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North Korea · Safety report last updated
As of October 2026, Pyongyang scores 20/100 on the IsMyTripSafe composite safety index — verdict: elevated risk — reconsider. No. Pyongyang is not safe for travelers due to severe government restrictions and high political risk. The main risks for visitors are tourist-targeted scams.
Safety Report
IsMyTripSafe.com
North Korea · Assessed 13 October 2026
20
/ 100
Safer than ~7% of countries
Score capped at 20 — Level 4 advisory — "Do Not Travel". No other indicator can raise the score above this.
What drives this score
01 · Official Guidance
Advises against all-but-essential travel
“Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). FCDO advises against all but essential travel to North Korea The level of tension on the Korean Peninsula remains high.”
Updated 2026-10-07T11:17:17Z
Full advisory →Avoid all travel
“Canada's official risk level for North Korea: avoid all travel.”
Updated 2026-09-24T08:53:34.4449322-04:00
Full advisory →02 · Evidence Signals
Mugging & robbery risk
City SignalCity Web Research
Pickpocketing & theft risk
City SignalCity Web Research
Visitor safety sentiment
City SignalCity Web Research
Urban scale factor
City SignalCity Geocoding
Homicide rate
Robbery / mugging
LowStreet crime like robbery is not a primary concern for visitors due to the highly controlled environment and constant surveillance.
Pickpocketing
LowPickpocketing is unlikely given the controlled nature of tourist movement and lack of independent access to public spaces.
03 · Environment
04 · Institutions
05 · Field Research
Traveller sentiment score
Extremely Negative
61/100
There is no independent traveler sentiment data available for Pyongyang. Any reported experiences are from highly curated tours under strict government supervision.
No. Pyongyang is not safe for travelers due to severe government restrictions and high political risk.
All official government advisories strongly recommend against travel to North Korea, citing high political tensions and severe restrictions. Independent travel is impossible, and visitors are under constant surveillance.
Recent developments
Common scams
Full briefing
Pyongyang presents a unique and severe safety challenge for travelers, primarily due to the extreme political risk and pervasive government control. All official government advisories, including those from the UK Foreign Office and the Government of Canada, strongly recommend avoiding all travel to North Korea. This is not a reflection of typical street crime, which appears to be low for visitors due to constant surveillance, but rather the inherent dangers of the political climate and the absolute lack of personal freedom.
Recent events underscore the volatile geopolitical situation, with North Korea conducting multiple ballistic missile tests in October 2026, escalating regional tensions. Furthermore, the country has been implicated in significant global cybercrime, including large-scale cryptocurrency theft throughout 2026, indicating a sophisticated and potentially risky environment for international engagement. Reports from May 2026 also pointed to internal issues with corruption and crime within the country's law enforcement.
Independent travel to Pyongyang is impossible. Visitors are always accompanied by government-appointed guides, their movements are strictly controlled, and their communications are likely monitored. Any deviation from the prescribed itinerary or unauthorized interaction with locals can lead to severe consequences. Travelers must adhere meticulously to all directives from their guides and authorities, and exercise extreme caution regarding photography and personal conduct.
Was this Pyongyang, North Korea report helpful?
06 · Neighbourhoods
Our field research rated 5 Pyongyang districts for visitors, 5 needing caution. See them plotted on the Pyongyang safety map.
Central DistrictcautionGenerally well-policed and tourist-focused, but subject to overall state control and potential political sensitivities.
Mangyongdae DistrictcautionA significant area with historical sites, but visitors are tightly controlled and monitored.
Pothong DistrictcautionResidential and industrial areas; standard caution advised for any unfamiliar urban environment.
Taedonggang DistrictcautionIncludes key government buildings and media outlets; high level of surveillance is expected.
Sokbak DistrictcautionLess information available, assume standard caution for any non-tourist focused area.
07 · After Dark
Street crime like robbery is not a primary concern for visitors due to the highly controlled environment and constant surveillance.
After dark, be most careful around Central District, Mangyongdae District, Pothong District, Taedonggang District. Stick to busy, well-lit streets and licensed taxis or ride-hail late at night.
08 · Questions
No. Pyongyang is not safe for travelers due to severe government restrictions and high political risk. All official government advisories strongly recommend against travel to North Korea, citing high political tensions and severe restrictions. Independent travel is impossible, and visitors are under constant surveillance. (Assessed 13 October 2026.)
Safety is not one number, and this Pyongyang report does not pretend it is: the score is re-weighted for who is travelling. A woman travelling alone, a family with children and a solo backpacker face different street-level risks, so the headline score shifts and the report leads with the findings that matter for that group. Personalize this report in one click to see the 2026 score and safety briefing for your specific travellers.
Areas near military installations; Border regions; Any area not part of an official tour. See the district-by-district safety map.
Pyongyang ranks #1 of 2 North Korea destinations we've assessed, scoring 20/100. See the North Korea safety overview for the full list.
The score blends 10+ public data sources — government advisories, UNODC/World Bank crime statistics, FBI crime data for U.S. cities, WHO health data, live air quality and disaster alerts — with AI field research over current local reporting. The databases carry the bulk of the weight; the traveller-sentiment score from field research carries the rest. Full methodology.
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Raw data: pyongyang.json (CC BY 4.0).
