• Overall

  
  NOTE: This tour is now open for bookings but is not yet confirmed. We currently await information from the Chinese authorities on the opening of the Chinese side of the border and will inform you as soon as we have confirmation. You can then proceed to book your flights and secure your spot on tour with a deposit. 
  
  For more information contact us on [email protected] 
   

   

  Koryo Tours are happy to announce the first trip back to North Korea since the borders closed in January 2020. 

  This tour will take you to the must-see sites in Rason, North Korea's Special Economic Zone. Plus, you will travel to North Korea to celebrate one of the biggest holidays, Kim Jong Il's Birthday. 

  Rason is North Korea's Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Situated in the far northeast of the country, the only part of North Korea that borders both Russia and China (Jilin Province).

  It is one of North Korea's least visited areas, and more logistically difficult to access than other areas in North Korea.

  Rason is used for testing new economic and social policies. The first mobile phone network, the first legal marketplace, and the first card payment system in the country were all tested here.

  Your North Korea tour to Rason will begin in Yanji, China. You will then take a drive to the DPRK border and finally enter North Korea, in the Rason Special Economic Zone.

  If you would rather travel to Yanji from Beijing with us, check out our North Korea from Beijing and Beijing Budget options. 

  Rason is an area that operates differently from the rest of North Korea.

  Read more about Rason on our detailed Rason Travel Guide page. 
  
   

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  We will visit various factories, see a Taekwondo demonstration at the Rason Taekwondo School, and make a stop at the Golden Triangle Bank to learn about Rason’s unique economic system. Here, you can even open your very own North Korean bank account.

  We will take a walk along the seaside at Hae’an Park and visit the scenic Pipha Island. Here, we will relax by the waterfront or take an optional boat ride to see seals.

  You can learn about local industries at, among others, the Sea Cucumber Breeding Farm and Paekhaksan Combined Foodstuff Processing Factory producing various snacks and drinks. Other stops include the Foreign Language School, where students learn multiple languages. A highlight is the Three Countries Border Viewpoint, offering views of China, Russia, and North Korea.

  We will also have the opportunity to visit some newly opened sites previously not open to tourists. This includes the Chonghak Sanatorium, Rason Pupils' and Schoolchildren's Palace, and the Rajin Fine Art Gallery. 

  Highlights

  • Be one of the first to visit North Korea after the borders have been closed since January 2020
  • Visit Rason, one of the least visited places in North Korea
  • Visit new sites in Rason like Rason Pupils' and Schoolchildren's Palace and Chonghak Sanatorium

  click image to expand

• Itinerary

  Briefing Day

  1. February 12 | Wednesday

     Arrive in Yanji and Pre-tour Briefing

     PM

     • Latest recommended arrival in Yanji, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture is this evening.
       
       Yanji Chaoyangchuan Airport (YNJ) is served by several daily flights from Beijing (PEK and PKX), Shanghai (PVG), and Seoul (ICN).
       
       There is also a daily high-speed train service from Beijing to Yanji West Railway Station (Yanjixi), while several train services are available daily from the cities of Shenyang, Changchun, and Harbin in the Northeast region of China that are more connected to the Chinese railway network and has a wider variety of flight options.
        
     • Late evening pre-tour briefing at the hotel | A pre-tour briefing is an essential part of all trips to North Korea that covers regulations, etiquette, safety, and practicalities for travel in North Korea. The briefing lasts approximately one hour followed by a question and answer session.

     Overnight | IBIS Yanji Renmin Road Hotel, Yanji Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture or similar

  2. February 13 | Thursday

     Yanji to Rason – 2 different worlds!

     AM

     • Drive from Yanji to Wonjong Bridge on the Sino-Korea border. After Chinese exit- and Korean entry formalities you will find yourself in the Rason (Rajin-Sonbong) Special Economy Zone. Although Rason is part of the DPRK it is administered differently, so even if you are in the DPRK you are still separated from the rest of the country by an internal border.

     PM

     • Drive to Rajin the bigger of the sister cities in Rason SEZ.
        
     • Hae’an Park | A coastal featuring manicured lawns, benches, and a large paved walkway leading to a roller skating track, with a giant television displaying news.  In good weather, locals will gather here.
        
     • Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia Greenhouse | Every city in the DPRK has a hothouse for cultivating and growing the Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia, and Rajin is no exception. Visit the main hall, which has large portraits of the ‘Three Generals’, flower displays, and the greenhouse areas where the flowers are grown.  You can buy a Kimjongilia bulb here, but consider getting a guide on how to cultivate it properly.
        
     • Rason Taekwondo School and Demonstration | The national martial art which all children learn to a certain degree in school. The performance features schoolchildren who you simply would not want to tangle with – high kicks, smashing bricks and other feats of agility and strength abound.
        
     • Rason Pupils' and Schoolchildren's Palace | Opened just five years ago in central Rason City, this modern building has multi-functionalized training rooms, a theatre, and a stadium to train future scientists, artists, and athletes. Schoolchildren's palaces all over the DPRK are the centre of extracurricular education where future generations can excel in their talent.

     Overnight | Namsan Hotel, Rajin. Centrally located and locally famous. Right in the heart of Rajin city.

  3. February 14 | Friday

     Rason Special Economic Zone
     
     AM  

     • Foreign Languages Bookshop | Store selling Korean publications translated into English, German, French, Russian, Chinese, and Spanish. Also pick up DVDs, postcards, and small works of art.
        
     • Rajin Fine Art Gallery | A small windowless two-storey building that holds the best art exhibition in the area; the pictures downstairs are normally not for sale while upstairs is actually a shop. The posters and paintings on display here are not as good as the ones in Pyongyang but still it is worth a short visit.
        
     • Drive from Rajin to the nationally famous Pipha Island Area, a scenic spot known to all North Koreans for its beauty.
        
     • Pipha Island | A narrow road links it to the mainland. From here you can take an optional boat ride to see some seals who populate some rocks nearby, relax at the waterfront, or try some local seafood.

     PM

     • Foreign Language School | Here local children learn English, Chinese, and other languages. Step in and help out with some lessons!
        
     • Rason School Uniform Factory | Refurbished in 2023, this factory produces various types of school uniforms for the students of the Rason area.
        
     • Golden Triangle Bank | Here we will learn about the different economic systems of Rason, change money into local won (yes, it is legal, not to be taken out of the country though, you are supposed to spend it), and see actual banking going on, the only place you get to witness this in the DPRK!
        
     • Rason Paduk House | Paduk, or as you might know it 'Go', is a board game that originated in China and is popular all around East Asia. In this game, the two opponents are positioning black and white stones on a grid to establish territories and seize the opponent's stones. Paduk Houses are professional paduk training institutes that have been established in Pyongyang and all provincial seats throughout the DPRK.
        
     • A short stroll in Rason city centre followed by kimchi making | A staple food in Korean cuisine that is a part of all meals in Korea. There are more than 200 varieties of kimchi but the most well-known is the one made of cabbage. It is so important in Korean culture and everyday life that working women get days off during the kimchi-making season. Now you have the opportunity to make your own kimchi!

     Overnight | Namsan Hotel, Rajin

  4. February 15 | Saturday

     AM

     • Drive to Tumangang Town, right up on the Russian and Chinese borders.
        
     • Visit the Russia-DPRK Friendship house | Exhibit of photos of visits by key figures from the neighbouring countries.
        
     • 3 Countries Border Viewpoint | This picturesque pavilion offers views into China and Russia. From here, you can see how the river divides the nations and also hear about a historical naval battle that a famed Korean admiral directed from this hilltop.
        
     • Swan House at Pupho Duck Farm | Inaugurated on 28 May, 2024, this newly built complex breeds black swans.
        
     • Sea Cucumber Breeding Farm | One of the many aquaculture farms in North Korea, this particular one specialises in sea cucumber, a delicacy in Korea.

     PM

     • Drive to the nearby city of Sonbong, the smaller of the sister cities in this zone.
        
     • Stop for photos in the centre of Sonbong town | Here there is a theatre, some monuments and mosaics, and an immortality tower too.
        
     • Hiking on Mt. Shahyang.
        
     • Return to Rajin.

     Overnight | Namsan Hotel, Rajin

  5. February 16 | Sunday

     DPRK National Holiday, the birthday of General Kim Jong Il

     Today marks the 83^rd birthday (according to North Korean historiography) of General Kim Jong Il. February 16^th is one of the major holidays in North Korea, a day of significance when the whole country is celebrating. We expect city-wide celebrations, including Mass Dance, a highlight of all national holiday tours to North Korea.

     NB: the itinerary for today is not fixed as we will try to attend as many festive activities as possible.

     Overnight | Namsan Hotel, Rajin

  6. February 17 | Monday

     Yanji to Rason – 2 different worlds!

     AM

     • Ryongysong Beer Factory | A factory producing one of the leading beer brands in North Korea, established in the 1980s.
        
     • Paekhaksan Combined Foodstuff Processing Factory | One of the factories in North Korea that produces local brands of snacks and drinks.
        
     • Chonghak Sanatorium | Remodeled and reopened in December 2024, this medical facility cures chronic gastritis and rheumatoid arthritis by using the mineral water from Mt. Chonghak.

     PM

     • Next is our final drive in the DPRK, where we head across the northern part of the Rason zone and end up at Wonjong Bridge, the frontier between the DPRK and the PRC. We pass through customs here on the Korean side, take a short ride or walk across the bridge, and then we are back in China, just like that!
        
     • Drive to Yanji | We will get picked up after we enter China. We have a 3-hour drive (with scenic stops) to the Chinese city of Yanji, the capital of the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Region. We'll end up here for dinner, drinks to celebrate the end of this adventure, and an overnight stay to bring our tour to a close. Congratulations to you for being with us on this amazing journey!
        
     • Our tour sadly ends tonight and we all bid each other a fond farewell!

     Overnight | IBIS Yanji Renmin Road Hotel, Yanji Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture or similar

  7. February 18 | Tuesday

     End of the tour

     • Breakfast at the hotel
        
     • How you depart from here is up to you; there are trains, planes, buses, etc. Koryo Tours can assist in planning onward travel in this region, back to Beijing, or onward elsewhere (Yanji may seem remote, but you can get to a lot of fascinating places from here without too much difficulty). Drop us a line with how you plan to finish this trip and we’ll help you out!

     Overnight | N/A

• Extras

  • Upgrade to your own room

    All hotel rooms on our all-inclusive group tours feature twin beds, and will be shared. If you'd like a room to yourself then you can upgrade for an extra 40 EUR per night.

    See more

• What is / is not included?

  INCLUDED

  • Yanji — Rason — Yanji bus transfer
  • Rason SEZ Entry Permit
  • All meals on the tour in the DPRK, breakfast at hotel in Yanji
  • Hotel accommodation in the DPRK and 2 nights in Yanji
  • Two local Korean guides, and a driver per group
  • A Koryo Tours tour leader
  • All transportation in the DPRK

  NOT INCLUDED

  • Optional single room supplement of 40 EUR per night
  • Tips for the local Korean guides and driver (approx. 15 USD or 100 RMB per day per traveller)
  • Optional activities
  • Meals include a complimentary beer and water, but you will need to purchase extra drinks if needed
  • Spending money on souvenirs

• Notes

  Groups will be in the experienced hands of two or three local Korean guides and an experienced Koryo Tours tour leader.

  Please note that when on tour your day-to-day itinerary may differ from what is advertised above. Your tour leader will ensure, however, that everything available at the time is covered, and replacement options are provided where needed. We will also add in extras when there is time (such as a visit to a local bar or amusement park). We visit the DPRK regularly so know all the best places to go, and how to make the most of your days there to guarantee the experience of a lifetime.

  After the tour, we will send out a list of all participants' emails so you can keep in touch, swap photos etc. If you do not wish to be on this list then please let us know.

Please apply by 7th February, 2025.