Day 1: Beijing – Pyongyang
Fly from Beijing to Pyongyang. (Flights may include: JS 152, 12:55–16:00; or CA 121; 13:20–16:20)
Be welcomed by your guide and transfer to the city centre. Enjoy a typical local dinner and spend the night at either Yanggakdo Hotel or Koryo Hotel.
Day 2: Pyongyang
Have breakfast at the hotel.
Visit the city of Pyongyang beginning with Mansudae Grand Monument, Mansudae Fountain Park, the Arch of Triumph (which commemorates the spot on which Kim Il-sung first spoke to his compatriots after the liberation from the Japanese) and Juche Tower, which dominates the city.
The tour then continues through Kim Il-sung Square, which was first opened in 1954 and which covers a vast area of 75,000m². The square is the principal place for mass gatherings and displays. It is dominated by a giant statue of Kim Il-sung, president and founder of North Korea, as well as the Library of Foreign Languages.
After this, enjoy lunch aboard the Number One Pyongyang Boat on the Taedong River.
Following lunch, you’ll visit some of the perfectly preserved historical sites of the city, including Taedong Bridge, the Ryongwang Pavilion, a large bronze bell, and the Rungrado May Day Stadium.
Visit the History Museum and the People’s Palace of Culture. This is the largest library in the country and is capable of housing around 30 million books.
Next, enjoy a spectacular circus show before having a local Korean fondue dinner. Overnight accommodation is at either Yanggakdo Hotel or Koryo Hotel.
Day 3: Pyongyang – Nampo
Have breakfast at the hotel then set off for visits to sites such as the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, the Cemetery of the Martyrs and Kwangbop Temple.
For lunch, picnic on Mount Daesong and then head to the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum (Korean War Museum), which displays records of the invasion of the Republic of Korea.
Next, take in a glimpse of the towering, 105-storey-high Ryugyong Hotel before heading to the Pyongyang Metro. The metro was built 120 meters below ground and is characterised by its elaborate architecture, rich with marble, bronze and more than 100 colourful murals. Next is a visit to Mangyongdae Native House, the birthplace of President Kim Il-sung.
Drive to Nampho and overnight at Ryanggang Hot Spa Hotel.
Day 4: Nampo – Pyongyang – Kaesong
Have breakfast at the hotel.
Head off for a visit to the giant Nampho Dam. Fifteen kilometres (six miles) west of Nampho, the dam spans the Taedong River and is the obligatory point of passage for ships bound for Pyongyang. It first opened in 1986 following five years of construction, and one of its several functions is to help provide irrigation for agriculture in the Nampho area.
Discover the Mangyongdae Children’s Palace, a centre dedicated to creative activities, which can include studying anything from martial arts to traditional musical instruments.
After this, be driven to Kaesong, one of North Korea’s most-renowned historical cities. The traditional low, Korean-style houses here contrast dramatically with the monumental architecture of Pyongyang.
Eat dinner and stay overnight at Kaesong Folk Custom Hotel.
Day 5: Kaesong – Pyongyang
Visit Panmunjom. Located in a demilitarised zone, this is the village in which the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement, which ended the Korean War, was signed with the United Nations.
After this, you’ll be taken to the Koryo Museum. Housed in Sungkyunkwan Academy, an old Confucian school, it traces the history of the Koryo dynasty.
Enjoy lunch at Tong Il restaurant, which specialises in Korean royal cuisine, and following this, take a walk on Janam Mountain and King Kongmin’s Mausoleum.
Return to Pyongyang and have dinner at Paradise Restaurant.
Stay overnight at the hotel.
Day 6: Pyongyang – Beijing
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Beijing. Flights include: JS151, dep. 9am, arr. 10am; or CA122, dep. 5.20pm, arr. 6.15pm.
Tour include:
- hotel accommodation
- 3 meals/day
- Special local dishes on 2-5 times in local restaurant
- local transportation by deluxe car/coach/bus with air-cond
- 2 tour guides of relevant foreign languages
- the entrance fees to the places mentioned in the Itinerary
- Air fare
Tour exclude:
- the hotel mini-bar
- the gratitude for the tour guides and driver
- ARIRANG show ticket cost (from the early August to the mid of September 2011)
- Optional Art shows such as circus show
- celebration Art concert
- visa
Visa is a must for all; around 5 working days. Service fee inclusive RMB 500/per person
Travel inside North Korea is tightly controlled by the government, there are some scheduled domestic flights but these are closed to foreigners. Similarly there are some trains which service the major tourist destinations but the timetables are not published and tickets must generally be arranged through a tour operator. There are hardly any public buses in the country either so the most likely way you will be able to get around is by car, in the accompaniment of an official driver and guide.
Climate
North Korea has a continental climate with four distinct seasons. Long winters bring bitter cold and clear weather interspersed with snow storms as a result of northern and northwestern winds that blow from Siberia. Average snowfall is 37 days during the winter. The weather is likely to be particularly harsh in the northern, mountainous regions. Summer tends to be short, hot, humid, and rainy because of the southern and southeastern monsoon winds that bring moist air from the Pacific Ocean. Typhoons affect the peninsula on an average of at least once every summer. Spring and autumn are transitional seasons marked by mild temperatures and variable winds and bring the most pleasant weather. Natural hazards include late spring droughts which often are followed by severe flooding. There are occasional typhoons during the early fall.
Sightseeing
Tourism in North Korea is organized by the state owned Tourism Organisation ("Ryohaengsa"). Every group of travelers as well as individual tourists/visitors are permanently accompanied by one or two "guides" who normally speak the mother language of the tourist. While tourism has increased over the last few years, tourists from Western countries remain few.
The majority of the tourists who visit come from China, Russia and Japan. Russian citizens from the Asian part of Russia prefer North Korea as a tourist destination due to the relatively low prices, lack of pollution and the warmer climate. For citizens of the US and South Korea it is practically impossible to obtain a visa for North Korea. Exceptions for US citizens are made for the yearly Arirang Festival.
The capital Pyongyang is at once one of the most spectacular and unbelievable attractions of the country. The capital is very tightly controlled by the government to project an air of progress and above all discipline. Only government supporters from a high class background are even allowed to live in the city which means that you won't see any of the things that are typical of Asian cities such as bicycles, street markets, animals or even the elderly. Attractions include two fountains situated in the Taedong River which reach a height of 150m making them the tallest fountains in the world. Landmarks include the Arch of Triumph which was built to commemorate Kim II-sung's victory over the Japanese, the impressive Tower of Juche Idea and the Taedong Gates.
Kaesong, formerly the country's capital during the Koryo Dynasty is definitely an essential stop on any tour of North Korea. In its heyday Kaesong was a fabulously wealthy imperial metropolis but was destroyed during thress wars and is now only a shadow of its former glory. Now it is however the site of some of the country's most ancient buildings. Of particular note is the Tomb of King Kongmin just outside the city which is an impressively decorated 12th century tomb. The old quarter of the city itself boasts several attractions such as the Songin Monument at the 11th century SonjukBridge. Also of interest is the Koryo Museum which houses a number of exhibits, mostly of Korean pottery or of Buddhist relics.
Time zone
GMT+9
Language
korean
Currency
EURO, USD, RMB