DMZ and 3rd Tunnel Morning Tour from Seoul with Hotel Pick-Up and Optional Lunch
Overall Rating
4.30
Good value, but patchy info
Reviewed by: Paul, 2020/01/26We couldn't complete the usual itinerary due to African Swine Fever in the DMZ, so an alternative was in place. Unfortunately it felt a little thrown together.
Our guide was very friendly and spoke great English, however the information she passed on about the Korean War wasn't as detailed as I'd have liked.
If you want to learn a lot about the conflict and the current state of affairs, I don't think this is the trip, however it is a good value way to see the sites we visited.
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2020/01/26 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
DMZ and Ganghwa Peach Observatory Tour
Reviewed by: Pearlin and K Chan, 2019/12/30Very interesting tour to understand the history of the Korean War that resulting in North and South Korea. The Allies that supported the South while China/Russia and communist that supported the South. Ganghwa Peach Observatory was interesting such as being able to see propaganda villages in North Korea and some children playing there. There’s open air exhibition for families that have been separated, monumental songs to commemorate as well as tanks in symbolism.
We also visited Imjingang River Dokgae Bridge showing Gaesong (N. Korea) at 22km and Seoul ( 53km) in opposite directions. We were allowed to take pictures on one side of the river but not on the other side due to privacy. There were many colourful ribbon on the barbed fences from well wishes signifying many Korean’s desire for peaceful reunification. An interesting war steam locomotive found during Korean war was also displayed with bullet holes showing the intensity of the war. In the past, there would be amplifiers from North towards South and South Korea amplifying K-Pop music to show N. Koreans Seoul is a happy place despite being told otherwise. On the day we were there, some groups of singers were singing very upbeat songs and amplifying loudly.
The tour is generally very much recommended to understand the conflict and history between North and South Korea.
Hi.
This is I Love Seoul Tour, provider of this tour.
Thank you for taking the time to write a great review for us.
It's very happy to hear that you had a interesting tour!
We are providing variety tour schedules with qualified tour guides.
If you have an another chance to visit Korea, Please consider to join other tours.
We are looking forward to see you again. Thank you !
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2019/12/08 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
A very interesting and eye opener trip.
Reviewed by: Janet, 2019/12/19It was a very interesting trip for me and the family. A time for all to learn about the tension between both North & South Korea.
Ganghwa Peace Observatory allows visitors to overlook the propaganda village although the weather was foggy, then we were brought to the Veterans Memorial Park, there were also good knowledge of when the war started and the support from many countries during the civil war. Finally the group was brought to Imjingak and also the Freedom Bridge. There were also wishes from visitors that unification will happen in the near future and there were also blast of happy melody and songs from the residents...
It's a well worth and a good learning for all in the family.... Highly recommended.
Dear. Janet,
Hi, Janet. This is Sarah from I Love Seoul Tour, a tour conducting company.
Thank you for taking the time to write a great review for us.
We are happy to know that you and your family had a great time with our guide, Yura.
We hope you can visit DMZ again when the area open again in near future.
Thank you again for your review!
Best Regards,
Sarah Lee
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2019/12/08 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
Definitely worth the money!
Reviewed by: Mallory G, 2019/11/10The whole trip was worth every penny. Our tour guide was Yura, she knew so much about the whole tour. You could tell she was very well informed and spoke excellent english. Originally we were supposed to go to DMZ and so on but the Asian Swine Flu prevention measures stopped us from doing so. The Ganghwa Peace Observatory on the hill was great. It was a little hazy but cleared up to see a great view of North Korea. Through the binoculars on the 3F, you could see people walking in and out of the buildings across the way.
The second stop was the Korean War Memorial which was short but sweet. Very informative and easy to translate through the pictures. Our last stop was Imjinak. Wow, very informational. You could go into the bunker with the tour and see the situation rooms. You could see the past, present, and future railroad. The view was great too! There were food places here if you needed a snack or lunch. We grabbed lunch and walked around the water garden which had a railroad crossing over top with a gazebo. There we could watch the coy and enjoy or meal. Also, at Imjinak, there was a amusement park down the hill, maybe something fun to do with kids. Our tour guide, Yura, would give us a time at all our stops and was very polite. She alotted plenty of time to see what we needed to at each stop as well. Overall I would give it a 8-9 on what I expected when I booked the tour. Also, the bus was very clean and comfortable. We are a little taller than average in the region and we had plenty of room to be comfortable. They assigned seats so no competing for which one to get when reboarding. My husband and I have determined that we would like to come back to Seoul, South Korea and explore more of the rich culture and the history of the area. My grandfather was in the Korean War, many many years ago, so it was interesting to see the country where he was all those years ago. Overall, highly recommended from our family to anyone seeking this tour!!!
Hi.
This is I Love Seoul Tour, provider of this tour.
Thank you for joining our tour.
It's very happy to hear that you had a nice trip in Korea.
And please say thank you to your grand father, we won't forget his sacrifice and help.
We are providing variety tour schedules with qualified tour guides.
If you have an another chance to visit Korea, Please consider to join other tours.
We are looking forward to see you again. Thank you !
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/11/10 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
DMZ tour with the lovely Yura
Reviewed by: Juventina Ambriz, 2019/03/09The tour was very informative and thrilling. We made 4 stops into an hour and a half trip to the DMZ making stops at the Freedom Bridge, Dorasan Sation, Dora Observatory and finally to the DMZ 3rd tunnel.
The tunnel goes down a very steep, downward slope. The tunnel itself is just under 2 meters tall and wide. You’re given hardhats upon entering facility. I slouched (5’7” without hat) my way through to get the the wall barrier. It’s cool and dank most of the way.
The way is the same way in, so be prepared to make that upward slope back. Wear comfortable shoes.
Yura, our tour guide was fantastic! She is very knoledgable and very kind. Her English is very good making it easy to understand the very specific guidelines regarding this tour. She offered to take out photos on a few occasions. It was an amazing experience all around and recommend everyone visits Seoul to do this tour.
Hi. This is I Love Seoul Tour, provider of this tour.
Thank you for joining our tour.
We are glad that you had a good time.
Thank you for nice comment about tour guide, Yura.
She will be happy to hear it from you!!
We are providing variety tour schedules with qualified tour guides. If you have an another chance to visit Korea, Please consider to join other tours.
We are looking forward to see you again. Thank you very much.
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/03/07 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
Excellent Tour Guide
Reviewed by: agates, 2019/02/16Unfortunately, we had a rainy and foggy day on our tour, but our guide was excellent. Extremely friendly, very informative, and she went out of her way to accommodate everyone on the tour.
Additionally, there was some confusion on my end with the pick-up location. We missed the initial reservation. The tour company kindly rescheduled the tour for the next day, no questions asked. Was very nice of them.
I would definitely purchase another tour from this company. Highly recommended. And the lunch after the tour is a must (photo attached).
Hi. This is I Love Seoul Tour, provider of this tour.
Thank you for joining our tour.
And your recommendation !
We feel sorry that you had bad weather on your tour day :(
Hope you had the best weather next time, if you visit Korea again.
We are providing variety tour schedules with qualified tour guides.
We are looking forward to see you again. Thank you very much :D
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2019/02/02 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
DMZ half day tour
Reviewed by: John & Jennifer, 2018/09/25Today we arrived on time at the Koreana hotel and the guide was also there. Two stops later the tour started. Our guide Chan gives us information about the history of Korea. In 45 minutes we arrived at the first impression point. Due to bank holidays it was very crowded and we had not enough time to visit all the things. The second stop was the station en third the observation area. Here we get time enough. The tunnels were the last stop. Unfortenately it was so crowded we couldn't visit the window at the end of the tunnel. We get an hour to visit. Normally enough I gues.
The guide was very friendly and give us a lot of information. The funny way of telling the story make it completely.
I will advise this tour. We normally don't book grouptours, but this one was acceptable and gave us an good impression.
Hello.
This is the I love seoul tour ,
Thank you for taking part in our company tour,
We are happy that you have a good memory.
You must feel like you are running out of time because it is a holiday. I understand.
Our company is preparing various tour products.
If you have another chance, please use it again later. ,
Thank you very much.
Have a nice day.
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/09/25 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
Impressive tour!
Reviewed by: Lianne, 2018/09/16Originally we booked the DMZ & JSA our, but unfortunately Veltra had to cancel due to a security event. They informed us very well and refunded us within a few days. As an alternative, we booked the morning DMZ tour. I highly recommend this tour if the JSA tour is not available. It was very impressive to see the DMZ & every other place you will visit during this tour. Everything was perfectly organized. The only thing that was not perfect, is that the guide speaks English with a really strong Korean accent, so it was hard to understand her. However, she was very friendly and enthusiastic :)
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/09/12 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
Nice
Reviewed by: Anouk, 2018/08/26It was very nice to book a tour in Seoul through Veltra! It was easy and online. Most tour operators in Seoul have to be called or emailed to reserve a tour. With Veltra you can simply do it online. At first we wanted to do a JSA tour but since we only had time on Sunday and Monday a DMZ tour was the only option we had. We decided to go for the morning version so we could still enjoy our day afterwards. The tour had a very nice tour leader. She helped us getting to our next destination for that day after the tour by giving us directions. The tour itself was very nice and it was very impressive to see. However I think the message of the DMZ was faded by the many tourist. Sometimes it was more of a tourist attraction than a real controlled war zone. Also the movie that comes with the visit of the tunnel was very weird in an American way and did not give you any more information. In the movie the conflict is only looked at from one side. The tunnel itself is also not that impressive. The Dora observatory was very nice because you were able to look into North Korea. The strain station was the most impressive since it was a true symbol of the conflict.
Hello
This is the tour company I Love Seoul Tour.
It was a great tour for our customers, and it was a pleasure once for our company's employees, including guides.
We also offer a variety of tours, so please use them when you visit Korea again.
Thank you for coming in the heat.
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/08/26 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
Fascinating and Educational Tour
Reviewed by: Annie, 2018/08/16Booking the tour was very easy and straight-forward. Meeting location convenient. Don’t forget to bring passport, comfortable shoes, and appropriate attire! I also packed snacks and water as meal is not provided but you can buy snacks and food on site. The tour guide was difficult to understand at times but she was very sweet and knowledgeable. Transportation on the bus was comfortable and air con worked great on this hot day. I would recommend the tour. Great for all ages. Lots of great sights and interesting informtion throughout the day. Highlight for me was viewpoint of North Korea.
HELLO.
Thank you for taking the tour of our company,
I am so glad to have a good memory.
Our company is preparing various tours.
Thank you for your participation.
Thank you very much for participating in the hot weather.
It 's still hot weather.
i LOVE SEOUL TOUR
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2018/08/16 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
History of korea in a glance
Reviewed by: desiree, 2018/08/03With this day tour,i came to know insight of korea’s history and to appreciate their culture.
I Love Seoul Tour, the host company.
I'm glad to have a good trip. ,
Our company offers a variety of peccage products, so we would appreciate your participation.
Take care and stay healthy because of the hot weather.
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2018/03/31 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
Interesting trip with a great tour guide
Reviewed by: wata, 2018/03/20This tour includes pick-up service, that may be helpful for prople who aren't familiar with transportations in Seoul. And the tour guide has lots of knowledge about Korean history, especially the terms around Korean war happened in 1950. She's friendly, and brought us good atmosphere with some jokes. No complaints, I can totally recommend you this tour!
We're very pleased to know that you were happy with us.Thank you so much for your kind words!
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2018/03/18 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
Nice tour
Reviewed by: Jake, 2017/08/24The tour itself was great and our tour guide Christie was lovely. However our pickup guy was a little rude. He complained in Japanese to some other customers about us giving a confusing address. I guess he thought he was speaking a secret language. Thankfully we never saw him again.
Dear Jake
Thank you for your kind review. We are sorry with the pick-up service. We will make sure that never happens. Hope to hear from you in the near future.
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/08/13 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
DMZ and 3rd Tunnel Tour Tuesday Morning
Reviewed by: Aaron, 2017/02/02Great tour and guide. Spoke perfect English and answered questions and created a fun dialogue. He was very forthright about the tunnel being a difficult climb and walk because of the low ceilings. Not good for the claustrophobic but there is plenty to do at the location otherwise.
Tour went quick which made it easier to stay engaged.
The weather was cold and icy but the bus was warm and we had chances to grab snacks and warm up at every location.
Good to hear that you had a great tour. We hope to see you in other tours. Safe trip back..
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/01/31 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
DMZ
Reviewed by: Jack Launer, 2015/10/04A fantastic day at DMZ tour . Was picked up on time and made to feel welcome and comfortable . The tour guide was fantastic , she answered all my questions and spoke fantastic English- (having studied in Canada ) - fascinating day and one I will remember for many years to come hopefully
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2015/10/02 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
Great half day tour
Reviewed by: Lady k , 2015/08/15It's a great experience. I have very good time and saw another side of Korea. Thanks a lot to the tour guide Tricia. She is really nice and very informative. She told us a lot of stories about the spots.
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2015/07/24 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
adventurous
Reviewed by: Patch, 2014/12/28We experienced the first snow in Seoul while having the Alive Museum and we really enjoyed it. Despite of the cold weather that day (DMZ tour)which we didn't expect, we still enjoyed the tour.
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2014/12/02 |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
A Trip to Learn of History and the War
Reviewed by: Warabimochi, 2014/05/14There were many things I didn't know that I leaned, such as that military service is mandatory in Korea and the relationship between North and South Korea and I came to understand many more from this tour. I am very happy with it. It was much richer than I thought it would have been.
<Translated by VELTRA.com>
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Friends |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
I had a good experience.
Reviewed by: BayStar, 2014/05/14On the bus to there, our guide explained fluently and I learned new things including international relations.
I could also learn what South Koreans nowadays thought of North Korea. Not only I had a sightseeing, but also this experience gave me a new broad point of view.
<Translated by VELTRA.com>
| Rating: | |
|---|---|
| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
|
Was this comment helpful?
[Yes]
|
|
Hi.
This is I Love Seoul Tour, a tour conducting company.
Thank you for taking the time to write a review for us.
Looks like you took a lot of nice pictures during the tour.
We feel sorry about what you felt, and we will advice the guide to explain more detail about DMZ and Korean war.
We hope you can visit DMZ again when the area open again in near future.
Thank you again for your review!