Starbucks DMZ with North Korea View | Aegibong + Hyundai Outlet (Departure from Seoul)

Ko really looked after us and made sure we were first in line at the Starbucks for opening time. We got great seats right at the window and spent maybe 2.5 hours there. This tour is a very laid back approach, Ko makes sure we get our seats and food and then let's us explore and take loads of pictures. The views are really clear and we saw lots of farmers on the North and some sheep too. It was a very eye opening experience. The Hyundai Outlets are great too, they've some alternative clothing stores such as Kodak Apparel, and Kangol stores. We got to spend 2 hours here. Very nice center to explore and shop around in! Highly recommend this tour.

It was a rural scene, but I was glad to be able to photograph North Korea. I also got some limited edition Starbucks. It was a fun half day. The guide was working hard, even though he was out of breath.

Due to a lack of participants for the tour we had originally booked, we had to change to a different tour (visiting the DMZ observation deck and the Third Tunnel) at the last minute. We were also contacted by phone (in Japanese) when the change was made. Our guide, Lee Mi-young, also told us a lot of interesting stories, which were very interesting! It was a really great experience to see it with my own eyes, and I'm glad I participated. The ice cream we had at the end was delicious!!

I applied for this tour, but there were not enough participants, so I was given another tour. I was contacted in the evening or night of the previous day. The response was very quick, and the difference in price was properly refunded. The guide was also nice.

The tour guide Yeoni will contact us the day before the tour and inform us of the precautions. He will also explain the history and current situation of the North-South Korean War in detail on the bus. He is well prepared and has a good quality of being close to people. After arriving at the destination, I saw the North Korean house (I saw people walking with a telescope, so it is not a fake house), and saw the origin of the name of Aegibong and the film introduction of the monument and cultural center. It will make people feel the attitude and thoughts of Koreans towards the division of North and South Korea. Today's tourists can drink coffee and look at the other side of the river comfortably, but in contrast, it is the confrontation and killing era in the past and the helplessness of being forced to separate flesh and blood...

I was originally planning to join the Starbucks DMZ tour, but since there was only one person participating, I quickly changed my plan to the Paju DMZ tour instead. The travel agency contacted me the day before and refunded the difference on the day. There was an English and Japanese guide on a mixed bus for Japanese and foreigners. The Japanese guide, Lee Mi-yeon, was very good at explaining things, and she told very interesting stories about the historical background and the way modern Koreans think. I participated alone, but it was a very fun and valuable experience. I realized that the history that I only know from books is still continuing in places we don't know about.

Since I had scheduled a day to do things separately from my friend, I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn about Korean history and culture, so I joined the tour. I got lost and was late for the meeting time, but when I contacted the guide, a female guide named Ms. Ko, she replied promptly. She explained things carefully throughout the tour, and when I asked her questions, she gave me various pieces of information. I was a little worried because I was participating alone, but she asked me many times if I wanted to take photos, and was concerned about whether I was in any trouble. When we left, I told her my next destination, and she kindly explained the way there and how long it would take, and she was reliable and kind until the end. It was a wonderful experience! Thank you so much!!

The weather was good, and our guide, Kim, took good care of us. We went to Starbucks, which is difficult to visit on your own and you can't enter without a passport. The white Starbucks building can be seen in the distance from the parking lot. The inside of the store is small and relaxing. Looking north with the free telescope, we saw a field? In a place like that, we talked with a tour group and saw about 30 white animals, humans, sheep? goats? It was a pseudo-village built in a place where we could see buildings like apartment buildings. The border is in the river flowing right in front of us, and the upper floor of Starbucks is a guard tower. On both the way there and back, we were inspected by soldiers with rifles. We don't feel this in Seoul, but our neighboring country, Korea, is tense as it is still in a ceasefire. Our guide, Kim's explanation of the history of the Korean Peninsula was very easy to understand and helpful!

Our guide was very fluent in Japanese and gave us detailed information about the history of the place, which was a very enjoyable experience.

We were shown around by a guide named Taka! He was very hospitable and his explanations were easy to understand, making it a fun trip. I would like to sign up for another tour when I come to Korea again!