Budget 4 Night Marathon Tour

Arrival in Pyongyang

• Meet your Koryo Tours tour guide and fellow travelers at Dandong Railway Station (exact time and place TBC) before getting on the train to Pyongyang.
• After crossing the border from Dandong to Sinuiju by train, customs officials board the train for immigration and customs checks before the train continues its journey to Pyongyang.
• Flight takers, there will be a free bus from the Koryo Tours office to Beijing Capital Airport Terminal 2. Exact time TBC at the pre-tour briefing. Alternatively, meet the group at the Air Koryo check-in counter.
• Flight departure from Beijing on Air Koryo - flight times are TBC and subject to change. Currently expected to depart around midday/early afternoon. A 1.5-hour flight with basic lunch.
• Arrival to Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport (FNJ). DPRK immigration and customs, meet your Korean guides and transfer to the city.
• An approx. 5-hour long train journey will take you through the Korean countryside to Pyongyang Railway Station with expected arrival at 6:45pm, where you will meet your guides and then transfer to your hotel for check in & dinner.
• Check into the Sosan Hotel, Pyongyang - A sports-themed hotel located in West Pyongyang’s Sports Village. Sport shop, bookstore, numerous bars, spa and small gym. Renovated in 2015.

Historic Kaesong and the DMZ

• Drive 160 km south the 'Reunification Highway' to Kaesong, the historic capital of the Koryo Dynasty (918-1392) and today located near the Korean Demilitarized Zone. 3-hour drive.
• Panmunjom Armistice Village and DMZ | The site of the signing of the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War and the demarcation line between north and south. On some days it is possible to visit the hut straddling the line, where negotiations between both sides once took place. Here we will be accompanied by military guides from the Korean People's Army.
• Kaesong Koryo Museum | Once the Songgyung Academy, a Confucian school, and now a museum on the Koryo Dynasty exhibiting historical objects, statues, pagodas, and porcelain from that era. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Kaesong Korean Stamp Exhibition Hall | Store selling stamps, postcards, local ginseng, souvenirs, art, and more! One of the best postcard collections in the country and friendly staff.
• Traditional Royal Korean Lunch (pangsanggi) | A meal made of 12 dishes served in brass bowls fit for the kings of old. The more dishes, the more distinguished the guest! Traditional Korean 'sweet meat soup' is an option here (5 EUR).
• Drive back to Pyongyang via Sariwon Folk Village and City View | Mock-up of a traditional Korean town which includes a history museum, food street, and pavilions. There is a small tavern selling Makkoli, traditional rice wine. Climb a nearby hill for a view of Sariwon City and the surrounding plains.
• Monument to the Three-Charters of the Reunification | Iconic arch over the Pyongyang-Kaesong Highway dedicated to joint meeting between Koreas, north and south. Also known as the ‘Arch of Reunification’.

Overnight | Sosan Hotel, Pyongyang

Pyongyang City Tour

• Early Morning Run in Pyongyang | Your chance for a pre-marathon run in Pyongyang! You will have to be up early for this, a good opportunity to give yourself some preparation for the following day's big event. Optional activity, for those that don't participate you can enjoy a sleep in.
• Mangyongdae Native House | Birthplace and childhood home of President Kim Il Sung. A traditional Korean house in what is today a quiet suburban park.
• Kim Il Sung Square | Pyongyang’s central square lined with government ministries, museums, and The Grand People’s Study House.
• 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.
• Monument to the Party Foundation | Iconic stone hammer, sickle, writing brush representing the workers, farmers, and intellectuals which make up the Worker's Party of Korea.
• Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum | Tour this world-class museum led by a local museum guide. Renovated in 2012 and it exhibits the Korean War from the DPRK perspective containing artefacts, documents, photos, and lifelike dioramas. The exterior grounds house the War Victory Monument and displays of Korean People’s Army Hero Equipment and captured equipment from the US military, including the USS Pueblo. Central to the understanding of the country today and highlight of the trip.
• Pyongyang Metro Tour | One of the deepest metro systems in the world with artwork reflecting the name of each station. Ride six stations on the Chollima Line.
• Arch of Triumph | A massive archway made for the 70th anniversary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung in 1982 and commemorating the liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. Larger than its counterpart in Paris.
• Kim Il Sung Stadium & Marathon Route Preview | Visit the stadium where you will start and finish your race, and then drive the marathon route to familiarise yourself with the roads, turning points and toilet stops.
• Optional screening of Run and Run, a DPRK film about marathon runner Yong Ho who faces the physical and mental struggles of marathon participation. After both his father and work unit manager tell him to stop running, he becomes more determined to achieve his marathon dream. The film will be shown at the Pyongyang International House of Cinema (80 RMB entry fee paid on the spot). A Koryo Tours exclusive and sure to provide you with motivation ahead of the big event!

Overnight | Sosan Hotel, Pyongyang

The big event! The Pyongyang Marathon 2024!

• The 2024 Pyongyang Marathon | This is your chance to run the streets of Pyongyang in the DPRK’s largest annual sports event! Join the Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km or 5km race — all of which follow a return course that starts and ends in Kim Il Sung Stadium in front of a 50-000-strong capacity crowd of local Koreans. The full route, which has been certified by both the IAAF and AIMS, leads right through the city centre, past a number of iconic landmarks, and then out into Pyongyang's less urban districts. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to see more of the capital and interact with people along the course.
• Shower, resting time and lunch | After the marathon's closing ceremony, we'll be heading back to the hotel to recharge, shower and rest before heading out for a relaxing afternoon of sight seeing in Pyongyang.
• Kwangbok Department Store | Opportunity to use Korean currency and shop with the citizens of Pyongyang! Try the snack stand on the first floor for some of Pyongyang’s best local eats.
• Tower of the Juche Idea | Iconic tower dedicated to the DPRK’s guiding philosophy on the Taedong River. Take the elevator to the top for great views of the city (elevator ticket is 5 EUR).
• Local Beer Bar | Relax at one of Pyongyang’s local bars to wrap up an exciting day.
• Pyongyang Marathon Banquet | Dinner tonight will be at the annual Pyongyang Marathon Banquet. Celebrate your run and toast the marathon with your fellow runners, guides and local event organisers. A casual affair, no dress code requirements.

Overnight | Sosan Hotel, Pyongyang

Departure Day

For those opting to fly out, flight departure from Pyongyang on Air Koryo with a expected arrival at Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) Terminal 2 by midday.

Train departure by local train to the Korean-Chinese border at 10:25 from Pyongyang Railway Station with arrival in Dandong (Liaoning Province, China) at approx. 16:23 local time.

For those finishing the tour in Dandong you can go on to explore this fascinating border city, the surrounding areas, or make your own way to Beijing or elsewhere in China. Expected arrival into Dandong is approximately 16:23 local time.

For those finishing the tour in Beijing you will transfer in Dandong for onward travel to Beijing with scheduled arrival to Beijing Station on Tuesday April 13th at 08:38. For this tour the default option is hard sleeper (six beds per berth).