North Korea China National Day Tour - Golden Week Break

North Korea China National Day Tour - what better way to have a break from all the hustle and bustle of China on this hectic week than making a quick visit to its next door neighbours and long lasting friends, the DPRK! Join us on our Chinese Golden Week Tour. Please apply by 1st September at the latest as it can be very hard to make last minute booking reservations in China for these dates.

If you apply after the application deadline we will let you know within 24 hours if we can still add you to our tour.

We arrange trips all over China and have a dedicated team that specialises in trips around the Middle Kingdom. Do please let us know if may need any assistance in our arranging a China tour extension for you.

Accommodation

Group Size

Interactive Route Map

Tour Outline

Highlights

Detailed Itinerary

We will be based in one of the best hotels of Pyongyang, the Yanggakdo Hotel. This is classified as a Deluxe Hotel in the DPRK, unlike hotels such as the Sosan and Ryanggang Hotels, which are budget hotels. As of 2019 we have been able to use the wifi service in the hotel's casino.

We will also stay at the Kaesong Folk Hotel in the old part of Kaesong city. You will experience what life was like in feudal Korea!

Based on what we have seen, our group tours tend to be much smaller that of other agencies specialising in DPRK tours. We usually have less than 10 people per group and people from all around the world. In the extremely unlikely case of having 19 travellers per group we will divide the group into two separate groups; each with their guides, driver and private vehicle.

Our excellent relationship with our Korean partners and local guides together with the usually small sizes of our groups allow us to arrange on the spot visits to events and places not included in the official program.

Please check the places that we will visit on our tour. You can hover over each place for more information.

Pyongyang is marked with the big red star.

Sinuiju and Dandong are are entry/departure points when taking the train. If you would like to have a tour in either of these cities do please let us know!

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 on 9 September which is National Day, the lively city of Sariwon, the beautiful region of Mt. Myohyang where we visit the famous International Friendship Exhibition Centre and a local temple, the ancient city Kaesong, home to 12 UNESCO World Heritage sites, DMZ which is where North and South Korean soldiers stand meters apart and the port city of Nampo on the west coast where will stay overnight at a Hot Spa Hotel. The tour ends with a visit to Munsu Waterpark where locals gather on weekends and holidays. We also expect the Mass Games to be held, though this has not been confirmed yet.

• All the main sites in Pyongyang including the Palace of the Sun and the Grand Monuments
• Main highlights in Pyongyang including shopping with locals!
• The DMZ where the Korean War Armistice was signed and where soldiers from North and South Korea face each other.
• Staying overnight at a traditional courtyard hotel in the ancient city of Kaesong.

• Heading up north to the beautiful area of Mt. Myohyang where will visit the International Friendship Exhibition Centre; a museum consisting of two huge buildings partially built in and under the mountain that hold thousands of presents, some of which you cannot imagine, presented to the Leaders of the country. We will also visit the relaxing Pohyon Buddhist Temple where we usually see local monks.

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

Day 1 - 2 October (Saturday)

• Depart from Beijing at 13.00 flight JS 252 Terminal 2
• Arrive in Pyongyang at 16.00 (Pyongyang time)

PM

• Fountain Park - located in the city centre and a place where couples and students tend to gather.
• Mansudae Grand Monuments - giant bronze statues of the Leaders President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il
• Hotel check-in: Yanggakdo Hotel
• Welcome Dinner: KITC Restaurant, Pyongyang

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 2 - 3 October (Sunday)

AM

• Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang
• Kumsusan Palace of the Sun - This is where the leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il remain in state. Koreans do not call this place a mausoleum, but the Palace of the Sun. It is the most sacred place in the DPRK and we kindly ask travellers to be formally dressed for the occasion. We will fully brief you before the trip when we meet in China before going to Pyongyang.

• Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery - shows bronze busts of the DPRK heroes who devoted their lives to the anti-Japanese struggle. Located on a hill, it offers fantastic views of the whole capital city.

PM

• Walk from Pyongyang Theatre to Kim Il Sung Square - if you have seen any news about the DPRK on TV then you most certainly have seen images of this square. Located in the heart of Pyongyang, it is where military parades and mass rallies are held.
• Kim Il Sung Square - the heart of Pyongyang
• Juche Tower - you can go up the tower (by elevator not by foot!) and have a panoramic view of Pyongyang. It is also possible to sit and relax by the river bed while we wait for those who go up to come down if you would rather not go up.

• Party Foundation Monument - the Korean Workers' Party symbol consists of a hammer, sickle and brush and this monument has a each element of the symbol in the form of a 50 metre tall monument!
• Pyongyang Metro - ride on several stops with locals. The trains are from former East Germany, though there is one 100% DPRK made one that was only inaugurated in 2015.
• Arch of Triumph - monuments in Pyongyang are big, and this is no exception. Higher than its Parisian cousin, the Arch of Triumph marks President Kim Il Sung's return to Korea after liberation from Korea.
• Brief walk around the area - there is a huge mosaic mural of President Kim Il Sung showing him give his liberation speech in 1945.
• Mangyongdae Native House - the birthplace of President Kim Il Sung.
• Drive to Kaesong city - there will be a break in the middle.
• Check-in: Minsok Folk Hotel - a courtyard hotel located in the old part of town of this historical city. The hotel complex was actually part of the old town and was turned into a hotel in 1989. Rooms used to be homes used by locals in feudal Korea and they surround small courtyards. There is a small bar next to the restaurant where travellers tend to gather after dinner. It is a great way to get our Korean guides to join us for a drink!
• Dinner: Minsok Folk Hotel, Kaesong

Overnight: Minsok Folk Hotel, Kaesong

Day 3 - 4 October (Monday)

AM

• Breakfast: Kaesong Minsok Folk Hotel, Kaesong
• Walk through the old part of town to Mount Janam - there are fantastic views here of the old part of town and of the main entrance of the city.
• Tomb of King Kongmin- twin tombs of the king and of his Mongolian wife. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tombs are unique in Korea as they are twin tombs. They keep much of their original aspect as they have undergone very little restoration. Don't forget to ask your guides about the "Oh My!" Mountain!
• Panmunjom (the DMZ aka the 38th Parallel)- a local KPA Officer will show us around one of the tensest places on the Korean Peninsula. We will have the chance to enter the famous blue negotiation rooms where talks between North & South Korea have taken place if these are opened. If not you will get a close up view of them. We will tour Panmunjom, always escorted by KPA soldiers as is mandatory. We will see where the Korean War Armistice was signed. Please note that if the situation on the Korean Peninsula is particularly tense that these houses are locked, though we will still have a close-up view and will stand right in front of them and of South Korea.

• Koryo Museum, Kaesong - we head to the city of Kaesong. This was not destroyed during the Korean War as they had expected it to be part of South Korea. Kaesong has several UNESCO World Heritage sites of which the Koryo Museum is one. It was the first university on the Korean Peninsula.
• Kaesong Stamp Shop - all kinds of stamps, posters, artwork and ginseng (famous in Kaesong) are sold here. This is just located outside of the Koryo Museum.

PM

• Lunch at Tongil Restaurant (Kaesong city) - 12 different dishes in covered up golden plated small bowls will be served, just the way kings used to eat in Korea!
• Views of Sonjuk Bridge - yet another of Kaesong's 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• Drive back to Pyongyang
• Stop at the Re-unification Monuments - good chance to take some pictures
• Re-unification Monument
• Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum - see the North Korean version of the Korean War. This museum exhibits original weapons and vehicles used during the first Cold War conflict. It was moved to a much bigger building in 2013 and is now a truly impressive and detailed museum fully explaining the DPRK version of the Korean War.

• USS Pueblo - US spy ship captured in 1968. The only US vessel in possession of another country and is proudly shown by the DPRK as a trophy
• Local Beer Bar before dinner - have some drinks at a local hangout place before heading for dinner!
• Dinner: Local Restaurant, Pyongyang

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 4 - 5 October (Tuesday)

AM

• Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang
• Drive to Mt. Myohyang - "Fragrance Mountain" is located in a beautiful quiet area of Korea. Chance to see a variety of landscapes when driving there
• International Friendship Exhibition Centre - see where thousands of gifts have been presented to the Leaders Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il and Mother Kim Jong Suk (wife and mother of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il respectively). There is now too a new section for the Leader Kim Jong Un.

• Pohyon Buddhist Temple - initially built almost 1000 years ago (it has undergone restauration several times), this used to be the centre of buddhim in this region of Korea

PM

• Lunch: Hyangsan Hotel, Mt. Myohyang - one of the most luxurious hotels in DPRK
• Drive back to Pyongyang
• Children's Palace - this is where talented kids go for extracurricular activities. We can see the children performing here.
• Kwangbok Store - chance to visit a local supermarket and store. This is the only place where foreigners can obtain Korean Won and use them to purchase goods and offers us a great chance to shop around with locals. We wander around by ourselves in this complex. The ground floor consists of a supermarket. Clothes are sold on the first floor as well as other items such as windows, watches, home equipment and even boats and then there are several food stands on the second floor.
• Dinner: Ryongmyong New Street - this futuristic but at the same time retro looking street was built in less than a year!
• Walk around Ryongmyong New Street

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 5 - 6 October (Wednesday)

AM

• 10.25 am train to Beijing - if interested in flying back please contact us

PM

• Stopover at Sinuiju train station bordering China - DPRK customs will be carried out on the train

Day 6 - 7 October (Thursday)

Arrive in Beijing at 08:40 am

End of our China National Day Tour I