Waymark

North Korea travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Pyongyang
Pyongyang. Photo: Clay Gilliland, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
11hflight from London
North Korean woncurrency
Visa neededfor UK passports
Type A, C, Fplugs

The world's most secretive state, on a tightly controlled tour

Don't miss

  1. Pyongyang
  2. DMZ
  3. Mount Paektu
Good forHistory & ruins

Best time to visit North Korea from the UK

The UK government advises against all travel here. Check the FCDO advice below before making any plans.

Only on guided tours; the UK FCDO advises against all travel.

-5.8 C-6°J-2.9 C-3°F2.5 C2°M9.4 C9°A16.3 C16°M21.6 C22°J24.3 C24°J24.2 C24°A19.4 C19°S12.5 C12°O4.4 C4°N-3.5 C-4°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Pyongyang, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Pyongyang for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Warmest: July (24°C) · coolest: January (-6°C)A 30°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
-5.8-2.92.59.416.321.624.324.219.412.54.4-3.5

Festivals and events

  • Mass Games Aug–Sep · Pyongyang (when held)

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 11h
Distance
8,681 km
Main airport
FNJ

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Practical info and travel guidance

North Korean wonCapital: Pyongyang
Type A, C, F · 220VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
Drink bottledOr treated water
  • FCDO adviceAdvises against all but essential travel to parts of North KoreaCheck which areas before you book.
  • VisaVisa needed in advanceApply through the embassy
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal, but attitudes can be conservativePublic affection may draw attention.
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for North Korea, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 10 December 2025. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for North Korea before you book and again before you go.

Open North Korea on the map Log it as visited, drop pins for the places you went, or plan it as your next trip.