Closest Observatory to DMZ: North Korea View (Starbucks Tour)

We had a ‘private’ English-speaking tour which was so worth it. Nara was great!!She gave a brief history of the Aegibong and accommodated a member of our group who wasn’t able to walk up to Starbucks. Keep up the good wor, Nara!

We participated in the Japanese afternoon tour! It was a very satisfying tour! Although a bit late, we really wanted to visit the DMZ after watching 'Crash Landing on You'! Our family of four, including our children, joined the tour. It was a great experience for the children, as we wanted them to learn about the current situation on the Korean Peninsula. The driver was very careful, and Mr. Lee's guide was enjoyable and informative, teaching us about the history of South and North Korea and the meaning of Aegyebong Peak. The guide also clearly explained the time allocation at each site, allowing us to smoothly visit the Starbucks we wanted to see! Also, the view of North Korea from the DMZ, which was our main destination, was magnificent. On the way back, they played games, keeping the children entertained. Even after the tour ended, they kindly gave us directions to the places we wanted to go, and we got there without getting lost! Thank you very much! The weather was good, and although it was hot, this tour became the best memory of our trip! We would love to join Mr. Lee's tour again!

I participated in the tour with guide Son Young. Her Japanese was excellent, and her explanations of the history of the Korean Peninsula, the Korean War, and present-day North Korea were detailed, very easy to understand, and incredibly informative. The weather was also good, and it was great to clearly see North Korea. There are two paths to Starbucks: a zigzag path with a suspension bridge, and a rather steep uphill road. Many people seem to choose the former, but at Son Young's strong recommendation, we took the uphill road. Although the steep incline was tiring, I felt that the uphill road got us to Starbucks faster than the zigzag path. In fact, the zigzag path takes 10-15 minutes, but the uphill road only takes about 5 minutes! Starbucks was quite crowded, so if you want to drink inside, you should definitely secure a seat first. It's difficult if you're alone, but if you take the uphill road and get there quickly, you can get a seat, and it was also nice to drink outside while looking at North Korea. Son Young was very kind and friendly; she took pictures with us, and I really enjoyed our casual conversations beyond her guiding explanations! Thank you very much!

First and foremost, our guide, Song-yeon, was absolutely wonderful, both in personality and in the content of her tour! She taught us about the history between North and South Korea in a detailed and engaging way as we traveled to our destination, which was incredibly informative. After learning so much, seeing the buildings and people of North Korea through the telescope was a completely different experience than just looking at a landscape. It evoked many emotions, and I'm so glad I did it. Thank you so much. Finally, I'd also like to thank Mr. Ki for his careful and safe driving. I highly recommend this tour!

Our tour conductor provided thorough explanations, and we were able to visit Starbucks first thing in the morning, followed by a leisurely exploration of the promotional village. The uphill walk from the bus stop to Starbucks to avoid the crowds was quite challenging, but it turned out to be a great decision as it gave us more time to look around and take photos later. The information shared by the tour conductor while we gathered outside Starbucks was also very insightful.

I participated on a solo trip from Japan. Although there was only a pick-up and drop-off without a guide, our guide, Lim, explained the deep history of North and South Korea in detail during the car ride, and it was an opportunity to learn a lot. The Starbucks in Aegibong is currently a hot topic on social media, but it was located at the top of a steep slope at the top of a mountain. It was unfortunate that the tree-shaped bridge was under construction and could not be used, but from the observation deck you could see North Korea with the naked eye and through binoculars you could see many people planting rice. The scenery was also wonderful and beautiful, so I think it is worth going at least once. It took about an hour and a half by car from Myeongdong.

it’s focused on the history of the DMZ so many good info and facts given by our tour guide Dragon. Dragon is very knowledgeable with history it was very interesting thank you! Also it was a clear day and was able to see the North Korea flag from the view point. That day we spotted what seems to be farmers doing a harvest. The timing was perfect for us as we were able to sit down inside Starbucks to cool down and get some drinks with a view. The Agibong Peace park was a beautiful place close to nature. The bridge to the view point was manageable to walk, our 6 year old did well, and it was half day tour so not too hectic.

I participated in a guided tour with Mr. Tan, and he was an incredibly friendly and articulate guide! When we handed him our Starbucks receipts for takeout, Mr. Tan brought the drinks to each participant, allowing us to leisurely enjoy the scenery of North Korea. We could even view North Korea through free telescopes. The weather was also excellent, so I was able to take many photos and was thoroughly satisfied. Thank you very much!

I saw on Instagram that there's a Starbucks where you can see North Korea, so I looked it up and found this tour. We are Japanese, but we signed up for the English tour. People on the English and Japanese tours traveled on the same bus, but we were the only ones on the English tour. Our guide, Leo, gave us a detailed and polite tour. He took lots of pictures for us and it was a meaningful time! There were lots of photo spots and Instagrammable spots, not just places to see North Korea! Leo took very beautiful pictures and it became a great memory! On the way back, you can choose to get off the bus in Hongdae or Myeongdong, so if you incorporate this tour into your schedule before going out, you can have a fulfilling day. It's difficult to visit here on your own, and you need a Korean phone number or credit card to purchase tickets. This tour takes care of everything in advance, so you can enjoy the tour very smoothly. We were lucky to have Leo as our guide! It was a lot of fun, thank you!

Our tour was accompanied by Dragon, an excellent guide. During the trip, he shared the history behind the DMZ, and while at the observatory, he joined us and explained what we were seeing. It's an excellent experience to see North Korea from a distance. It was a half-day tour; the drive was 1 hour, and we spent approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes at the site. The tour was in English.