Wednesday 24th July – Moscow

• Check into our centrally located hotel in Moscow and meet the group at 1pm in the hotel lobby.
• Kick-start the tour YPT style with a city tour of Moscow. We will see where some of the most crucial and chilling moments of the last few centuries of Russian history have been played out at the famous Red Square, pay a visit to Lenin in his mausoleum and overload on Soviet nostalgia.
• Head for dinner at a chain restaurant called Varenichnaya with traditional russian fare and a soviet decor. Drinks in Moscow in a Druzhba, or vodka shot bar and enjoy our last night of freedom!
• Overnight in our centrally located hotel in Moscow.

Thursday 25th July – Moscow

• Breakfast and then head out to further explore Moscow.
• We will go for a stroll around Fallen Monument Park to check out the statues of Stalin as well as other Soviet relics from the past.
• Head to the Park Pobedy dedicated to the victory of Russia against Germany, there, we will have a look at the museum dedicated to the Great Patriotic War
• We then head to a shooting range nearby where we will have the chance to fire off one of the worlds most iconic weapons, the Kalishnikov. (Optional extra – 50 euro per person) Other weapons , such as WWII machine guns and SVG snipers are also available (prices vary)!
• Lunch at a local Solichnaya, or soviet-style canteen, for tasty russian classics.
• In the afternoon, we will head to the newly restored VDKh , the USSR’s answer to the World Expo, home grandiose pavilions dedicated to each republic of the USSR,  the memorial museum of Cosmonautics and the legendary statue of the Worker and the Kolkhoz Women.
• We’ll stop at a mall by our hotel to have dinner and also buy groceries to prepare for our train ride!
• Catch the 00:35  100э train from Moscow Pavelskaya Station to Ussuriysk in Russia’s deep East, our mammoth Trans-Siberian adventure starts now, and we won’t be getting off for the next 7 days!
• Settle in for the journey, we will have supplies of bread, cheese and sausages as well as a fair bit of vodka, or we can go to the dining car on the train for dinner.
• Pass through Nizhny Novgorod, formerly Gorki and a famed city of exiles.
• Overnight on the train.

Friday 26th July – Transsiberian

• In the morning we’ll pass Perm, already getting close to the Ural Mountains.
• Arrive in Yekaterinburg; we’ll be making the most out of these stops to step off onto the platforms and stock up on supplies from the platform salesmen. From here on we’ll be entering Siberia.
• Overnight on the train.

Saturday 27th July – Transsiberian

• In the morning we’ll reach Novosibirsk, Siberia’s largest city.
• We’ll be passing through the Altai mountains and scenery gets more and more impressive. Here’s where human settlements, let alone cities, start to get scarcer and scarcer, so we sit back and watch the world go by!
• Overnight on the train.

Sunday 28th July – Transsiberian

• In the evening we’ll be passing the famously stunning Lake Baikal and then reaching Irkutsk. This is where the Trans-Mongolian line heads down through Mongolia to Beijing, but we stay on course for the entire Trans-Siberian and Ussuriysk.
• Overnight on the train.

Monday 29th July – Transsiberian

• We pass the city of Chita where the Trans-Manchurian line soon heads south through China’s northeast to Beijing, but we continue heading east!
• By now we will have thoroughly befriended everyone on the train, including staff, and the vodka will have been well and truly flowing.
• Overnight on the train.

Tuesday 30th July – Transsiberian

• In the evening we’ll be crossing the Amur river and passing through Birobidzhan – the USSR’s answer to Israel, or Soviet Zion! It was here that an autonomous Jewish oblast was created in Stalin’s times, and it remains as the centre of Jewish life in Russia today.
• Pass by Khabarovsk on the Chinese-Russian border.
• Overnight on the train.

Wednesday 31st July – Transsiberian

• Our last full day aboard the transsiberian! By now we will know all the conductors by name, how many children they have and get special treats in the food carts.
• Today we will be crossing the Amur region
• Overnight on the train

Thursday 1st August – Ussuriysk

• Enjoy the last few hours on the train before we pull into Ussuriysk at 4:00 am local time.
• We will head to hotel Gostinitsa Ussuryisk and get a few hours sleep in an actual bed!
• Members of Group B join us
• Breakfast at our hotel’s pirate-themed canteen,  because , why not?
• Once we are refreshed,  we’ll head out to the Korean Culture Centre , where we can learn more about the Korean diaspora in Russia and its history.
• Lunch at Kazan-Mangal,  a restaurant which offers delicious food from mongolian and other nomadic russian cultures.
• After lunch , we’ll head out to the nearby ghost town of Vodvizhenka. Vodvizhenka was an airbase used by the soviet union throughout World War two and the Cold War . Here, we can see two planes exposed in town.  One is a SU-7 supersonic jet prototype and another a TU-16 bomber which was recovered after crashing in the Sea of Japan . We will also try to visit the actual airbase for some urban exploration,  provided the local authorities don’t mind .
• We head back to Ussuryisk for dinner in a Korean restaurant to introduce ourselves to what will be our food like from tomorrow on!
• Drinks at a local stolichnaya , keeping in mind that we’ll start early the next day.
• Night at the hotel.

Friday August 2nd – Ussuryisk/Rason

• Catch the 5:29am 652э train to Rason – The special economic zone of the DPRK – arriving at 11:45am local time.
• Go through border checks on the Russian side in Khasan and the DPRK side in Tumangang
• We will be met by our local Korean guides in Rason and head straight to check into our hotel

Afternoon

• Visit the Mosaic Pictures of President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il.
• Rason Revolutionary Museum
• Rason Art Gallery
• Visit the souvenir shop combined with a foreign language bookshop
• Dinner in the Rason International Travel Agency Restaurant
• Evening drinks at an outdoor barbecue
• Overnight in Rason

Saturday 3rd August – Rason
Morning

• Visit Triangle Bank where it is permitted to change Korean money at an unpublished rate and to open a Korean bank account! Collect your very own DPRK bank card!
• Visit the private market – here it’s possible to see what is available for normal citizens to buy. Local and foreign currency accepted.

Afternoon

• Lunch at the Kumyong Restaurant – great local dishes!
• Visit the foreign language high school – here we’ll split up into small groups and chat with students. They really appreciate this as they like to practice English with foreigners. Something that doesn’t quite happen all the time for them!
• Haeyang Park- the newly constructed city park – while you’re here why not sample some of the famous Czech Joint Venture beer from the bar inside
• Dinner and performance at the Emperor Hotel – Enjoy a buffet meal and scintillating performance usually held for VIP casino guests
• Overnight in Rason

Sunday 4th August – Rason

• Say goodbye to our two local guides and depart Rason on the 10:30 train to Pyongyang!
• We will pass through 5 provinces of beautiful untouched landscapes and rural towns.
• The train is hard sleeper, so there are bunks, but there is no dining car on the train so we will be surviving on snacks and foods bought in the Rason market
• Overnight on the train

Monday 5th August – Pyongyang

Morning

• Arrive into Pyongyang Railway Station at 11:30am, greet our two local guides on the platform of Pyongyang
• Check into Sosan Hotel and freshen up

Afternoon

• Lunch at KITC Restaurant in Mangyongdae District to try Pyongyang’s famous Cold Noodle Dish or the traditional Korean BiBimBap dish.
• Visit the Mangyongdae Art Studio – here are where the works by the nation are produced such as monuments, portraits, porcelain vases and a good chance to meet a local famous artist
• Visit the Korean Film Studio where we’ll have a chance to dress up in costume and check out the backdrops of fake locations such as Seoul, China, Japan, and even Europe!
• Munsu Water Park- With Indoor and outdoor pools and amazing waterslides, the park also features plenty for those who don’t want to swim, including a Haemaji coffee shop, a beer bar, table tennis, billiards, massage, or a beauty salon (various services extra charge, swimming and access to the gym, table tennis and billiards is 10 euro).
• Dinner at a local Korean restaurant on Ryomyong Street.
• Overnight at Sosan hotel.

Tuesday 6th August – Pyongyang

Morning

• Walk through Mansudae Fountain Park and see the mosaic pictures of President Kim Il Sung and the leader Kim Jong Il.
• Visit Mansudae Grand Monument of President Kim Il Sung and the Leader Kim Jong Il. (Optional extra- you can present flowers if you wish: 5 euros per bunch).
• Grand People’s Study House- Library and academic centre for adult learners, this grand building is built in the Korean style and affords a great view over the central Square.
• Foreign Language Bookshop- Shopping central for books, pins, DVD’s, CD’s and periodicals in English and other foreign Languages, followed by a brisk walk to:
• Kim Il Sung Square- The central square of Pyongyang City.
• Pyongyang Metro! Ride from Stop 1 to Stop 2 then on to stop 6! Exiting to:
• The Arch of Triumph- The largest Victory Arch on the planet- it celebrates the victory over the Japanese and the return of the general Kim Il Sung to his home city.

Afternoon

• Lunch at local Korean Hot Pot Restaurant
• Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum- See the amazing dioramas and displays as well as Korean military equipment from the war, captured American equipment and the infamous USS Pueblo.
• Juche Tower- The tallest stone tower in the world it represents the eternally burning Korean Juche Ideology.
• Monument to the Party Foundation- Built in 1995 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the worker’s party.
• Visit Kwangbok department store – foreign currency can be converted into local DPRK Won and spent on locally made goods, very popular with the locals.
• Stop by the Taedonggang Beer Brewery where up to 7 local beers are available on tap – 2 euros per pint, coffee and softdrinks also available
• Dinner at National Restaurant with a performance
• Visit Rugna Funfair – 2 euros entry, rides are usually 3 euros per person
• Watch the Mass Games! The world’s largest and most breathtaking performance
• Overnight at the Sosan Hotel

Wednesday 7th August – Pyongyang

Morning

• Up nice and early to drive to Kaesong and the DMZ.
• The DMZ- See one of the tensest places on earth complete with a friendly KPA officer who will not only give you a guided tour but also keep you safe. Also the only place you can take photographs of and even with a soldier!
• Koryo Museum- Korea’s first university and now a museum of history and culture. Also home of the best stamp and propaganda poster shop in the DPRK, so don’t forget your wallet!

Afternoon

• Lunch at the Thongil Restaurant in Kaesong City- try your hand at traditional Korean Pansangi- a series of dishes served in bronze bowls. (Optional extras- Dog soup 5 euro, Ginseng Stuffed Whole Chicken 30 euro- can be split between several).
• Drop by Sariwon City (Capital of North Hwanghae province) to walk in the local folk custom park and view the city from the mountain top pagoda.
• Photo opportunity of the Monument to the Three Charters of National Reunification, standing over the Thongil Highway.
• Get back to Pyongyang for dinner at Duck BBQ restaurant
• Overnight at the Sosan hotel.

Thursday 8th August – Pyongyang/Dandong

Morning

• Train members depart at 10:25am for the overnight train to Beijing and enjoy the peaceful countryside of both the DPRK and China
• Flight members depart on Air Koryo at 10:30am arriving in Beijing PEK Airport T2 at 11:30am

Friday 9th August – Beijing

• Train members arrive into Beijing Railway Station at 9:00am

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