North Korea

Pyongyang is the anchor of every standard programme: the 170 m Juche Tower on the east bank of the Taedong River with its viewing deck over the city, Kim Il-sung Square as the central ceremonial space, the Mansudae Grand Monument and the Arch of Triumph that opens the city's main boulevard, the Pyongyang Metro with its deep marble-clad Yongwang and Puhung stations, the Mansudae art studio for state-printed posters and woodcuts, the Foreign Languages Bookshop on Sungri Street, and a leisurely walk along the Taedong River corniche close to the Yanggakdo and Koryo hotels where most groups stay. Bowling lanes and an outdoor amusement park are routinely included on standard itineraries. Three to five days here are typical.

Kaesong, the southern frontier city about three hours from Pyongyang on the reunification expressway, is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its Goryeo-dynasty (918–1392) layer: the Songgyungwan Confucian academy now housing the Koryo Museum, the Wanggon (King Taejo) royal tomb, the Sonjuk and Pyochung stone bridges, the Pyochung pavilion and the city's traditional courtyard quarter. A standard one-night Kaesong stay at the Folk Hotel inside that quarter pairs the heritage circuit with a Korean royal-court banquet and the road on to the DMZ.

Most travellers know the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom from the South Korean side; the DPRK-side visit looks at the same blue UN huts from the north, with a stop at the building where the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement was signed and an explanatory briefing room. The site sits a short drive from Kaesong and the visit is included in almost every standard programme, with photography permitted in defined areas under the guides' direction.

Mount Myohyang, around three hours northeast of Pyongyang, combines forested hill walking with the International Friendship Exhibition — a vast underground complex housing tens of thousands of gifts presented to the country's leaders by foreign heads of state, organisations and individuals over decades. The Pohyon Buddhist temple complex, founded in 1042 during the Goryeo dynasty, and the Sangwon and Manpok valleys round out a comfortable day or overnight visit.

Mount Paektu, on the Chinese border, is the highest peak on the Korean Peninsula at 2 744 m and the country's most striking natural set piece. The Lake Chon caldera fills a roughly five-kilometre crater at the summit and is reached by domestic flight to Samjiyon and short scenic drives through the surrounding birch forest and historical sites. The mountain is included on longer programmes, typically in the summer window when access is most reliable.

The east-coast circuit — Wonsan as a port city with a long beach, Mount Kumgang (the Diamond Mountains) for its dramatic granite peaks and waterfalls, and the Masikryong ski resort for winter itineraries — is offered when the relevant border zones are open to operators. Wonsan's recently developed Kalma resort area on Wonsan Bay extends the coastal stay; Kumgangsan is reached on guided multi-day extensions when permitted.

A standard visit follows a model that has no real equivalent elsewhere: independent travel is not permitted, two state-assigned guides accompany the group throughout, the itinerary is agreed in advance and not changed on the ground, foreign currency (EUR, USD or CNY) is used for extras while the won is not used by visitors, photography rules are explained at each stop and respected, and accommodation is in approved hotels such as the Yanggakdo and Koryo in Pyongyang. Confirm with the operator whether tours are running close to the travel date and review the current travel advisory issued by your government before booking flights or non-refundable connections. Authorised operators are based mainly in Beijing, London, Brussels and Berlin and run multiple scheduled departures a year, subject to the country's current opening status.