The Korean Demilitarized Zone, the weapons-free buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea
(ภาษาไทย)
We’re on the South Korea side!
The DMZ is 250 kilometers (160 miles) long, and about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) wide.
I don’t know why but the more that you get closer to North Korea the scarier!
So is it safe to do this tour? The tour guide told us, it’s not 100% safe for this tour but as long as we all follow the rules then we will be alright. YES! We made it!
There are so many licensed tour companies that operate DMZ tour but we used Cosmojin mostly because they were one of the few that offered hotel pick-up!
You should book the DMZ tour at least ONE week before! It’s a very popular tour.
For the JSA tour (cross the conference room into North Korea), I think you have to book at least ONE month before – that’s why we couldn’t make JSA tour this time! (UPDATED: We already did JSA in 2019)
Cosmojin asked for our credit card number but they won’t charge you until the day of the tour. You can pay them with your credit card or cash on the bus!
All you need to bring is a Passport, but I like to pack my own water, snack, and wet tissue!
We bought the HALF-Day tour DMZ, it’s $99.27 for 2 of us (as exchange rate on 9/29/18 for 110,000won) with a pick-up time of 7.55am.
The bus was filled with tourists from all over the world!
We left from Seoul to Imjingak which took about 55 mins.
It was weird that we were on the bus for 55mins but the tour guide forgot to ask all of us to write our names/passport numbers in his paper, so we had to wait to write our names for him – we sat in the back!
I ran out the bus for the restroom, good thing that they have nice ones there (I needed it!).
They even have a Popeye’s chicken, I think it’s for the American army!
The guide gave us 20 mins to walk around, he recommended that we not buy any souvenir here – it’s kind of pricey.
Injingak is located 7 km from the Military Demarcation Line, only designated buses can enter because it is located in the Civilian Restricted Zone.
You will see heavily damaged armored locomotive.
The Civilian Restricted Area has a bridge to the North Korea side that you have to buy a 2500 won ticket to walk over.
The ticket officer told us to not take pictures on either side of the bridge, we are allowed to take pictures straight ahead only!
Next we are going to tunnel #3 and we have to pass thru the security checkpoint.
At the security checkpoint, we had to hold our passport on photo page for young soldier to check.
The guide told us, DON’T TAKE PICTURE WHEN THE SOLDIERS IN THE BUS!
After the checkpoint, it’s another 15 mins to the tunnel. First, we had to see the museum and a video for some history and background.
The video is telling about 4 tunnels that South Korea found. Each tunnel was build from a different spot on the North Korea side but they all go to the same destination, “Seoul”!
Nowadays, it’s only the 3rd tunnel that is open for the DMZ tour.
To get into the tunnel you won’t be allowed to take any bags, phone or cameras! No PHOTO Allowed in the tunnel!
But they allowed me to bring water!
They provided hard harts – you need it!
There is a 365meters platform (ramp) build down to the tunnel. And it’s only 250 meters of real tunnel that you can walk!
So it’s about 1km round trip walk!
There was nothing much to see in the tunnel, but I think I preferred to see nothing LOL!
September is nice weather but we were sweaty when we came out of the tunnel. We’re so glad that we didn’t do this tour during summertime!
There is also a shop that you can buy some DMZ souvenirs like the t-shirt, hat, DMZ chocolate (with beans!) or DMZ wire!
I noticed that all the shops during DMZ tour, they all accepted credit cards – so don’t worry if you don’t bring cash for the tour!
NEXT, we are going to stop on the hill where we can see North Korean village with our own eyes!
Dora Observatory is the northern-most observatory on the Western section of the DMZ.
You can see more about North Korea with the binoculars.
When I’m thinking that I’m at the Korean border, feeling like someone was aiming at me!
Then we left and passed back to the security checkpoint to Dorasan Station, it’s the last stop for today.
“San” means mountain in Korea. Dorasan was a famous battle during the Korean war.
Dorasan Station is one of the northernmost railway stations on the Gyeongui Line, connecting Seoul to Sinuiju ( you can go here by DMZ train!)
This station is the last train stop in South Korea, but they wish it to be the first station to North Korea in the future!!!
At the station, you can get the free stamp for Dorasan Station but DON’T STAMP ON YOUR PASSPORT!
Our DMZ tour for today went very well and safely. We didn’t like when they stop at the Jewelry shop on the way back but it might be the regulatory shop that all tour companies have to stop by the government(?)
Anyway, most stuff in that shop is very expensive for souvenir…
But if the situation between the South and the North go well – they won’t have DMZ tour anymore.
And even if the situation goes wrong – they can’t do DMZ tour either!
The tour ended around 2 pm and they dropped us at Itaewon in Seoul.
Itaewon is where we found the best dumpling ever… Jonny’s !
Read more for JSA Tour 2019
