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
26 March 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
The Middle East gets a way worse rap than it should, and as a result remains criminally under-visited. But this fascinating region remains a wealth of history and culture, and from the ancient ruins of Persepolis in Iran to the Indiana Jones photo ops …
25 March 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
If you have more than a passing interest in North Korea or football stadiums you will have probably heard of the May Day Stadium and you may even have heard of the Kim Il Sung Stadium, but you need to be on a whole other level of geek to know anything …
25 March 2019 / by Rowan Beard
Introduction to the May Day Stadium The May Day Stadium, Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, or Rungrado May Day Stadium is the most important stadium in North Korea. Located in Pyongyang, the capital of the DPRK, it is the largest stadium in the world. As th …
24 March 2019 / by Pier Doyon
While its neighbours Morocco and Tunisia get floods of tourists every year with their lax visa policies, Algeria has always been more exclusive and, until very recently, almost completely off the tourist map. With France having removed most parts of Al …
21 March 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
Probably the most famous event of North Korea, the Mass Games came back last year and are set to happen again this year. You might have heard of them before, or even seen videos. But what is it like, really, to spectate at the world’s biggest show wit …
21 March 2019 / by Rowan Beard
Mass Games Introduction The Mass Games made a spectacular return in 2019 but you may be asking yourself what is the Mass Games? The Mass Games is not actually based on any games or competitions, it’s a performance which includes over 100,000 performers …
21 March 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
Following a return to the international stage under the stewardship of Marshal Kim Jong Un, the DPRK is reporting an unprecedented boom in the number of Chinese tourists visiting the heretofore-reclusive country. Once considered a niche travel destinat …
20 March 2019 / by Rowan Beard
What is the Ryugyong Hotel? The Ryugyong Hotel, also known as the Hotel of Doom, is the tallest building in North Korea. This 105 storey, 330 meters tall building is an unmissable feature of Pyongyang’s skyline, it is the most iconic building in the en …
20 March 2019 / by Gareth Johnson
It was 11 years ago that I first had the idea of crowdfunding to buy an island, to run as a business and micronation. In fact, I even purchased the domain name www.LetsBuyAnIsland.com back then. Alas, 11 years ago I had a few other things on my mind; t …