Representatives from two Western travel agencies crossed into North Korea Thursday for the first time since the isolated regime closed its borders five years ago, raising hopes for new tour offerings to a border city.

After years of being shrouded behind an impenetrable curtain, North Korea is finally planning to open its doors to foreign visitors.

The first tour is set to take place Feb. 12 to 18, when major celebrations are planned for the birthday of the country's late leader Kim Jong Il, one of North Korea's biggest holidays.

Western tour agencies entered North Korea for the first time on Thursday since the end of the pandemic, the companies said, voicing hopes the isolated country may soon reopen a border city to foreign visitors.

The first trip to depart for Rason is a “Return of North Korean Tourism Tour” for 20 tourists on 12 February. In honour of the country’s late leader, the tour from Yanji, China to the DPRK border starts from €705 (£590) per person and spends four nights in Rason.

A remote part of North Korea is set to reopen to tourists this month, the first organised tour open to international visitors since the country’s borders closed in January 2020.

Foreign tour agents have entered North Korea for the first time since it closed its borders to tourism in 2020 due to COVID-19, to inspect new tourism sites, a tour agency's website said Friday, amid signs of Pyongyang reopening to foreign tourists.