Day 01: Arrive Beijing/Pyongyang

This morning we will meet at our office in Beijing (time to be confirmed at the pre-tour briefing the day before) and together head to Beijing Airport Terminal 2 for our flight Beijing to Pyongyang (1.5 hrs) - the showcase capital of the DPRK.  Upon arrival in Pyongyang (approximately 4pm - DPRK is one hour ahead of China), we proceed through immigration and customs and meet our guides who will accompany us during our stay. On arrival we will visit the Arch of Triumph built in 1982 to commemorate Korean independence from Japan, this is – put simply – much like the famous Parisian monument, but bigger.
Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang (3 nights) (D)

Day 02: Panmunjom/DMZ & Kaesong

After an early breakfast we take a 2.5-hour drive south to Kaesong, which is a historical city near the DMZ. After arriving in Kaesong we take a short drive (approx 20 minutes) to Panmunjom/DMZ where North and South Korea continue their decades-old face-off. It is possible to go into one of the huts that straddle the demarcation line and actually cross over into South Korea! This is one of the few places where you can take pictures of (and even with) members of the DPRK military. Next, we head back to Kaesong and visit the Kaesong Koryo Museum, a beautiful old Confucian University, to learn about the history of the area. The stamp shop here is excellent too. Lunch is a traditional pansanggi meal – something like Korean tapas. We then drive out of Kaesong to the Concrete Wall, an observation post deep in the DMZ where you can view South Korean positions and see the anti-tank barrier that stretches across the peninsular. On our return to Pyongyang it’s time for a well deserved drink in a local bar before having dinner out in the city. (B, L, D)

Day 03: Pyongyang City Tour

Our first visit is to the Kumsusan Memorial Palace of the Sunwhere North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie in state. This is a place of utmost importance for Koreans and tourists should behave accordingly. Men should wear a shirt and tie; women should dress smartly. Next we take a short drive to the Revolutionary Martyrs’ Cemetery. Here, you will see superb individually crafted bronze busts of the country’s anti-Japanese heroes, including one of Kim Jong Suk (the mother of Kim Jong Il).  The cemetery was designed to overlook the city – the idea being that the fallen martyrs should have a view of their country being rebuilt. We then visit the Foreign Languages Bookshop and take a leisurely stroll through the streets of Pyongyang. On our journey, we walk through the heart of the city, and stop by Kim Il Sung Square, which is Pyongyang’s largest. This is where the capital’s mass dances take place and the military parades pass through. First stop this afternoon is The Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum is where you can learn the history of the Korean War from the North Korean perspective. The museum’s different rooms explain the origins of the conflict, and include highly impressive dioramas, tanks, planes, and much more. Then it’s on to the USS Pueblo – an American spy ship captured by the DPRK navy in 1968. We’ll then head to Pyongyang School Children’s Palace for a tour of the classrooms and to watch a 1 hour performance. After dinner in a local restaurant we’ll visit Kaeson Youth Funfair, one of the most popular nightspots in Pyongyang. It was renovated in 2010. All the rides are from Italy. Even if you can’t summon up the courage to go on a rollercoaster or two, this is still a great place for people watching, and the locals are generally more than happy to have their photos taken here! (B, L, D)

Day 04: May Day Celebrations!

Today is a public holiday of May Day!   We start off the holiday with a visit is to Mansudae Grand Monument – giant bronze statues of North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. This is a very important place for Koreans and visitors are requested to follow the local custom and bow in front of the statues after placing down a bouquet of flowers. As it is a national holiday we expect to see more people here than usual. Next we go to the outskirts of Pyongyang (approx 20 min drive) to Mangyongdae Native House - the native birthplace of North Korean President Kim Il Sung. The rest of the day will be dedicated to events commemorating the holiday. Before lunch we’ll visit Taesongsan Park where we can take part in the local folk festival, join in the games of tug of war and have a go on some local funfair rides! Then we visit Moranbong Park, located in the centre of Pyongyang and a real favorite among the city’s residents, who often come here to study, enjoy nature or go on romantic walks. During holiday periods, it’s not unusual to come across groups of Koreans dancing here.  University students dress in their finest clothes and gather in various public spots around Pyongyang to dance together. It’s an impressive spectacle to watch; if you’re feeling brave you can even join in! We will drive to Mt Myohyang – the Mountain of Mysterious Fragrance – two hours north of Pyongyang. It’s said that the air is so fresh here that, regardless of how much alcohol you drink, you won’t have a hangover the next day (provided you sleep with your window open, of course). We’ll leave that up to you to test out!
Overnight: Chongchon Hotel, Mt. Myohyang (1 night) (B, L, D)
(basic but comfortable hotel surrounded by beautiful scenery; no 24 hr hot water.  UPGRADE OPTION: for USD 180.00 per person you can stay in the Hyangsan Hotel - renovated in 2010 this is one of the top hotels in the country and perfect for those who want a little luxury)

Day 05: Mt. Myohyang

Our first visit of the day is to the area’s main attraction - the International Friendship Exhibition. Built in 1978, these two huge subterranean halls are filled with gifts to the leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, presented to them by people from all over the world, including heads of state, as well as ordinary citizens. It’s estimated that if you spent one minute in front of each gift it would take over a year to see the whole exhibition. Before stopping for lunch, we take a look around the nearby thousand-year-old Pohyon Buddhist Temple. It was destroyed during the Korean War, but was rebuilt as a working temple, complete with North Korean monks.   After lunch we’ll hike in Manpok Valley, a 1-2 hour walk up and down the mountains, following a trail that passes waterfalls and unusual rocks, all set in a stunning landscape. It’s a popular place for locals to take a day trip. We then make our way back to Pyongyang in time for a browse and a drink at Paradise Department Store, Micro-Brewery and bar.
Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 06: Pyongyang City Tour

First stop: we go deep underground for a ride on the Pyongyang Metro, which is the deepest subway system in the world. The designs of the main stations are stunning, and particularly notable for their superb lighting and mosaics. This is a great chance to interact with local people, especially if you are prepared to learn some basic greetings in Korean. Next we Museum of Metro Construction: almost as big as the metro itself, this huge exhibition is mainly dedicated to showing the involvement of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in the construction of the capital’s subway system. We can guarantee that it will be one of the more bizarre museums you’ll ever visit (there is even a “Museum of Construction of the Museum of Metro Construction”). Next on our itinerary is a tram ride around the city. Pyongyang’s tram system was laid down following the end of the Korean War and is still the way in which vast swathes of the population get to work and travel around.  Lunch is on a boat on the river Taedong while we cruise up and down the river.   After lunch we’ll take a tour of the Grand People’s Study House.  Supposedly stocked with over 3 million books, this enormous library/place of study has a great view over Kim Il Sung Square. We will tour the lecture rooms and hopefully get to see a few classes. We’ll drop by the Golden Lane Bowling Centre, where Pyongyang’s residents go for their ten-pin fix. This is a great chance to mix with local people. Even if you don’t end up playing, it’s worth grabbing a seat here to watch everyone have some fun. There is also a shooting range next door where you can fire 20 rounds for USD 10.00. We then head for our overnight stop - the Dragon River Hot Spa guesthouse. This is a complex of guesthouses where each room has a private bath, which can be filled with water direct from the hot springs - said to have many medicinal benefits. It is here that we can experience the famous Nampo petrol clam BBQ (costs USD 10.00 per person but you can still watch for free if you don't want to have any of the clams).
Overnight: Dragon River Hot Spa Hotel, Nampo (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 07: Nampo & the West Coast

First stop this morning is to the West Sea Barrage – an 8km long dam separating the Taedong river from the West Sea of Korea. We’ll then make our way back to Pyongyang stopping off at Kangso Mineral Water Factory – where you can see naturally carbonated water being bottled. Back on the bus and it’s a short drive to Chongsan-Ri Co-operative Farm – the DPRK’s most famous farm that was visited a number of times by the President Kim Il Sung. We’ll have a tour of the farm including a farmer’s house and Kindergarten. Lunch will be a BBQ at Mt Ryonggak.   Our last afternoon in Pyongyang and we visit the Juche Tower, at 150m, topped with a flickering red torch, is the highest stone monument in the world. Take the lift to the top for stunning views over Pyongyang (entrance costs USD 10.00). Next stop is the Party Foundation Monument – an iconic sculpture of a hammer, sickle and calligraphy brush – was constructed to celebrate 50 years of Workers’ Party rule. Last stop on the tour is the DPRK’s centre of artistic excellence, Mansudae Art Studio. This is where most of the country’s paintings, mosaics and statues are made. It’s possible to visit several different workshops here and see the artists at work. We’ll then have a drink in a local bar before our farewell dinner in Pyongyang’s famous Duck BBQ restaurant.
Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 08: Depart Pyongyang

Today is departure day.   Flight departs Pyongyang at 10:30am and arrives in Beijing at approx 11:30am.

* We have group tours to the DPRK throughout the year with various durations; therefore, please contact us for details if this tour/date does not suit your requirements.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

Departure Dates & Prices

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If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you.

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