Nope.
North Korea’s sketch score rose to 35 today, but the US and Canada still maintain level 4 do-not-travel advisories alongside a global measles alert.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about North Korea
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Nope.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
Unauthorized movement
Visitors are not permitted to wander on their own or deviate from guided tours. You must obtain permission and be accompanied by a guide to leave your hotel.
Restricted photography
Taking photos of the military or images that depict the country in a bad light is prohibited. Guides will force you to delete any images they deem questionable.
Speech and conduct
You must avoid discussing sensitive topics and praise every stop on your tour. The authorities require you to remain silent if you have nothing positive to say.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Recommended:
From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •In general North Korea is extremely safe for tourists due to strict government control and constant supervision.
- •At first, you may feel scared and intimidated by being in a severely authoritarian country like North Korea.
- •North Korea is an authoritarian dictatorship and is generally considered to have the worst human rights record in the world.
- •The official policy is that you are not to wander around on your own.
- •Photography: When taking photographs, exercise restraint, caution and common sense.
- •Your photographic freedom can largely depend on the type of guides you are assigned and your rapport with them.…
Staying healthy
- •Drinking water in North Korea is apparently untreated and there are reports of foreigners being hospitalized in the DPRK after drinking the water; therefore, sticking to bottled water is highly recommended.
- •Medical training is considered on par with the West, but outside of Pyongyang the facilities may be outdated or sparse.
- •If you fall seriously ill it may be in your best interest to be airlifted to China for medical treatment.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Real talk
What travelers actually say
Travelers generally view North Korea as a destination where the primary safety concern is not street crime, but the lack of diplomatic support. The most significant risk identified is the absence of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and many nations, meaning travelers are effectively on their own if a crisis occurs. While some consider the country safe for tourists, others point to the geopolitical tension as a reason to avoid the risk. The experience is limited to government-sanctioned tours where visitors only see what the state permits, and there is an ongoing debate regarding the ethics of providing foreign cash to the government versus the potential for cultural exchange.
“The biggest of these risks is that Australia has no diplomatic relations with the DPRK, so if something bad happens, I am on my own.
— r/travel
“So lets take North Korea, in my knowledge going there as a tourist seems pretty safe, although with the tension atm I might not risk it.
— r/travel
“Of course you could argue, all these foreign guides are trained etc... but the more guides, the more of them will tell their family/friends of the western world, I doubt they are so brainwashed, they won't find a glimpse of reality.
— r/travel
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / F · 220V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: local numbers only / ambulance: local numbers only / fire: 110 or 8119
Show the receipts (9 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-07-12
- ca-gac — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-07-12
- cdc-health — observed 2026-07-12
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-07-12
- reddit — observed 2026-07-12
- acled-hdx — observed 2026-07-12
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-07-12