DPRK Liberation Day Tour I

15 August marks the anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule on the Korean peninsula. The application deadline for this tour is 10 July 2024.

Luxury Accommodation

Group Size

Interactive Route Map

Tour Outline

Highlights

Detailed Itinerary

We will be based at one of the best hotels in Pyongyang, the Yanggakdo Hotel. We will also be staying at a traditional courtyard hotel in the old part of town of the ancient city of Kaesong near the DMZ.

Our group sizes tend to be small, with an average of less than 10 people. However, our August and September tours tend to be our busiest ones and we limit our group sizes to 19 people. In the unlikely case of having more than 19 people we divide the group into two separate smaller ones; each group with their own guides, private vehicle and driver. As this is the busiest period in DPRK tourism terms, we kindly ask you to apply by the application deadline as it can be hard to book any late plane and train tickets during this period.

Please check the places that you will visit on this tour, hover over the places marked for more information.

Pyongyang is marked with the big red star.

Please note that Dandong and Sinuiju are just transit spots where we go stop by for Chinese and Korean customs. We do, however, offer extension tours in both cities so do please let us know if you would be interested in either option.

This tour consists of 4 nights / 5 days in the DPRK plus one night on the train (plane exit option is also available). This tour covers highlights and celebrations in Pyongyang, the lively city of Sariwon, the beautiful region of Mt. Myohyang, the ancient city Kaesong where we will stay overnight in a traditional courtyard hotel and of course the DMZ.

• Being in Pyongyang for any celebrations on August 15, Liberation Day!
• Main highlights in Pyongyang including shopping with locals!
• Possible Mass Games - this is not confirmed yet but if they are held we will attend them!
• The DMZ where the Korean War Armistice was signed and where soldiers from North and South Korea face each other.
• The ancient city of Kaesong.

• Expected Mass Games (these have not been confirmed yet)
• Staying overnight in a Korean traditional courtyard hotel, just a few miles away from the DMZ.
• Visiting a local cooperative farm where farmers work and live.

Please note that itineraries can always be modified based on local circumstances in Korea.

If entering by train we leave Beijing on 12 August at 17.27

Day 1 - 13 August (Tuesday)

• Depart from Beijing at 13.05 flight JS 152 Terminal 2, Beijing International Capital Airport
• Arrive in Pyongyang at 16.05 (Pyongyang time)

PM

• Arch of Triumph - gigantic arch built to commemorate President Kim Il Sung's speech upon returning to Korea after the colonial rule of Japan.
• Brief walk around the area.
• Hotel check-in: Yanggakdo Hotel
• Welcome Dinner: KITC Restaurant, Pyongyang

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 2 - 14 August (Wednesday)

AM

• Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang
• Drive to Mount Myohyang - we head to the Northern interior part of the DPRK to one of its most secluded and beautiful spots; Mount Myohyang (meaning fragrance mountain).
• International Friendship Exhibition Centre - Perhaps no other place better portrays how much the leadership of the country is revered than this place. The two buildings, built into the mountains and consisting of endless corridors and several floors, show thousands of gifts given to the leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and Comrade Kim Jong Suk (wife of President Kim Il Sung and mother of General Kim Jong Il). There is now a section too for the current leader Kim Jong Un.

• Pohyon Temple - initially built in 1042, it used to be the centre of Buddhism in the region.

PM

• Lunch: Hyangsan Hotel, one of the most luxurious hotels in the DPRK
• Drive back to Pyongyang
• War Museum - see the North Korean version of the war. This museum contains original vehicles and weapons used during the Korean War. The new War Museum is an impressive building with all kinds of details regarding the Korean War.

• USS Pueblo - US spy ship captured in 1968. The only US vessel held by a foreign country, it is displayed to this day in the DPRK as a trophy.

• Dinner: Local restaurant, Pyongyang

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 3 - 15 August (Thursday)

Today is the 79th Anniversary of Korea's Liberation from Japanese colonial rule

AM

• Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang
• Kumsusan Memorial Palace (where the Leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie in state). Please note that this is the most sacred place in the DPRK and that there is a dress code to follow. Please contact us for more information.
• Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery - cemetery of anti-Japanese revolutionaries. There are rows of bronze busts of these national heroes. There are too great views of Pyongyang from here.
  

PM

• Lunch: Local restaurant, Pyongyang - chance to see locals celebrate a national holiday
• Moran Park - where locals gather on national holidays. Prepare to be asked to join in the dancing (and singing if you can)!

• Fountain Park - we will have a stroll here. There are great views of the city centre.
• Mansudae Grand Monuments - Giant Bronze Statues of the Leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. We expect there to be many locals here as it is a national holiday.
• Views of Chollima Statue - the winged horse that was used as a symbol of National Policy to rapidly and strongly reconstruct the country after the Korean War.
• Ride on the Pyongyang Metro with locals - take the deepest metro in the world with Koreans stopping at several stops and seeing the busiest aspect of life in Pyongyang.

Pyongyang Metro

• Juche Tower - chance to see the entire city of Pyongyang by going up 150 metres (the tower is 170 metres tall including its flame). If you would rather not go up (the entrance fee is 5 Euros and not included) you can wait by the Taedong River bank which is too a pleasant experience.
• Party Foundation Monuments - consisting of a hammer, sickle and brush
• Expected Mass Dances - Chance to dance with North Koreans during the celebrations of this National Holiday. Hundreds of women wear traditional Korean dresses and men suits while they dance in a synchronised manner. Please note that if these are held we will be notified there and then.
• EXPECTED MASS GAMES - please note that these have not been confirmed yet. If they are held we will be able to attend.
• Dinner: local restaurant, Pyongyang

• If there are any celebrations such as a firework display in the evening we will be able to attend these.

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 4 - 16 August (Friday)

AM

• Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang
• Drive south to Kaesong city - ancient Korean city, it was the capital of the Koryo Dynasty, and conserves a lot of its old architecture as it was not destroyed in the Korean War.
• 38th Parallel (DMZ) - chance to enter the famous blue negotiation rooms where talks between North & South Korea have taken place. These rooms are not always opened to the public. If this is the case we will still walk close up to them. We will also see where the Korean War Armistice was signed.

Technically in the South - Korean soldiers prepare to leave the negotiation room as we exit. The microphones shown on the table mark the diversionary line between North & South Korea

KTG Traveller and KPA Office shake hands at DMZ

PM

• Lunch at Tongil Restaurant (Kaesong) - a variety of dishes served in gold plate covered bowls

• Koryo Museum (Kaesong) - this too is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is the first university on the Korean Peninsula it dates from the 900s. Kaesong was the capital of the Koryo Dynasty.

• Kaesong Stamp Shop - chance to buy unique collections of stamps, postcards, paintings, etc. Even if not purchasing any, browsing around the material is always entertaining as the stamps vary considerably to what is offered in the West.

Please note that this shop is just located outside of the Koryo Museum and will therefore not take up much of our time.

• Drive to Sariwon City - capital of North Hwanghae Province, this is a lively city with a population of over 300,000.
• Folk Street & Ancient Model Pavilions - we will see how Koreans lived in ancient times and check some model pavilions of times past in Korea. We will walk around this street and have the chance to check a local Sul-Jib (alcohol house) or a stand and try some delicious Makoli (Korean rice wine with very low levels of alcohol). The walk around here is always interesting. There are usually street games and activities too where we can of course join in!
• Walk up Mt. Kyongnam - the walk itself is only 5 to 10 minutes but we will have views of the whole city and of the surrounding region.

Views of Sariwon City from Mount Kyongnam

Walk around Sariwon City

• Drive back to Pyongyang
• Kwangbok Supermarket - we will visit the only place in Pyongyang where foreigners can exchange foreign currency for Korean Won and buy amongst locals. The bottom floor consists of a supermarket, the first floor is where clothes is sold and the top floor is where we can try some local snacks. Be prepared to see many Koreans stare at you!
• Beer bar - try some local North Korean beer
• Dinner - Number 1 Pyongyang Duck BBQ Restaurant
• Kaeson Funfair (optional) - if you still have enough energy you may want to check the funfair out! The entrance fee is around 2 Euros and rides then range from 1.5 to 5 Euros.

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 5 - 17 August (Saturday)

AM

• 10.25 am train to Beijing - please let us know if you are interested in flying back

PM

• Stopover at Sinuiju train station bordering China for Korean customs

Day 6 - 18 August (Sunday)

Arrive in Beijing at 08:40 am

End of tour our North Korea Liberation Day Tour I