KTG Tours
5
Multi-day Tours • Cultural Tours • Sightseeing Tours • Private Tours
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KTG operates tours for hundreds of people to North Korea each year. Our aim is to promote responsible tourism in the DPRK and to allow people engage and interact with Koreans.
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5.0
60 reviews
Excellent
59
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Sultan A
2 contributions
Dec 2019
i have been to DPRK 3 times, last time with KTG tours , believe me guys , it was the best trip to DPRK everything was perfect from Shenyang to Pyongyang and return .
we were group of 12 people , and it was nice , always sit together same table . The tours guide was so kind and everything was perfect .
thanks so much KTG and I'm sure i will go next time with KTG
we were group of 12 people , and it was nice , always sit together same table . The tours guide was so kind and everything was perfect .
thanks so much KTG and I'm sure i will go next time with KTG
Written 14 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hey D4535UHsultana!
Thanks so much for your review and picture!
It’s a true honour to hear that out of the 3 companies you have been to DPRK with that you prefer KTG! We do work with who we think are the best guides in the DPRK based on our experience travelling with them and feedback from our travellers and also keep group sizes small (this New Year's Tour group had 12 people including our 2 DPRK guides and colleague going in with the group).
It was a true pleasure meeting you at our offices in Shenyang and I hope to see you on more of our DPRK tours in the future!
For anyone reading, D4535UHsultana decided to go to North Korea via Shenyang, where his DPRK visa was handed to him, and our colleague in Dandong went with him from Dandong by train to Pyongyang. The other travellers went by plane to Pyongyang from Beijing. Our departures are mainly from Beijing but we can arrange for you to go from Shenyang (train or plane) or Dandong (train) too if you prefer.
All the best!
Rayco / KTG
Written 15 August 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jordi Kroon
Eindhoven, The Netherlands2 contributions
Dec 2019
As a first time solo traveler with the strong desire to visit the DPRK out of pure curiosity I decided to send an email to KTG and 2 other large touring companies. While all of them emailed me back I felt most comfortable with KTG. They always replied back accurately, in detail and fast. Rayco in particular made the process of booking, obtaining the visa and actually visiting the DPRK very easy.
A benefit of choosing KTG over other companies is that KTG doesn't group you up with more than 10 other travelers while I saw a group of westerners who went with a different company and they were with about 30 travelers.
While my friends and family didn't like the idea of me visiting the DPRK because they thought it was a crazy and dangerous plan, I proved them very wrong. I never felt any danger. Not at the border or during my time in the country. Customs were very friendly and we even had a little chat with them about some posters we got.
The guides (Sun-Mi & Hyang-Mi) were very friendly and always felt like they were guiding us, not guarding us. Friends told me that you can't make pictures unless they tell you it's allowed to but it was more of the opposite. The rules were very clear and made a lot of sense given the high respect they give to their leaders. No pictures of military checkpoints; pictures of leaders in full frame and no pictures of buildings under construction.
The rules made sense because koreans are by far very proud people. And we weren't allowed to make any pictures at a very few locations (Inside the Palace of the sun for example). A location where if it was a western tourist site, it would also have been forbidden.
It's difficult for me to choose the number 1 thing I enjoyed the most so here are 3.
1) The students dancing on the square (mass dance). Sun-mi tried to force us to participate in dancing with the students. One of the other travelers in our group danced with one of the girls but because he didn't knew the dance (obviously) he messed up a little bit. The girl liked that he tried to dance along but while she continued with her part I saw that she was having a difficult time not to laugh.
2) New Years Eve. This felt very special because I couldn't contact home to wish them the best for 2020, but it was also a moment where we all were together as a group watching the performances, fireworks and drone show. Though it was very cold outside (-13).
3) Might be a weird one but I liked the swimming pool for a specific reason. It was the only moment it didn't felt as if I was in the DPRK. There were no guides with us, people had a lot of fun and we had a lot of fun.
(Ok a 4th one)
4) The food. Nothing more to be said. I love Korean food.
Overall a very unique experience. I would recommend KTG to everyone who is interested in visiting the DPRK.
A benefit of choosing KTG over other companies is that KTG doesn't group you up with more than 10 other travelers while I saw a group of westerners who went with a different company and they were with about 30 travelers.
While my friends and family didn't like the idea of me visiting the DPRK because they thought it was a crazy and dangerous plan, I proved them very wrong. I never felt any danger. Not at the border or during my time in the country. Customs were very friendly and we even had a little chat with them about some posters we got.
The guides (Sun-Mi & Hyang-Mi) were very friendly and always felt like they were guiding us, not guarding us. Friends told me that you can't make pictures unless they tell you it's allowed to but it was more of the opposite. The rules were very clear and made a lot of sense given the high respect they give to their leaders. No pictures of military checkpoints; pictures of leaders in full frame and no pictures of buildings under construction.
The rules made sense because koreans are by far very proud people. And we weren't allowed to make any pictures at a very few locations (Inside the Palace of the sun for example). A location where if it was a western tourist site, it would also have been forbidden.
It's difficult for me to choose the number 1 thing I enjoyed the most so here are 3.
1) The students dancing on the square (mass dance). Sun-mi tried to force us to participate in dancing with the students. One of the other travelers in our group danced with one of the girls but because he didn't knew the dance (obviously) he messed up a little bit. The girl liked that he tried to dance along but while she continued with her part I saw that she was having a difficult time not to laugh.
2) New Years Eve. This felt very special because I couldn't contact home to wish them the best for 2020, but it was also a moment where we all were together as a group watching the performances, fireworks and drone show. Though it was very cold outside (-13).
3) Might be a weird one but I liked the swimming pool for a specific reason. It was the only moment it didn't felt as if I was in the DPRK. There were no guides with us, people had a lot of fun and we had a lot of fun.
(Ok a 4th one)
4) The food. Nothing more to be said. I love Korean food.
Overall a very unique experience. I would recommend KTG to everyone who is interested in visiting the DPRK.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hey Jordi!
Thanks so much for your detailed feedback and for having gone to DPRK with KTG. It was a true pleasure meeting you in person and thank you too for sending those beautiful pictures and videos you took!
Very glad to see that you enjoyed our small group. We firmly believe that having small groups allows for more flexibility once in North Korea and it also allows us to establish a much closer relationship with our local Korean guides. As you mention, it would be very hard to do so, or so we feel, with a group of say 30 people.
Guides - we work with a list of guides who we think are best for the dynamics of the group and are very happy to see that you enjoyed the company of Sun Mi and Hyang Mi. We see them too as friends. They are curious and understanding and for us it is critical that we have guides in Korea who we deem to be top guides. Sun Mi guides many, many of our groups and we have always received excellent feedback for her, in fact she is always in high demand! She always loves our groups too, or so she tells us! Hyang Mi too guides many of our Spanish speaking travellers and we have received great feedback for her too.
I agree that the general perception of people is that guides are very strict, hardly allow you to take pictures, etc, when it is pretty much the opposite. The most important thing is that we follow the rules you mention, which are very straightforward as you say. As you say too, Koreans are indeed very proud people and those who show foreigners their country take a lot pride in doing so. And true, customs too tend to be very kind and this surprises many travellers.
Thank you too for your feedback regarding the places you enjoyed the most. New Year’s in Pyongyang is indeed a unique experience, gathering with thousands of locals at Kim Il Sung Square to celebrate the New Year.
As for the Munsu waterpark, I am extremely happy to see that you enjoyed it as we will be adding it more to our tours. It offers us a great chance to relax and enjoy an afternoon with locals!
Thank you once again for your valuable feedback Jordi! We hope to have you join one of our tours again in the future!
Best regards,
Rayco / KTG
Written 10 April 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Piet R
Beijing, China2 contributions
Nov 2019
For me and my friend it was the first time to North Korea and what can I say - it was a once in a lifetime experience. During our short stay, we saw a lot of sights, tasted different kinds of foods and beers, visited different cities and in my opinion caught a glimpse of the North Korean culture (which is more than I expected).
I really liked this trip because it combined a lot of different aspects and gave us a nice overview of NK. We not only stayed in the City and visited museums but also went into nature and saw ancient graves, a Buddhist temple,... Most of the nights we stayed at the Koryo Hotel, but one night we also experienced the traditional way of sleeping - on the ground + the floor heating.
Before the trip, all our questions were answered and Rayco really took some time to help us with everything we needed.
One more aspect I really liked was our group itself. We were people from all around the world, with different jobs, languages,... To experience this kind of trip with so many different kinds of people made it even better. I not only learned a lot about North Korea but also about Mexico, Brasil, Singapore, Norway and so on.
Before booking this trip we checked a lot of different travel agencies as well, but they did not offer this kind of extensive travel plan for this price.
I really liked this trip because it combined a lot of different aspects and gave us a nice overview of NK. We not only stayed in the City and visited museums but also went into nature and saw ancient graves, a Buddhist temple,... Most of the nights we stayed at the Koryo Hotel, but one night we also experienced the traditional way of sleeping - on the ground + the floor heating.
Before the trip, all our questions were answered and Rayco really took some time to help us with everything we needed.
One more aspect I really liked was our group itself. We were people from all around the world, with different jobs, languages,... To experience this kind of trip with so many different kinds of people made it even better. I not only learned a lot about North Korea but also about Mexico, Brasil, Singapore, Norway and so on.
Before booking this trip we checked a lot of different travel agencies as well, but they did not offer this kind of extensive travel plan for this price.
Written 14 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hello Piet!
Thank you for your detailed feedback. I am very happy to see that you enjoyed our November Tour. It was a pleasure meeting the two of you. Glad to see that you liked the combination of different aspects of Korea that you saw. We try to show people as much as many aspects as possible!
Although this is one of our lowest priced tours we stay at the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang which is one of the best. Staying one night at the folk hotel in Kaesong city certainly adds to the experience!
Great to see that you enjoyed the diversity in the group. Although there were just 7 travellers there were people from 5 countries! We always have this happen in our group tours. For our New Year tour for example we had 10 travellers and people from 8 different countries!
Thank you once again for your feedback Piet!
Best regards,
Rayco / KTG
Written 10 April 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Øyvind H
Oslo, Norway163 contributions
Oct 2019
We were a group of seven who decided to go for a private trip to the DPRK.
After long consideration and getting in touch with the different companies - we decided to go for KTG Tours.
From the moment we first came in contact with KTG, we were well taken care of by Rayco. He is a true star for this company. He answered all of our question pretty quick, he took care of our wishes of what we wanted to see and do in DPRK, I had a video-call with him, he came and met us in Beijing a few days before we went to DPRK. We cannot thank him enough for the kind help and support for organizing our trip to the DPRK.
We had lovely guides in the DPRK who had humour, always smiling and eager to teach us about their country. They were also quite interested to know about our country and what is going in the world.
I would highly recommend to go for the DELUXE hotels in Pyongyang. The hotel we stayed at were pretty good considering the country you are travelling to. Big rooms, hot water 24h, pool, massage, karaoke and so on.
The hotel in Kaesong was a more traditional hotel, but it was a nice experience for one night.
They gave us plenty of food, and for the most the food was very good. The breakfast at the hotels was awful with very white bread and jam, but for lunch and dinner - you are in for a treat.
If you get the chance, you should to one of the beerbars to taste the local beer. A very nice experience, and a good way to meet the locals. Your guides will surely help you translate any questions you may have if the local people would like to engage in a conversation.
A tour to the DPRK is really recommended, and with a private tour from KTG you can come woth your wish for what to see and do, and Rayco will do everything he can do to make this happen.
The only thing we did not like in our program was a visit to an apartment in Pyongyang. We had asked for a visit to a local family, to speak to them and meet them. Upon arrival, there was only one woman showing us around in the apartment. The rest of the family was away. For this we payed 150 euro extra - so not very happy about it. However, this was not KTG's fault, as they also had asked the family to be there.
All in all, 5 stars to KTG and Rayco :)
If you are a bit sceptical regarding paying deposit to a company and to someone you never have met before - please take my word for it - dont be. I was a bit sceptical in the beginning, but I had no reason to as KTG and Rayco is doing their job very well!
After long consideration and getting in touch with the different companies - we decided to go for KTG Tours.
From the moment we first came in contact with KTG, we were well taken care of by Rayco. He is a true star for this company. He answered all of our question pretty quick, he took care of our wishes of what we wanted to see and do in DPRK, I had a video-call with him, he came and met us in Beijing a few days before we went to DPRK. We cannot thank him enough for the kind help and support for organizing our trip to the DPRK.
We had lovely guides in the DPRK who had humour, always smiling and eager to teach us about their country. They were also quite interested to know about our country and what is going in the world.
I would highly recommend to go for the DELUXE hotels in Pyongyang. The hotel we stayed at were pretty good considering the country you are travelling to. Big rooms, hot water 24h, pool, massage, karaoke and so on.
The hotel in Kaesong was a more traditional hotel, but it was a nice experience for one night.
They gave us plenty of food, and for the most the food was very good. The breakfast at the hotels was awful with very white bread and jam, but for lunch and dinner - you are in for a treat.
If you get the chance, you should to one of the beerbars to taste the local beer. A very nice experience, and a good way to meet the locals. Your guides will surely help you translate any questions you may have if the local people would like to engage in a conversation.
A tour to the DPRK is really recommended, and with a private tour from KTG you can come woth your wish for what to see and do, and Rayco will do everything he can do to make this happen.
The only thing we did not like in our program was a visit to an apartment in Pyongyang. We had asked for a visit to a local family, to speak to them and meet them. Upon arrival, there was only one woman showing us around in the apartment. The rest of the family was away. For this we payed 150 euro extra - so not very happy about it. However, this was not KTG's fault, as they also had asked the family to be there.
All in all, 5 stars to KTG and Rayco :)
If you are a bit sceptical regarding paying deposit to a company and to someone you never have met before - please take my word for it - dont be. I was a bit sceptical in the beginning, but I had no reason to as KTG and Rayco is doing their job very well!
Written 14 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hello Øyvind,
Thank you so much for your detailed feedback and for having picked KTG for your DPRK trip! It was a pleasure arranging everything and coordinating with you, video calling via Skype months before the trip and of course meeting you in person in Beijing.
On a personal note, thank you so much for your feedback regarding my service and it was a pleasure being in touch with you when arranging everything!
Very glad to see that you enjoyed the service provided by your Korean guides in DPRK. Many travellers expect them to be extremely strict and they are always surprised to see the they are humorous, approachable and basically just very nice people. We always work with guides we have received great reviews for from travellers.
As for the hotels, the deluxe hotels are indeed very nice and well equipped. We use these hotels for all of our group tours too. The folk hotel does is indeed very modest but one night there adds to the experience. Well noted about the family visit in Pyongyang and we told our partners regarding this for any future requests.
We understand that travellers may feel a bit sceptical making any deposit payments to an agency based so far away from Europe which is why we have been accepting deposit payments via PayPal or card for over 10 years now.
Great idea to visit the beer bars in Pyongyang. It allows us to see locals have a drink and relax with friends and to get to mingle with them.
Thanks once again for everything Øyvind!
Best regards,
Rayco Vega / KTG
Written 10 April 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Frank A
1 contribution
Oct 2019
Great tour with a very good company did the 5 day tour guides excellent tour the same better than expectations . From first email to the last kept informed nothing to much would highly recommend . Really well thought out tour transport / hotel very high standard .
Written 7 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hi Frank A!
Thank you for your review and for having gone on our Party Day Tour in October. It was a pleasure arranging everything with you and we are glad to see that the tour surpassed your expectations.
Good to see you were happy with the hotel too! We use the highest standards hotels in Pyongyang for all of our group tours, even our lowest priced ones.
All the best,
Rayco Vega / KTG
Written 10 April 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tom S H
1 contribution
Oct 2019
KTG tours is a serious tour organizer, and everything went as planned. I contact Rayco , KTG pr e-mail during a few month before the tour. He always answer every questions. We were on a 5 days trip, and the program is tight. From 8 a.m to 8 p.m neary every day. Our guides Han and Kim was amazing. Full of aknowledge and humour. If you want to go to DPRK, I really recommand KTG tours.
Written 24 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hi Tom!
Thank you so much for your feedback! It was a pleasure arranging your trip and I am glad to see that you are happy with KTG's services.
The programs are indeed packed, we want to make sure that people see as much as possible of the country! Great to see that you enjoyed Han and Kim. As mentioned on many of our replies, the Korean guides we work with are amazing people.
All the best,
Rayco Vega / KTG
Written 10 April 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
tobiadesalvo
2 contributions
Sep 2019 • Couples
Everything was fine and plan was completely fulfilled. I recommend that a tourist go with KTG since you can rely on them.
DPRK is a really unique place that is developing fast, so go there as soon as possible! It is ok if you fly in and out, but if you have time we enjoyed east coast and Mount Kumgang. Day trips from Pyongyang, capital city architecture and monuments, DMZ, Museums and Nampo barrage make every day nice.
Don’t Miss mass games!
DPRK is a really unique place that is developing fast, so go there as soon as possible! It is ok if you fly in and out, but if you have time we enjoyed east coast and Mount Kumgang. Day trips from Pyongyang, capital city architecture and monuments, DMZ, Museums and Nampo barrage make every day nice.
Don’t Miss mass games!
Written 2 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dear Tobia,
Thank you so much for your review! It was a true pleasure arranging your private tour and meeting the two of you in person before your trip. DPRK is indeed changing quickly, especially Pyongyang and now too the east coast with the Wonsan-Kalma project. Should be excited to see once it's finished!
The Mass Games are too amazing! They had a break from 2013 to 2018. Let's hope that they will have them again in the future!
Best regards Tobia,
Rayco / KTG
Written 10 April 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Viggo L
3 contributions
Sep 2019
KTG Tours made a very interesting trip for me and three friends, including several days in Pyongyang, and trips out of the ciry. Our guides (and driver) were very friendly and helpful. The Food was very good. The service both before and after the trip was excellent.
Written 24 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dear Viggo,
Thank you so much for your review, it means a lot to us. It was a true pleasure arranging your private trip to North Korea, meeting you in Beijing before the trip and in Dandong after the trip and chatting with you about the experience. I am glad to see that you enjoyed Mr. Kwak’s services in North Korea.
Thank you once again Viggo!
Rayco / KTG
Written 30 September 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Vidar S
Lysaker, Norway15 contributions
Sep 2019
I randomly hit KTG when searching on the net for trips to DPRK as I wanted to visit the country. I contacted KTG pr e-mail, and they provided me all info I asked in a promptly and professional manner. I then went for the September trip to be able to be there Sept 9 (Their National Day) an also see their mass games. Incredible performance. The trip was well organized with a group of 14 tourists and 2 guides. We saw the main sites in Pyongyang, but also traveled by bus to DMZ and Nampo. The inside of the monuments where could not take pictures were the most amazing ones (Kumsusan Memorial Palace, War Museum and Gift house). Especially how they told the story of the Korean war in the War Museum (and very professionally illustrated it) was astonishing. If you consider go, I recommend to take the train both ways. It is more hassle, takes more time, but you see a lot of the country from the train windows. Truly a memorable trip.
Written 20 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dear Vidar,
Thank you for your detailed review! I am sure it will help future travellers! It was a true pleasure meeting you. We are very glad to see that you enjoyed the trip and our services. Indeed, the Mass Games are truly impressive. The Palace of the Sun is amazing, a sacred place in Korea. The Gift Museum and War Museums are impressive too, it only took 10 months for the War Museum to be built! It is a pity that we cannot take pictures inside, though we can take pictures outside and of the USS Pueblo.
We definitely recommend taking the train at least once. It does allow us to see more and experience more of the DPRK. If anyone reading this thinks that taking the train both ways may be too tiring, it is possible to fly one way and take the train the other way. In such case we would strongly recommend flying in and exiting by train, especially after a long flight from Europe to China.
Thanks again Vidar!
Best regards,
Rayco / KTG
Written 30 September 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Florian S
7 contributions
Aug 2019
It's been two weeks now since I returned home settling back into every day life. Whether or not going to North Korea, the DPRK, is an option or not everybody should decide for themselves. For me, a not unexperienced traveller, it's been a revelation, a trip of a life time, an experience that lives on. A destination for interested travelers, yes, very much so, but certainly not for tourists (one of the very few "blind spots" on this planet in this respect!). Now to KTG: Not a single or the slightest criticism, only the highest praise. Extremely efficient, polite, helpful, professional, friendly and engaging. People not just doing business, rather people with a mission and it shows! KTG's smallish groups are fantastic, other tour agencies run tours by bulk, yak! Thank you and I'm already considering going again, then maybe on a bespoke tour to also remoter parts of the country, I'm sure KTG will also excel in this! Thanks, you're super!
Written 7 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hi Florian,
Wow! Thank you for your very kind review! It was a true pleasure chatting to you in person.
Indeed, North Korea is a unique destination and I am very happy to see you found it to be a trip of a lifetime. It makes our job extremely rewarding!
Very glad to see that you liked our small group. That was actually the largest group we have had this year so far.
Would be great to have you join one of our trips in the future Florian. We can indeed arrange private trips to remoter areas of the DPRK, in fact a large amount of the tours we arrange are private tours.
Thank you once again Florian! We hope to see you again!
Best regards,
Rayco / KTG
Written 30 September 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PaolaOrjuelaV
Bogota, Colombia13 contributions
Buena noche, me gustarÃa saber el como acceder a un tour, desde Bogotá Colombia, si es posible.
KTG_DPRK
Shenyang, China21 contributions
Hola Paola, gracias por su mensaje. El paÃs lleva cerrado al turismo desde enero 2020. DÃganos por favor si le gustarÃa que le enviemos un email una vez se anuncie la apertura de las fronteras. Si es asà envÃenos un email por favor, TripAdvisor no permite escribir direcciones de email o páginas webs en sus respuestas. Puede ver la página de KTG en nuestro perfil.
No hay problema ir desde Colombia. Tiene que ir a China primero y desde China le organizamos el viaje. También podemos organizárselo desde Vladivostok en Rusia.
No dude en enviarnos un email o visitar nuestra página para más información.
Atentamente,
Rayco / KTG