North Korea Party Foundation Day Tour

Start
Oct 8, 2025
Beijing
End
Oct 15, 2025
Beijing
Duration
8 days
Price
EUR1695.00

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


Party Foundation Day is one of the biggest celebrations of the year on the Korean calendar. We will start off by taking the overnight train from Beijing to Dandong before continuing by train to Pyongyang.

We’ll explore all the famous sights of Pyongyang, but we’ll also have the privilege of experiencing the amazing celebrations such as mass dances and picnics and even maybe fireworks at night! This is a great way to meet and interact with the friendly locals of Pyongyang, who will probably invite you to have some soju with them.

Afterwards we venture south to historic Kaesong and the DMZ, where will learn about the ongoing conflict, and the signing of the 1953 armistice. And of course we will visit the UN blue building that crosses the border to South Korea.

We then head east to explore the coastal city of Wonsan and the amazingly beautiful Mount Kumgang (Diamond Mountain). This time of year should bring vibrant autumn colours to the mountains, making for some epic hiking and a great way to experience North Korean nature.

We will end the tour by flying back to Beijing on the infamous Air Koryo. With this tour, we have aimed to give you an overview of the country, of both city and countryside, as well as partaking in one of the year’s most exciting celebrations!

View the full itinerary


If you'd like to join us for Party Foundation Day, but you don't quite have enough time for this tour, check out our short tour .

North Korea (DPRK)
Kaesong old town, 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 240


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


Amusement park, Pyongyang, North Korea (DPRK)
Metro station, Pyongyang, 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 1Wed Oct 8
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 2Thu Oct 9
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 3Fri Oct 10
Party Foundation Day, Pyongyang

Today there will most likely be some form of mass celebration or even a military parade. This means that today we will require flexibility as we work out when and where celebrations are taking place and where we are allowed to go and see them. This could also include mass dances and potential fireworks in the evening! But we’ll just have to play it by ear, and will make sure we get to the best things we can.

  • 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, and on to Moranbong Park for celebrations with the locals and a picnic lunch.
  • After lunch we will head to the Party Foundation Monument, an impressively large sculpture of the brush, sickle and hammer, which makes up the symbol of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
  • 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).
  • Time permitting, we will then head to a local beer bar to celebrate with locals before possibly catching a show at the circus or participating in a mass dance!
  • Potential fireworks display from Kim Il sung Square and dinner.
  • Overnight at Yanggakdo International Hotel.
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Day 4Sat Oct 11
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 5Sun Oct 12
Wonsan, Mount Kumgang (Kumgansan)
  • If you chose the short tour , today you will catch your flight back to Beijing in the morning, getting into Beijing at approximately 9:30am.
  • For those who are continuing, we begin the day with a drive across the peninsula to Wonsan, which should take about 4 hours.
  • We will make several stops along the way of course, such as at the Sinpyong Lake rest stop, and the beautiful Ulim waterfall.
  • Arriving in Wonsan, we will explore the city centre and the docks and get a bit of a feel for seaside life in North Korea.
  • Now we will make our way to Mount Kumgang (Diamond Mountain), where we’ll be able to truly take in the amazing scenery of the region.
  • On arrival we will visit the beautiful Samil Lagoon, named after the “3-day stay” of a King, according to local folklore.
  • Overnight at Kumgansan Hotel.
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Day 6Mon Oct 13
Mount Kumgang (Kumgansan), Wonsan
  • In the morning, we will venture deeper into nature for a few spectacular hours, and have a hike in the beautiful mountains. Korea is famous for the changing of autumn leaves, and this is exactly the right time of year to see them in all their glory.
  • Afterwards we will drive back to Wonsan, with some time to spare to relax at one the beautiful beaches in the area.
  • In the evening, we can explore the docks and the relaxed seafront area of Wonsan.
  • Overnight in Tomgyong Hotel.
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Day 7Tue Oct 14
Return to Pyongyang
  • Arriving back in Pyongyang, we will visit the Glorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum.
  • We will then take a stroll through the city before heading to a local beer bar in the evening before dinner.
  • This evening we’ll have our final dinner all together at our favourite duck BBQ restaurant.
  • Overnight in the Yanggakdo International Hotel.
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Day 8Wed Oct 15
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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