Tourists are being enticed to North Korea's latest beach vacation spot by a Russian travel firm
Foreign tourist visits to the newly opened Kalma Beach Resort in Wonsan, North Korea, have been temporarily halted as of mid-July 2025. The North Korean government announced the suspension on its official tourism website without providing a specific reason or timeline for resumption.
The suspension affects all foreign visitors, including those booking tours through Russian travel agencies such as Vostok Intur. The decision follows a visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who pledged to promote Russian tourism to the area. However, a critical Russian media report suggested that the presence of North Koreans at the site seemed orchestrated rather than typical tourist activity, which may have influenced the decision to pause foreign visits.
Currently, the resort remains open only to North Korean nationals. Pre-pandemic main foreign visitor groups, especially Chinese tourists, continue to be barred under ongoing restrictions.
Despite the suspension, Vostok Intur is still promoting tours for foreign visitors to the Kalma Beach Resort. The tours, scheduled from August 25 to September 1, offer a unique opportunity to experience North Korea's culture and history, largely untouched by Western influence. The tour duration is seven nights and eight days, and it includes accommodation at a four-star hotel, all meals, and a Russian-speaking tour guide for the duration of the tour.
The tours begin in Vladivostok, Russia, with a bus ride to Russia's Khasan Station. From there, travelers transfer to a train and enter North Korea via the Tumen River Station. The destination for the tours is the Kalma Beach Resort in Wonsan.
It is unclear when foreign tourist entry to North Korea will be resumed. The price for groups of three to five people on the North Korea tour is approximately US$1,500 per person, but the tour does not specify if this price includes the additional 20,000 rubles (about US$250) for groups of this size. The agency did not provide details about discounted rates for larger groups.
The North Korean government opened the Kalma Beach Resort on July 1, marking a significant step in the country's tourism industry. However, the temporary suspension of foreign tourist visits has put a hold on this development.
[1] North Korea's Kalma Beach Resort Temporarily Closed to Foreign Tourists (2025, July 15). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61670122
[2] North Korea's Kalma Beach Resort Closes to Foreign Tourists (2025, July 16). Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-koreas-kalma-beach-resort-closed-foreign-tourists-2025-07-16/
[3] North Korea's Kalma Beach Resort: Tourism or Propaganda? (2025, July 20). Retrieved from https://www.rferl.org/a/north-koreas-kalma-beach-resort-tourism-or-propaganda/31408869.html
[4] Vostok Intur Promotes North Korea Tours Amid Suspension (2025, August 5). Retrieved from https://www.tass.com/tourism/1352868
[5] North Korea's Kalma Beach Resort: What We Know So Far (2025, July 22). Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/north-korea-kalma-beach-resort-what-we-know-so-far/index.html
- Despite the temporary closure of the Kalma Beach Resort in North Korea to foreign tourists, Russian travel agency Vostok Intur is still promoting tours for foreign visitors, offering a unique cultural and historical experience.
- The suspension of foreign tourist visits to the Kalma Beach Resort in North Korea has put a hold on a significant step in the country's tourism industry, as the resort was only opened to foreign visitors on July 1, 2025.
