US tours during Arirang Mass Games 2008

Group tours  | Individual tours  | Booking, payment and cancellation

US passport holders are granted tourist visas to the DPRK during Mass Games ONLY and special conditions apply for these tourists. It is planned that next Arirang Mass Games will be hosted in Pyongyang between August 1- October 10, 2008. Group and individual tours are available for bookings.

More details below:

Visas: will be obtained in Beijing only. Please make sure to arrive in Beijing at least 24 hrs prior your departure to the DPRK.

Tour length and itinerary: restricted to 4 nights, return flight from Beijing. Importantnt! Stay limit is imposed by the Korean side and is subject to change.

Tour dates (group tours):

*These tours will go ahead under the condition that Arirang Mass Games will be held in Pyongyang during this period.**Arirang Mass Games dates are subject to change.

Discounts: available for students and for groups of at least 3 persons booking alltogether.

Prices above include:

• a round-trip airplane/train ticket Beijing-Pyongyang-Beijing
• first-class (4 stars) accommodation at Yanggakdo Hotel in Pyongyang and 3 stars accomodation outside Pyongyang in a standard double room
• three meals a day
• all local transfers and bus excursions
• the services of English-speaking guides
• tickets to all museums, exhibitions, and performances included in the itinerary

Prices above do not include:

• the visa fee (40 Euro)
• international airplane/train tickets to/from Beijing from your home town
• your stopover expenses in Beijing
• single room supplement (40 Euro per person and night)
• art or circus performance (10 Euro)
• Mass Games ticket (from 40 Euro)

Individual tours:

Tour dates and itinerary: are chosen by the traveller

Tour costs (4 night tour):

1 person - 2250 Euro

2 persons - 1990 Euro per person

3-5 persons - 1750 Euro per person

Discounts: available for students and for groups of at least 3 persons booking alltogether.

Application deadline: 4 weeks prior travel, but it is recommended to book ASAP as we can not always guarantee flight seats for last minute applicants.

Booking, payment and cancellation

TOUR BOOKING. To book any of the above tours, please send us following information by e-mail: Family name, First name(s), date of birth, sex, nationality, passport number, employment details with your employer's contact number, home address, your contact telephone number. All family names, first names and middles names should be spelled exactly as in your passport. Please check always your passport validity before booking your tour. Please note that we cannot start any tour arrangement for you until you have paid your tour deposit. Sometimes the tour application can be closed before the deadline if we have too many applicants.

PAYMENT. A tour deposit (50 % of the tour cost) should be paid on booking by bank transfer (credit cards and drafts are not accepted). The remaining tour fee should be paid in cash (Euro) upon your arrival in Beijing (at least 1-2 days before the tour departure) or it can also be paid to us by another bank transfer at least 10 days before the tour start.

CANCELLATION.

Cancellation made by yourself. Our cancellation charge is 30% of the total tour fee if you cancel at latest 10 days before the tour departure, for later cancellations no refund will be made. However, if you are able to take a later trip, we offer you a discount.

Cancellation due to visa refusal and "force majeure". If we fail to arrange your trip to the DPRK(f.e. due to visa refusal, Mass Games cancellation or if the DPRK will temporarily close its borders for tourists) and you cannot join any later tour, a full refund will be made, however, we cannot be held responsible for any fees charged by the receiving bank in your country.

If you have any more questions: please contact us!

Itinerary for US tours

Important! The itinerary below is a PRELIMINARY one. Korea Konsult reserves the right to change some parts of the itinerary if needed.

Day 1 (Monday)

a) Departure from Beijing by Air China flight CA 121 at 1.40 pm. All passengers should arrive to the airport at least 2 hours before the flight's departure.

b) Arrival to Pyongyang at 4.20 pm local time, transfer to Pyongyang city and check-in at Yanggakdo Hotel (4*) beautifully located in the middle of Taedong river. Room on a high floor. A magnificent view is guaranteed !

c) Dinner at the hotel and short city sightseeing.

Day 2 (Tuesday)

a) Early breakfast. Drive to Kaesong, (capital of Korea up to 15 th century and today ginseng cultivation center), located just 8 km from the Demilitarized Zone dividing the 2 Koreas).

b) The DMZ and Panmunjom (1953 Armistice village). The guide force is increased by several North Korean officers who show you around in Panmunjom. Together you inspect the Demilitarized Zone and the Military Museum on the 38th parallel.

c) Back to Kaesong.Koryo Dynasty Museum.. The famous Koryo Dinasty ruled Korea for several centuries until 1392.

d) Lunch at Tongil resturant in Kaesong. "Tongil" means "Reunification" in Korean.

e) Drive back to Pyongyang

f) ARIRANG MASS GAMES at May Day Stadium - one of the biggest arenas in the World.

g) Dinner at the Lotos restaurant.

Day 3 (Wednesday)

a) After breakfast departure to Myohyangsan mountains (170 km from Pyongyang ).

b) Visit to the International Friendship Exhibition (impressive exhibition of gifts from foreigners to President Kim Il-Song and the leader Kim Jong-Il.)

c) Buddhist temple Bohyon. Lunch at the hotel.

d) On the way back to Pyongyang visit of an Ostrich Farm.

e) Back to Pyongyang. Dinner at Chongryu restaurant.

Day 4 (Thursday)

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) Visit to 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. 

c) Visit to the USS Pueblo, captured by North Koreans in 1968. Although the ship's crew were repatriated after a lengthy negotiation, North Korea kept the ship as a war trophy.

d) Lunch on a floating boat on Taedong river  

e) Visit to Korean Film Studio - North Korea's version of Hollywood. Something not to be missed! 

f) Mangyondae Children's Palace - magnificent dance and music performance by North Korea's most talented children (can be replaced by a visit to one of Pyongyang Secondary Schools, with the possibility to assist at different lessons including an English language lesson. The visit ends with an amazing music and dance performance by Korean children).

g) Dinner at Duck Barbecue Restaurant

Day 5 (Friday)

a) Breakfast. Pyongyang city sightseeing including big monuments on Mansu Hill (among them - the 20 meters statue of the president Kim Il Sung), Arc of Triumph (higher than the one in Paris), Tower of Juche Ideas (Juche is the scientific basis of the North Korean socialism), magnificent Fountain Park in frount of Mansudae Dramatic Theater, and finally the impressive monument dedicated to the Worker's Party of Korea.

b) Ride on Pyongyang Metro

c) Walk in Moranbong Park or visit to one of Pyongyang's funfairs

d) Bookshop, souvenir shops

e) Transfer to Sunan Airport and departure to Beijing at 5.20 pm by flight CA 122, arrival in Beijing at 6.05 pm