Tired of HK? Now You Can Get Stamped in North Korea

Those 30 days tick down so quickly. Where to go? Hong Kong, the old standard, is never cheap and still kind of hot. Seoul? Sure, the leather shopping and the food are wonderful, but similarly expensive, and that subway map, yikes. Japan? Too far. Mongolia? That bus ride could be a tad more charming. Isn’t there a better way?

Indeed there is. Welcome to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), which is now allowing one-day tours of border city Sinuiju, just across the Yalu River from Dandong in Liaoning province. While this is not the kind of visa run where one stocks up on cosmetics, snacks from home, or the latest issue of a favorite magazine, it certainly ticks a box for fascinating travel, and well, gives you another 30 days.

One thing is for sure: few if any of your friends will have already visited Sinuiju, one of the DPRK’s most photographed (its residents and buildings can be seen and snapped from the China side), having received its first Western tourist only this year.

During the day-long tour (overnight stays are not yet permitted), visitors will see the local revolutionary museum; the statue of Kim Il Sung, grandfather of the current president, Kim Jung-un; a kindergarten and local park; an art museum; a secret local bar; and a restaurant with views of the China side of the Yalu River. All trips stage from Dandong; the full round-trip takes about two and a half days.

An important note: this is not a destination if you need to apply for a new visa for China. This is strictly an in-and-out, passport stamp spot, but certainly a more memorable one.

Koryo Tours is now offering day trips to Sinuiju from Dandong for RMB 2290 for one person, or RMB 1290 per person for groups of 10 or more. Learn more at on their website.

Photo: Koryo Tours