The DPRK Classic – Spring & Fall Edition – 5 Nights

DAY 1 – DEPART FOR PYONGYANG

At 10am, meet us at Terminal 2, Air Koryo counter E, of the Beijing Capital International Airport to check in for our 1pm departure on Air Koryo. We will hand out your DPRK visas at this time.

We will then fly to Pyongyang, the capital of the DPRK and home to many of the most iconic monuments and political sites. Our Korean tour guides will be meet us at the airport with a warm welcome. En route to the hotel, stop at the Arch of Triumph, the world’s largest triumphal arch where we’ll get our first panorama view of Pyongyang city from the top! Head over to the Mansudae Grand Monument, an important site famous for its large, bronze statues of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il. It is customary to bow and lay flowers here. Check into the Koryo Hotel, our deluxe accommodation in the heart of Pyongyang popular with local residents, foreign diplomats, delegations, NGOs. Our welcome dinner will be in style at the Koryo Hotel’s top floor revolving restaurant! Have an optional visit to the Kaeson Youth Amusement Park where the thrillseekers among us can brave the rides with Pyongyang locals on a night out. 

Overnight at the Koryo Hotel.

(Meals: L, D)

DAY 2 – PYONGYANG CITY TOUR

We will start the morning off with a visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the grand mausoleum where the late leaders lie in state inside glass sarcophagi (closed in May and June; formal dress required). Stroll through the Mansudae Fountain Park, a serene meeting spot for students and an often used backdrop for wedding photos. Then visit the Grand People’s Study House, an extensive library used to further education and the heart of study on the national Juche ideology. The viewing deck here provides a great photo opportunity of the Kim Il Sung Square and Taedong River!

After lunch, visit the Mansudae Art Studio, the most prestigious fine arts studio and gallery in North Korea. This studio is the only one given permission to depict the Great Leaders in monuments, murals and mosaics. We recommend getting the ink block paintings here. we will  Head deep underground to take a 5-stop ride on the Pyongyang Metro, the deepest metro in the world, filled with mosaics, monuments, and plaques commemorating the DPRK’s revolutionary history. We’ll then learn about the DPRK’s defining ideology, the Juche philosophy, on a visit to the iconic Tower of Juche Idea. For those who wish to take the lift 150-meters to the top, this is where you’ll get the best views in Pyongyang city! Visit the massive Monument to Party Founding, built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Workers’ Party of Korea, recognizable by the communist hammer and sickle but with an added North Korean twist!

Take an evening walk on the new Ryomyong Street, home to Pyongyang’s most extravagant apartment complexes and opened in just April 2017 to international media attention. Dinner will be at a local Korean BBQ restaurant, a favorite among locals where we will cook our own meats at the table!

Overnight at the Koryo Hotel

(Meals: B, L, D)

DAY 3 – PYONGYANG & NAMPHO CITY

Take a walk in the Kim Il Sung Square, the 3rd largest public square in the world and home to many of the North Korean military parades broadcast internationally. Take a stroll through the city to the Foreign Languages Bookshop which provides the best chance in the DPRK to pick up postcards, publications, posters and other trinkets that make perfect souvenirs. We’ll then visit the newly renovated Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum and the USS Pueblo in its new spot (the “American Spy Ship” captured in 1968).

After lunch, visit the Mangyongdae Native House, the birthplace of President Kim Il Sung. We’ll begin our drive to the west coast port city of Nampho. Our first stop will be the Kangso Mineral Water Factory, a famous name within North Korea, to get a glimpse into the workings of local industry. Stop at the Nampho City Square to show our respects at the large monuments depicting the Great Leaders. We’ll then visit the jewel of Nampho, the West Sea Barrage, a massive dam and tidal wall built in five years across an 8-kilometer section of the rough sea. This is a major achievement well known to all North Koreans and a common backdrop in official state media.

Cross the barrage and witness countryside life go by before scaling Mt. Kuwol, one of North Korea’s most celebrated mountains, particularly beautiful in spring and fall. Overnight is in Sariwon city at the March 8 Hotel, an odd yet alluring accommodation with memorable decor!

Overnight at the Sariwon March 8 Hotel

(Meals: B, L, D)

DAY 4 – SARIWON, MT. JONGBANG & KAESONG

After breakfast, we’ll visit the Sariwon Folklore Village, a street depicting a romanticized version of Korea’s ancient cultural heritage. We’ll get an iconic view of Sariwon city from the pavilion here! Then visit Migok Cooperative Farm, a farm on the edge of Sariwon supplying the city and surrounding region with much of its fresh produce, particularly rice. We’ll tour the grounds and visit a local caretakers house to learn about their lifestyle.

Drive to Mt. Jongbang, a scenic area of peaks and valleys where we’ll enjoy a walk amidst the waterfalls, ponds, and pavilions found here. Discover the remains of Jongbang Castle as we pass through its South Gate, the best-preserved section of the 12km long stone walls. Within the fortress walls, we’ll find Songbul Buddhist Temple which is regarded as one of the most scenic and detailed in the country and we will meet a local Buddhist monk who has spent the last 35 years living here.

Continue our journey toward the city of Kaesong, where we’ll make a stop at the 14th century Tomb of King Kongmin, a UNESCO world heritage site. Afterward, we will head to the Koryo History Museum, a UNESCO site, to learn about the Koryo Dynasty (where the name Korea originates). You’ll also have a chance to pick from the most varied range of postcards in the country at the Koryo Stamp Shop.

Overnight at the Chanamsan Hotel

(Meals: B, L, D)

DAY 5 – KAESONG & RETURN TO PYONGYANG

Our day begins with a walk through Kaesong city where we’ll pass the South Gate en route to Janam Hill. At the peak, visit the grand monuments of the Great Leaders before getting a breathtaking view over the Kaesong Old Town. Kaesong was left largely untouched during the Korean War and its traditional dwellings still stand. Head to the DMZ where we’ll hear from our guides a perspective of the Korean War that often gets discredited or unheard. At the DMZ, explore Panmunjom, shake hands at the exact place that the Armistice Agreement was signed between UN forces and the DPRK, and wave hello to the South at the blue houses in the Joint Security Area. For lunch, enjoy pansanggi, a memorable Kaesong cuisine dished up in brass bowls, traditionally served for royalty.

On our return to Pyongyang, stop at the Arch of Reunification, a massive monument spanning both sides of the motorway. Visit Kwangbok Supermarket, a five-story department complex filled with local and imported product, the only place in Pyongyang where foreigners are able to exchange and use the local North Korean Won. Test your skills at the Meari Shooting Range before heading to an afternoon performance of the Pyongyang Circus (pending availability). Our farewell dinner will be aboard the Taedonggang Dining Boat where we’ll cruise the Taedong River!

Overnight at the Koryo Hotel

(Meals: B, L, D)

DAY 6 – FAREWELL

Morning departure to Beijing. Estimated time of arrival is 11:30 a.m. local time. Please reserve any connecting flights departing after 3pm local time to allow sufficient time for immigration/customs clearance, baggage claim, re-check-in and security.

(Meals: B)

This itinerary is subject to change at any time.