Itinerary for "National Day special tour 1" 8-17/18 September 2012 or 8-19/20 September 2012 including extension
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: 24 October 2011
Day 1, September 8 (Sat)
a) Departure from Beijing by Air Koryo flight JS 152 at 13.00 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 16.00 local time, transfer to Pyongyang, city sightseeing including Arch of Triumph and 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.
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, September 9 (Sun) National Day, 64th Anniversary of DPRK
a) Breakfast. 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) Ride on Pyongyang Metro
d) Lunch
e) After lunch walk in Moranbong Park (many Koreans spend a holiday day there. In the middle of the park - Soviet Army monument)
f) Juche Tower. 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 ) 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) Mass Dances expected on the occasion of the National Day involving several thousand Koreans
j) Dinner at Chongryu Hot Pot Restaurant
Day 3, September 10 (Mon)
a) Breakfast. Departure by charter flight to Mt. Chilbo (1hr flight). "Chilbo" ("7 treasures") takes its name from an old Korean legend ; the mountain was believed to contain 7 treasures. Chilbo and its unspoiled landscape presents fantastic views: deep valleys, waterfalls and magnificent seaviews. Mt Chilbo is put on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
b) Arrive in Orang airport at 09.40 am , bus to Mt. Chilbo.
c) Lunch at Outer Chilbo Hotel, drive to the Inner Chilbo area
d) Sightseeing in Inner Chilbo: Kaesim Buddhist Temple (built in 826), Sungson Pavilion (all sights of Inner Chilbo are seen from this pavillion).
e) Homestay with Korean families at Seaside Chilbo. Sea Chilbo offers beautiful scenery of curious rocks, stretched out over 40 kilometers.
Day 4, September 11 (Tue)
a) Breakfast. Rest on the beach of East Sea.
b) Departure to Orang Airport (3 hours) and flight to Samjiyon (closest place to Mt Paekdu). Samjiyon is a beautiful mountain town 1380 m above sea level and is a known ski resort in the DPRK.
c) Arrival in Samjiyon, lunch.
d) Visit to Samjiyon Schoolchildren's Palace inaugurated in 2006 by the Leader Kim Jong Il in person. Music and dance performance by Samjiyon children.
e) Mount Paekdu Museum
f) Rimyongsu Waterfalls in Rimyongsu village. These falls are beautiful all year around, but in winter they present an especially spectacular view.
g) Dinner and overnight at Baegebong Hotel
Day 5, September 12 (Wed)
a) Breakfast. Departure to Chon Crater Lake on the top of Mt. Paekdu. Mt Paekdu is the highest mountain on the Korean Peninsula (2750 m above sea level), situated in the border between the DPRK and China. Lake Chon is the deepest mountain lake in the World. Mt Paekdu is known for its fantastic scenery, but it is also a sacred place for the Korean Revolution.
b) We use funicular railway to go from the foot of the mountain to the summit (10 Euro p/p for return trip) and then down to the crater lake. you can use stairs (free) or cable car (5 Euro p/p one way).
c) Picnic lunch on the shore of Amnok River (Yalu River). Amnok River is the 803 km long border river between North Korea and China and it is the longest river in the DPRK. Amnok River has Mt. Paekdu as a watershed and starts on the southern foot of the mountain.
d) Visit to Korean Guerilla Secret Camp in Mt Paekdu and Leader Kim Jong Il's Native Home. Jong Il peak rises 1798 m above sea level behind the native home.
e) On the way to the airport we visit Samjiyon Grand Monument erected in 1979 on the shore of Lake Samji with Mount Paekdu as background. This huge and impressive monument was built to commemorate President Kim II Sung's revolutionary activity during the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle.
f) Depature to the airport and departure on charter flight to Pyongyang at 18.00.
g) Arrival in Pyongyang at 19.00, dinner at Lotos Restaurant
Day 6, September 13 (Thu)
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 7, September 14 (Fri)
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 Sijung lake via Wonsan.
e) Check in Sijung Guesthouse, dinner.
Day 8, September 15 (Sat)
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 9, September 16 (Sun)
a) Early breakfast. Drive back to Wonsan via Chonsam cooperative farm: we visit agricultural fields, but even peasants houses and meet their families.
b) In Wonsan, visit of Sondowon International Schoolchildren's Camp.
c) Lunch at Songdowon Tourist Hotel.
d) Sightseeing in Wonsan: Main Square, harbour
e) Departure to Pyongyang, dinner.
Day 10, September 17 (Mon)
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 during the Korean War. China rebuilt its half of the bridge but North Korea intentionally did not. Instead they wanted to leave bridge in ruins (just piles are seen) as a monument to the Korean War.
Day 11, September 18 (Tue)
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 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.
EXTENSION TOUR 17-19/20 SEPTEMBER 2012 (optional)
Day 10, September 17 (Mon)
a) After breakfast drive to Korea Art Gallery - collection of paintings, sculptures etc from ancient to modern times.
b) Grand People Study House - DPRK’s biggest library and educational centre located on the North Korea main square – Kim Il Sung’s square.
c) After lunch we visit the 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.
d) Visit to the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital
e) Visit to a Middle School. You can even visit classrooms and assist at several lessons. The visit ends with a music and dance performance.
f) Dinner
Day 11, September 18 (Tue)
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 Panmunjom. Together we inspect the Demilitarized Zone and the Military Museum on the 38th parallel.
b) Back to Kaesong city and 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) Visit of King Kongmin Tomb. This twin tomb dates from around 1352 and belongs to a monarch of the Koryo dynasty and his wife. Really beautiful and idyllic place to visit.
e) Drive back to Pyongyang, farewell dinner at Duck Barbecue Restaurant.
Day 12, September 19 (Wed)
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 during the Korean War. China rebuilt its half of the bridge but North Korea intentionally did not. Instead they wanted to leave bridge in ruins (just piles are seen) as a monument to the Korean War.
Day 13, September 20 (Thu)
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 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.
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