025.

This prohibition has been extended on a 1-year basis every year since 2017. It doesn’t apply to those with dual nationality, however. These travelers are able to visit North Korea on their second passport.

Final Thoughts

The final country is opening its doors to tourism after shutting down for COVID-19 precautions. In December, tourists will be able to visit North Korea on guided tours once again, starting with a winter visit to Samjiyon. Tours to other parts of the country are expected to follow in short order.

While there will likely be detractors, those who are interested in visiting North Korea will be happy with these long-awaited developments.