New York and Chicago…June 5, 2006 … The New York-based Korea Society* in
cooperation with Chicago-based tour operator Asia Pacific Travel, Ltd**. is
offering what they believe to be the first tour to KOREA "“ both South and
North of the Demilitarized Zone "“ in more than 65 Years! This one time
only 13-day itinerary will depart on September 2 and run through September
14, 2006. According to Fred Carriere, Vice President of the Society, "This
is an historic tour that represents a significant step in the inevitable
journey toward a peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula."
The full itinerary for the trip appears below and on the website.
Highlights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) or "North
Korea" include: the Korean Central History Museum, the Korean Art Gallery,
Kim Il Sung Square, the Grand People's Study House, the Grand Monument
(statue of Kim Il Sung), the Arch of Triumph (erected on Kim Il Sung's 70th
birthday), the port city of Nampo, the West Sea Barrage (at the mouth of
the Taedong River), the International Friendship Exhibition in Myohyang
(housing tens of thousands of gifts to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jung Il), the
restored Pohyon Buddhist Temple (1042 AD), Mangyongdae
(birthplace of Kim Il Sung), the USS Pueblo, the Pyongyang Metro, the Juche
Tower, the Koryo Museum, Panmunjom (along the DMZ, site of the armistice
signing in 1953), the Mangyongdae Children's Palace, the Pyongyang
Maternity Hospital, the Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, the
Rakwon Department Store, and the amazing 100,000 performer "Arirang Grand
Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance". Highlights in The Republic of
Korea or "South Korea" include: the Changdeokgung Palace (a UNESCO World
Heritage Site), Changgyeonggung Palace and the adjoining Jongmyo Royal Ancestral Shrine
(also a World Heritage Site), Chongdong Theater for a performance of
traditional Korean arts, and a farewell dinner at Yongsusan Restaurant
(serving Korean Royal cuisine).
Adds, Asia Pacific Travel President, Walter Keats, "In our efforts to make
this tour as special as possible, very strong efforts are being made to
allow this tour to depart North Korea for South Korea via land." As of
April 2006 this was not permitted.
For this special tour, The Korea Society welcomes the participation, not
only of its members, but interested members of the public who wish to share
in this momentous event. The tour will be escorted by Dr. Sun Joo Kim,
Associate Professor of Korean History, Harvard University. See her
biography.
The 13-day tour is available with Deluxe accommodations — including the
Peninsula Palace Hotel in Beijing and the Shilla Hotel in Seoul (priced at
$5,399 per person) or First-Class accommodations "“ including the Novotel
Peace Hotel in Beijing and the Sofitel Ambassador in Seoul (priced at
$4,649 per person). Prices are based on a 20 person minimum group number
and exclude international air, but do include round-trip Beijing to
Pyongyang and one-way Beijing to Seoul airfares, first class tickets to the
Arirang performance (normally $150 per seat), group travel insurance, and
all site and attraction admissions in North and South Korea. Also included
are nine of each — breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and an arrival reception.
The Korea Society chose to work with Asia Pacific Travel Ltd, because of
its nearly 30 years of experience working in Asia and designing custom
trips to the continent, and because Asia Pacific Travel Ltd, has also been
authorized by North Korea to bring foreign tourists to North Korea.
For more information on The Korea Society's landmark tour to the "two
Koreas" visit Asia Pacific Travel's itineraries page. This page also
features APTL's other itineraries to North Korea connecting through China.
There are currently six open departures to North Korea alone running from
August 10 through October 10, 2006. (These tours start at $4,199 per
person.) Photographs are available online on each different website page,
country, city and attraction by clicking on the "Photo Gallery" button on
the left panel of each page.
*About The Korea Society
The Korea Society is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3)
organization with individual and corporate members that is dedicated solely
to the promotion of greater awareness, understanding and cooperation
between the people of the United States and Korea.
www.northkorea1on1.com
The Korea Society – 13-Day Itinerary Historic Tour of Korea, including both North and South
Sat Sep 2 USA / Air.
Depart hometown for Beijing via air. (Participants may use whatever air
carrier and class of service, including award miles, that they prefer. In
addition, APTL has arranged with United Airlines to provide 15% off any
published coach or business class fares on United flights; see details in
the complete tour packet.) Cross the International Date Line.
02 Sun Sep 3 Air / Beijing (Night 1 of 2)
Arrive in Beijing. Be met outside Chinese Immigration and Customs area by
an English- speaking guide. Transfer via private car (at your own expense;
if arriving independently of the group) or coach to one of the group hotels
(the Peninsula Palace Hotel or the Novotel Peace Hotel, conveniently
located across the street from each other.) Evening welcome reception.
03 Mon Sep 4 Beijing (Night 2 of 2). B
Breakfast at the hotel followed by a required briefing on North Korea.
(Passports will be collected before breakfast and a staff member will
obtain the physical North Korean visas at the DPRK Embassy during the day.)
Optional afternoon tour to less visited areas of the Forbidden City, or
balance of day free for rest, individual sightseeing and/or shopping.
Evening free.
04 Tue Sep 5 Beijing / Pyongyang (Night 1 of 3). B,L,D
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport via private coach. Depart
Beijing for Pyongyang via Air Koryo flight #152 at 11:30 a.m. Lunch on the plane.
Arrive in Pyongyang at 2:25 p.m. Go through North Korean Immigration and
Customs. Be met by our local, English-speaking guides. Transfer by private
coach to the Pyongyang Koryo or Yanggakdo Hotel. Welcome dinner at a local
restaurant.
05 Wed Sep 6 Pyongyang (Night 2 of 3). B,L,D
Breakfast at the hotel. Day of sightseeing via private coach with
English-speaking guides to include the Korean Central History Museum for an
orientation on Korean History, the Korean Art Gallery, the Kim Il Sung
Square, the Grand People's Study House, the Grand Monument, a 65 foot
bronze statue of Kim Il Sung, and the Arch of Triumph, erected in 1982 on
the 70th birthday of Kim Il Sung to commemorate his struggles from
1925-1945 for National Liberation. Please note that due to the number of
visitors in North Korea at this time the exact date and time scheduling of
activities may vary.
06 Thu Sep 7 Pyongyang / Nampo / Pyongyang (Night 3 of 3). B,L,D
Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning travel by private coach with
English-speaking guides stopping first at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, the
final resting place of Kim Il Sung (only open on Thursdays and Sundays),
and then continuing on approximately 27 mi./43 km. to the port city of
Nampo. Visit the West Sea Barrage, spanning 5 mi./8 kms. at the mouth of
the Taedong River. The mammoth project has provided irrigation water, drinking
water, flood control and better navigation on the Taedong all the way to
Pyongyang. Lunch in Nampo. Return to Pyongyang in the late afternoon.
Evening viewing of the Arirang Mass Games Performance with approximately
100,000 performers, a highlight of our visit.
07 Fri Sep 8 Pyongyang / Myohyang (Night 1 of 1). B,L,D
Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning travel by private coach with
English-speaking guides approximately 96-mi./155 km. to the scenic Myohyang
mountains, site of the International Friendship Exhibition housing tens of
thousands of gifts given to Kim Il Sung or Kim Jung Il. The gifts are
displayed in 100 rooms arranged geographically and chronologically. In the
afternoon visit the restored Pohyon Buddhist Temple dating from 1042 AD and
take a short walk in the beautiful mountains with a series of waterfalls.
Overnight at the Hyangsan Hotel located alongside the placid Myohyang River
in a peaceful mountain setting.
08 Sat Sep 9 Myohyang / Pyongyang (Night 1 of 3). B,L,D
Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning return to Pyongyang. Sightseeing in
Pyongyang to include Mangyongdae, the birthplace of the late Kim Il Sung,
the USS Pueblo, the Pyongyang Metro, the Juche Tower, and time permitting
the Pyongyang Film Studios.
09 Sun Sep 10 Pyongyang / Kaesong / Pyongyang (Night 2 of 3). B,L,D
Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning drive approximately 84 mi./135 km.
to the historic capital city of Kaesong on the northern side of the DMZ.
Visit the Koryo Museum. Lunch at the Kaesong Folkloric Hotel where you can
experience a traditional Korean ondal, a heated floor.
In the afternoon visit Panmunjum in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the
site of the armistice signing in 1953. Drive back to Pyongyang with a stop
at the impressive Mangyongdae Children's Palace, time permitting.
10 Mon Sep 11 Pyongyang (Night 3 of 3). B,L,D
Breakfast at the hotel. Day of sightseeing via private coach with
English-speaking guides to include the Pyongyang Maternity Hospital, the
Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, and the Rakwon Department
Store. Farewell dinner and acrobatic show.
11 Tue Sep 12 Pyongyang / Beijing / Seoul (Night 1 of 2). B,L,D
Early morning transfer via private coach to the airport. Depart Pyongyang
for Beijing via Air Koryo flight #151 at 8:10 a.m. Breakfast on the plane.
Arrive in Beijing at 9:00 a.m. Transfer to Asiana flight #332 departing
Beijing for Seoul at 12:20 p.m. Lunch on plane.
Arrive in Seoul (Incheon) at 3:00 p.m. Be met outside customs and
immigration by an English speaking guide and a private coach. Transfer
(approx. 50-70 mins.) to one of the group hotels
(the Shilla Hotel or the Sofitel Ambassador Hotel, conveniently located
near each other.) Celebratory activities and dinner at the hotel.
12 Wed Sep 13 Seoul (Night 2 of 2). B,L,D
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day of sightseeing via private coach with
English-speaking guide to include the Changdeokgung Palace (a UNESCO World
Heritage Site) with its beautiful "Secret Garden" (also called Biwon or Huwon), the nearby Changgyeonggung Palace,
and the adjoining Jongmyo Royal Ancestral Shrine (also a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.) Lunch at Top Cloud restaurant. Transfer by private coach to
the Chongdong Theater for a performance of traditional Korean arts.
Farewell dinner at the Yongsusan Restaurant serving Korean Royal cuisine
(These arrangements may be modified based on the participants in the tour
and official arrangements made by South Korean entities after this
itinerary was prepared.)
13 Thu Sep 14 Seoul / Air / USA. B
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport via private car (at your
own expense; if departing independently of the group) or coach as
appropriate. Depart Seoul (Incheon) for hometown via air. Cross the
International Date Line. Arrive in hometown. Go through U.S. Customs and
Immigration.
For more on South Korea at ITKT
