11 Important Guidelines and Tips for Visiting North Korea

What you need to know when visiting North Korea? What travel agencies recommend and recommend. What are the rules for staying in the country? I selected 11 important and interesting points.

It is allowed to import lenses with focal lengths up to 250 mm into the country. Import of lenses is often allowed up to 400 mm, but everything will depend on the specific responsible officer at the border.

North Korea loosened the rules for importing cell phones and smartphones. Now they are allowed to take with them. However, SIM cards will not work.

Laptops, tablets, iPods, cameras are allowed to take with you without problems. However, it should be borne in mind that they can be inspected by customs officers. You must make sure that they do not contain articles and e-books with critical content regarding North Korea, as well as pornography.

While in North Korea, it’s forbidden even to try to exchange any foreign currency for North Korean won. An attempt to export local currency from a country is equated to a crime.

When visiting the Palace of the Sun (Mausoleum), you must follow the dress code. Men: pants (not jeans) and a shirt with a collar. Women: arms and legs should be closed. Sneakers are not allowed.

It is necessary to respect the requests of guides and refrain from openly criticizing the North Korean regime. You can debate, but intrusive criticism is not welcome: it will not change the opinion of the North Koreans and may lead to deportation.

If you want to give gifts to local guides (a good gesture before the start of the tour), it is recommended to bring Marlboro cigarettes or alcohol for a male guide, face cream and cosmetics, perfume, chocolate for a female guide.

It is forbidden to bring Korean literature, religious books, pornographic materials, a Lonely Planet guide to North Korea, or films like Interviews.

It is recommended to bring fresh fruit and chocolate with you (for yourself). Desserts in restaurants in North Korea are not served and some travelers may find the local cuisine fresh or monotonous.

It is forbidden to leave the hotel without a guide or try to leave the group during the tour. It is allowed to move freely inside the hotel, on the first, top and own floor. Do not use fire escape. Violation of these rules can be a problem for the traveler and responsible guides.

Travel agencies are asked not to publish any material on blogs or social networks without prior verification. Negative articles in the past led to problems for local guides in North Korea (they at least lost their jobs).

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