Around 5,000 Russian citizens traveled to North Korea in 2025, according to Sergei Krivonosov, deputy head of the State Duma’s Tourism Committee, as Moscow and Pyongyang continue to tout the isolated nation as an emerging holiday destination despite modest actual visitor numbers.
Official Russian data indicates that the visitor count saw a sharp rise compared with the previous year, highlighting a slow rise in bilateral civilian exchanges following President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang in June 2024. During that summit, Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a mutual defense treaty that called for expanding tourism ties.
Sergei Krivonosov has forecast that arrivals will rise to 6,000 in 2026. However, Artur Muradyan, vice president of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, noted that North Korea remains a niche destination on the domestic travel market.
Expanding Transport and New Itineraries
The tourism push is supported by new transport links and infrastructure projects. A significant travel breakthrough occurred in July 2025 with the launch of a direct flight connecting Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport to Pyongyang. According to Russia’s Transport Ministry, the route uses a Boeing 777-200 aircraft and covers the distance in roughly eight hours, initially operating on a monthly schedule.
Travelers from eastern regions continue to utilize regional routes, such as the Pyongyang-Vladivostok flights operated by Air Koryo. Rail links are also developing alongside air travel. Official transport data shows that four trips on the Vladivostok-Rajin rail tourism route carried 286 tourists in 2025, with six trips planned for 2026.
Despite modest overall numbers, tour operators have expanded their catalogs. The Moscow Times identified more than 40 North Korean tour options offered by a single operator, with basic trips starting at 10,000 rubles ($124).
For a standard introductory itinerary, operators recommend two tours to Pyongyang priced at nearly 100,000 rubles ($1,244), with a 5,000-ruble ($62) discount available to Russian soldiers who have fought in Ukraine. A more popular eight-day itinerary costs approximately $1,900. It departs from Vladivostok, combines sightseeing in Pyongyang—including Kim Il Sung Square and the House of Books—with a stay at the Wonsan-Kalma beach resort on the country’s east coast.
Opening New Resorts
The Wonsan-Kalma coastal complex opened in June 2025, inaugurated by Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae, who labeled the location a world-class tourist and cultural center. Russian Ambassador Alexander Matsegora and Primorye region Governor Oleg Kozhemyako attended the opening ceremony.
During a subsequent visit in July 2025, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that he was confident Russian tourists would increasingly seek to visit the resort. Satellite imagery shows that the site, situated on the Kalma Peninsula near Wonsan, functioned as a military airfield a decade ago.
The broader push toward North Korea coincides with tighter travel restrictions for Russians heading to Western destinations. The European Union has tightened Schengen visa rules, barring most Russian citizens from receiving multiple-entry visas as of November 2025.
Meanwhile, Russian travelers arriving in North Korea board Soviet-era aircraft. "We got our passports back with the coveted North Korean visa, and a couple of hours later we were climbing the stairs into a Soviet Il-62 built in 1979," Russian travel blogger Anna Selyu said in a video detailing her arrival.
Further developments regarding flight frequencies and rail schedules remain subject to ongoing bilateral talks between transport ministries in Moscow and Pyongyang.
