Dora Observatory: Tours & Tickets

Do this tour! Exactly 9.5 hours from Seoul departure point and return, as advertised, which is great. You need that time to see everything and could have used another 30 minutes at the JSA Visitors Center. This tour included 5 to 6 locations that are a must-see for first timers to the DMZ. The guide spoke good enough English and she did a good job explaining the basic history and acronyms of the DMZ boundaries. Customers should do a little reading of the Korean War and following cold war history before going. To get to all the tour locations, there is a lot of bus transport and switching buses involved, which can be tiring, so be rested and hydrated. Not a lot of time at any location, sometimes only 20-30 minutes, but that is actually enough. The infamous conference building, where you step over the border into North Korea, is a cool experience. No feeling of danger. Even though the war isn't over, this seems like a good money-maker attraction for the JSA and North Koreans now.

The guide was fine. Excellent English, useful information. Instead of encouraging us to get something to eat, we would have preferred to have a look around on the bridge and train. We did not have time enough on the different locations, but it felt like we were pushed around. Not interested in the fake station where we had too much time. Completely weird to stop in an amethyst centre.

Fantastic multilingual guide who spoke English and Japanese (and Korean, of course). She wove in her own experience of speaking directly with defectors which enriched the experience. I felt that I understood a bit more about the history of the North and South, that it was an ongoing situation and very current.

This tour was unlike any tourism opportunity I have ever had. Being able to speak face-to-face with a North Korean defector about his experience while touring the DMZ is an educational and emotional experience. I think any citizen of a free country has a lot to gain from this tour.

It was a great experince and the time was well-spent at the diffrent locations, no time-waste or shopping center stop. We were bach around 2-3pm. The tour guide was very kind and funny. She knew a lot about the history and could answer all questions. Thank you.