How to Book Train Travel From North Korea to Mongolia

North Korea grants limited access to visitors, but what you can see can be breathtaking. Follow these steps to plan a train ride from North Korea to Mongolia.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Book Your Train Travel From North Korea to Mongolia

1. Plan your train trip in two parts: from North Korea to China and from China to Mongolia.

2. Book your train ticket through a travel company for the first half of your journey from Pyongyang, North Korea, to Beijing, China.

3. Purchase your train ticket from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, at a ticket office.

4. Select your preferred ticket class. Both trains have hard and soft sleepers, but the train from China to Mongolia also has a deluxe class.

Plan Your Trip Around the Train Schedule

5. Prepare to travel 24 hours by train on the first leg of your trip, from North Korea to Beijing, China.

6. Plan to take a connecting train from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This journey lasts 30 hours.

7. Check the train schedules and arrange your journey. The train from Pyongyang, North Korea, leaves at about 10 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to arrive in Beijing the following morning. The trains from Beijing to Ulaanbaatar leave at about 7 a.m. on Tuesdays and Saturdays (the K23 line) and Wednesdays (the K3 line).

Prepare for Your Journey to Mongolia

8. Check the visa requirements for China and Mongolia. Citizens from most countries must have a visa to enter China. Mongolia requires visas from all foreign visitors.

9. Obtain a transit visa for China, if necessary, from the Chinese embassy.

10. Obtain a visa for entry into Mongolia from the Mongolian embassy.

11. Use the assistance of a travel agent or guide to apply for a visa while in North Korea.

Tips & Warnings

• Locating your connecting train at the Beijing station can be confusing. Ask for the assistance from the railway personnel.
• North Korea imposes a number of restrictions on all travelers coming into or leaving the country. Visitors can enter North Korea only as part of a tour group with a guide and can visit only approved tourist sites.
• Tourists cannot leave their hotel unless as part of the scheduled tour and may not talk to North Korean citizens. North Korea does not allow video cameras.