Starbucks DMZ with North Korea View: Seoul tour

You can drink coffee while looking at North Korea through a telescope.

This guided tour from Seoul takes you to Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo, where a Starbucks sits just 1.4 km from the North Korean border. The route crosses a suspension bridge, passes through the Peace Eco Exhibition Hall, and ends at Jogang Observatory, also called the Starbucks Observatory, where you can use a free telescope to view North Korean territory across the river. The tour runs five hours with hotel pickup and an expert guide in English, Chinese or Japanese. Lunch is available as an add-on option, and hotel drop-off can be selected for the full-day version.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Aegibong Observatory and Surroundings

• Drive to Gimpo city
• Cross the suspension bridge
• Visit Peace Eco Exhibition Hall
• Enjoy coffee at Starbucks Observatory
• Use telescope to view North Korea
• Drive back to Seoul
• Drop off at city hall

The experience

You start from your Seoul hotel, picked up by a comfortable air-conditioned coach with a live guide. The drive takes you north to Gimpo city and Aegibong Peace Ecopark, an old observatory that has been converted into an ecological park. On the way in, you cross a suspension bridge: the entry point to the park itself and the moment the landscape shifts toward the border.

Once inside, you visit the Peace Eco Exhibition Hall, where the focus is on peace, ecology and local history. The exhibition covers Korean history, information about North Korea, and stories specific to the region. Then you reach Jogang Observatory, where the Starbucks opened and turned this spot into an unexpected travel destination. You can order a coffee or tea and stand on the observation deck looking across the Imjin River toward North Korean land. Free telescopes are mounted there. The detail that makes the view concrete instead of distant. The best visibility is during harvest season, when the fields across the border are clearest. After this, the tour makes its way back to Seoul, with drop-off at City Hall or your hotel if you've selected that option.

A valid passport is required the day of travel. The tour operates with a minimum of two adults for the afternoon departure. Note that if any part of the itinerary is cancelled due to unexpected military conditions or local circumstances, there is no refund: a reality of touring this close to a border.

What’s included

• Transport by air-conditioned coach.
• expert guide in English, Chinese or Japanese.
• entry to Aegibong Peace Ecopark and the Peace Eco Exhibition Hall.
• access to Jogang Observatory and its free telescopes.
• hotel pickup.
• lunch (if selected at checkout).
• hotel drop-off (if selected at checkout).

Before you book

Days and timesMondayDeparts at 07:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (11 and older) · Child (3 to 10 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 100

Live guideEnglish, Chinese and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by SEOUL CITY TOUR CO. LTD.

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you have a free afternoon in Seoul and want to see something most visitors never reach: the only Starbucks with a view of North Korea, and the border itself through a telescope. The fixed five-hour schedule and included guide mean you don't arrange transport or navigate the border zone on your own.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Chinese and Japanese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 10 years); Infant (under 3): free.

How close is this Starbucks to North Korea?

The Starbucks at Jogang Observatory sits only 1.4 km from the North Korean border, close enough that you can see the open sky, the Imjin River, and North Korean land beyond the café.

What exactly do I see at Jogang Observatory?

Jogang Observatory has an observation deck with a view across the river into North Korea, and free telescopes mounted there so you can look closer. The view is clearest during harvest season when the fields are most visible.

What's included in the five-hour tour?

The tour includes transport by air-conditioned coach, an expert guide in English, Chinese or Japanese, entry to Aegibong Peace Ecopark and the Peace Eco Exhibition Hall, and access to the telescope at Jogang Observatory. Hotel pickup is included. Lunch and hotel drop-off are optional add-ons.

Do I need a passport for this tour?

Yes, you must bring a current valid passport the day of travel, since the tour operates in a border zone.

What happens if the tour is cancelled?

If any part of the itinerary is cancelled due to unexpected military conditions or local circumstances, there is no refund. This is a condition of touring near a border.

Is the suspension bridge difficult to cross?

The suspension bridge is part of the standard route into Aegibong Peace Ecopark. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, though it is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health.