Transportation in North Korea

Get to North Korea

Air

Pyongyang Sunan International Airport is 22km (14mi) to the north of downtown Pyongyang. It’s the first civil airport and the only International airport at present in North Korea. Rebuilt in 2013, it has a new terminal equipped with modern departure lounge, arrival hall and service hall. There are shops, restaurants and a medical center. When taking international flight, visitors should pay 10-euro airport fee. RMB and dollar are also accepted.

At present, there are two airlines in Pyongyang Sunan International Airport. One is Air China which mainly operates international flights. The other is Air Koryo which offers both international and domestic flights.

Foreign visitors can take the plane from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Dalian in China and Vladivostok in Russia. It may take 3 hours from Beijing to North Korea and merely one hour if you depart from Shenyang. There are also some charted flights to North Korea from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Moscow, and Kuwait.

Train

Visitors can take the train from Beijing or Dandong in China or Moscow in Russia to the country. The train leaves from Beijing to North Korea operates on every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, with the train number K27 in China and 6 in South Korea. The train between Dandong Liaoning and Pyongyang operates every day, departing at 10:00 and arriving at 17:40 (all times follow local time). The train from Moscow operates on every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Attention: When taking the train to the country, there will be a 2-hour manual security check in Sinuiju Station. Visitors should open luggage bags, fill in an arrival form and have passport and visa at hands for check.

Bus

Visitors who want to visit Sinuiju or Rason can go there by bus. Visitors can take a bus in Dandong and it may take 2 minutes to cross the Yalu River and get to Sinuiju which is 240km (149mi) far from Pyongyang. In addition, it may take 6 hours from Sinuiju to Pyongyang by bus.

Get around in North Korea

Bus

There are three types of buses in North Korea: tramcar, trolleybus and autobus. However, the bus routes and numbers are limited, so you can see many people waiting for bus on the street. Most buses are old and in a bad condition, so it’s not advised to take it. Usually tour agencies won’t arrange foreign visitors to take a bus ride.

Taxi

Taxies are getting popular in Pyongyang in recent years, mainly for foreigners who are working in North Korea. There is no taximeter and visitors should pay according to distance. Foreigners should pay 0.5 dollars per mile. Euro, RMB, dollar and yen all are accepted.
Tip: There aren’t many taxies so you should order one in advance in the hotel. It’s not easy to hail a taxi on the street.

Subway

Visitors can take subway when traveling in Pyongyang. There are 2 lines. When taking the subway, visitors should pay 5 KPW per person. Many tour itineraries for foreigners include a ride on the subway but they can only take one stop which is between Puhung and Yonggwang.