Koryo Tours

14/09/2024

When you visit Ulaanbaatar, you can't miss this iconic building.

Its Soviet-style architecture may still stand, but now it’s lit up with modern LED lights and a giant TV. Step inside and explore seven floors of shops and stalls circling a vibrant, open core.

Discover more about the Mongolian State Department Store!

Established in 1921, the Mongolian State Department Store as the name suggest used to be a government-run affair although now is quite the opposite. For many locals, the Mongolian State Department Store is known as ikh delguur (big shop)as that's what it is!

13/09/2024

Curious about an average school day for a North Korean student? For several years, Koryo Tours has partnered with education consultant Ronny Mintjens to enhance English skills and help future tour guides communicate better with foreigners. Check out our YouTube video to learn more!

For several years, Koryo Tours has worked with eduction consultant Ronny Mintjens to help improve English and the ability of future tour guides to communicat...

13/09/2024

Embark on a comprehensive journey through all five 'Stan' countries, covering the must-see highlights and venturing into lesser-known, hard-to-reach places that are often missed. Meticulously planned over several months, this tour includes top-notch local guides, comfortable accommodations, and a mix of overland travel and flights, allowing you to sit back, relax, and fully immerse yourself in the experience!

HIGHLIGHTS:

🇰🇬 Discover Kyrgyzstan's stunning natural beauty.

🇹🇯 Connect with locals in the laid-back charm of Dushanbe.

🇰🇿 Explore Almaty and visit the little-known Tashkent Solar Furnace.

🇺🇿 Wander through the ancient cities of Samarkand and Bukhara.

🇹🇲 Witness the dramatic Darvaza Gas Crater, known as the "Gateway to Hell," and explore the unique city of Ashgabat.

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📩 Bookings - [email protected]
📅 Departures - October 19 - November 8 2024 & October 25 - November 14 2025
💸 Price - From 5450 USD per person
🔗 More info - https://koryogroup.com/tours/the-five-stans-tour

13/09/2024

The Koryo Studio collection of Film Posters features a selection of over 100 original printed North Korean film posters.

Check out a selection here. 👇

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12/09/2024

Almost all flags of the world are deeply engrained with symbolism.

The North Korean flag is no exception!

North Korea Flag was designed in 1947 and has been the national flag every since.

12/09/2024

Discover Mongolia’s stunning Khongor Els Sand Dunes, famously known as the "Singing Dunes." Hear the wind’s unique song as you explore these majestic dunes, towering up to 300 meters high. 🏜️🎶

Khongor Els Dunes are the largest and the most spectacular dunes not only in the Gobi desert but Mongolia. As with many locations across Mongolia they have more than one name for many they are called Duut Mankhan (singing dunes).

11/09/2024

The Samjiyon Grand Monument is a massive area made up of several statues and sculptures in the far north of North Korea.

Check them all out here 👇

https://koryogroup.com/travel-guide/samjiyon-grand-monument-north-korea-travel-guide-813d04c8-1452-413f-ad60-0f4817d6c261

11/09/2024

Journey into Mongolia's Soviet Past with Our 2024 Tour! 🇲🇳

Discover Mongolia's unique Soviet influence, from Ulaanbaatar's dusty museums and 1950s architecture to abandoned bases in the Gobi Desert. Explore Soviet-built apartments and statues of Russian giants as you uncover the traces of this fascinating era. Don’t miss your chance to experience Mongolia's communist past!

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📩 Bookings - [email protected]
📅 Departure - October 19-25, 2024
💸 Price - From 2,100 USD per person
🔗 More info - https://koryogroup.com/tours/soviet-mongolia-tour-21

11/09/2024

One of Pyongyang’s most unique and unusual buildings has a fascinating origin story. The rise of a teenaged widow to wealthy benefactor of the Korean community under Japanese occupation.

One of Pyongyang’s most unique and unusual buildings has a fascinating origin story – the rise of a teenaged widow to wealthy benefactor of the Korean community under Japanese occupation

10/09/2024

How does spending 3 weeks ticking off all 5 of the 'Stan Countries' sound?!

Sign up here ->
https://koryogroup.com/tours/the-five-stans-tour

10/09/2024

We've just finished our road trip across the roof of the road on the incredible M41 Pamir Highway from Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan, and tracing the route of the ancient Silk Road and the adventures of Marco Polo.

And we had the BEST weather for it. ☀️⛰

We're accepting sign-ups already for our 2025 trip which are filling up fast!

🚨 NOTE: This unique tour happens only ONCE a year. We recommend securing your place to avoid any disappointment.

📅 August 16 - 29 2025
🛌10 Nights
💸 3150 USD per person
⏳Deadline - 1st August, 2025
🕺Transportation, accommodation, & guides included
🔗 https://koryogroup.com/tours/the-pamir-highway-mountain-crossroads-tour

09/09/2024

Today is North Korea’s National Day 🎉🥳️!

📅 September 9th, 1948
🇰🇵 The DPRK was officially established.

This is one of North Korea’s largest holidays. And whilst we can’t be there this year, we’re looking forward to celebrating there next year!

See you there?

👉 SEPTEMBER 2 - SEPTEMBER 11/12 2025
https://koryogroup.com/tours/north-korea-national-day-long-tour

👉 SEPTEMBER 6 - SEPTEMBER 11/12 2025
https://koryogroup.com/tours/north-korea-national-day-tour

A 9-night journey inside North Korea from Kaesong and the DMZ to Hyangsan and the International Friendship Exhibition. Be in Pyongyang for National Day, one of the largest North Korean holidays.

09/09/2024

Today is the 9th of September, National Day in North Korea.

We usually spend this day celebrating on the ground with the locals. Whilst we can’t be there in person, let’s create our own party here!

📸 Share your best fun or most bizarre photos of celebrating alongside the locals in North Korea (on any occasion). Your mass dances, picnics in the park, ad-hoc Taedonggang beers, and everything in between!

08/09/2024

5 Stans, 1 amazing trip. Only by Koryo Tours. See you there?

https://koryogroup.com/tours/the-five-stans-tour

08/09/2024

Part 2! In the previous article, we introduced the 50,000 New Flats Project in Pyongyang. In this article, we will introduce the first phase of this project — the 10,000 new flats in the Songsin and Songhwa Area.

This is also known as Songhwa Street.

A guide to the new buildings and streets in Pyongyang, North Korea. This post looks at Songhwa Street in Pyongyang.

08/09/2024

North Korea has a number of cemeteries both honouring and containing the remains of foreigners; from the Chinese Cemetery in Hoechang (where Mao Anying, son of Chairman Mao is buried) to several small plots for people from the Soviet Union (including in Wonsan and Hamhung), the largest for the DPRK’s Soviet allies is in Pyongyang.

The Cemetery of Soviet soldiers is a cemetery of soldiers, officers, and civilians who passed away while in North Korea.

07/09/2024

Our favourite hotels, restaurants, activities, bars and more of the DPRK

Koryo Tours' choices of the best restaurants, bars, hotels and activities in North Korea, including Wonsan, Air Koryo, the Pyongyang Marathon and more, based on our 25 years of experience in the DPRK.

07/09/2024

The name means ‘3 days’, as it is said that a king visited for a day and was so taken that he stayed a whole 3 days instead, barely able to pull himself away from the grandeur of the views he experienced in this place.

Samil Lagoon | North Korea Travel Guide

06/09/2024

Family portraits at the Flower Exhibition in Pyongyang 📸 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

06/09/2024

A comprehensive tour of all 5 'Stan' countries, including all of the highlights as well as some off-the-beaten-path and hard to get to places you might miss otherwise. All planned over several months using the best local guides, accommodations, and travelling by a mix of overland and flights. So you can just sit back and absorb it all as we go!

HIGHLIGHTS -
🇰🇬 The stunning natural beauty of Kyrgyzstan.
🇹🇯 Mix with locals in beautiful, laid-back Dushanbe
🇰🇿 Almaty & the Little-Known Tashkent Solar Furnace
🇺🇿 The Ancient Cities of Samarkand & Bukhara
🇹🇲 The Gateway to Hell: Darvaza Gas Crater & Ashgabat.

INCLUDED -
✅ Guides & Drivers
✅ All Meals Where Listed
✅ Regional Flights
✅ Turkmenistan Visa (LOI)
✅ All Vehicles & Transport
✅ Entrance Fees

5 Stans Tour Information -
📅 October 19 - November 8 2024 (21 nights)
💵 from 5,450 USD
📩 [email protected]
🔗 https://koryogroup.com/tours/the-five-stans-tour

06/09/2024

The Pyongyang Department Store No. 1 was the place to shop in Pyongyang.

But... economic changes in 2002 meant that competition came in from foreign brands and the store took a hit. Pyongyang Department Store No.1 is now rather old fashioned in comparison to stores such as Kwangbok Supermarket or Daesong Department Store.

The Pyongyang Department Store No. 1 was the place to shop in Pyongyang. But economic changes in 2002 meant that competition came in from foreign brands and the store took a hit.

05/09/2024

The best in North Korean food? Probably not.

But nevertheless, let’s take a look at some of the most important and notable regional vegetables of North Korea.

Everyone should eat their greens, even when in the DPRK! Here we present a list of 8 Great Vegetables of North Korea that you can seek out and try a bite or two of when on a visit to this fascinating country.

05/09/2024

The quick answer to this is yes!

But let's look into it a bit further.

Is Tajikistan safe is a commonly asked question. And a question with answers on many levels. The quick answer to this is yes! But let's look into it a bit further.

04/09/2024

This fairy-tale story of these giant killers was shrouded in mystery.

They had come to England as 1000:1 outsiders, won the hearts of the nation, but no one knew what had happened to the players on their return to North Korea – if they were held in high regard or not.

How did the Game of Their Lives happen? Dan Gordon contacted me in Beijing via email in 1997 with the idea of making a film on the North Korean football players of 1966 who had created the greatest shock in World Cup history by beating the favourites the Italians 1-0 in Group 4, the first set of kno...

04/09/2024

Join writer Calum MacLeod and Koryo Tours founder and director Nick Bonner in Uzbekistan this 2024!

Apply here -> https://koryogroup.com/tours/uzbekistan-karakalpakstan-tour

03/09/2024

Western songs about North Korea? We found some!

6 Songs that refer to North Korea

03/09/2024

Changchun is the capital city of Jilin province in China’s Dongbei (Northeast) region which consists of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces.

For those travelling in the region, Changchun is quite easy to access as it is one of the few major cities located in the region.

Changchun | China Travel Guide. Discover Changchun, the capital city of Jilin province in China's Dongbei (Northeast) region.

02/09/2024

North Korea’s oldest brewery

02/09/2024

Just where does our mega 5-Stans tour take you?
From Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan, Tajikistan to Uzbekistan and finally onto the most unique of them all... Turkmenistan.

This is what you can expect from this truly once-in-a-lifetime trip.

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📩 Bookings - [email protected]
📅 Departures - October 19 - November 8 2024 & October 25 - November 14 2025
💸 Price - From 5450 USD per person
🔗 More info - koryogroup.com/regions/central-asia

01/09/2024

Tiger's Nest Monastery is also known as Paro Taktsang or Taktsang Monastery.

It is a monastery balanced and carved into the edge of a cliff 900 meters above sea level, and is one of 13 monasteries.

The edge of the cliff is a sheer drop right to the bottom.

Tiger's Nest Monastery is also known as Paro Taktsang or Taktsang Monastery. It is a monastery balanced and carved into the edge of a cliff 900 meters above sea level.