Key Information
Hong Kong
Status: Special Administrative Region of China
Language: Cantonese, English
Currency: Hong Kong Dollar (HKD)
Highlights: Victoria Peak, Star Ferry, Aberdeen Fishing Village
China
Capital: Beijing
Language: Mandarin
Currency: Chinese Yuan (CNY)
Highlights: Great Wall, Forbidden City, historic sites
DPRK (North Korea)
Capital: Pyongyang
Language: Korean
Currency: North Korean Won (visitors typically use USD or EUR)
Important: All visits are heavily controlled and must be through approved tour operators. Photography restrictions apply at many sites.
Highlights: DMZ/Panmunjom, Pyongyang Metro, Mass Dance celebrations, Mount Myohang
Summary of Plan
| Day | Date | Plan | Accommodation |
| 1 | Wed 08-Feb | Depart Gatwick | In Flight |
| 2 | Thu 09-Feb | Arrive Hong Kong | The Royal Garden, Hong Kong |
| 3 | Fri 10-Feb | Hong Kong City Tour | The Royal Garden, Hong Kong |
| 4 | Sat 11-Feb | Fly to Beijing | Fairmont Hotel, Beijing |
| 5 | Sun 12-Feb | Beijing & Night Train to Dandong | Overnight Train |
| 6 | Mon 13-Feb | Dandong Tour | Hotel, Dandong |
| 7 | Tue 14-Feb | Train to Pyongyang, DPRK | Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang |
| 8 | Wed 15-Feb | DMZ/Panmunjom & Kaesong | Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang |
| 9 | Thu 16-Feb | Kim Jong Il Birthday Celebrations | Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang |
| 10 | Fri 17-Feb | Mount Myohang | Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang |
| 11 | Sat 18-Feb | Return to Beijing | Fairmont Hotel, Beijing |
| 12 | Sun 19-Feb | Fly Home via Hong Kong | Home |
DAY 01 [08/02/17] – Depart UK
In Flight
Depart from Gatwick airport at 11:35 on Cathay Pacific CX344 for 11.5 hours.
DAY 02 [09/02/17] – Arrive Hong Kong
The Royal Garden Hotel, Hong Kong – night 1/2
Arrive in Hong Kong at 7:05 and check into The Royal Garden hotel for two nights. We jump straight onto the Airport Express to Kowloon then catch a shuttle to stop 3 on route K3 which takes us closest to the hotel. Make sure we remember to pick up our wifi device from service counter A03, Arrival Hall, Level 5, Terminal 1.
DAY 03 [10/02/17] – Hong Kong
The Royal Garden Hotel, Hong Kong – night 2/2
Enjoy the highlights of Hong Kong today. Maybe catch the star ferry across Victoria Harbour, then climb Victoria Peak by tram (only 8 minutes). Visit Aberdeen Fishing Village and the Ladies Street Market in Mongkok District. We meet an escort outside Central MTR Exit K at 12PM to get there from our hotel we walk for 11 minutes to Tsim Sha Tsui Station and catch red line Tsuen Wan Line to Central Station.
DAY 04 [11/02/17] – Hong Kong to Beijing
Fairmont Hotel, Beijing – night 1/1
Depart from Hong Kong at 14:00 on Cathay Pacific CX5992 (Dragonair) for 3.3 hours arriving at 17:20. Spend tonight in the sensational Fairmont Hotel.
DAY 05 [12/02/17] – Beijing to Dandong
Overnight Train – night 1/1
Enjoy Beijing in the morning before departing from the train station at 17:25 to Dandong in a first class sleeper cabin.
DAY 06 [13/02/17] – Dandong
Hotel, Dandong – night 1/1
Lunch included
Arrive in Dandong at 7:15 and then enjoy a tour of Tiger Mountain Great Wall, a boat trip along the Yalu river, a broken bridge walk and the Korean war museum.
DAY 07 [14/02/17] – Dandong to Pyongyang
Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang – night 1/4
Packed lunch and dinner included
Depart Dandong on the 10:00 train to Pyongyang. The train departs and we cross the Yalu river on the Sino-Korea Friendship bridge over to Sinuiju. The train stops at North Korean customs where we will remain for around 2 hours before continuing the journey to Pyongyang. View the Korean countryside and workers in the fields through the train windows throughout your journey to the capital. Packed lunch provided on the train. The journey is a great chance to mix with locals on the train and also stand on the bustling platforms while the train stops at each town along the way. We reach Pyongyang in time for dinner at the Yanggakdo hotel. Evening spent at leisure around the hotel grounds. Check out the hotel’s microbrewery or head up to the revolving bar on the top floor with incredible vistas of Pyongyang. There’s also the chance to go bowling, play pool or perform on karaoke!
DAY 08 [15/02/17] – DMZ & Kaesong
Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang – night 2/4
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
After breakfast we head to Panmunjom, the ‘truce village’ that straddles the North/South Korean border and visit the Armistice Hall, where the truce was signed at the end of the Korean war. We are given talks by North Korean military personnel explaining the history of the site before heading over to visit the DMZ or Military Demarcation line, an area that Bill Clinton described as ‘one of the most dangerous places in the world’. If there are no tourists on the Southern side then we will have the chance to go inside the blue buildings which straddle the border. Once inside you can walk freely across the North and South border. Afterwards we drive to Kaesong to visit the Koryo History Museum and the Tomb of King Wang Gwon. Afterwards we will go for lunch before returning to Pyongyang in the afternoon to view the Tower of Juche Idea, take a trip on the Pyongyang Metro and visit the Mansudae Monument and view the newly constructed giant bronze statue of Kim Jong Il now stood next to his father. We will then visit one of the best restaurants in Pyongyang, the Duck BBQ before returning to the hotel where you will have the chance to shop at the export store. Buy anything from books, CDs and DVDs to stamps, pin badges and propaganda artwork. Depending on what activities are available at the time of the tour, we also offer the option of spending the evening outside the hotel, visiting either the funfair, orchestra, circus or bar.
DAY 09 [16/02/17] – Kim Jong Il Birthday Celebrations
Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang – night 3/4
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Today is a national holiday celebrating the former birthday of Kim Jong Il. We spend the day around the capital, soaking up the atmosphere and visiting various sites from the Grand People’s Study House, Korean war museum and Mangyongdae Native house, to the Arch of Triumph, Kim Il Sung square to Monument of the Party Foundation and more. In the early evening we join in with the celebrations, which are likely to include a Mass Dance being held in one of the squares where you will be able to interact and even dance with locals! Usually fireworks take place later as we walk along the banks of the Taedong river before going for dinner at a Pyongyang restaurant.
DAY 10 [17/02/17] – Mount Myohang
Yanggakdo Hotel, Pyongyang – night 4/4
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
After breakfast we are driven to Mount Myohang to explore one of the most beautiful areas in the Korean peninsula. On arrival we visit the International Friendship Exhibition Hall, a huge complex consisting of over 100,000 gifts given by various world leaders and figures to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Including the extravagant sight of two trains given to Kim Il Sung by Chairman Mao and Joseph Stalin! After visiting the exhibit highlights we are taken onto the balcony of the exhibition hall to view the breathtaking scenery of the area. We leave the exhibition hall and drive to nearby Pohyon Temple. The temple dates from the 11th Century and the founding of the Koryo Dynasty. It is one of the few remaining Buddhist temples in North Korea. The local guide will give you a tour of the site and introduce you to the temple’s monks. After lunch in Myohang-ch’on we return to Pyongyang and visit the Arch of Triumph and Mangyongdae Native House. Afterwards we will visit the Youth palace to watch a special performance by local children. We will go for a traditional Korean meal before returning to the hotel.
DAY 11 [18/02/17] – Pyongyang to Beijing
Fairmont Hotel, Beijing – night 1/1
Arrive back in Beijing at 10:30.
DAY 12 [19/02/17] – Return Home
Depart Beijing at 10:00 on Cathay Pacific CX347 for 3.83 hours to Hong Kong arriving at 13:50 then depart Hong Kong at 15:05 on Cathay Pacific CX253 flying for 13 hours and landing at Heathrow at 20:10.
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