Factory in Hungnam
Grand Theatre
Hamhung

2019 North Korea Victory Day Tour II

Join our 2019 North Korea Victory Day Tour II and celebrate the Anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice in Pyongyang. In addition to exploring the east coast we will also head to Mt. Myohyang for this trip.

Check our previous Victory Day East Coast Tour report!

The application deadline for this tour is 25 June 2019.

This tour includes 7 nights in the DPRK plus one on the train back to China. The itinerary is an extremely complete one, covering Pyongyang, several parts of the south of the DPRK and the eastern part of the country.

If interested in shorter DPRK tours please check our other tour departures. You can also join this tour and leave early if you wish.

If interested in having a private extension of your tour once the group departure is over please send us an e-mail stating how long you would like to extend for and if there are any specific places you would like to visit.

It is possible to enter by train and something we strongly recommend as it allows to experience much more of the DPRK. Please let us know if this option may interest you.

Day 1 - July 23 (Tuesday)

Depart from Beijing at 13.05 flight JS 152 Terminal 2, Beijing Capital Airport
Arrive in Pyongyang at 16.35 (Pyongyang time)

Arch of Triumph- it marks the return of President Kim Il Sung upon returning to Korea after the liberation of Korea from Japan. This gigantic monument is taller than that of Paris
Walk around the area, see the enormous mural of President Kim Il Sung upon his return to Korea after the liberation of the country and walk by Kim Il Sung Stadium
Hotel check-in: Yanggakdo Hotel
Welcome Dinner: Local Restaurant, Pyongyang

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 2 - July 24 (Wednesday)

Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang
Drive to the coastal city of Wonsan (East Coast) - unique chance to be driven through second tier cities and counties as you literally cruise across the DPRK, from one side of the country to the other. The ride is around 4.5 hours long and a fascinating experience. We will have a 30 minute break on the way at a local guest house with relaxing views.
Sinpyong Guesthouse - 30 minute break by a lake. Chance to try some snake liquor!

Lunch: Local restaurant, Wonsan
Walk around Wonsan City (Central Square and along the pier) - you can see locals going on with their daily lives here. The square tends to be very lively with children roller skating, families walking together and then by the port there are always people fishing.

Jangdok Islet - just opposite the "mainland", it offers full views of the port area and the frontline of Wonsan
Walk around Oriental Park
Check-in: Songdowon Hotel
Dinner: Local restaurant

Overnight: Songdowon Hotel, Wonsan

Day 3 - July 25 (Thursday)

Breakfast: Songdowon Hotel, Wonsan
Drive to Hamhung City - discover the second largest city in the DPRK. This industrial city only started receiving Western tourists in 2010 and is therefore considered even more "off the beaten track" of a destination.
Mt. Donghung - with an impressive view of Hamhung City and the whole surrounding area, a giant bronze statue of President Kim Il Sung is here and it is a popular place for newly-weds to go and pay tribute.

Lunch: City Restaurant, Hamhung. Hamhung is well known for its potato starch noodles.
Hamhung Grand Theatre - enormous theatre located in the city centre right across from the main square. Please bear in mind that in spite of being the second biggest city in North Korea with an estimated population of 800,000, Hamhung has only been opened up to tourism very recently and the site of foreigners here is extremely rare for locals (more so than in other areas in the DPRK) which will explain the surprise on many people's faces when seeing you. The image on the right shows a Children's rally in Hamhung.

Home of Ri Song-gye - Founder of the Choson Dynasty, he overthrew the Koryo dynasty. His home is located in Hungnam disctrict which is home to many factories.
Hungnam Fertiliser Factory - unique chance to visit one of the country's biggest factories

Check-in Majon Cottage - a series of cottages located by the beach. Enjoy a relaxing stroll by the seaside before dinner. There are usually locals here happy to have us join in.

Dinner: Majon Cottage, clam BBQ option

Overnight: Majon Cottage (at the seafront)

Day 4 - July 26 (Friday)

Breakfast: Majon Cottage

Cooperative farm near Hamhung in North Korea (DPRK)

Dongbong Cooperative Farm - see how farmers and their families live here. We will see farmers' homes, the fields and visit the kindergarten that their children attend (also located within the premises of the cooperative farm). This is an interesting aspect of DPRK tours as it allows travellers see different aspects of the country
Drive back to Wonsan
Wonsan Agricultural University - walk around the university campus

Lunch: City Restaurant in Wonsan
Drive back to Pyongyang via some waterfalls discovered by soldiers in 2001 (weather permitting)
Grand People's Study House - huge study centre/library with excellent views of Kim Il Sung Square

English lesson at the Grand People's Study House in Pyongyang, DPRK (North Korea)

Dinner: Local Restaurant, Pyongyang

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 5 - July 27 (Saturday) - Victory Day 66th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice

Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel
Walk from Pyongyang Theatre to Kim Il Sung Square
Kim Il Sung Square - the largest square in the DPRK and the one we see on TV when mass rallies and military parades are held
DPRK Bookstore - you will be able to purchase DPRK books in English as well as other publications such as the Pyongyang Times newspaper
Fountain Park - favourite spot for locals to take pictures
Mansudae Grand Monuments - we will see the famous giant bronze statues of the Leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. This will be busy with Koreans on a national holiday such as today
Juche Tower - chance to go up 150 meters and have a panoramic view of Pyongyang. The flame itself adds another 20 metres to the height of the structure!

Lunch: Local restaurant, Wonsan
Moran Park - see local celebrate this National Festivity. Expect to be asked to join them in the singing and dancing! National holidays are a unique aspect of DPRK tours
Victory Day Celebrations in Pyongyang - Workers' Party Foundation Monuments - if there are any mass dances we will be able to attend and to join in with the university students dancing

Dinner: local restaurant, Pyongyang
Kaeson Evening Funfair - you can take rides with locals, but even if you'd rather not, this is a great opportunity to join Koreans during their celebrations. Expect to see many pleasantly surprised faces! Rides cost from 1 to 5 Euros.

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 6 - July 28 (Sunday)

Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel
Kumsusan Memorial Palace - where the leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il layKoreans at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in state. The most sacred place in the DPRK. You are kindly asked to dress in proper attire. You will be sent more detailed information regarding this but please feel free to contact us for more details. This is a highlight of all of our DPRK tours.

Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery - bronze busts of national heroes. The cemetery is located on atop a hill in the outskirts of Pyongyang, offering great views of the capital of North Korea.

Lunch: Mangyongdae Restaurant, Pyongyang
Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum - the war museum has been moved to and now lies adjacent to the building where it used to be. The amount of detail and the size of the museum comes to show how important the Korean War is and how tangible it is today in the DPRK
USS Pueblo - US spy ship, the only US vessel in possession of a foreign country. It is shown in the DPRK to Koreans and foreigners as a trophy.
Ride on Pyongyang Metro (extended ride) - chance to take the deepest metro in the world. You will experience the busiest aspect of Pyongyang with local Pyongyangers.

Metro ride in Pyongyang, North Korea (DPRK)

Coach to Kaesong (Panmunjom, the DMZ) - we leave early due south. There will be a break on the way as the ride is approximately 3 hours long. We will have a break in the middle and will be able to take pictures of the Reunification Highway. On our way here our Korean guides who we have worked with for many years now and are the top level guides from the Korean tourism authorities will explain to us the principles by which the DPRK seeks to obtain reunification of the Korean Peninsula.
Hotel check-in: Korean traditional courtyard hotel; the Minsok Hotel

Minsok Hotel, Kaesong in North Korea (DPRK)

Dinner: Minsok Hotel, Kaesong

Overnight: Minsok Hotel, Kaesong

Day 7 - July 29 (Monday)

North & South Korean soldiers at the DMZ, Panmumjom

Breakfast: Minsok Hotel, Kaesong
As we approach Kaesong we will be able to see the famous Kaesong Industrial Park Complex at a distance as well as the train station which's railway connects North and South Korea but which is not in use.
38th Parallel (DMZ) - chance to enter the famous blue negotiation rooms where talks between North & South Korea have taken place. This is with no doubt a highlight of all DPRK tours. A DPRK soldier will guide us here and we will be able to see the world famous 38th Parallel that divides the Korean Peninsula to this day.
Koryo Museum (Kaesong) - the first university of the Koryo Dynasty, it is now a museum where guests are explained how life was like in medieval Korea

Lunch at Tongil Restaurant (Kaesong) - we will all be served with small covered dishes, each one being a surprise!
Drive to Sariwon City Centre - this is a very lively city. We will walk around Food Street and see some model local pavilions in Folk Street. There are usually street games held in this area and we will be more than welcomed to join in!
Have break at a Sul Jib - meaning wine house or alcohol house, we will be able to have a drink of local Makoli (a Korean drink with low levels of alcohol) at a local joint.
Walk up Hill - this takes 5 to 10 minutes and it is absolutely worth it as we will be able to not only have fantastic views of Sariwon but of the surrounding region too

You can see our Youtube video below of Sariwon city:

Stop at the Reunification Monuments - chance to have some pictures taken at these giant monuments
Kwangbok Supermarket - this is the only place where foreigners can exchange foreign currency for Korean won and purchase goods with Korean won. This place is usually packed with locals and we are allowed to wander around by ourselves. The bottom floor consists of a supermarket which mainly consists of local goods. The first floor is where clothes is sold as well as other goods such as watches, home equipment. The top floor is where we can buy snacks and meals and it is where hundreds of people tend to gather with their families for some food!
Dinner: Pyongyang Duck BBQ Restaurant

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 8 - July 30 (Tuesday)

Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Drive to the northern interior of DPRK; Mount Myohyang

International Friendship Exhibition Centre - two buildings where thousands of gifts presented to the leaders of the country are kept. They are actually built into the mountain and are windowless despite their aspect from the outside. We frisked as we enter after having passed the armed guards who protect these national treasures.