DMZ Tours
#16
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Miami, FL
Programs: UA 1MM, AA Plat, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG ♢ Amb, Hilton ♢, Hertz Pres
Posts: 6,015
This tour says you cannot wear jeans, is this true? Must one bring slacks or khakis?
http://www.tourdmz.com/rb/?r=eng&c=241/327/329/335
Also - is this tour just hitting the main highlight and leaving out what some reviewers feel is more 'boring'?
http://www.tourdmz.com/rb/?r=eng&c=241/327/329/335
Also - is this tour just hitting the main highlight and leaving out what some reviewers feel is more 'boring'?
#17
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Somewhere in Y class
Programs: OZ D+ Lifetime
Posts: 1,181
The dress code has relaxed over the years. Jeans will be ok. Overall the idea of the dress code is not to attract attention to yourself.
As far as the main highlights, that tour seems to be the one. The JSA visit is a must, everything else just adds flavor.
As far as the main highlights, that tour seems to be the one. The JSA visit is a must, everything else just adds flavor.
#18
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL
Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,209
Provider
Bumping this thread. With the JSA being closed for now, I'm debating if it's worth the DMZ tour (tunnel and observatory). Any thoughts or any idea if/ when the JSA will be open for tours again?
Also, if I do the DMZ tour, I'm debating between using VIP Travel: https://www.vviptravel.com/tours/half-day-dmz-tour vs. Cosmojin which includes a North Korean defector: https://m.cosmojin.com/en/product/gu.../detail/100196
Any feedback or experiences with either? From what I can tell, here are the pros and cons of each:
Cosmjin
Pros:
Pros:
Also, if I do the DMZ tour, I'm debating between using VIP Travel: https://www.vviptravel.com/tours/half-day-dmz-tour vs. Cosmojin which includes a North Korean defector: https://m.cosmojin.com/en/product/gu.../detail/100196
Any feedback or experiences with either? From what I can tell, here are the pros and cons of each:
Cosmjin
Pros:
- Recommended by my hotel
- Includes a North Korean defector (if he or she shows up, reviews seem to indicate it doesn't always happen)
- Pickup directly from my hotel
- Includes forced shopping which probably kills an hour or so...
- Doesn't seem to have as many great reviews including the experience being rushed, as it's a smaller operation, seems to get canceled more frequently, and people are very unhappy about the forced shopping.
Pros:
- Great reviews on TripAdvisor (perhaps an unseemly number of 5 star reviews, so hard to know how accurate they are....)
- No forced shopping
- Larger operation so less likely to cancel due to lack of participants
- Pickup from train station 30 minutes away
- No North Korean defector
#19
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 79
We are in the area as well and currently thinking about these tours.
We are going to rent a car for a day and do the way on our own, I read that most of those area's are very touristic anyways and the guides just drop you off to walk on your own. Odusan Unification Tower + Dora Observation.
It should be ~1,5 hrs from Seoul driving.
We are going to rent a car for a day and do the way on our own, I read that most of those area's are very touristic anyways and the guides just drop you off to walk on your own. Odusan Unification Tower + Dora Observation.
It should be ~1,5 hrs from Seoul driving.
#20
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC/ EWR/ PHL
Programs: UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,209
We are in the area as well and currently thinking about these tours.
We are going to rent a car for a day and do the way on our own, I read that most of those area's are very touristic anyways and the guides just drop you off to walk on your own. Odusan Unification Tower + Dora Observation.
It should be ~1,5 hrs from Seoul driving.
We are going to rent a car for a day and do the way on our own, I read that most of those area's are very touristic anyways and the guides just drop you off to walk on your own. Odusan Unification Tower + Dora Observation.
It should be ~1,5 hrs from Seoul driving.