When Will North Korea Reopen Its Borders to Tourists?

Is North Korea Open to Tourists?

As of August 2026, North Korea has still not returned to normal international tourism.

Russian travellers are the major exception, with limited organised tourism continuing under arrangements between North Korea and Russia.

For most other nationalities, including British and European travellers, normal leisure tours to Pyongyang and the rest of the country are not currently operating.

This does not mean North Korea’s borders are completely sealed. International travel, diplomatic visits, trade, passenger transport and selected foreign delegations have gradually returned.

The important distinction is that reopening the border and reopening general tourism are not necessarily the same thing.

Why Did North Korea Close Its Borders?

North Korea closed its borders in January 2020 as COVID-19 began spreading internationally.

The restrictions were among the strictest introduced by any country. International tourism stopped, foreign residents left, diplomatic missions reduced their operations and cross-border passenger transport effectively disappeared.

North Korea maintained these restrictions long after most countries had reopened.

Over time, freight transport and diplomatic movements gradually resumed, but tourism has been treated much more cautiously.

This is one reason predicting a reopening date has proven so difficult. North Korea does not usually publish a long-term tourism reopening plan. Changes can happen quickly and sometimes without a detailed public explanation.

North Korea Briefly Reopened Rason

One of the biggest developments came in February 2025 when foreign tourists were once again allowed to enter Rason.

Located in the far northeast of North Korea close to the borders with China and Russia, Rason is a Special Economic Zone and has historically operated somewhat differently from the rest of the country.

The reopening was significant because it marked the first time ordinary Western tourists had entered North Korea for tourism since the 2020 closure.

However, the reopening lasted only a matter of weeks.

Tours to Rason were suspended again in March 2025.

No detailed explanation was provided and the sudden reversal demonstrated just how quickly tourism arrangements in North Korea can change.

The Pyongyang Marathon Returned

Another significant development came in April 2025.

The Pyongyang International Marathon returned after several years without foreign participation, allowing approximately 180 international runners to enter Pyongyang as part of an official marathon delegation.

This was particularly important because it showed that North Korea was capable of hosting organised groups of foreign visitors in the capital again.

It also meant foreigners were once again staying in Pyongyang hotels, visiting attractions and travelling through the city.

However, it was not a general tourism reopening.

Participants entered as part of a specific sporting delegation rather than through ordinary tour programmes.

Then the 2026 Pyongyang Marathon Was Cancelled

For a while, the 2026 Pyongyang International Marathon appeared to be another major step forward.

Applications opened in December 2025 and hundreds of spaces were filled extremely quickly.

This created considerable optimism that broader tourism could follow.

Then, in March 2026, the marathon was abruptly cancelled.

No detailed reason was publicly provided.

The cancellation was a useful reminder that even when arrangements appear confirmed, North Korean tourism can change with very little notice.

Interestingly, Russian visitors were still able to travel to Pyongyang around the planned marathon period under separate arrangements.

International Trains Have Returned

One of the strongest signs of normalisation came in March 2026 when passenger train services between Beijing and Pyongyang resumed after approximately six years.

The Beijing to Pyongyang railway has historically been one of the most important routes used by foreign visitors entering North Korea.

Before the border closure, many international tour groups would travel from Beijing to Pyongyang by train through Dandong and Sinuiju.

Restoring the passenger railway does not automatically mean tourists can use it, but the infrastructure necessary for large-scale international travel is operating again.

That is an important difference compared with the years immediately following the border closure.

Flights Between Beijing and Pyongyang Have Also Returned

Air connections between China and North Korea have also expanded.

Air Koryo had already resumed services between Beijing and Pyongyang, while Air China restored its own direct Beijing to Pyongyang service in March 2026 after a six-year suspension.

Again, scheduled flights operating does not mean international tourists can simply book a ticket and travel to North Korea.

Entry permission remains the important factor.

However, reopening major passenger connections with China removes another logistical barrier to restarting tourism.

Why China Could Be Extremely Important

Before 2020, Chinese visitors represented the overwhelming majority of foreign tourists entering North Korea.

For this reason, one of the biggest things to watch is not necessarily when British, European or Australian travellers are invited back.

It is what happens with Chinese tourism.

There have already been some interesting developments.

Chinese diplomatic representatives have visited North Korea’s new Wonsan Kalma tourism development, while the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang has publicly promoted the resort and published photographs of the complex.

None of this confirms that Chinese tourism is about to restart.

However, if large-scale Chinese tourism returns, it would represent one of the most significant changes to North Korea’s tourism industry since 2020.

What Is Happening at Wonsan Kalma?

Another major reason to believe North Korea remains interested in international tourism is the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone.

The enormous resort development officially opened in 2025 and contains hotels, restaurants, entertainment facilities, beaches and other tourism infrastructure.

North Korean media has described the development as capable of accommodating thousands of visitors.

Building a tourism project of this size would make little sense if North Korea had completely abandoned international tourism as a long-term industry.

Russian groups have been among the foreign visitors allowed to use the resort.

Access for other foreign nationalities has remained restricted.

The development is therefore one of the clearest examples of the unusual situation North Korean tourism currently finds itself in. The infrastructure exists, tourists from selected countries can visit, but the country has still not returned to widespread international tourism.

Are Russian Tourists Currently Allowed Into North Korea?

Yes, Russian tourism has become an important exception to the wider restrictions.

Russian groups have visited Pyongyang, Rason and Wonsan under organised arrangements.

This reflects the increasingly close relationship between North Korea and Russia.

It is also important because it demonstrates that North Korea is not fundamentally incapable of operating tourism.

Hotels, guides, buses, restaurants, attractions and border procedures can all operate for foreign visitors when permission is granted.

The question is therefore increasingly about when North Korea decides to expand access to additional nationalities.

Could North Korea Reopen Suddenly?

Absolutely.

North Korean tourism announcements have historically sometimes arrived with relatively little notice.

This is why travellers interested in visiting should be cautious about making non-refundable arrangements based purely on rumours.

A tour operator might receive confirmation of an opening only weeks or months before the first departure.

The opposite can also happen, with planned events or itineraries cancelled after they have already been announced.

Flexibility is therefore particularly important when planning travel to North Korea.

What About American Travellers?

Even if North Korea opens its borders more widely, American travellers face a separate restriction.

United States passports are generally invalid for travel to North Korea without special validation from the US government.

That restriction has been extended until 31 August 2027.

This means a general North Korean tourism reopening would not automatically mean American passport holders could immediately join ordinary tours.

The US restriction and North Korea’s own entry rules are separate issues.

So When Will North Korea Reopen?

The most accurate answer remains that we do not know.

There is currently no official date for the full reopening of North Korea to general international tourism.

However, the situation today is very different from the complete isolation seen several years ago.

Russian tourists are travelling to the country. Passenger trains between Beijing and Pyongyang are running again. Air China has returned. Air Koryo operates international services. Foreign participants entered Pyongyang for the 2025 marathon. Rason briefly received Western tourists. Wonsan Kalma has opened, and North Korea continues investing in tourism infrastructure.

None of these developments individually confirms that a full reopening is imminent.

Together, they show that international tourism has not been abandoned.

Travelling to North Korea with Beyond The Borders

North Korea remains one of the destinations we follow most closely at Beyond The Borders Tours.

We continue to work with our local partners and monitor developments surrounding tourism, border access and future itineraries.

Our approach is simple. We will only advertise confirmed departures once the necessary access and arrangements are in place.

North Korea is a destination where circumstances can change quickly, which makes accurate information and reliable local partnerships particularly important.

For travellers interested in visiting, the recent developments are certainly encouraging.

There is still no confirmed date for a full reopening, but after years of almost complete isolation, trains are running again, flights have returned, tourism infrastructure is operating and selected foreign visitors are already entering the country.

The borders may not yet be open to everyone, but North Korea is no longer as closed as it once was.