North Korea: Beyond the Bamboo Curtain April 11 – 22, 2014
• April 11: Beijing Holiday Inn Express Beijing Dongzhimen 7 PM Meet in the hotel lobbies for group transportation to local restaurant (traditional Beijing cuisine).
• April 12: Beijing - Pyongyang 10:45 AM meet in the hotel lobby for transfer to the Beijing International Airport. DPRK visas will be handed out at this time. Departure from Beijing (PEK) terminal 2 Flight #JS152 at 1 PM – Arrive in Pyongyang at 4 PM The guides from the KISTC (Korean International Sport Travel Company) will meet the group after the immigration procedure On the way to the Yanggakdo International Hotel we will stop to see the Arch of Triumph. Welcome dinner and Kaeson Amusement Park
• April 13: Pyongyang – Mount Myohyang Drive to Mount Myohyang Take a brief hike up the mountain. Visit the International Friendship Exhibition that houses gifts given to the Kim leaders. Enjoy the Mountain View over tea/coffee. Visit the ancient Buddhist Pohyon Temple and return to Pyongyang
• April 14: Pyongyang – Nampho - Pyongyang Drive to the western port city of Nampho Stop at the West Sea Barrage, an impressive system of dams built in five years across a 8-kilometer section of rough sea. Visit to the Chongsanri Cooperative Farm, where we will be able to meet a farm caretaker and discuss with him about DPRK's agricultural sector and developments in agricultural policies. In the afternoon return to Pyongyang for a walking tour of Pyongyang along the Kim Il Sung square and the Taedong River Promenade. Dinner on the river
• April 15: Kim Il Sung Birthday Celebrations in Pyongyang Start the day with a viewing at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, which houses the preserved bodies of late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il (formal dress is required for this event). Visit the Mansudae Grand Monument. This important site is famous for its large, bronze statutes of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Visit the Grand People’s Study House, Pyongyang’s central library and the Tower of Juche Idea, a 150-meter granite monument dedicated to the Juche principle developed by Kim Il Sung. By your favorite DPRK books and movies at the Foreign Languages Bookshop. In the afternoon we will take part in other festivities to be announced the day of (including a mass dance in the Kim Il Sung Square, circus or symphony event). Visit the newly renovated Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum and the USS Pueblo in its new spot (the “American Spy Ship” captured in 1968). Dinner will be at a local restaurant on Changjon Street, a complex of newly finished apartment buildings, stores and health centers. After-dinner we will walk on Changjon Street before heading back to the hotel.
• April 16: Pyongyang – Kaesong/DMZ - Pyongyang Depart for Kaesong, the city surrounding the DMZ (2 hour drive by coach). Visit the De-Militarized Zone, the border between North and South Korea. Participate in a tour by a North Korean military officer where you can see the original building where the Armistice Agreement ending the Korean War was signed and the neutral blue houses that are shared by the North and South Korean sides. You'll have an opportunity to ask questions and take pictures. In the afternoon you will be able to enjoy traditional Kaesong cuisine for lunch. Visit the Koryo History Museum for the low-down on the ancient Koryo dynasty. Adjacent to the museum is the Koryo Stamp Shop, a favorite place for DPRK postcards, stamps and posters. Return to Pyongyang for a ride on the Pyongyang Metro, one of the deepest metros in the world. Have pizza and pasta at Pyongyang’s own Italian Specialty Restaurant.
• April 17: Pyongyang - Wonsan Drive to Wonsan (4-5 hours by coach), a port city east of Pyongyang. Visit the Tongmyong’s Mausoleum on the way. Short stop at Sinpyong Tea House. Lunch in Wonsan Visit the Sondowon International Children’s Camp. Take a walk through the University of Agriculture, touted as the country's best agricultural university Songdowon sea bathing, Wonsan Revolutionary Site. Seafood dinner. Overnight at Dongmyong Hotel.
• April 18: Wonsan – Mount Kumgang Depart for the famous Kumgang or Diamond Mountains, a breathtaking mountain range that is 5,374 ft high. Take an optional hike, at your own pace, to the Kuryong Waterfalls and the Samil Lake. Spend an overnight at the Kumgangsan Hotel.
• April 19: Mount Kumgang - Hamhung Drive to Hamhung, one of the country's largest industrial cities. Visit the Donghungsan Revolutionary Site. Visit the Hamhung Great Theatre. After lunch in the city of Hamhung, we'll step inside the Hamhung Fertilizer Factory, an operating factory that supplies fertilizer for domestic use. Visit the Hamhung Old Royal Palace. Then relax on the beach at the Majon Pleasure Ground. Stay overnight at the Majon Rest House.
• April 20: Hamhung - Pyongyang Drive back to the capital city of Pyongyang Back in Pyongyang, we'll visit the Korea Film Studio, where many domestic Korean films are made. Stroll around the Mansudae Fountain Park Dinner
• April 21: Pyongyang After breakfast at the hotel, grab a cappuccino (1-2 Euros) at the new Pyongyang Viennese Coffee Shop, a joint venture with an Austrian entrepreneur. Visit the Mansudae Art Studio to see local artists at work. Have lunch at the Okryu Restaurant, famous for its Pyongyang cold noodles. Spend the afternoon at the Pyongyang Bowling Alley. Enjoy a draft beer (1-2 Euros) at the Taedonggang Microbrewery.
• April 22: Pyongyang - Beijing Departure from Pyongyang Flight #JS151 at 9 AM – Arrive in Beijing (PEK) terminal 2 at 10:00 AM
This is the Itinerary approved by the DPRK authorities. Global Exchange and Reality Tours are not responsible for any changes that occur to the itinerary