As a tour leader for YPT, I’ve been a frequent visitor to North Korea over the past three years. One of the main questions that tourists ask me is if I’ve seen any changes to the country in that time. The answer is yes, but North Koreans are very conservative, as is their society, and […]

 A 6.3 magnitude seismic event, a confirmed nuclear test, was detected approximately 10 km from North Korea’s nuclear test site today at exactly 12:00 Pyongyang time, the USGS warning indicated. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said that a 5.6 magnitude earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 km at 1236 KST in Kilju County in […]

In September, Turkmenistan will be hosting the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in their show-piece capital, Ashgabat. Think of it like a mini Olympics for people who get sunburnt easily. Unless you happen to be from a participating country, and even then, unless you’re very much involved in one of the obscure sports […]

YPT is hiring a Social Media Manager for a full time position in our Beijing or Dandong office. We are particularly looking for someone with analytical skills and a flair for reflecting what we do in our jobs online! This position will also include the opportunity to train to be a tour guide to North […]

Introduction Microsoft is updating their Windows Servers to keep up with new market needs. With these upgrades, it’s also necessary that the professionals improve their skills to meet the new server requirements. This is why Microsoft administers the certification exams to its candidates. One of the tests is Microsoft 70-417: Upgrading Your Skills to MCSA […]

Young Pioneer Tours’ love of Russia and Eastern Europe first started when we came up with the somewhat optimistic idea of a tour covering every single country of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc. The idea turned into reality with our Eurasian Adventure tour, but as we got to know the regions deeper we […]

As you may be aware, in the past years, more and more countries decided to adopt the electronic visa system in the visa policy. The reasons behind that decision are simple enough. Travellers enjoy a simplified online visa application process, while governments see an improvement in their tourism section. However, as a result of eVisas, […]

North Korea isn’t your average tour destination. It’s certainly not the type of place you’d expect to get sloshed with locals while sampling locally-brewed (and, in our opinion, very tasty) craft beers. Yet, in 2016, Pyongyang announced they’d be holding the first ever Taedonggang Beer Festival, where locals and international travellers alike could mingle, drink, […]

As of February 12th 2017, the Belarusian government launched a new visa program that allows citizens of 80 countries to apply for a visa on arrival at Minsk National Airport that’s valid for up to 30 days. Countries allowed Visa on Arrival in Belarus All EU citizens, Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Bahrain, […]

Never up for shameless bandwagoning, here at YPT we’ve been just as shocked as most people at the sheer number of amazing people who have been taken away from us during 2016 – David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen, George Michael, and then not only Carrie Fisher but her mum too! And all of this is […]