Panmunjom
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles362 reviews
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fmartin74
Santa Clarita, CA44 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2011 • Solo
I booked my DMZ tour through a different travel agency but since this is the only DMZ tour review on tripadvisor I'm posting my review here.

Tour group: Panmunjom Travel Center (PTC), aka DMZ Tour.
Website: http://www.koreadmztour.com

I booked my trip the DMZ a week before I traveled to Seoul, you have to provide your passport number, nationality plus your contact location (hotel) in South Korea. Reconfirmation is required the day before and payment is made the day of travel. The PTC office is located on the sixth floor of the Lotte Hotel in central Seoul. This is convenient as the hotel is located just off subway line #2 at Euljiro 1-Ga station.

PTC offers 3 types of tours. Tour #1 is to Panmunjom, tour #2 visits the DMZ only and tour #3 combines both. I chose tour #1 and it cost about $80USD which includes lunch. The tour leaves the hotel just before 9am and returns around 2:30pm

It takes just about an hour to go from Seoul to the DMZ but the time goes by fast as there is a North Korean defector onboard to answer questions about life in North Korea. Just before entering the DMZ the defector is dropped off (Koreans are not allowed to go into the DMZ, only foreign tourist) and we hit our first of 2 checkpoints. The border of the DMZ is amazing, a double barbed wire fence, guard post every 200-300 meters and a road lined with tank traps.

We then come to Camp Bonifas, a JSA military post inside the DMZ with American and South Korean troops. Here we get a slideshow briefing. This was a bit of a waste as the briefing is done by our tour guide and covers everything that was talked about on the bus ride. From there we transfer to a South Korean Army bus that takes us to Panmunjom itself, dropping us off at the Freedom House. Here we exit the bus and view the iconic seen of a divided Korea - the blue UN conference Room that straddles the border.

The tour company explains that there is no guarantee we will have access to the conference room, apparently the rules are that who ever gets there first (North or South) has dibs to the room. This was a bit of a downer as this was the reason to go on the tour. Luckily when we got there the room was open for us and we were able to go in for about 5mins and take pictures. This was surreal as half the room is in North Korean territory. Here we were able to take pictures with the ROK soldiers in their Taikwondo pose. The one complaint is that photography is limited, you are only able to take pictures looking forward into North Korea and it was very brief.

From there it was back on the bus and we drove by some historic landmarks from the Korean War and since. First was the marker for the axe murder incident in 1976 and from there the bridge of no return where POWs were exchanged at the end of hostilities in 1953. We went back to Camp Bonifas were we had the slide show and visited the unique gift shop that for some odd reason sells North Korean wine and whiskey. Then it was back on our bus to Imjingak Park and lunch.

Imjingak Park is on the border of the DMZ and was built for Koreans unable to return to their hometowns in the North. It's rather odd and gaudy and includes an amusement park and a Popeyes Chicken, not what I'd imagined as a solemn place where people can pray for their divided families and nation. From here we were taken to a roadside restaurant for a bulgogi lunch.

This truly was an amazing tour and brings to reality the fact that both North and South Korea are still technically at war. As an American it's as close to North Korea as I'll ever be able (and want) to get. I really recommend this tour even if you don't care about history or politics, I think you will find this fascinating.
Written 7 October 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

laura p
Hampton, UK50 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2016 • Solo
I did the combined Panmunjom DMZ and JSA tour. We also saw the third tunnel; Imjingak peace bell and bridge of freedom; Dora observatory; dorasan train station and the JSA.

We also had a North Korean defector with us and she was really interesting and answered lots of question.

This company was excellent, organized, efficient and professional. Lunch was also included which was really delicious.

Couldn't recommend more highly.
Written 11 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

WilliamWillieWilson
Nashville, TN1,635 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018 • Family
If you've done your research, then hopefully you've found one of the few tour groups that will actually take you all the way to the buildings of Panmunjom, while the other tours have concluded miles away. And by the time your bus has reached the exterior of Camp Bonifas, you've already been tantalized by a distant North Korean landscape looming on the horizon as viewed from the Dora Observatory. You've probably come from the Third Tunnel, where you saw absolutely nothing of North Korea.

After a brief wait, anxious with anticipation, you are finally driven slowly past a sizeable fence into the Demilitarized Zone as you enter the military encampment. After a brief presentation on what not to do, this is the moment you've been waiting for! Tourists are driven out of camp down a narrow road, past, watch towers, barb-wire fences, and minefields. This is the last of South Korea, where a handful of farmers remain, owning land only through inheritance. Otherwise, this is a place strictly off limits to most of the world.

Within minutes, you are dropped off in front of a large, unadorned gray complex through which you are escorted. It's a facility fit for presidents and diplomats, yet purely functional and completely undecorated. As you walk through the building in two single-file lines and ride up an escalator, you're suddenly there. Without fanfare, you've exit the upper floor of the structure where those tiny blue huts you've seen photographed and filmed hundreds of times stand right before your very eyes. But your gaze cannot be broken from the North Korean building directly in front of you and the very doors from which Kim Jong-Un occasionally emerges to attend meetings.

After brief explanation inside the main blue hut, you step past a table marking the border between the two countries and you're now standing in North Korea. The experience is brief, a whirlwind event to be sure. But the memory of standing in the most mysterious country in the world will stay with you forever.
Written 17 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Journey18928035667
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Solo
If you plan to go to the DMZ to visit Panmunjeom (security gate between north and south) you will be disappointed. It is currently closed to the public indefinitely. I could not believe none of the tour websites or government websites mentioned this. I'm sure if this is revealed to many tourists it will cause a dramatic drop in the number of visitors to the DMZ. All that is offered these days is a tour of the 3rd incursion tunnel. Definitely not worth paying for the costs to reach DMZ and entery.
Written 24 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ValH
London, UK200 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2012 • Friends
I took the combined DMZ+Panmunjom (i.e. JSA) tour with Cosmojin and despite high expectations for the day, ended up somewhat disappointed. Taking an organised tour is the only way to get access to the JSA, so this means going on a bus tour even if you are the type of traveller who prefers to do things independently and this may have coloured my view of the day. However, the Cosmojin leaflet did not give a totally accurate picture. The tour was done in the reverse order than stated and ended at Itaewon and not Lotte Hotel. Also be aware that their visit of the infiltration tunnel is by foot and not monorail as in some other tours. As to the day itself, it is clear that the JSA portion is the highlight, and provides the unique experience of seeing the demarcation between South and North Korea and the soldiers from each side staring at each other across the line. It also provides a historical perspective on the Korean situation. The guides for the JSA portion of the tour are American GIs on their tour of duty in Korea so you also get a sense of life on a military base in a rather dangerous region.
After a mediocre lunch, we then carried on with the DMZ portion of the day. The infiltration tunnel was worth a visit but the rest of the program (Dorosan observatory and station) was not that interesting so I did not feel that that portion of the day was worth the additional 50,000 wons. I would suggest booking the Panmunjom (JSA) tour only, which runs from 8 to 3 pm rather than 5pm and to save your time and money for a more interesting end of the day in Seoul.
Written 3 December 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

HotspiceAustralia
Sydney, Australia2,237 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2015 • Family
Doing the joint tour (DMZ plus Panmunjom) was the most interesting, informative tour of North and South Korea. It is not to be missed as you cannot experience or see this anywhere else in the world. However, it is costly and if you have no interest in the history of North and South Korea and why they are separated with different political system, your money may be better spent elsewhere. (no sarcasm meant). We booked our tour through dmztour.com.I believe there's only one operator to JSA area. Anyway, we did the 9am tour and visited the DMZ first and at lunch, those not going to the JSA joined another bus back to Seoul whilst we continued on. If you have budget for one tour only, do the JSA. We were also very lucky to have a very fluent English speaker and very knowledgable about the whole issue and area and you will get the South Korean point of view. I heard one tour guide leaing another tour and it was very hard to understand what he was trying to impart. This is the only place that you have to join a tour so no savings to be had. As I was searching, I came across veltra.com which offered free Alive museum tickets and some discount but we were not able to access a printer for the voucher you purchase and so did not buy through them. I suggest you do it a before you depart from home. However, I have to point out that our tour which was more expensive allowed us an underground rail to the start of the 3rd tunnel whilst some tours they have to walk down. From what I gathered, it was a short steep climb for the youthful. The colour of your helmet lets them know if you can take the train.
Many would have read that you cannot take your bag or jacket, etc but they do have a locker for you to store it free of charge before you descend the train.
The joint tour by dmztour covers DMZ, Dora, JSA, 3rd tunnel, etc. It can get confusing reading all the different brochures and not sure if it covers all. However ring them to confirm.
Highly recommended - not to be missed!
Written 23 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Victoria C
Osaka-shi, Osaka, Japan15 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2014 • Family
Make sure to book a tour with JSA in the itinerary. I booked the tour with tourdmz, but basically, all tourist agencies with the JSA in their itinerary are credible ones. The JSA tour is where you actually get to step on North Korean ground.

Our itinerary was <9:00 am Lotte Hotel – War Memorial Museum - Lunch – ID Check Point – Camp Bonifas (Slides Show and Briefing) – JSA (Freedom House, Conference Room, Bridge of no Return) – Arrive at Lotte Hotel 5:00pm>

I picked the itinerary with the least entries because we wanted to take it slow.
We did not feel rushed and the food served was great! The tour guide was amusing and very insightful. We even saw NKorean guards looking at us through their binoculars!

Tips:
1. Book the tour before traveling to SKorea, as some nationalities need their passports scanned.
2. Make sure the JSA ( always includes Camp Bonifas, Freedom House, the blue UN buildings, and the bridge of no return) is in your itinerary!!!
3. Children under the age of 12 are not allowed.
Written 1 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dirk_Schmoker
London, UK584 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018
I’ve already written a review under Camp Boniface so thought I’d highlight a few things I would have found useful before I went;

1. You will only see Panmunjom if you book a joint JSA/DMZ tour. Some people on our coach seemed to think it was part of the half day DMZ tour but it isn’t. The morning is the DMZ tour then the afternoon is the visit to the JSA. I would hate to be sat on a bus going back to Seoul at 1pm knowing I was missing out of the best bit. Some tour companies don’t make it clear so do your research.

2. The dress code is strict and a soldier will check you. Tour guides have extra clothing with them but i wouldn’t count on it especially if you are larger than the average Korean!! That being said, men were able to wear shorts below the knee, small logos on polo shirts were fine, shorts sleeves were allowed as was round neck tshirts as it was incredible hot. I have attached a picture of the JSA dress code rules given by my tour company as it did stress me out quite a bit beforehand.

3. The waiver you sign before the briefing at Camp Boniface is given back to you on the way out so no need to worry about the legality of signing it.

4. The JSA tour can be cancelled at the very last moment for a whole host of reasons from the obvious security ones to dignitary visits. There’s no refund if this happens but you will be offered a transfer to another date as happened to me. There are specific days/dates that tours don’t run but the tour operators have this on their websites.

5. It’s unlikely that you’ll see any North Korean guards facing off against the South Korean soldiers across the DMZ line. They hate the JSA tours and complain constantly about them so refuse to “participate” according to the US soldier who briefed our coach. The only time you might see them is if there is a tour on their side in which case they’ll appear.

Notwithstanding all of the above, it is the most amazing experience so make sure you do it!!!
Written 12 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rhivolution
Anglesey, UK49 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2016 • Solo
So this place is supposed to be "tense" and stuff, but honestly, to me the whole thing felt contrived and staged.

We first went for a briefing at Camp Bonifas, where they build up this whole idea that there's tension about, and that "you will be watched" while at the JSA etc. They give you a brief history of the region. I didn't learn much that was new information.

The JSA itself is a series of buildings - some of which belong to the South and some of which belong to the North. The building you are allowed to enter is the room where discussions take place between the North/South and UN representatives. There are South Korean soldiers there. They take it all very seriously, despite the closest North Korean soldier - and in fact the only visible North Korean - being roughly 300m away.

You're marched in, in two single file lines, like children, from the main building to the blue UN building. You can then take photos and selfies with statue-like South Korean soldiers. They tell stories about people being "grabbed" from doorways, and dragged to the North Korean side of the line (as if). It's really all a bit odd.

Then it's to the gift shop (obviously). It was reasonably priced in comparison to the airport, especially for the Soju alcohol. I paid $30 in comparison for the $45 they were asking at duty free in the airport! Good deal.

Then it was off for a poor lunch, and a long walk down/up the Third Infiltration Tunnel. This was the best part of the tour, but it's a tough walk back up to ground level.

I think this is something worth doing while in Korea, but I don't think its a unique/authentic experience. I found it all a bit lame, in all honesty.
Written 14 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jacobo
Colmenar, Spain139 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2012 • Solo
On my 4th visit to Seoul I finally managed to book a tour to the DMZ, including the Joint Security Area (JSA). I booked the full day tour, from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm - back and forth from Seoul (Lotte Hotel). First, let me say that this tour is an unforgettable experience. To visit the last frontier in the Cold War and being obeyed by North Korean boarder patrol binoculars send chills down your spine. The visit of the JSA including the few steps on North Korean territory within the MAC building is the best part of the tour. In fact, you could save yourself the half day tour, which consist of dragging you to a couple of (albeit interesting) sites within the DMZ. However, we spent most of the time either in the bus or waiting for another bus. The included lunch deserves no mentioning - it was a disgrace to the Korean cuisine which I have come to appreciate. I booked the tour with PTC (through the Bluko agency) and sadly I cannot recommend PTC. As I stated before, we spent a lot of time in the bus listening to very limited English skills from out tour guide. Although the tour was not cheap (about $ 105 USD) - at the visit of the 3rd Infiltration tunnel, instead of taking the train down, we had to walk there and back up which is quite a work-out for a healthy person, but right out dangerous for someone with health problems. 500 meters of a steep slope. I recommend you check on that before you book. Overall we felt quite a lack of organisation. However, all was forgotten when we entered the JSA. Away from the touristy flair of the other sites, this is the real deal. You have to show your passport and you are being escorted by either a US or South Korean soldier into Camp Bonifas where you receive a briefing and you sign a release form, just in case something happens. After that, a military bus brings you to the heart of it all, the JSA where you are face-to-face with North Korean soldiers....You can feel the tension. As I said, this experience makes up for the rest.
Written 7 November 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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