Top Things to do in North Korea
10 Things to do Good for Big Groups in North Korea That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in North Korea, North Korea including Tongil Tours, Mount Kumgang, Tower of the Juche Idea, The State Circus, Geumsusan Memorial Palace, Concrete Wall, Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, Masikryong Ski Resort, Pyongyang Metro, Monument to the Korean Workers Party.
Restaurants in North Korea
1. Tongil Tours
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 35 reviews
Tongil Tours is the only North Korea travel service staffed entirely by Korean-speaking academic specialists. Tongil Tours seeks to provide tour participants with not only an unforgettable experience in North Korea, but also a more nuanced understanding of the country and its people.
2. Mount Kumgang
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 13 reviews
At the base of this mountain is a fortified tourist compound financed by South Korea's Hyundai Asan Corp.
Reviewed By 31hartonot - Medan, Indonesia
Mount Kumgang is one of the five beautiful mountains in North Korea. This mountain has several names depend on the season, during spring it was called Kumgangsan. And this mountain is very near with South Korea border and it is highly guarded. Mount Kumgang is also nicknamed as thousand peaks mountain. This is one of the main nature attraction in North Korea. Climbing up and down takes about 2-3 hours depend on your pace, a lot of beautiful spots to take photo. Many waterfalls and ponds at Mount Kumgang and the water is crystal clear. At the end of the hike, there is a beautiful waterfall called Kuryong Falls, it is amazing to see the white water falls from the top. The environment is really clean and free of pollution as not too many tourists visiting this amazing beautiful mountain. After the long hike down, you will have chance to eat lunch at a restaurant by the river. Typical Korea food but delicious. The pathway was good and just wear a comfortable walking shoes. Bring water and snacks so you can sit down and enjoy the serenity of the nature.
3. Tower of the Juche Idea
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 310 reviews
Reviewed By Grace86London
We were very lucky to get up there on a clear and sunny day. It’s one of the most symbolic attractions in Pyongyang and the view was pretty spectacular. It’s very small when you get up there and you have to go up and down in groups of about 8 in the 1 lift. Its about the only thing you have to queue for in the DPRK but it’s definitely worth the wait. The staff were very sweet, too. Before you go in, you’ll see hundreds of plaques sent from all over the world by fellow Juche enthusiasts/followers.
4. The State Circus
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 54 reviews
Reviewed By midway42 - Minnesota, United States
Continuing on the government approved tourist agenda, I visited the state circus in Pyongyang on my first full day in the country after the expected Mass Dance was cancelled for Liberation Day. My guides obviously took care of purchasing the ticket and making sure I got here on time. The circus has a dedicated building that seats about 3,000 (rough estimate) and it was sold out for my attended performance with mostly tourists in attendance. The actual routine consisted of approximately fifteen separate acts, all involving humans and various types of acrobatics. These were accompanied by lighting, sound, and video (including one of a missile test during a springboard routine), and if that wasn't enough a live orchestra to boot. I estimate the number of performers at 40-50, but it was a bit tricky to tell with all of the costume changes as everyone cycled through the acts fairly quickly. The entire show lasted a little under ninety minutes. I’ve seen more than a few of these in my years of travel and this was simply a virtuoso display of human athletics. It’s probably not too far from the truth to state that these young adults have been “chosen” at a young age to represent the country but even given that type of social commentary this was flat-out the best acrobatics performance I have ever seen. Please make it a must when visiting the country.
5. Geumsusan Memorial Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 87 reviews
Reviewed By Neil_and_Family_5 - Kelowna, Canada
Definitely, one of the highlights of our tour of North Korea. The palace is more than the mausoleum where the two previous Kims lie in state. It is a museum of Kim paraphernalia; their personal train cars, Mercedes Benz', golf cart; maps of their official tours, all of their awards, certificates, and honorary degrees and much more. First, it is quite the effort just to get in. Dress properly, arrive, wait in a building, be summoned to line up in rows of four, walk down a walkway into another building, go through security, arrive at the cloakroom where you deposit your recording devices and jackets, line up in rows of four, go up an escalator, then stand on numerous very long moving walkways (no walking on the walkways but don't worry; there are many portraits to look at while abiding your time), and then, finally arrive at the palace. And what a palace; opulent, grandiose, serene, truly out of this world. It's understandable that pictures are not allowed in the mausoleum but it sure would have been nice to be able to memorialize the palace in a visual sense. And be sure to mind your manners; quiet whispers at all times and hands in front or at your side; never in your pockets or behind your back. The tour of the interior was excellent as was the walk outside in the grounds. Truly a must do. 5 stars.
6. Concrete Wall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 52 reviews
Reviewed By DarrochG
This is the best concrete wall I have ever seen. I wanted to go to North Korea to find more out about the county, then I came across this gem. It's not every day you get to see a concrete wall of such grandeur. The quality of work and materials was high that it should be use for Trump's wall. The tensions between the two nations made the site almost holy and the this sensation further push the wall beyond great, it was the single best wall ever constructed. Never before has a slab of concrete become so great. from humble beginnings, the cement used in the wall will have come from deep in North Korea and finally it has been sculpted into a mighty form. The wall, that at first you might laugh at as "just a wall" has shaped in me a great respect for the North Korean architects. The wall was first made to fend off the South Koreans and was then used as part of the treaty site and now it stands as an attraction for tourist who venture forth to the world. In conclusion this titanic wall is the backbone of the North Korean DMZ border and presents a grandeur that I have not seen anywhere else.
7. Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 174 reviews
Reviewed By bronwynrev - Toronto, Canada
Beautiful grounds, friendly guides, and an incredible interactive experience inside. Truly have never experienced a museum like this - it was huge and beautiful, and though I didn't get to go through every exhibit, I was particularly impressed by the level of detail they put into the recreation of woodland military bases and tunnels -- sound effects, life-sized dioramas, and historical items galore. The panorama upstairs is breathtaking as well. The next time I visit, I'd like to spend more time here. There's also coffee, tea, and a gift shop.
8. Masikryong Ski Resort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By jinsooprincess - Seoul, South Korea
The hotel foyer is modern and vast, the rooms clean and big as were the modern bathrooms. The bathrooms contained the usual amenities including a hair dryer. The dining is good and there is a good massage service as well as a swimming pool. The ski resort has cable cars and ski lifts which take you to the top where there is a modern and big restaurant on two levels with panoramic views.
9. Pyongyang Metro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 211 reviews
Reviewed By 197estherk - Hong Kong, China
It was an authentic experience to ride the Metro, & my favourite in Pyongyang. I absolutely love the stations and platforms which are old but are orderly & clean. The Pyongyang Metro has a unique character that you can’t find It anywhere else. The murals on the walls are beautiful, that is, if you love North Korean propaganda art. The cars can be crowded during rush hour just like in any city. But your guide will take good care of you. The locals are shy in front of foreigners but they are nice to have offered seats to us. The platforms are great places for people photography as well.
10. Monument to the Korean Workers Party
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 101 reviews
Reviewed By Road402110 - Markham, Canada
This 50 meter high monument has 3 hand holding up 3 tools. the sickle (for the peasant), the hammer (for the worker), and the calligraphy brush (for the working intellectual). If you are there at the right time, you can buy a North korean "Passport" that contains pages with all the visitor sites, where you can get it stamped at each site you visit. A pretty good souvenir.,
