Welcome to the Young Pioneer Tours Blog, the place where we we keep you informed about everything YPT, from current tours, to future tours and a whole lot of eclectic stuff in between.
YPT first started blogging in 2008 and are considered the best North Korean Travel blog that there is.
But, as Young Pioneer Tours have expanded our locations, so have we expanded our blog. Now we have one of the best travel blogs in the world!
And while most of our content is about the numerous destinations we go, including travel guides and what to pack, we also delve into more serious subjects such as the safety of certain destinations, as well as how LGTBQ+ friendly the places we visit are.
While the vast majority of our content is produced in-house, we are always on the look-out for guest bloggers and writers. Want to write for us? Then simply get in touch.
You can also check out our sister publication YPT Life.
Check out and subscribe to the YPT Blog and travel magazine
11 June 2020 / by Gareth Johnson
Hamhung Cold Noodles as photographed by Gregor Samsa Did we make a spelling mistake? Surely we must have meant Pyongyang Cold Noodles right? No, we are talking about the second most famous cold noodle dish of North Korea Hamhung Cold Noodles ( 함흥냉면 ). …
9 June 2020 / by Nicolas Platt
Introduction Located on the banks of the Taedong river between Moran Hill and Okryu Bridge, Okryu-Gwan Restaraunt (옥류관) is one of Pyongyang’s most iconic eateries and easily the most famous Pyongyang Cold Noodle restaurant. The exterior of Okryu-Gwan O …
9 June 2020 / by Gareth Johnson
Despite being a Socialist State with a heavily centralised economy the DPRK can at times be pretty canny businessmen and nothing quite proves this as much as the hugely successful Pyongyang Restaurant Chain or Franchise – that is right I said franchise …
9 June 2020 / by Gareth Johnson
You might not have heard of Ko Panyi, although from the name you might hazard a guess that it is in Thailand. The village of Ko Panyi is different from other villages in that the fishermen live in houses built on stilts. All 1700 or so of them floating …
9 June 2020 / by Gareth Johnson
The 100th Birthday of President Kim Il Sung is up until now one of the biggest events both for tourists and locals alike that has ever happened in North Korea. The background to the 100th birthday of President Kim Il Sung President Kim Il Sung was the …
9 June 2020 / by Gareth Johnson
What was the Collision in Korea? When we think about great sporting events in North Korea it is natural to swing to the Mass Games, or for great cultural exchanges The Laibach Concert, but just over 25 years ago sport and cultural exchange come togethe …
9 June 2020 / by Gareth Johnson
Some of the many brands one can choose to smoke in North Korea At YPT we like to deal with all of the important matters for traveling to North Korea. Today the big question for the tobacco lovers out there “can you smoke in North Korea”. Short answer i …
8 June 2020 / by Joel Vostok
After a long and uncertain few months, it finally seems that there is a light at the end of the tunnel to the coronavirus lockdown. Europe, despite being one of the worst affected areas is starting to see the curve flattening and making attempts to res …
7 June 2020 / by Gareth Johnson
A bowl of Hawaiian poke One of the things we like best when traveling to new countries is of course sampling the food, and the Pacific Islands is definitely one of our favorite food destinations. Hawaiian poke is a legend amongst those underrated desti …