Liberation Day Tour with Mass Games – Aug 2021

At A Glance

On this trip we will also include all the must see sites of Pyongyang. We’ll stop by the Mausoleum where both President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il lay in state. We’ll be taking the mysterious Pyongyang metro to a few of our stops which include the Juche Tower and Koryo War Museum. No trip to the DPRK is complete without visiting the infamous DMZ (Demilitarised Zone) aka ‘the tensest place on earth’ where the North meets the South.

Travel to North Korea with us for the momentous celebration of Liberation day! This important national holiday celebrates the end of the Japanese occupation of Korea. Highlights of this tour include the official celebrations, with plenty of singing and dancing alongside the locals as well as an amazing fireworks display and Mass Dance.

Those wanting to see a little bit more of the DPRK can avail of our Group B option which sees us spend a night in the DPRK border town city opposite Dandong in China. This city is seldom seen by tourists and gives a good perspective of life outside the capital. We’ll check out a Korean Kindergarten, walk around the town square and take a hike along the river dividing China and North Korea.

If the dates of our North Korea Liberation Day Tour don’t fit your schedule, feel free to check out our tailor made North Korea tours.

The Mass Games, the world’s largest performance with over 100,000 performers is also expected to take place during this tour! It is an unmissable traveling experience to witness the Mass Games. Tickets are sold separately and must be paid in cash during your tour in Pyongyang. We would recommend securing your spot on tour early as we expect spaces to fill up very quickly.

Dates & Pricing

Nov 2nd – Nov 11th 2020
or Customise Your Tour
10 Days
€1,197

Ticket costs for Mass Games below:

Ticket Class Original Price (Per Person)
3rd Class €100 / 800RMB
2nd Class €300 / 2,300RMB
1st Class €500 / 3800RMB
VIP €800 / 6000RMB

Tour Price:

  • Group A €1045 (August 11th – 16th)
  • Group B €1195 (August 11th – 18th)
Itinerary

Wednesday 11th August

  • Meet at 1:30 pm at the Beijing Zhong Gu Hotel with your fellow travelers and guide to have a chat about the tour itinerary and receive your visas before you travel to North Korea.

  • 5:25 pm train to Pyongyang.

 

Thursday 12th August

  • Train group arrive at Dandong at 7:00 am for Chinese border control then depart for Sinuiju at 10:00 am for the extensive border control from the DPRK side

  • Flight takers travel to North Korea from Beijing Airport Terminal 2 on Air Koryo at 2pm (Meet group at Air Koryo check-in counter).

  • Flight group arrives in Pyongyang at 5:00 pm to a warm welcome from your Korean guides.

  • Train group arrives at 5:30 pm to an equally warm welcome.

  • In the evening your YPT guide will show you around the hotel before taking you for drinks and to get to know your Korean guides

  • Dinner and overnight at the Sosan Hotel.

 

Friday 13th August

  • Early breakfast and then we drive to Kaesong and the DMZ.

  • Koryo Museum- Korea’s oldest university and now a history and culture museum. Also home to an interesting stamp and propaganda poster shop. No other souvenirs will encapsulate the North Korean experience more!

  • The DMZ- aka ‘the tensest place on earth’. Our guide here will be a friendly KPA officer who will give us an insightful tour and also pose for some photos.

  • Traditional Korean lunch at the Thongil Restaurant in Kaesong City. This is a good opp to try some Korean Pansangi- an array of dishes served in bronze bowls. (Optional extras- Dog soup €5, Ginseng Stuffed Whole Chicken €30- can be split between several).

  • Next stop is the provincial capital of Sariwon City. Admire the scenery with a walk in the local folk park. Nice views of the city from the mountain top pagoda.

  • Try locally brewed Makkoli in the local tea house

  • We stop by the Monument to the Three Charters of National Reunification which stands over the Thongil Highway.

  • We arrive back in Pyongyang in time for dinner at the Famous Lamb BBQ restaurant with a traditional performance!

  • Overnight at the Sosan hotel.

 

Saturday 14th August 

  • Stroll around the scenic Mansudae fountain park which is flanked by the mosaic pictures of President Kim Il Sung and the Leader Kim Jong Il.

  • Some photos at the Mansudae Grand Monument where we can show our respects to the President Kim Il Sung and the Leader Kim Jong Il. (You have the option to donate flowers if you wish. Cost 2-4 euro.)

  • We take the mysterious Pyongyang Metro to the Arch of Triumph.

  • The Arch of Triumph- an enormous arch that was built to celebrate the Korean victory over the Japanese and the return of the general Kim Il Sung to Pyongyang.

  • Visit Kwangbok department store one of the only places we can exchange foreign currency for local currency and do some shopping in a DPRK mall!

  • Juche Tower – monument to the everlasting Juche Ideology (nice photo opportunity overlooking the capital at the top of the tower for an additional €5).

  • Stop by Mansugyo Beer Bar for some beers amongst the locals

  • Dinner at KITC – we’ll be treated to our very own Korean performance here

  • Overnight in Sosan Hotel.

 

Sunday 15th August – Liberation Day!

  • Kumsusan Palace of the sun- a sacred site to the Koreans. Where President Kim Il Sung and Comrade Kim Jong Il lie in state. Dress smart!

  • Revolutionary Martys Cemetery

  • Special celebratory events (optional: approx 20 euros) – the exact proceedings are usually kept secret up until the day but we will be taking part in any official events setup for the celebrations. These may include a parade, a circus performance, and many other spectacles. Not to be missed!

  • Spectate and/or join in on the Pyongyang university students performing a mass dance near an iconic DPRK monument – get your camera this is a rare photo opp!

  • Dinner at New Hope Restaurant. (Chefs recommendations are the famous cold noodles or Bibimbap!)

  • Spectate the Mass Gamese worlds largest performance!

  • We finish the evening in Kim Il Sung Square where we watch the fireworks over the Taedong River and Juche Tower

  • Overnight at the Sosan hotel.

 

Monday 16th August

  • At 9:00 am flight, takers leave for Beijing on Air Koryo. (Arriving at 10:00 am Beijing time)

  • Group A train members and Group B depart Pyongyang train station at 10:25 am. Group A train members arrive at Beijing Railway Station at 9:00 am on August 17th

Group B continues on from the afternoon:

  • At 3 pm we arrive in Sinuiju.

  • With our new local guides, we will explore the large central square of Sinuiju and see the statue of President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il

  • Next up is the local Folklore Park – stunning natural scenery and potentially some chances to join the locals in some activities

  • Tour the Pomhayanggi Cosmetics Factory. Home of the DPRK’s finest cosmetic products.

  • Next, we head south to the neighboring town of Dongrim (about 1-hour drive).

  • Dinner and overnight at the Dongrim Hotel – this is a newly built pretty swanky hotel complete with a swimming pool. sauna, table tennis, massage, bars, karaoke, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts///////

  • We arrive in the unspoiled village of Dongrim at 2:30pm to meet our local guides

  • We’ll check into our hotel at Dongrim and get ready for an afternoon hike

  • We’ll hike up to Dongrim Waterfall to take in the stunning views of the valley, feel free to take a dip beneath the waterfall if the weather is sunny!

  • Overnight at the brand new Dongrim Hotel, complete with swimming pool, sauna, bar,volleyball courts and heaps of other amenities.

 

Tuesday 17th August

  • Drive back to Sinuiju city on the way stopping at:

  • Sinamri Co-operative farm – a large local co-op farm producing rice, cabbage, chilli, and cucumbers.

  • Visit the mosaic images of the “Three Tigers of Mt. Paektu” Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il and his mother Kim Jong Suk.

  • Visit the North Pyongan Province Revolutionary History Museum to help us top up on the regions local history.

  • Myohyangsan Travel Company Restaurant for some lunch.

  • Explore Amnok park where we can check out the Amnok River (Yalu River) which is home to the original Korean/Chinese Friendship Bridge. This is a rare sight for tourists to see (especially from the NK side!) and was bombed by the Americans during the Korean War.

  • Visit the Art Studio which holds over 250 pieces of DPRK fine arts in six large halls. Again this is a pretty rare tourist opp!

  • Bonbu Kindergarten and performance – Famous for training the Children who perform in the infamous skipping scene of the Arirang Mass Games. The school has a long history of training artistic performers and boasts the highest standard of performance in the country.

  • At 4:30 pm we catch the bus and for Korean customs to finish our tour in Dandong, China.

  • At 6:30pm we board the overnight sleeper train to Beijing.

 

Wednesday 18th August

  • At 9:00 am we arrive at Beijing Railway Station.

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