10.10 Mass Dances

DPRK Travel - Foundation of Workers' Party Tour

Anniversary of the Foundation of the Workers' Party of Korea. The application deadline for this tour is 5 September 2025. If interested in extending your tour 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.

Those entering by train leave Beijing a day earlier.

2025 will be the 80th Anniversary of the Party's Foundation. Big celebrations may be held, thought this has not been confirmed.

Check our Youtube video below. Mass Dances are usually held on 10 October to mark the Anniversary of the Party's Foundation.

Day 1 - 7 October (Tuesday)

Depart from Beijing at 14.00 flight JS 152 Terminal 2, Beijing Capital Airport
Arrive in Pyongyang at 17.00 (Pyongyang time)

Arch of Triumph - a gigantic structure that marks the return of President Kim Il Sung from his years abroad fighting the Japanese occupation. There is a gigantic mosaic mural too of Kim Il Sung's return speech. The Kim Il Sung Stadium is located close by.
Brief walk around the area
Hotel check-in: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang
Welcome Dinner: KITC Restaurant, Pyongyang

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 2 - 8 October (Wednesday)

Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang
Drive to the port city Nampo on the west coast of Korea - drive on the Youth Hero Highway which was built by students at the end of the 1990s, a period known in DPRK as the "Arduous March." Some of the more senior guides were students during that time and actually contributed to building the road! It is always fascinating to hear what our Korean guides say about life in North Korea and their personal experiences, something we believe is possible due to our many years' of working with them and knowing them very well combined with the small sizes of our groups.
Tae'an Glass Manufacturing Factory - fantastic chance to see how a heavy industry factory operates in North Korea.

Taen Glass Factory near Nampo city in North Korea. Discover the DPRK with KTG

Chongsan Cooperative Farm - see how Koreans work and live in this model cooperative farm. We can see the greenhouses and will ask to see one of the kindergartens.
West Sea Barrage - 8 km long barrage that separates the Taedong River from the West Sea of Korea. This is a source of national pride in DPRK. The site was also visited by Jimmy Carter in 1994.

West Sea Barrage in Nampo, North Korea. Discover the DPRK with KTG

Lunch: Hangku Hotel, Nampo
Drive back to Pyongyang
Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum (Korean War Museum) - the museum was re-located and is now much larger and shows more detailed information. You will be able to walk through "war scenes" and see planes, tanks and weapons used in the Korean War. Most significantly, you will be able to witness first hand how vivid the first armed conflict of the Cold War remains in the DPRK, something you will also perceive when at the DMZ.
USS Pueblo - US spy ship captured in 1968, it is held as a trophy in the DPRK and shown to Koreans and foreigners. The ship was captured off the east coast of the DPRK and then shipped to Pyongyang. The US crew captured stayed in North Korea 11 months before being released.
Juche Tower - you can go up 150 metres an have amazing views of the capital of North Korea. For those who would rather stay downstairs it is possible to have a brief walk by the river bed and see locals getting along with their holiday.
Kim Il Sung Square - the heart of Pyongyang
Kwangbok Store - only place foreigners can use local currency. Fantastic chance to shop along with locals and roam this three floor department store alone.

Day 3 - 9 October (Thursday)

Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang
Depart to Kaesong - head south towards the border between North and South Korea. The trip is 3 hours long and there will be a break by the highway where you can take pictures. If you go up the building you can take pictures of the empty Re-unification Highway. There are several military check-points on the way. Our guides will tell us when we cannot take pictures. After the stopping in the middle of the highway for a 10 minute break, it will eventually start getting dark. Driving on an empty, highway towards one of the most sensitive borders in the world is indeed a surreal and unforgettable experience. As you take on this intriguing journey the local guides will tell stories of life in the DPRK and how they view the country and the rest of the world.
DMZ - chance to enter the famous blue negotiation rooms where talks between North & South Korea have taken place. This a DPRK travel highlight. Please note that if the negotiation rooms are not opened, then you will still be able to have a close-up view of the negotiation rooms. We will be escorted by a DPRK soldier, who will hop on to our coach, and be shown around Panmunjom, including the rooms where the Korean War Armistice was signed. As Korean soldiers tend to be curious about what Westerners think about the Korean War and about Korea in general, this will be a unique chance to interact with them and ask them any questions you may have.

KTG staff member at the DMZ (Panmunjom) with a North Korean soldier, (DPRK)

Drive back to Kaesong
Lunch at local restaurant (Kaesong) - up to 12 small dishes served in covered-up golden plated bowls will be served to each person, each bowl being a surprise.
Koryo Museum - a UNESCO World Heritage site, this was the first university on the Korean Peninsula
Kaesong Stamp Shop - chance to buy Korean stamps, postcards and last minute souvenirs. You can post your postcards back to Europe (or pretty much anywhere around the world) from the hotel in Pyongyang
As you exit Kaesong you will be able to see the train station that connects North and South Korea by rail (but which is currently not in use). At a distance too we will be able to see Kaesong Industrial Complex, which has made the headlines in Western media several times.
Drive to Sariwon City - lively city in the DPRK. We will have a stroll around its busiest street, Food Street, where we will be able to stop in one of the local "Sul Jib" (literally meaning wine or alcohol house) where locals have Makoli (Korean rice wine). Great chance to absorb the local atmosphere.
Sariwon Folk Street - locals normally play games here in the street and we will be more than welcome to join in!
Option to walk up the local hill and have a panoramic view of the whole city of Sariwon. Please see our Youtube video above to have an idea of what it looks like!

Drive back to Pyongyang
Pyongyang Gold Lane Bowling Alley - chance to enjoy a game with locals on their evening off as the next day is a big holiday
Dinner: Pyongyang Gold Lane Bowling Alley Restaurant

Pyongyang Gold Lane Bowling Alley, trip arranged by KTG Tours

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 3 - 10 October (Friday)

80th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Workers' Party of Korea

Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang
Kumsusan Palace - the most sacred place in the DPRK, it is where the Leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie in state. It is not to be called a mausoleum. Formal attire is required and we must be on our very best behaviour. You will be fully briefed before the tour.
Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery - situated on a hill in the outskirts of Pyongyang it has views of the whole skyline of Pyongyang.

Lunch: Hotpot restaurtant, Pyongyang
Fountain Park - a favourite photo spot for Koreans
Mansudae Grand Monuments - giant bronze statues of the Leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il - ideal to visit on a national holiday as there will be many people here, including military units, paying their respects to the Leaders
Views of Chollima Statue - the chollima Horse represents the official policy of the DPRK used in the years following the Korean War with the intention of rebuilding a nation from scratch.
Moran Park - this is where locals gather on National Holidays. Don't be surprised if asked to join in any dancing and celebrations!
Pyongyang Metro - take an extended ride with locals on a National Holiday. The metro is not just impressive because of its depth (on average over 100 metres) but also because of its absolutely stunningly beautiful decoration. The carriages that we will ride on are actually from the former GDR (East Germany).

Passengers at a metro stop in Pyongyang, North Korea. Tour arranged by KTG®

Monument to the Workers' Party Foundation - celebration of the anniversary of the Party's Foundation. This monument consists of a 50 metre tall sickle, hammer and brush.
Expected Mass Dances - we expect that there will be Mass Dances held. This will give us the chance to join hundreds of Koreans dancing to celebrate the Foundation of the Workers' Party of Korea
Possible Military Parade - there will not be confirmation until the same day itself if a parade will be held. There was one back in 2015 for the 70th Anniversary of the Party's Foundation. Tourists are not allowed to go to Kim Il Sung Square for parades. If a parade is held tourists usually gather with locals by the road side to greet soldiers who are coming back from the parade. The video below is an example of what we usually experience.