🇰🇵 North Korea

10 best places in Pyongyang

Pyongyang is a city of vast avenues and monumental architecture, experienced almost entirely through carefully choreographed guided tours.

Sight

Kim Il-sung Square

The city's grand ceremonial square on the Taedong River, stage for military parades and mass gymnastics.

Sight

Juche Tower

A 170-metre granite spire topped with a red flame, offering sweeping views from its observation deck.

Sight

Arch of Triumph

One of the world's largest triumphal arches, built to mark Korea's liberation in 1945.

Museum

Kumsusan Palace of the Sun

The mausoleum-palace holding the preserved bodies of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, visited under strict protocol.

Museum

Korean Central History Museum

The country's largest collection of artefacts spanning ancient Korea through the colonial era.

Park

Moran Hill Park

A hilly park with pavilions and old fortress walls, popular with locals for picnics and open-air dancing.

Sight

Pyongyang Metro

One of the deepest subways in the world, its palatial stations glowing with chandeliers and mosaics.

Café

Juche Tower revolving café

A rotating café atop the tower's viewing platform, best visited as the city lights come on.

Restaurant

Okryugwan Restaurant

A riverside institution famous nationwide for its Pyongyang cold noodles, naengmyeon.

Market

Tongil Market

One of the few markets open to foreign visitors, offering a rare glimpse of everyday shopping life.

FAQ

Can tourists visit Pyongyang?

Only on an organised tour through an accredited operator, with guides who stay with you the entire time. The country closed in 2020 and has reopened selectively and unpredictably since, so availability has to be checked at the time of booking. US citizens face restrictions imposed by their own government.

What is not allowed in North Korea?

Photographing soldiers, construction sites or anything that reads as poverty is off limits, and statues of the leaders must be photographed in full. Printed material, religious literature and anything that could be treated as propaganda cause problems at the border. Leaving the group, chatting with locals in the street and improvising the route are not options.

Best time to visit North Korea?

Spring, around April and May, and autumn, September and October, are the most comfortable. Summer is humid and rainy, winter dry and very cold. Many tours are built around state holidays and mass events.

Can foreigners live in North Korea?

No. There is no ordinary path to residence: the foreigners living there are diplomats, staff of a handful of organisations and a small number of invited specialists. No investment or work programmes are open from outside.