NORTH KOREA - A WORLD OF ITS OWN
(National Day Long Tour)
A cultural tour of North Korea & China

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) is a world so different from not only its southern cousin, but also from any other country on our planet. A world of and on its own, North Korea offers a glimpse on the impact the governing ideology has on the lives of the people. This is a journey into a state system that is alien to most of us giving us an opportunity to appreciate what we have and what we don’t.

Day 01 September 04 Saturday: Beijing / Pyongyang (Flight)
AM: Bus from office to airport.
PM: Flight JS152 from Beijing to Pyongyang, 13:00 departure, arrive Pyongyang 16:25, meet your Korean guides who will accompany you during your stay. En route to the hotel stop off at the Arch of Triumph - similar to the French version (but bigger) - commemorates the liberation from Japanese rule and Mansudae Grand Monument - statue of DPRK President Kim Il Sung. Check in hotel.
Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel (1 night) (D)

Day 02 September 05 Sunday: Pyongyang / Mount Paekdu (Flight)
AM: Charter Flight (1 hr) to Mount Paekdu - Korea’s highest mountain and sacred birthplace of the entire Korean nation, arrive at Samji Airport, drive to mountain, ascend to peak
PM: Lake Chon - highest crate lake in the world sitting atop Mount Paekdu, cable car from the crater rim to the lake itself, Secret Camp - the site of the HQ of Kim Il Sung’s anti-Japanese guerrilla army and birthplace of Kim Jong Il, drive to hotel
Overnight: Paegaebong Hotel (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 03 September 06 Monday: Mount Paekdu / Mount Chilbo (Flight)
AM: Samjiyon Regional Museum - exhibits and models of the area, shows the scale of the activities of the guerrillas in the 1930s, Schoolchildren’s Palace - local centre of excellence for children, Samjiyon Grand Monument - the largest set of statues in the country laid out in the area where the guerrilla army gathered to launch a crucial attack, the centrepiece is a bronze statue of the commander Kim Il Sung
PM: Charter flight (40 mins) to Mount Chilbo area - one of DPRK’s most remote and scenic areas, arrive at Orang airport, drive through Mount Chilbo area to local beach and homestay houses.
Overnight: Homestay Village (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 04 September 07 Tuesday: Mount Chilbo / Chongjin (Drive)
AM: Tour of the stunning peaks of the Chilbo mountain range, each one has a different story associated with it, breathtaking scenery in one of DPRK’s remotest areas
PM: Drive to Chongjin, a major city on the North East Coast of Korea, local museum - the main attraction in DPRK’s second largest city (other than the city itself!) shows exploits in the area, includes reliefs of the surrounding areas, town square - features the city’s main Statue of the President, steelworks kindergarten - for the children of steelworkers; see classrooms and a performance, city tour.
Overnight: Chongjin Hotel (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 05 September 08 Wednesday: Chongjin / Pyongyang (Flight)
AM: Drive to Orang airport, charter flight return to Pyongyang (1 hr)
PM: Schoolchildren’s Palace tour and performance - centre of extra-curricular excellence with study rooms and a breath-taking children’s performance, walk along Taedong river which runs through the centre of the city, Korean Film Studio - where all the revolutionary and historical epics shown on DPRK TV and in cinemas are made, visit mock-up sets of various countries and periods.
Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel (3 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 06 September 09 Thursday: Pyongyang
AM: DPRK Holiday National Day (Anniversary of country’s foundation): Kumsusan Memorial Palace - Mausoleum where President Kim Il Sung lies in state, Revolutionary Martyrs’ Cemetery - bronze busts of the Koreans who died fighting the Japanese occupation, Juche Tower - 150m stone tower with lookout platform at the top and great panoramic views of the city
PM: Local funfair and Moranbong Park - where the people of Pyongyang go to enjoy their holiday, expected Mass Dance on Kim Il Sung square. (B, L, D)

Day 07 September 10 Friday: Pyongyang
AM: Grand People’s Study House - enormous library/public university building modelled in traditional Korean style over looking Kim Il Sung Square, Museum of Korean Revolution - houses exhibits portraying the anti-Japanese struggle from 1905-1945, to Mount Ryonggak just outside Pyongyang for a picnic lunch
PM: Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum (Korean War Museum) - hear and see the DPRK version of the conflict, War Victory Monuments - sculptures of notable events from the war, visit the spectacular Pyongyang Circus - a very entertaining one hour show, including clowns, trapeze artists, jugglers and much more, USS Pueblo - tour the American espionage ship captured in the 1968. (B, L, D)

Day 08 September 11 Saturday: Pyongyang / Kaesong (Drive)
AM: Monument to Party Foundation - commemorates 50 years of Workers’ Party rule, Mangyongdae Native House - birthplace of the DPRK founder Kim Il Sung, Pyongyang Metro - the deepest in the world, take a ride with the locals
PM: Drive to Kaesong (2.5 hrs) - an historical city near the DMZ which avoided being destroyed in the Korean War, visit the Tomb of King Kongmin - beautiful twin-domed tomb of the 31st King of the Koryo dynasty and his Mongolian wife, and Concrete Wall - anti-tank barrier erected on the southern boundary of the DMZ, before checking into the hotel,where guests sleep on the floor in the traditional Korean style.
Overnight: Minsok Hotel (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 09 September 12 Sunday: Kaesong / Pyongyang (Drive)
AM: Visit the Panmunjom/DMZ - boundary between North and South Korea, Koryo Museum - preserved Confucian museum in the old part of town
PM: Return to Pyongyang (2.5 hrs), tour of Pyongyang’s ‘Sports Village’ of various gymnasia, Golden Lane Bowling Centre - where Pyongyangers go for their ten-pin fix, also has some early 90s arcade games, Pyongyang Diplomatic Club - popular central Pyongyang bar and karaoke hang-out.
Overnight: Yanggakdo Hotel (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 10 September 13 Monday: Depart Pyongyang
AM: Train from Pyongyang departs at 10:10AM
PM: Cross border at Sinuiju/Dandong
Overnight: On Board the Train (1 night) (B)

Day 11 September 14 Tuesday: Arrive Beijing
Arrive Beijing around 0900 hrs. End of our services.

Special Note:
The itinerary as well as visa rules to North Korea can change at any given times.

Departure Dates
2010 English Speaking Departures Sept 4
Inclusions
Tour Price Includes Tour Price Does Not Include Accommodation as mentioned or similar, including hotel taxes International airfare & airport taxes Meals as mentioned (B=Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner) If available during the tour dates - MASS GAME ticket(s) All sightseeing and transfers with services of local English speaking guides Insurance / visa for China (double entry & N.Korea) Entrance fees to museums and sites included in the itinerary Tips/Gratuities to Drivers & Guides Regional/domestic air and overnight train tickets required
Tour Price
We accept payment in US $ (US Dollars), CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent EURO (for clients outside North America). Bestway Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection. Once full payment has been received, and no modification has been made to the tour itinerary, we will honour that rate. For complete payment procedures, please download Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf Note: to read this file you must have Adobe Acrobat.
Departure Double Occupancy Single Room Supplement 2010 US $ 4280 US $ 980
Estimated International Airfare - International airfare is NOT included in this tour
Canada - West Coast N/A USA - West Coast US $ 1300 Canada - East Coast N/A USA - East Coast US $ 1350
Participants
This tour operates on a minimum of 04 participants.
Notes
Customised Itinerary If you would like to have a tour on dates other than the above ones or with a customised itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy to work out an exclusive program for you. Foreign Language Departures Please contact us for information on French, German, Italian and Spanish speaking departures. You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844.