Kumgangsan from south korea · From South Korea in Kumgangsan
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From South Korea in Kumgangsan
From South Korea in Kumgangsan
Independent travel to Kumgangsan is not allowed, so you will have to join a tour group. Non-Korean visitors are rare but welcome, although the great majority of tours are not set up for visitors with no Korean ability. Reservations should be made 7 days in advance. Tour operators include:
Hyundai Asan , tel. +82-2-3669-3000, is the company behind the tours and has some information in English.
Mt. Kumgang , tel. +82-2-739-1090, organizes tours from South Korea to Kumgangsan.
GOnSEE is the official agent for foreign tourist to Kumgangsan tour. This company provides 4 types of tour packages, and can provide English-speaking guides for groups of more than 4 people.
There are two main ways to visit: either by bus from Goseong, in which case it's even possible to daytrip, or by cruise ship from Sokcho, in which case the tour takes a minimum of three days. Prices start at around W400,000 but vary greatly depending on day of departure, the hotel you stay in, etc. A typical 3-day tour from Seoul (Friday 9 am until Sunday about 6:30pm) would cost around $610-660.
Laptops, PDAs, cell phones, cameras with 160mm or longer lenses, binoculars with 10x zoom or higher are not allowed. Video cameras may be confiscated at the border - unless the zoom is less than 24x. Anything taken will be stored, and returned to you upon exit from North Korea.
Foreigners do not seem to need a re-entry permit if leaving from South Korea to the North. Before going through customs you will receive a temporary passport (a small booklet with passport information written on it, a debit card to be used in tourist zones, a filled embarkment card. These will be in a plastic sheath, to be worn around the neck at all times while in the North.
South Korean exit procedures are performed at the Goseong Observatory. There is a special line for Foreigners, (aptly, although somewhat bluntly, labelled "Foreigner"). You will receive a South Korean exit stamp. On the other side, you will be assigned a bus, that you will stay with for the duration of the tour. Remember your bus number, or you will most likely face hassle from North Korean border guards.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Kumgangsan
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Kumgangsan - updated Apr 2024
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Kumgangsan Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.