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Welcome to the Young Pioneer Tours blog about everything North Korea, and all of our other special off the beaten the track destinations.
Since starting in 2008 we have seen blogging about North Korea and our other great destinations as a great way to engage with our customers and to show the world a slice of life in the great destinations we visit.
Due to the mass amount of great content we create, as well as receive from our Pioneers we have since started our travel lifestyle magazine “The Young Pioneer”.
We’re always looking for contributors to our sites, so feel free to browse through our blogs, and , get in touch if you’d like to write for us.
Check out and subscribe to the YPT Blog and travel magazine
Balkan Tours 2020
25 October 2019 / by Joel Vostok
The Balkans has a special place in the YPT Soviet Europe tour calendar. Since we started running tours there over eight years ago we soon fell in love with the hospitable people, the Balkan food and the incredible but often dark history. As a result, w …
5 ways to make Russian friends
25 October 2019 / by Joel Vostok
Working at the Soviet Europe office of YPT, one of my favourite parts of the job is breaking stereotypes about Eastern Europe, an area of the world still largely undiscovered by Western Tourists since the collapse of the USSR. A common stereotype I fin …
Soviet Tours 2020: 5 of the best
23 October 2019 / by Joel Vostok
Young Pioneer Tours have been operating in the badlands of the former USSR and providing Soviet tours for over ten years, so it’s safe to say we know our stuff when it comes to this part of the world. We decided to give you a rundown of five Soviet hol …
Saudi Arabia tourism FAQ
23 October 2019 / by Pier Doyon
Everything you wanted to know from the first tourists in Saudi Arabia For a very long time, non-religious-related tourism just wasn’t a thing in Saudi Arabia. But then, suddenly, it opened up. In order to save the day with a cancelled tour to Iraq, YPT …
Taking the train in Saudi Arabia
23 October 2019 / by Pier Doyon
What is it like taking the train in Saudi Arabia? It might not look like it, but Saudi Arabia is actually a pretty vast country! And while desert and sand is gorgeous, it’s not the most convenient when it comes to rapid transportation. However, with it …
Flexibility is number 1: YPT unexpectedly organizes a tour to Saudi Arabia
23 October 2019 / by Pier Doyon
The other week, as I was talking in a pub with someone, I was asked what quality was most necessary to being a YPT guide. I said ‘flexibility, adaptability and people skills’ (OK, that’s three qualities. So I cheated a bit). Little did I know that thos …
Can Americans travel to North Korea?
22 October 2019 / by Rowan Beard
Since September 1st 2017 the US State Department introduced travel restrictions to North Korea for all American tourists. This restriction is valid for one year, but has been renewed each year on the 31st of August unless otherwise revoked by the US Se …
Is North Korea communist?
22 October 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
Is North Korea communist? North Korea and, to some extents, Cuba, are often described as the last “truly communist” states on earth, with people often lumping China, Vietnam and Laos as the five last “officially” communist countries. But is North Korea …
Basketball in North Korea
22 October 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
Basketball in North Korea is a big deal, at least from a leadership point of view! During the funeral of General Kim Jong Il many people noted an unusually tall person in the crowd sporting a KPA uniform. Some (probably the Daily Mail) even suggested t …
