Yalu River Cruise Dandong 2026: Seeing North Korea
Discover how to see North Korea up close on a Yalu River cruise from Dandong, China. Get 2026 ticket prices, timetables, and insider tips for the best views.
Dandong, China Travel Guide: Yalu River Cruise
Ticket Booking & North Korea Sightseeing Review
Words/Photos ©HiCouple
Did you know there is a destination in China
where you can see North Korea with your very own eyes?
Welcome to Dandong.
Most travelers visit Dandong as a quick half-day trip
while staying in the nearby city of Dalian.
Today, I want to share a highly recommended Dandong experience:
the Yalu River Cruise. I'll cover how to book your tickets
and share my firsthand review of the boat ride!
Dandong shares a direct border with Sinuiju, North Korea,
separated only by the Yalu River.
Just standing on the Dandong riverbank allows you
to gaze across the water into North Korea.
However, hopping on the Yalu River Cruise
gets you thrillingly close to the North Korean shore,
making it a massive hit with both locals and international tourists.
📌 Boarding Note: You can catch the Yalu River Cruise at Pier 1 or Pier 2.
I highly recommend the Pier 2 route because it gets you
much closer to North Korea. This guide will focus on Pier 2.
Timetable
Yalu River Cruise
Schedule (Pier 2) : 9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 2 PM, 3 PM, 4 PM
The Yalu River Cruise operates
from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Keep in mind that departure times can occasionally shift depending on the day,
so it's best to arrive at least 10 minutes early
to check the current boarding situation.
Ticket Prices
| On-Site Purchase | Advance Booking |
Yalu River Cruise Ticket Price | Summer (4/1-10/31) 80 RMB (~$14) Winter (11/1-3/31) 60 RMB (~$11) | 4/1-10/31 ~$13 |
If you buy your Yalu River Cruise ticket on-site during
the peak summer season, it costs 80 RMB (about $14).
However, if you book in advance online, the price drops to ~$13,
giving you roughly a 6% discount.
Saving a few bucks is always nice,
so I strongly suggest booking ahead!
Beyond the savings, the biggest perk of advance booking
✅ is skipping the busy ticket counter line. You can just head
straight to the boarding queue, which is incredibly convenient.
You can grab your Yalu River Cruise tickets at a
6% discount using the link below!
▼ Book Your Yalu River Cruise Tickets Here ▼
Discounted Yalu River Cruise (Pier 2) Tickets & Info [2026] | Trip.com
Cruise Route & Duration
The Yalu River Cruise lasts about 30 minutes.
Departing from Pier 2, the boat heads left up the river,
turns around to pass by the famous Broken Bridge,
and finally returns to the dock.
Just looking at the route map,
you can see how surprisingly close it gets to North Korea!
Now, let's dive into my firsthand review
of the Yalu River Cruise experience.
After grabbing lunch at a local North Korean restaurant in Dandong,
I hopped on the 2:00 PM cruise.
I arrived at Pier 2 about 10 minutes early and waited
in the individual traveler line before boarding.
One slight annoyance was that large tour groups
were given priority boarding over individual travelers.
But as a solo explorer, you just have to roll with it.
Since I booked in advance, I received a
confirmation voucher with a QR code.
When it was time to board, I simply scanned my QR code
and walked right on—it was incredibly smooth!
💡 Seating Tip: I highly recommend heading to the 2nd floor
or the outdoor deck on the 1st floor.
The indoor seats might be comfortable, but looking
through the glass windows really takes away
from the raw, immersive experience.
Because the tour groups boarded first,
the 2nd floor was already completely packed. So,
I decided to stay on the 1st-floor outdoor deck.
Honestly, the view from the 1st-floor deck was fantastic,
so don't stress if you can't get a spot upstairs!
💡 Pro Tip for the Best Views:
When departing from Pier 2, grab a spot on the right side
(facing the front of the boat) to get the closest view of North Korea.
When the boat eventually turns around to head back to the pier,
quickly cross over to the left side of the boat
to keep your prime viewing angle!
As we drifted further from the Yalu River Broken Bridge,
the shores of Sinuiju, North Korea, came into sharp focus.
I had to zoom in a bit with my camera, but
seeing North Korean buildings with my own eyes
felt completely surreal..!
I could clearly make out Korean-language signs,
including a "Food Supply Station" and a pharmacy.
I even spotted a few North Korean soldiers on border patrol,
which was a fascinating and intense sight.
Aside from the soldiers, I didn't see any regular
civilians walking around. It didn't look like
an active residential area for everyday locals.
Given how close it is to the border,
it makes sense that general citizens wouldn't be living right there.
It was hard to process that I was actually looking at North Korea,
but checking my blue dot on Google Maps—hovering
right over the international border—confirmed the reality of it.
Toward the end of the cruise,
we sailed much closer to the iconic "Great Unity" building
(with the red circle) and the Yalu River Broken Bridge,
both of which you can see from the Dandong mainland.
Getting an up-close look at the severed steel structures of the Broken Bridge
was a poignant reminder of the Korean War. It definitely left a heavy impression.
The boat drifted just past the Broken Bridge before
turning around to head back to the pier,
wrapping up the tour.
Between taking photos and observing North Korea,
those 30 minutes flew by incredibly fast!
Inside the boat, you can rent binoculars for a closer look,
and they also sell souvenirs like magnets and fake North Korean currency.
I had already picked up a magnet at a souvenir shop in Dandong,
so I passed on buying one here, but the quality actually looked quite good.
A quick warning: while the fake North Korean money is a novelty,
I strongly advise against bringing it back home. Depending on your country's customs laws,
it can cause unnecessary misunderstandings or legal headaches at the border!
If you're traveling to Dandong, China,
taking the Yalu River Cruise to see North Korea up close
is an absolute must-do!
It's a rare, invaluable experience that you
simply can't get anywhere else in the world.
Don't forget to book your tickets in advance using the method
I shared above to save money and skip the lines.
I hope you enjoy a smooth, budget-friendly ride!
Wishing you a memorable and unique time in Dandong!
▼ Book the Yalu River Broken Bridge in advance too! ▼
🔻 Yalu River Broken Bridge Ticket Booking 🔻
Yalu River Broken Bridge Discount Tickets & Info [2026] | Trip.com
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