The DPRK Weekender – Shanghai Departure – 2.5 Nights

THURSDAY NIGHT – DEPART FOR PYONGYANG

At 08:00pm (20:00) on Thursday, meet the group at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport to check in for our 10:35pm departure to Pyongyang. Approximate arrival into Pyongyang is at 01:55am (Friday) Our Korean tour guides will greet us on arrival at the airport. On arrival we will check in at the prestigious Koryo Hotel.

Overnight at the Koryo Hotel.

(Meals: Dinner on flight)

DAY 1 – KAESONG & THE DMZ

Begin the day with a morning drive through the countryside to the historic city of Kaesong. We will head for the DMZ where we’ll hear from our military 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. 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.

For lunch, enjoy pansanggi, a historic Kaesong cuisine traditionally served for royalty. Stop at the original Sonjuk Bridge, a UNESCO site.

After dinner, take an optional visit to the Kaeson Youth Amusement Park, where the thrill-seekers among us can brave the rides with Pyongyang locals on a night out!

Overnight at the Koryo Hotel.

(Meals: B, L, D)

DAY 2 – PYONGYANG & NAMPO CITY

First up is a visit to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, an elaborate museum depicting the Korean people’s fight against foreign invaders. We’ll have a guided tour of the war remnants, exhibits, and dioramas and learn about the Korean war from the North Korean perspective. We’ll also board the USS Pueblo, the “American Spy Ship” captured in 1968.

Visit the Grand People’s Study House, North Korea’s national library and the heart of study on the revolutionary Juche ideology. Check out the local intranet, visit the music appreciation room and flick through a handful of the up-to 30 million books said to be available here!

We’ll then wander through Pyongyang’s central square, Kim Il Sung Square, home to many of North Korea’s military parades broad internationally. Continue our walk to the Foreign Languages Bookshop, the best chance in the DPRK to pick up souvenirs such as books, stamps, DVD/CDs and posters.

After lunch, we’ll begin our drive to the west coast port city of Nampo. 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. We’ll then drop into the Chongsanri Cooperative Farm, a model collective farm catering to the agriculture needs of surrounding communities. We will meet a local farming family and see inside their home here.

Then it’s onward to the jewel of Nampo, 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.

On return to Pyongyang, dinner will be aboard the Taedonggang Dining Boat! Enjoy views of Pyongyang’s most iconic landmarks and an upbeat performance as we cruise the river Taedong.

Overnight at the Koryo Hotel.

(Meals: B, L, D)

DAY 3 – PYONGYANG CITY TOUR

Our day begins with a special visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the grand mausoleum where the late leaders lie in state inside glass sarcophagi (formal dress required).

See 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.

Visit the Mangyongdae Native House, a modest straw-thatched house in a serene park setting which is the birthplace of President Kim Il Sung. Take a look through the Kwangbok Department Store, a five-story department complex filled with local and imported products. It’s one of only two places in Pyongyang where tourists can exchange and use the local North Korean Won.

Head deep underground to take a 5-stop ride on the Pyongyang Metro, the deepest metro in the world and filled with mosaics, monuments, and plaques

Learn about North Korea’s national ideology, the Juche philosophy, on a visit to the iconic Tower of Juche Idea. We’ll take the lift 150-meters to the top for the best views in Pyongyang city! We’ll then visit the Party Foundation Monument, 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.

Our last visit will be the Arch of Triumph, the world’s largest triumphal arch. From the top, we will get a panoramic view of Pyongyang city!

After dinner, grab your luggage and head to the airport for an evening flight back to Shanghai. Approximate time of departure is 7:55pm from Pyongyang with arrival at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 9:35pm. Please reserve connecting flights departing after 01:30am local time (+1 day), to allow sufficient time for immigration/customs clearance, baggage claim and re-check-in. Timings to be confirmed.

(Meals: B, L, D)

RETURN TO SHANGHAI PUDONG AT 19:55 ON SUNDAY NIGHT

This itinerary is subject to change at any time.