P'yongyang Travel Guide

  airport
by rsudic
 
  • airport
      airport
    by rsudic
  • Stadium
      Stadium
    by rsudic
  • On the streets of P'yongyang
      On the streets of P'yongyang
    by Orchid
  • P'yongyang Housing estate
      P'yongyang Housing estate
    by Orchid
  • White Line Fever
      White Line Fever
    by Orchid
 

Pro

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 A city with a lot of sights 


Con

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 unique, impressive, separate, breathtaking 


In a nutshell

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 Give it a try. Make the world a more peaceful place. 

 

Explore P'yongyang

Things to Do  

A Two Kim Plaza

A Two Kim Plaza, P'yongyang

 Orchid Says:  On our visit to P'yongyang, the grand plaza at Mansudae Hill, where stood the 'modest' 20m tall bronze statue of Great Leader Kim il Sung, was off limits because of the festivities of Party Founding Day. So we just saw it from afar, up on Moran Hill.The next year, after his... 

A War. As Seen by the Victorious Fatherland

A War. As Seen by the Victorious Fatherland, P'yongyang

 Orchid Says:  It is instructive to hear the view of the DPRK about the war which divided the Korean Peninsula, and has sundered two families and friends for over 60 years. To this end, one can visit, with ones guides, the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, and hear the 'truth'... 

Flower Show. With Missiles!

Flower Show. With Missiles!, P'yongyang

 Orchid Says:  One of the more loopy items on our itinerary was a visit to the P'yongyang Flower Show, a seemingly permanent exhibition devoted to the display of just two flowers, the kimilsungia (purple orchid) and kimiljongia (red begonia). In this incarnation it was to celebrate the... 

Grand People's Study House

Grand People's Study House, P'yongyang

 Orchid Says:  The central Public Library of P'yongyang is located on Kim il Sung Square, on it's eastern side, overlooking the Taedong River. Our guided tour took us through the grand marble entrance hall, to experience the various services available to residents of P'yongyang. There are... 

Celebrating the Eternal Leader

Celebrating the Eternal Leader, P'yongyang

 Orchid Says:  One of the experiences/duties you have as a visitor to the DPRK is to attend the Kumususan Memorial Palace, to view and pay your respects to the founder of the republic. This is an extremely serious and solemn event, and a fascinating insight into the personality cult which... 

Mass Games

Mass Games, P'yongyang

 Orchid Says:  The Mass Games, when they are on, is THE highlight of a trip to the DPRK. They are usually held to celebrate major national holidays. The games were held in October 2010, coinciding with our visit. The games are a massed synchronized gymnastic, dancing acrobatic and marching... 

Sup on some puppy

Sup on some puppy, P'yongyang

 Orchid Says:  This activity will horrify some folk. But eating dog is a Korean tradition, and the opportunity arose to try it instead of the standard fare at the Yanggakdo Hotel on the October 10 holiday celebrating the Foundation of the Worker's party of Korea.From our group, half of us... 

Hotels  

Koryo Hotel

 32 Opinions

Yanggakdo Hotel

 8 Reviews and 122 Opinions  We were in P'yongyang during the week of the 65th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean... 

Restaurants  

Revolving Restaurant (Yanggakdo Hotel): Food with a View

Revolving Restaurant (Yanggakdo Hotel): Food with a View, P'yongyang

 DSwede Says:  Most of the restaurants that tourists will be able to eat at have the same basic menus and quality of food. The revolving restaurant on the top of the Yanggakdo Hotel offers a basic breakfast for guests, but also offers a room with a view while having either a dinner or a... 

any restaurant: North Korea's famous Cold Noodle Soup

any restaurant: North Korea's famous Cold Noodle Soup, P'yongyang

 DSwede Says:  I've had Korean Cold Noodle Soup many times, but only once in North Korea. All the other times were south of the border.But in all the Koreans I've spoken to, they all said North Korean's "Nang Myeung" (Cold Noodle) is the most famous food of North Korea, other than... 

Nightlife  

Pyongyang at night: Not much in the way of nightlife!

Pyongyang at night: Not much in the way of nightlife!, P'yongyang

 Willettsworld Says:  This is a shot I took of a view over Pyongyang at about 8pm from my hotel room on the 39th floor of the Yanggakdo Hotel. I think most people have seen a night satellite image of the whole of North Korea where there is hardly any lights to be seen. Well a few lights are on... 

Transportation  

Tunneling Beneath the City

Tunneling Beneath the City, P'yongyang

 Orchid Says:  The DPRK has excellent tunneling technology, and in P'yongyang it is visible to us when we make our guided visit to the local metro. The tour is between 2 stations only, Puhung, near the Mansudae Art Studios, and Yonggwang, close to the Pyongyang Railway Station. The... 

Flight from Beijing

Flight from Beijing, P'yongyang

 Willettsworld Says:  Apart from Air China, the only other way in to North Korea by air is with their national carrier - Air Koryo - infamous for being the only airline to be rated 1 star currently by Skytrax. As part of my trip itinerary, I flew in from Beijing with Air Koryo on an old looking... 

Shopping  

On the train to China: Can't buy one here

On the train to China: Can't buy one here, P'yongyang

 Orchid Says:  In the dining car of the chinese train, en route back to Beijing There are quite a few things you can't buy in the DPRK. The prime example is of course, the Kim il Sung badge, proudly worn by all members of the Korean Worker's Party. Which is, practically everyone you... 

Stamp Shop: Postcard and Philatelists' Dream

Stamp Shop: Postcard and Philatelists' Dream, P'yongyang

 Vamanosxx Says:  Willettsworld already wrote about the stamp shop but I just wanted to add that it's THE place to buy postcards. They have a lot of run of the mill postcards but if you want to fill your friends' mailboxes with socialist propaganda, this is your place. Twenty of my friends'... 

Local Customs  

Stalls/kiosks

Stalls/kiosks, P'yongyang

 Willettsworld Says:  Dotted around the city are small stalls that sell fruit juices and, I think, cider etc. I went up to one that was on the corner of the foreign language bookshop we visited and tried to buy something with the North Korean Won that I obtained from my hotel only to get a... 

Warnings and Dangers  

Being asked to delete pictures you have taken

Being asked to delete pictures you have taken, P'yongyang

 Orchid Says:  Your guide may ask you to delete certain photos you have taken at any time during your stay in the DPRK. This need not be a problem, so long as you are prepared.You will need.1) Spare memory cards2) Data retrieval software (e.g PC Inspector Smart Recovery)So go ahead and... 

Off The Beaten Path  

5th Floor Weirdness at the Yanggakdo

5th Floor Weirdness at the Yanggakdo, P'yongyang

 Vamanosxx Says:  VT member scilist from Paris piqued my interest in visiting the 5th floor of the Yanggakdo Hotel. He called it scary. What could be so scary in a hotel?My first night in Pyongyang, I asked my guides if they knew what was on the 5th floor but they said they didn't. Later that... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Mini-golf at the Yanggakdo Hotel

Mini-golf at the Yanggakdo Hotel, P'yongyang

 Willettsworld Says:  This was another surreal moment whilst in Pyongyang - playing mini-golf at our hotel - the Yanggakdo. Even though I don't play golf, a few of my fellow tour members did and were itching to play a round on a lovely summer's evening. Don't ask me how much things were but they... 

Kim Il Sung Stadium

Kim Il Sung Stadium, P'yongyang

 Willettsworld Says:  This large stadium overlooks the Arch of Triumph and was built on the site of a Japanese baseball field during their occupation of Korea. It was then rebuilt in 1969 when it was renamed the Moranbong Stadium, but its name was changed, in 1982, to its current name in honour... 

Favorites  

Quiet nights

Quiet nights, P'yongyang

 DSwede Says:  It is hard to imagine that in a city of its size, most life stops at sunset. Electricity is a premium that most locals cannot afford, so the skyline at night is void of many lights. The only lights you are guaranteed to see are those illuminating important monuments or more... 

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Map of P'yongyang