Russian agency starts promoting N. Korea's new beach resort
A night view of the the Wonsan-Kalma Resort is seen in Wonsan, Kangwon Province in North Korea, July 1, 2025. AP-Yonhap
A Russian travel agency has begun promoting tours to North Korea's new beach resort to foreign visitors, its website showed Saturday, following a period during which entry for these tourists had been temporarily suspended.
Vostok Intur, a Vladivostok-based travel agency, announced on its website that it will offer all-inclusive packages for travel to the Kalma Resort in Wonsan from Aug. 25 to Sept. 1.
On the first day, it said, travelers will take a bus from Vladivostok to Russia's Khasan Station, then transfer to a train and enter North Korea via the Tumen River Station, before heading to the tourist zone.
The seven-night, eight-day package includes accommodation at a four-star hotel, all meals, and a Russian-speaking tour guide.
For groups of three to five people, the price is $1,250 per person plus an additional 20,000 rubles (about $250), amounting to roughly $1,500 per person, according to the agency. Larger groups receive discounted rates.
The agency described the tour as a unique opportunity to experience North Korea's culture and history, largely untouched by Western influence.
North Korea opened the Kalma beach resort July 1 but abruptly suspended foreign tourist entry July 18, sparking speculation that the halt was to address shortcomings discovered during its trial operation.