Itinerary for "National Day standard tour" 8-15/16 September 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: 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) Moranbong Park (many Koreans spend a holiday day there. In the midlle of the park - Soviet Army monument)
f) Juche Tower and surrounding monuments. Take the elevator to the top 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) Drive 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) Drive to Hamhung. 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 4, September 11 (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) Lunch
e) Drive to Wonsan.
f) Wonsan Agricultural University
g) Vvisit of Sondowon International Schoolchildren's Camp
h) Overnight at Tongmyong Hotel

Day 5, September 12 (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 Kuryong 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 6, September 13 (Thu)

a) Early breakfast. Drive back to Wonsan via Chonsam cooperative farm: we visit agricultural fields, but even peasants houses and meet their families.
b) Sightseeing in Wonsan: Main Square, harbour
c) Lunch at Songdowon Tourist Hotel or local restaurant.
d) On the way to Pyongyang we visit Ulim Waterfall discovered by Korean soldiers in 2001
e) Dinner.

Day 7, September 14 (Fri)

a) After breakfast 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).
b) 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.
c) Walk in Janamsan Park from which the beautiful panorama of the old Kaesong can be admired. Lunch at Tongil restaurant in Kaesong. "Tongil" means "Reunification" in Korean. Return to Pyongyang
d) Lunch at Tongil restaurant in Kaesong. "Tongil" means "Reunification" in Korean.
e) Back in Pyongyang. 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 at Duck Barbecue Restaurant.

Day 8, September 15 (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 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 9, September 16 (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 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.