Inclusions
Exclusions
Berlin to Pyongyang By Train
- May 15th - June 3rd, 2021
- 1795 / 2895
- 9 / 18 Days
What's it all about?
This is the longest uninterrupted train journey in the world. Rocky Road Travel will make history in 2020 by becoming the first group to travel from Berlin to Pyongyang via the Russian border crossing by train.
Don’t worry, we won’t be doing the whole journey in one go! We’ll spend some time in Moscow and the small city of Ussuriysk in far eastern Russia before we take the train over the border into North Korea. This is a route almost never experienced by tourists. We thenhave a couple of days in Rason – North Korea’s Special Economic Zone (SEZ). We’ll visit private markets, schools, a bank as well as all the revolutionary sites. Rason is very different to the rest of the DPRK as well will find out on the rest of our journey southwards.
We’ll then head to Pyongyang on a North Korean domestic train. We’ll meander through five remote provinces of North Korea, passing untouched landscapes and rarely viewed towns and villages. A truly rare look through the window of this hermit kingdom.
Once in Pyongyang, we’ll be hitting up all the must-see sights such as Kim Il Sung Square, the Korean War Museum, Pyongyang Metro, Juche Tower and much more! Of course, no trip to the DPRK is complete without a visit to the DMZ where both North and South Korea meet head-on.
This tour closes for bookings on the 28th February and will only run if at least 6 people sign up. Please do not book any flights until we confirm that the tour is going ahead on these dates two months before. Please register your interest as soon as possible.
Highlights
Berlin to Pyongyang by Train
€2895 / 1795
- Group A ► May 15th - June 3rd (Berlin - Pyongyang - Beijing)
- Group B ► May 26th - June 3rd (Ussuriysk - Pyongyang - Beijing)
- Start in Berlin, Moscow or Ussuriysk!
May 15th
- We’ll meet up close to Berlin Ostbanhof to grab a bite to eat and some supplies before making our way to the platform for our 19.24 departure to Moscow.
- Overnight on the train.
May 16th
- We spend the next day passing through Poland and Belarus and over the border to Russia.
- Arrival in Moscow at 19.43 local time.
- Overnight in a central Moscow hotel.
May 17th
- Up early for breakfast at the hotel
- Kick-start our Moscow city tour! Obviously we start in the famous Red Square, pay a visit to Lenin in his mausoleum and overload on other various Soviet monuments.
- Dinner at a traditional restaurant called Varenichnaya. Drinks in a Druzhba, or vodka shot bar!
- Overnight in Moscow.
May 18th
- Breakfast before heading out to further explore Moscow.
- Walk around the Fallen Monument Park. It contains statues of Stalin and other Soviet figures.
- Head to the Pobedy park which is dedicated to the victory against Germany. We’ll check out the museum dedicated to the Great Patriotic War.
- We then head to a nearby shooting range where we can fire off some iconic weaponry for extra charge. The Kalishnikov – (50 euro per person) Other weapons such as WWII machine guns and sniper rifles are also available.
- Lunch at a Solichnaya, (soviet-style canteen) for quick and easy Russian fare.
- In the afternoon, we will head to the newly restored VDKh. This is home to massive pavilions dedicated to each former republic of the USSR.
- Check out the incredible museum of Cosmonauts.
- Dinner and then buy groceries to prepare for our marathon train journey!
- Catch the 00:35 train from Pavelskaya Station to Ussuriysk in Russia’s far East. We won’t be getting off much for the next 6 days!
- Overnight on the train.
May 19th
- Settle in for the long journey. We will have supplies of bread, cheese and sausages as well as enough vodka to keep us entertained. There’s also a dining car on the train for meals.
- Pass through Nizhny Novgorod and other small satellite towns.
- Overnight on the train.
May 20th
- In the morning we’ll pass Perm close to the Ural Mountains.
- Arrive in Yekaterinburg for a brief stop; we can use these short stops to stock up on supplies from the station shops. From here on we’ll be drifting through Siberia.
- Overnight on the train.
May 21st
- By morning we’ll have reached Novosibirsk – Siberia’s largest city.
- From here it starts to get more and more desolate. So sit back, relax and watch the world go by!
- Overnight on the train.
May 22nd
- As the sun sets we’ll pass the stunning Lake Baikal before reaching Irkutsk. This is where the Trans-Mongolian line heads south through Mongolia to Beijing, but we stay on course for the entire Trans-Siberian and Ussuriysk.
- Overnight on the train.
May 23rd
- We pass the city of Chita as we continue heading east.
- By this point we should have thoroughly befriended everyone on the train, including the staff. The vodka will have been well and truly over-flowing.
- Overnight on the train.
May 24th
- We’ll cross the Amur river and pass through Birobidzhan. It was here that an autonomous Jewish oblast was created in under Stalin. It remains alive and well as the centre of Jewish life in Russia today.
- Pass by the major city of Khabarovsk on the Chinese border.
- Overnight on the train.
May 25th
- Our last full day aboard the Trans – Siberian railway! Today we will be crossing the Amur region
- Overnight on the train
May 26th
- Enjoy the last few hours on the train before we pull into Ussuriysk at 4:00 am local time.
- Check into hotel Gostinitsa Ussuryisk and get a few hours sleep in an real bed!
- Members of Group B join us here
- Breakfast
- Once nicely refreshed, we’ll head out to the Korean Culture Centre where we can learn more about the strong Korean diaspora in Russia.
- Lunch at Kazan-Mangal, a traditional restaurant which offers food from mongolian and other nomadic cultures in the region.
- After lunch we’ll head to the nearby ghost town of Vodvizhenka. This was an airbase used by the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War . Here we can see two planes on display in town. One is a SU-7 supersonic jet and another a TU-16 bomber which was recovered from the Sea of Japan. We will also try to visit the actual airbase for some urban exploration.
- Head back to Ussuryisk for dinner in a Korean restaurant to introduce ourselves to what we’ll be eating from now on!
- Drinks at a local stolichnaya – keeping in mind that we’ll start very early the next day.
- Night at the hotel.
Group B
May 27th
- Board the 5:29am train to Rason, North Korea. Arriving at 11:45am local time.
- Go through immigration on the Russian side in Khasan and the DPRK side in Tumangang
- We will be met by our North Korean guides in Rason and then head straight to our hotel
Afternoon
- Visit the Mosaic murals of President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il.
- Rason Revolutionary Museum
- Art Gallery & shop
- Dinner
- Evening drinks at an outdoor bar
- Overnight in Rason
May 28th
Morning
- Visit Triangle Bank where you can change money and open a North Korean bank account with your very own ATM card!
- Visit Rason private market. This is a thriving major market. Local and foreign currency accepted.
Afternoon
- Lunch at the Kumyong Restaurant for great local dishes!
- Visit Rason foreign language high school – here we’ll split up into smaller groups and chat with students. This is much appreciated as the kids can practice English with foreigners. Quite a rare treat for them, and us!
- Haeyang Park- This park hosts a Czech Joint Venture beer bar. We will of course sample the offerings.
- Dinner and performance at the Emperor Hotel – One of the very few gambling spots in North Korea
- Overnight in Rason
May 29th
- Say goodbye to our two local guides and depart Rason on the morning train to Pyongyang!
- We will pass through 5 untouched provinces. Few foreigners have traveled this route.
- The train is a sleeper but there is no dining car. We’ll pack lot of supplies from the Rason market to take with us.
- Overnight on the train
May 30th
Morning
- Arrive into Pyongyang Railway Station at 11:30am, greet our two new guides on the platform
- Check into the Sosan Hotel
Afternoon
- Lunch to try Pyongyang’s famous Cold Noodle Dish or the traditional rice BiBimBap.
- Visit the Mangyongdae Art Studio – this is where all of North Korea’s major paintings and statues are produced. We can tour the place and meet local artists.
- Visit the North Korean Film Studio! Here we can dress up in period costume and check out the numerous set locations such as South Korea, China, Japan, and Europe!
- Munsu Water Park – This incredible Indoor and outdoor park has amazing waterslides, and plenty for those who don’t want to swim. It also has a coffee shop, beer bar, table tennis, billiards, massage, or a beauty salon ( extra charge, swimming is €10 and includes suit and towel).
- Dinner at a local restaurant on the newly built Ryomyong Street.
- Overnight at the Sosan hotel.
May 31st
Morning
- Stroll through Mansudae Fountain Park and see the mosaic murals of the leaders: President Kim Il Sung and the leader Kim Jong Il.
- Visit Mansudae Grand Monument. The large bronze statues of President Kim Il Sung and the Leader Kim Jong Il. (Here you can present flowers if you wish: €5).
- Grand People’s Study House- This is the massive central Library for adult learners. It offers an amazing view over Kim Il Sung Square from the balcony.
- Foreign Language Bookshop- This is the main shop for books, pins & DVD’s in English and other foreign Languages.
- Kim Il Sung Square- The central square of Pyongyang and where it all happens.
- Pyongyang Metro! We’ll get out at 3 different unique stations.
- The Arch of Triumph- The largest Victory Arch in the world (11 meters larger than Paris…) It celebrates the victory over the Japanese.
Afternoon
- Lunch at the Hot Pot Restaurant
- Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum. This incredible museum features dioramas, captured weapons, the Victory Monument, and the USS Pueblo: the only American military vessel captured by another nation.
- Juche Tower – the tallest stone tower in the world, it represents the Juche Ideology. Central to the teachings of the DPRK(optional extra €5 to go to the top).
- Monument to the Party Foundation- Built in 1995 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the worker’s party.
- Visit Kwanbok department store. Here we can shop with the locals and have access to the local North Korean currency!
- Stop by the Taedonggang Micro Brewery for some refreshments. They have seven different types of beer here.
- Dinner at the National restaurant with a great performance!
- Visit Rugna Funfair (extra charge)
- Watch the Mass Games! The world’s largest performance. (To be confirmed)
- Overnight at the Sosan Hotel
June 1st
- Hit the road for the 3.5 hour drive to Kaesong and the DMZ.
- Koryo Museum – Korea’s first university and now a UNESCO museum of history and culture.
- The DMZ – tour Panmunjom with a friendly army officer who will give you the look around. You can even take photos with the army here!
Afternoon
- Lunch in Kaesong City – on the menu will be traditional Korean Pansangi, a series of dishes served in bronze bowls. (Optional extras- Dog Soup €5)
- Stop by Sariwon to view the city from the mountain top pagoda.
- Try locally brewed Makkoli in a local tea house.
- Stop by the Monument to the Three Charters of National Reunification that stands over the Thongil (reunification) Highway.
- Back to Pyongyang in time for dinner at the Duck BBQ restaurant.
- Overnight in Sosan Hotel.
June 2nd
Morning
- Train takers depart at 10:25am for the overnight sleeper to Beijing.
- Flight members depart Pyongyang Sunan Airport on Air Koryo at 10:30am arriving in Beijing PEK Airport T2 at 11:30am local time.
June 2nd
- Train takers arrive into Beijing Railway Station at 9:00am.
- End of tour.
What else?
Tour Notes
You’ll be in the vastly experienced hands of our English speaking local guides & fixer as well as your Rocky Road Travel guide. We visit northern Pakistan regularly, so we know the best spots and have perfected the itinerary accordingly. The itinerary may change slightly, but we will always go above and beyond with added extras to the itinerary such as stops at local cafe-bars, shisha lounges and more. We are also in constant communication with our local partners on the ground who advise the safest routes to take.
The tour is actually made up of 5 different train journeys;
- Berlin to Moscow.
- Moscow to Ussuriysk
- Ussuriysk to Rason, North Korea.
- Rason to Pyongyang
- Pyongyang to Beijing
For your convenience we’ve split it into two groups depending on where you want to join:
Group A kicks off in Berlin and for those short on time Group B meets in Ussuriysk in the Russian far east. Of course we recommend doing the whole Berlin to Pyongyang journey. Don’t you want to make history?
To book simply hit the button below and start the conversation today.
Group a - May 15 - June 3rd
(Berlin - Pyongyang - Beijing)
Group b - May 26 - June 3rd
(Ussuriysk - Pyongyang - Beijing)
18/9 Days
Twin share hotel & sleeper trains
The price
€2895 / €1795
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