Itinerary for "Liberation Day standard tour " 13-20/21 August 2011

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: Nov 4, 2010

Day 1, August 13 (Sat)

a) Departure from Beijing by Air Koryo flight JS 152 at 13.00 am 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 16.00 local time, transfer to Pyongyang, city sightseeing including Arch of Triumph.

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.

e) Incredible Mass Gymnastics Show of 100,000 performers - Arirang Mass Games. It will be hosted at Pyongyang May Day Stadium, one of the biggest sport arenas in the World. Important! The show date is preliminary and is subject to change The price of the ticket i is not included in the tour price and should be paid directly in Pyongyang before the show starts (from 80 Euro per ticket).

Day 2, August 14 (Sun)

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 3, August 15 (Mon) 66th Anniversary of the country liberation from the Japanese rule

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) Mass Dance in central Hamhung on the occasion of the Liberation Day

d) Visit to Hungnam Fertilizer Factory - the largest chemical plant in the Far East

e) After lunch drive to Sijung lake via Wonsan.

f) Check in Sijung Guesthouse, dinner.

Day 4, August 16 (Tue)

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 5, August 17 (Wed)

a) Breakfast. Drive to Manmulsang. The Manmulsang area has hundreds of different rocky peaks. There are also waterfalls and ponds between the strangely shaped rocks and stones, giving a magnificent view.

b) Lunch. Drive back to Wonsan via Chonsam cooperative farm: we visit agricultural fields, but even peasants houses and meet their families.

c) In Wonsan, visit of Sondowon International Schoolchildren's Camp.

d) Check in at the Songdowon Tourist Hotel in Wonsan, beautifully located at the beach in the heart of the city.

e) Dinner at Kalmaegi Restaurant.

Day 6, August 18 (Thur)

a) After breakfast drive back to Pyongyang.

b) Lunch on the boat Pyongyang No.1 on Taedong River

c) Mansudae Grand Monuments on Mansu Hill.

d) Visit to a Middle School. You can even visit classrooms and assist at several lessons. The visit ends with a music and dance performance

e) Ride on Pyongyang Metro.

f) Juche Tower and surrounding monuments. Elevator to the top of the tower to enjoy the magnificent view of Pyongyang (optional, 5 Euro p/p).

g) Worker Party Foundation Monuments

h) Dinner at Hot Pot Restaurant.

Day 7, August 19 (Fri)

a) Early breakfast. Drive to the DMZ and Panmunjom (1953 Armistice village). Our guide force is increased by several North Korean officers who show us around in 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.

e) 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. 

f) 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.

g) Farewell dinner at Duck Barbecue Restaurant

Day 8, August 20 (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 9, August 21 (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 the best to plan your 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.