Wonsan
Jangdok Islet
East Coast

Extended North Korea Summer Tour 2017

Extended North Korea Summer Tour 2017 - The application deadline for our Extended North Korea Summer Tour is May 8th 2017. 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.

Accommodation

We will stay at one of the best hotels Pyongyang has to offer; The Yanggakdo International Hotel. Unlike other hotels such as the Sosan Hotel, Ryanggang, Haebansan, etc, this is not a budget hotel and offers some of the best hotel facilities in Pyongyang.

Group Size

Our groups usually have arond 10 people or less. We strongly believe that having small sized groups helps us to get to know our local guides in Korea personally and have a deeper understanding of the DPRK, something not feasible with large sized groups. Our Western staff members go in frequently with groups to Korea and we know the guides very well. We believe that having large groups of say over 20 people does not allow travellers to get to know the guides that well, whereas smaller sized groups allows for more interaction and flexibility once in the DPRK.

In the unlikely case of having 19 people, we will divide the group into two completely separate groups, each with their own guides, vehicle and driver.

If not a US citizen you can also join this tour by train. The tour cost will be lower in this case. Please notify us if interested in this option.

Day 0 - June 12 (Monday) for those entering by train

Those taking the train in meet our KTG staff downtown Beijing for our pre-tour briefing and take the train to Pyongyang together, arriving the following day in Pyongyang

Day 1 - June 13 (Tuesday) for those flying in

Depart from Beijing at 13.05 flight JS 152 Terminal 2, Beijing Capital Airport
Arrive in Pyongyang at 15.35 (Pyongyang time)
Fountain Park - we walk around here before heading to Mansu Hill. Families and friends usually come here for pictures
Mansudae Grand Monuments - Giant bronze statues of the Leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
Views of Chollima Statue - representing the policy used by the DPRK government after the Korean War. The aim of this policy was to reconstruct the country at the speed of the mythical Chollima Horse
Arch of Triumph - impressive monument built where Kim Il Sung made his first speach in Pyongyang upong returning to Korea after fighting against the Japanese
Welcome Dinner: KITC Restaurant, Pyongyang
Hotel check-in: Yanggakdo Hotel

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 2 - June 14 (Wednesday)

Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang
Drive to the picturesque "Fragrance Mountain" - meaning Fragrance Mountain in Korean, it is located in a bucolic area of the DPRK
International Friendship Exhibition Centre - exposing thousands of presents given to President Kim Il Sung, his son General Kim Jong Il and his wife Comrade Kim Jong Suk. A new section for the current leader, Kim Jong Un has now been opened. You will also be able to see Koreans from all corners of the DPRK visiting this place. We can have a coffee break in the balcony that offers great views of the picturestique scene in the area.
Pohyon Buddhist Temple - used to be the centre of Buddhism of this region of Korea

Pohyon Temple in Mount Myohyang, DPRK (North Korea)

Lunch: Chongchon Hotel, Mount Myohyang
Drive back to Pyongyang
Juche Tower - chance to go up the 150 metre tower (170 metres including the flame) that offers a panoramic view of Pyongyang. Please check our short Youtube video about the Juche Tower below:

Ride on Pyongyang Metro - the deepest in the world. Enjoy an extended ride with locals stopping at several stops and allowing you to see a busier aspect of life in Pyongyang.

North Korean lady reading a framed newspaper in the Pyongang metro, DPRK

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!

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 3 - June 15 (Thursday)

Breakfast: Yanggakdo Hotel
Kumsusan Palace of the Sun - where the Leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il remain in state. Please note that this is one of the most important places in the DPRK. Formal attire is required, please ask us for more details. If the Palace indoors are closed we will schedule a visit to the main square of the Palace. If the Palace indoors are closed we will schedule a visit to the main square of the Palace.
Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery - dedicated to Korean national heroes. Views of the whole city of Pyongyang are offered.
Monument to the Foundation of the Korean Workers' Party - the giantic monument of the hammer, sickle and brush

Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum (Korean War Museum) - (Korean War Museum). Restored recently, the new war museum is enormous and very detailed. Please check our Youtube video of some of the US weapons shown in the museum:

USS Pueblo - US spy ship captured in 1968. The only US vessel in possession of a foreign country, it is exposed in North Korea as a trophy and detailed information of the USS Pueblo Incident are given when visiting.
Mangyongdae Native House - President Kim Il Sung's birthplace
Children's Palace - with an impressive performance
Late drive to Kaesong - We head south on the Re-unification Highway towards the border with South Korea and stay overnight in Kaesong. Our guides will explain the principles by which the DPRK would like to reunite Korea.
Check-in Minsok Hotel - traditional Korean courtyard hotel. Quietly located in the old part of Kaesong. Viewing the giant bronze statue of Kim Il Sung lit up at night and standing in the horizon from this hotel is an experience. You will be able to sit and eat on the floor as per Korean traditional style.

Minsok Hotel, Kaesong DPRK (North Korea)

Overnight: Minsok Folk Hotel, Kaesong

Day 4 - June 16 (Friday)

Breakfast: Minsok Hotel
Go up Janam Hill this offers perfect views of Kaesong and the old part of town too. Unlike most cities in Korea, Kaesong was not destroyed by the Korean War and the old part of town conserves its original form, which is a great contrast to the other cities in the DPRK.
38th Parallel (DMZ) - see the joint military area. You will be able to enter the blue negotiations room which are set on North and South Korea. This is a highlight of all tours, a moment where the tension can be felt and that you will certainly not forget!.

Lunch at Tongil Restaurant (Kaesong) - dishes served in golden plated metal bowls. Portions are small, but having 12 bowls per person makes it more than a big lunch!

Koryo Museum (Kaesong) - first university on the Korean peninsula. Kaesong was the capital of the Koryo Dynasty and this unversity turned museum dates from the 900s.
Kaesong Stamp Shop - located just outside the Koryo musuem, we usually have a break here. All kinds of DPRK stamps, postcards, artwork and other souvenirs can be purchased here.You can also purchase souvenirs in Pyongyang if you wish.
Return to Pyongyang
Stop by the Re-unification Monuments
Grand People's Study House - located by Kim Il Sung Square, this study centre reportedly has over 30 million books!
Walk around Kim Il Sung Square - stroll around Pyongyang city centre
DPRK Bookstore - you will be able to purchase DPRK books published in English and other languages. DVDs and the Pyongyang Times newspaper are also sold here.
Dinner: Pyongyang Number 1 Duck BBQ, Pyongyang
Evening Funfair (optional) - rides cost from 1 to 5 Euros. We recommend going here to check out the lively atmosphere

Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang

Day 5 - June 17(Saturday)

Drive to the coastal city of Wonsan (east coast) - cross the DPRK from all the way to the east coast, a very rare occasion to see towns and life in these isolated areas of the country
Stop at Sinpyong Guest House - relaxing views. Time for a refreshment before carrying on our journey to the other side of the DPRK.

Sinpyong Guest House, North Korea (DPRK)

Lunch: local restaurant
Songdowon Beach - (chance to swim in the sea), optional sludge baths
Songdowon Park
Hotel Check-in: Dongmyong Hotel, Wonsan
Dinner: Local restaurant, Wonsan

Overnight: Dongmyong Hotel, Wonsan

Day 6 - June 18 (Sunday)

Breakfast: Dyongmong Hotel
Dongmyong Cooperative Farm - hance to see how farmers and their families work and live. We can visit a home and the school attended by the farmers' children. These are all located within the farm premises.

Chonsam cooperative farm in Wonsan, North Korea (DPRK)

Wonsan Agricultural University - several famous Korean scientists and national heros graduated from this university. When riding here you will pass by several fields
Drive back to Wonsan city centre
Walk to Jandok Island - this offers views of the whole seafront of Wonsan
Walk around Wonsan City - Central Square and the pier - we can see locals getting along with their daily lives.

Return to Pyongyang via the beautiful Ullim Waterfalls - (Ullim meaning echo in Korean). These were discovered by soldiers in 2001.
En-route picnic lunch / local restaurant