Itinerary for "100th Birthday of Kim Il Sung long tour " 12-21/22 April 2012

Important! The itinerary below is a PRELIMINARY one. Korea Konsult reserves the right to change some parts of the itinerary below if needed. Eventual itinerary changes after the group arrival in the DPRK are beyond our control.

Last update for this tour: 2 July 2011

Day 1, April 12 (Thu)

a) Departure from Beijing by Air Koryo flight JS 252 at 14.00 from TERMINAL 2 (Beijing Capital Airport). All passengers should arrive to the airport at least 2 hours before the flight's departure.
b) Arrival in Pyongyang at 17.00 local time, transfer to Pyongyang, city sightseeing Arch of Triumph. Mansudae Grand Monuments on Mansu Hill.
c) Check-in at the hotel Yanggakdo International**** beautifully located in the middle of Taedong river. Room on a high floor. A magnificent view is guaranteed!
d) Dinner at the hotel.

Day 2, April 13 (Fri)

a) After breakfast drive to the DMZ and Panmunjom (1953 Armistice village). Our guide force is increased by several North Korean officers who show us around Panmunjom. Together we inspect the Demilitarized Zone and the Military Museum on the 38th parallel.
b) Trip to Kaesong (capital of Korea up to the 15 th century, which and today is the ginseng cultivation center), located just 8 km from the Demilitarized Zone dividing the 2 Koreas). Walk in Janamsan Park from which the beautiful panorama of the old Kaesong can be admired.
c) Lunch at Tongil restaurant in Kaesong. "Tongil" means "Reunification" in Korean.
d) Drive back to Pyongyang. Dinner at Mangyongdae Restaurant

Day 3, April 14 (Sat)

a) Korean War Museum where you can hear and watch the North Korean version of this bloody war 1950-1953. On the museum’s top floor a big rotating war panorama can be seen – a real masterpiece from Korean painters and sculptors. 
b) Juche Tower and surrounding monuments. Take the elevator to the top to enjoy the magnificent view of Pyongyang (optional, 5 Euro p/p).
c) Pyongyang Maternity Hospital
d) Lunch
e) Korean Film Studio
f) Drive on Pyongyang Metro
g)  Korean  Art Gallery - collection of paintings, sculptures etc from ancient to modern times.
h) Visit to the American spy ship USS Pueblo, captured by North Koreans in 1968. The 1,000-ton ship, equipped with various kinds of arms and sophisticated reconnaissance facilities, was boarded by 81 U.S. seamen and had been captured just by 7 Korean seamen. Hopefully you meet one of them on this ship. Although the ship's crew were repatriated after a lengthy negotiation, North Korea kept the ship as a war trophy.
i) Dinner at Chongryu Hot Pot Restaurant.

Day 4, April 15 (Sun) "Day of Sun" (The 100th Birthday of Kim Il Sung)

a) Visit to the Kumsusan Memorial Palace - the Mausoleum of President Kim Il-Sung (tourists must follow a strict dress code - no shorts, no blue jeans and mini-skirts, no T-shirts).
b) Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery
c) Kimilsunia and Kimjongilia Flower Show - containing about 30,000 flowers - presented by Army forces, commissions and ministries of the cabinet and national institutions, foreign friends and overseas compatriots… Something NOT to be missed!!! As you might guess Kimsungilia and Kimjongilia are types of flowers named after North Korea's 2 leaders.
d) Lunch at Boat Restaurant Pyongyang No.1 on Taedong river.
e) Walk in Moranbong Park, favorite place for many Koreans to spend a free day.
f) ) A visit to the International Book Store and Stamp Shop- good choice of stamps, propaganda books, tapes, CDs, DVDs, (much cheaper than at your hotel).
g) Mass Dances expected.
h) Rakwon department Store
i) Dinner at Duck Barbecue Restaurant

Day 5, April 16 (Mon)

a) Breakfast. Departure to Wonsan - biggest seaport in DPRK. After having lunch in Wonsan we continue our drive to Hamhung, the capital of South Hamgyong Province, an important industrial and port city.
b) In Hamhung, we start the sightseeing with the House of Li Song Gye, former army general and the first king of the Li Dynasty. The Li Dynasty succeeded the Koryo Dynasty in 1392 after Koryo had come to an end after almost 500 years of rule.
c) Drive to Majon beach 25 km southeast of the center of Hamhung, it is a famous tourist resort on the seaside. Water is not deep but clear, very nice sand beach.
d) Accommodation at Majon Guesthouse
e) Dinner.

Day 6, April 17 (Tue)

a) Breakfast. Walk in Tonghungsan park - Hamhung central park with the bronze statue of President Kim Il Sung erected at the foot of the mountain. With many old beautiful pavillions and restaurants, Tonghungsan park a favourite place for locals to spend a holiday day.
b) Hamhung Grand Theatre - largest building in the city and one of the biggest theaters in the DPRK.
c) Visit to Hungnam Fertilizer Factory - the largest chemical plant in the Far East
d) After lunch drive to Wonsan, visit of the Wonsan Agricultural University.
e) Drive to Songdowon Schoolchildren’s camp
f) Check in at Tongmyong Hotel beautifully located at the beach in the heart of the city, dinner.

Day 7, April 18 (Wed)

NOTE: Rented to the South Korean Hyundai Asan since the end of 90's, the main part of Kumgangsan (Diamond Mountains) was accessible only for tourists coming from South Korea. New hotels, restaurants and shops were built here by South Korean investors but had to be abandoned in 2008. From May 2010 all Kumgang areas re-opened for tourists coming from the North but they might be closed again if North and South come to a new agreement about tourism resuming from the South, so our trip is a really unique opportunity to visit this area with its fantastic nature and amazing mix of North and South Korea in one place.

a) After breakfast drive to Kumgangsan (Diamond Mountains) and walk to the Kuriong Waterfall located in Outer Kumgang area.
b) Lunch at Mokran Restaurant at the foot of the mountain.
c) Visit of Samil Lagoon (Sea Kumgang area), widely known for its scenery: cristal-clear water, rocky hills and thick forests.
d) Check-in at Kumgangsan Hotel, dinner.

Day 8, April 19 (Thu)

a) Breakfast. Drive back to Wonsan via Chonsam cooperative farm: we visit agricultural fields, but even peasants houses and meet their families.
b) Walk on Wonsan Central Square
c) Lunch, drive back to Pyoongyang
d) On the way to Pyongyang we visit Ulim Waterfall discovered by Korean soldiers in 2001
e) Dinner in Pyongyang

Day 9, April 20 (Fri)

a) Breakfast.
b) Departure to Myohyangsan mountains (170 km from Pyongyang).
c) International Friendship Exhibition (impressive exhibition of gifts from foreigners to President Kim Il-Sung and the leader Kim Jong-Il.)
d) Buddhist temple Bohyon.
e) Lunch
f) Walk in the Manpok Valley ( "Valley of the Ten Thousand Falls")
g) Back to Pyongyang
h) Dinner at the revolving restaurant in Yanggakdo Hotel

Day 10, April 21 (Sat)

Breakfast. Transfer to the railway station and departure to Beijing at 10.10 a.m. One night on the train.
Sightseeing: the railway bridge over Yalu-river is at the same time the North Korean border to China. When crossing this bridge, we see another bridge destroyed by the Korean War. China rebuilt its half of the bridge but North Korea intentionally did not. Instead they wanted to leave the bridge in ruins (just piles are seen) as a monument to the Korean War.

Day 11, April 22 (Sun)

Arrival in Beijing at 08.33 am.
Important! We recommend you don’t book any connection flights/trains from Beijing before 5-6 pm on the same day. It is best to plan to plan the departure from Beijing the day after the train arrival. Please note that Korea Konsult may NOT be held responsible for any flight or train delay.