Dora Observatory도라전망대

At a glance

Dora Observatory replaced the Songaksan observation post after it closed, and moved into a new building in October 2018. From this northernmost lookout in the South, dozens of binoculars bring North Korea close: Songaksan in Kaesong, a statue of Kim Il-sung, the village of Gijeong-dong, the outskirts of Kaesong and a collective farm, and on clear days the Kaesong Industrial Complex. It lies inside the civilian control zone, where private cars are restricted, so most people come on a DMZ tour; more than 800,000 visit each year.

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Dora Observatory · 4 tours & tickets

1. KKdayDMZ tour: Dora Observatory, Third Tunnel & ImjingakA DMZ tour from Seoul to Imjingak Park, the Third Tunnel and Dora Observatory, with a JSA Museum option.Book
2. GetYourGuideDMZ tour with 3rd Tunnel & Red Bridge optionA DMZ tour to Imjingak, the 3rd Tunnel and Dora Observatory for views of North Korea, with an optional stop at the red Gamaksan suspension bridge.Book
3. GetYourGuideHalf-day DMZ tour with a retired officerA half-day DMZ tour to Imjingak, the 3rd Tunnel and Dora Observatory, led by a retired military officer.Book
4. GetYourGuideDMZ layover tour from Incheon AirportA layover tour from Incheon Airport to the 3rd Tunnel, Dora Observatory, Tongilchon village and Aegibong, with coffee at Aegibong; park entry there costs extra.Book

Places to stay nearby

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Map

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Tips

• 01
  Visibility makes the trip: on a clear day you can see as far as the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

Nearby

The 3rd TunnelA North Korean invasion tunnel discovered under the DMZ in 1978, just 52 km from Seoul, which you can enter on a DMZ tour.Dorasan StationA station opened in 2002 inside the civilian control zone on the Gyeongui Line, rebuilt in the hope of one day linking the two Koreas by rail.Tongilchon Village'Unification Village', a settlement inside the Civilian Control Line in Paju, close to North Korea, that you can enter only on a booked DMZ tour.Camp GreavesA former US Army camp 2 km south of the DMZ, now a youth hostel and peace-education site with its barracks and officers' quarters kept intact.