DMZ Tour from Seoul: Third Tunnel and North Korea views

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1/30

Duration7h–9h

GroupUp to 500

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

You walk inside a tunnel North Korean soldiers carved by hand.

A guided DMZ tour from Seoul visits three sites across 7 to 9 hours: Imjingak Park (7 km from the Military Demarcation Line), Dora Observatory where you can see into North Korea through a telescope, and the Third Tunnel of Aggression, a 1,635-meter passage discovered in 1978 that you enter on foot. A professional English-speaking guide and air-conditioned transport are included; drop-off is at City Hall or Myeongdong. The DMZ is military-controlled, so the itinerary may change or cancel without notice due to weather, road conditions, or military operations.

7h–9h

Step-by-step itinerary

DMZ tour from Seoul

Visit Imjingak Park
See Mangbaedan
View Bridge of Freedom
Observe North Korea at Dora Observatory
Enter the 3rd Tunnel

The Experience

The tour starts at one of your chosen meeting points—Hongik University, Myeongdong, Gangnam, or City Hall—and heads north toward the DMZ. Imjingak Park sits 7 km from the Military Demarcation Line and holds the weight of the Korean War: the three-storied Imjingak building stands surrounded by monuments and the Unification Park, built in 1972 with the hope that division might one day end. You'll see Mangbaedan, where families separated by the war return on New Year's Day, and the Bridge of Freedom, the historic railroad bridge that carried prisoners of war back from the North after 1953.

From Dora Observatory, weather permitting, you can look across into North Korea itself—toward Gaeseong, Songaksan, the Kim Il-Sung Statue, and the Cooperation Farm. A telescope lets you see detail across the border. Then comes the Third Tunnel: discovered by South Korea in 1978, it runs 1,635 meters long, 2 meters wide and 2 meters high, located 52 km from Seoul. You walk inside it on foot—the same passage North Korean soldiers excavated, capable of moving roughly 30,000 soldiers per hour. It is the only tunnel of its kind open to civilian visitors.

An optional stop at Gamaksan Chulleong Bridge, a 150-meter suspension bridge, marks the site of the 1951 Battle of Solma-ri, where about 650 British troops held against 25,000 Chinese troops for three days. The tour runs 7 to 9 hours depending on traffic and group size. Because the DMZ operates under military control, schedules shift with weather, road conditions, military training, or government order—the operator reserves the right to alter or cancel any part of the itinerary, though they will do their utmost to work around disruptions. A valid passport is required on the day of travel. Wear closed-toe shoes; flip-flops, slippers and heels are not recommended for walking the tunnel.

What’s included

Professional English-speaking guide.
air-conditioned coach or minivan transport.
entry to Imjingak Park, Dora Observatory and the Third Tunnel.
telescope access at the observatory (weather permitting).
drop-off at City Hall or Myeongdong.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by I Love Seoul Tour

Is this one for you?Walk through the tunnel North Korean soldiers carved, observe the border through telescopes at Dora Observatory, and see the Freedom Bridge at Imjingak—all within the DMZ's restricted military zone where a government-licensed operator navigates the required permits and timing.