Home Tours North Korea Day of the Shining Star Tour

North Korea Day of the Shining Star Tour

Start
Feb 14, 2025
Beijing
End
Feb 20, 2025
Beijing
Duration
7 days
Price
EUR1595.00

Is North Korea Open for Tourism?

Currently, North Korea is still closed to tourists, however we are anticipating their re-opening by having everything ready to go as soon as the announcement is made. All North Korea tours will run as scheduled, if the country has opened in time for all arrangements to be made for that tour. If North Korea has not yet opened, any bookings/deposits can be moved onto any other tour (North Korea, or another destination). If you are interested in visiting North Korea, you can sign up for our North Korea mailing list by sending us an email.

Read more about it here!



TOUR OVERVIEW


We love exploring the DPRK in all seasons, but there definitely is something charming and special about winter on the Korean peninsula. With some BBQ and soju to keep you warm, we are sure that you’ll love celebrating this amazing holiday with the locals of Pyongyang. This tour will showcase all the highlights of Pyongyang, whilst also giving us the opportunity to engage in some local celebrations.

We begin our journey with an overnight sleeper train from Beijing and we will end by flying out on the infamous Air Koryo! Both experiences in and of themselves that shouldn’t be missed.

In addition to the highlights of Pyongyang, we will also be taking a trip south to Kaesong and the DMZ, to peer into South Korea and to learn about the signing of the 1953 armistice. And for anyone who’s visited from the southern side, it is a very different experience!

We then head north into the picturesque mountains to see Mount Myohyang, and the International Friendship Exhibition Centre where we can see all the gifts given to the DPRK leadership over the years!

If you’re looking for a combination of history, nature, celebrations and some great winter scenery, then this is the tour for you!

View the full itinerary


If you'd like to join us for The Day of the Shining Star, but you don't quite have enough time for this tour, check out our short tour .


Juche Monument, Pyongyang, North Korea (DPRK)
Metro station, Pyongyang, North Korea (DPRK)


If you like the look of this tour but the dates don't work for you, or you'd like to do part of the tour, please get in touch and let us know. All our tours are able to be split into smaller sections, we're always scheduling new tours and your dates might work for one of them, or we can always organise an independent tour.


If you'd like to see some more of the DPRK while you're here, check out our possible extensions such as skiing at the Masik Ski resort.

INCLUSIONS:

✓

All meals as specified on the itinerary

✓

Overnight train from Beijing to Pyongyang

✓

Accommodation as per itinerary

✓

Entry fees unless otherwise specified

✓

Local and Saiga guides


SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: EUR 200


EXCLUSIONS:

⨯

North Korea visa fee (EUR 60 per person)

⨯

Flight from Pyongyang to Beijing

⨯

Flights to and from Beijing at the start and end of the tour

⨯

Travel insurance

⨯

Chinese visa

⨯

Personal expenses such as souvenirs or any optional activities

⨯

Tips and gratuities

⨯

Any COVID related expenses


Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia Flower Festival, Pyongyang, North Korea (DPRK)
North Korea (DPRK)


TOUR HIGHLIGHTS


Bow to the famous Mansudae statues of Eternal President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jung Il

Visit the Palace of the Sun and pay your respects to the bodies lying in state

Poke a toe into South Korea at the DMZ


*A note about pricing: whilst most of our tours are priced and paid for in USD, EUR is king in North Korea, so it makes much more logical sense to price everything in and receive Euros for all our North Korea tours.

Itinerary
Day 1Fri Feb 14
Beijing, overnight train to Dandong
  • At 10:00 we will meet for our pre-tour briefing. This will be our first opportunity to get to know our fellow travellers, and is usually a really fun morning.
  • We will also be using this time to organise all our visas and settle outstanding tour payments.
  • And from here we will be embarking on our journey, going straight from the briefing to the train station to catch the 17:27 train to Dandong.
  • Overnight on the train – this in itself of course being an exciting experience!
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Day 2Sat Feb 15
Arrival in Pyongyang
  • We will arrive in Dandong in the morning, where we will go through Chinese customs. Out of China, we’ll move onto to the North Korean train, and then will of course go through customs on the other side.
  • The train will arrive in Pyongyang at 18:45, where we will be met by our local North Korean guides.
  • We will have an evening stroll in the city before dinner and then checking into the hotel.
  • Overnight at the Yanggakdo International Hotel.
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Day 3Sun Feb 16
Day of the Shining Star, Pyongyang
  • Today marks the birthday of General Kim Jong Il, and is one of the most important days on the North Korean calendar.
  • We will begin with a visit to the Palace of the Sun where the two leaders are lying in state. Visiting the Palace requires a strict formal dress code and anyone not adhering to it will not be allowed to enter. Please see pre tour information for dress codes.
  • Afterwards we will head to the Mansudae Grand Monuments where we will see they giant bronze statues of General Kim Jong Il and Eternal President Kim Il Sung. It is customary here to lay flowers (which you can buy for EUR 5 each if you’d like to) as a sign of respect.
  • We will then take a walk through the Mansudae Fountain Park, a great opportunity to see locals relaxing and having fun with their families.
  • For lunch, we will head to one of Pyongyang’s many restaurants for some local food.
  • In the afternoon we will continue our city tour with the Party Foundation Monument, which was erected in 1995 for the 40 th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Workers' Party.
  • Afterwards we will head to the Juche Tower where you will have the option to go to the top for skyline views of Pyongyang (EUR 5 per person, not included).
  • Next will be a visit to the Kimjongilia flower exhibit which showcases many displays in celebration of the day’s festivities.
  • We will also hopefully run into a mass dance which we will be allowed to join in on. This is a great way to celebrate with locals who will be wearing colourful traditional dresses.
  • Dinner at a local restaurant.
  • Overnight at Yanggakdo International Hotel.
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Day 4Mon Feb 17
Kaesong, DMZ
  • In the morning, we will make the drive down to the Joint Security Area of the DMZ, along the border with South Korea.
  • Here, we will visit the building where the 1953 armistice was signed, as well as potentially enter the UN controlled area which allows you to technically step into the South!
  • Afterwards we will head back to historic Kaesong where will visit the UNESCO heritage site of the Songgyung Academy, which was once a Confucian school and is now a museum.
  • In Kaesong, we will go for a special lunch called pangsanggi, which was usually reserved for royalty. At this restaurant there is also the option to taste a delicacy of Korean dog soup for an additional EUR 5.
  • On the way back to Pyongyang we will visit beautiful and historic Sariwon where we can sample some local makkoli or fermented rice drink!
  • Tonight, we will also have a chance to check out one of Pyongyang’s local bars!
  • Dinner at a local restaurant.
  • Overnight at Yanggakdo International Hotel.
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Day 5Tue Feb 18
Pyongsong, Mount Myohyang
  • For those doing the short tour , today you will catch your flight back to Beijing in the morning, getting into Beijing at approximately 9:30am.
  • The rest of us will leave Pyongyang in the morning, driving 45 minutes north to the regional capital of Pyongsong.
  • Here we will visit Pyongsong main square, with the statues of Eternal President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il. It is also customary to lay flowers here.
  • Afterwards we will visit a local factory, as Pyongsong is considered a centre for industry in the region.
  • We then head to the Konji-ri Revolutionary site, which was the headquarters of the Korean People’s Army and the home of Kim Il Sung during the war.
  • After exploring Pyongsong, we will drive another 2.5-3 hours north to the picturesque Mount Myohyang.
  • On the way we will visit a Buddhist temple before checking into one of the nicest hotels in the DPRK, the Hyangsan Hotel, considered to have a 7-star rating.
  • Opportunity in the evening to head to a local spa.
  • Overnight in Hyangsan Hotel.
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Day 6Wed Feb 19
International Friendship Exhibition Centre, Pyongyang
  • We will begin the morning with a visit to the International Friendship Exhibition Hall which showcases gifts given to the leaders of the DPRK from world leaders all over the world. Formal dress code required.
  • Afterwards we head into the mountains to take in some of the amazing scenery of the region with the option for a short hike.
  • In the afternoon, we will return to Pyongyang.
  • This evening we’ll have our final dinner all together at our favourite duck BBQ restaurant.
  • Overnight at the Yanggakdo International Hotel.
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Day 7Thu Feb 20
Pyongyang, Beijing, End of Tour

  • In the morning, we will head to Pyongyang International Airport for our 8:35am flight back to Beijing.

  • Arrival into Beijing at approximately 9:30am.

  • End of tour.

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