The capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is not often the object of travelers' attention. The country, closed from most of the world, attracts mainly those tourists who have already visited dozens of other countries and expect something special from the trip. If for some reason you are interested in North Korea and you are looking for an answer to the question of how to get to Pyongyang, get ready that the trip will seem not the easiest and not at all cheap to you.
First, independent travel to Pyongyang and other cities in North Korea is officially banned. In order to make a tour, you need to be a member of a group formed by a travel agency. A Russian tourist also needs a visa, which is issued by a consulate or an embassy of the DPRK. It will definitely not be possible to obtain a visa if the applicant works in any media. Journalists enter Pyongyang only with the special permission of the country's government.
Choosing wings
Most of all foreign tourists travel to Pyongyang via China:
- North Korean air carrier Air Koryo has scheduled flights from Beijing to Pyongyang and back, but finding them even in search aggregators can be very difficult. The airline has its own website and you can try your luck and book your ticket right there. The resource address is www.koryo.com.
- You can also get to Pyongyang from the Chinese capital aboard Air China. It is better to check the schedule of direct flights on the airline's website. Round-trip ticket prices start at $ 700. The journey takes 2 hours.
- Air China and S7 fly directly from Moscow to Beijing. The journey takes about 8 hours, and the cost of tickets for regular flights is $ 570.
- With connections from the Russian capital to the Chinese capital, you can get on the sides of the same company S7. The transfer will take place in Novosibirsk, and the ticket in this case will cost only $ 440.
- The cheapest connecting flights to the capital of China are offered by Kazakh airlines. Air Astana sells round-trip tickets for $ 350. The transfer will take place in Almaty, the journey, excluding the connection, takes about 9 hours.
Summarizing the information received, we can say that it will not be possible to get to Pyongyang from Russia cheaply. Just for the flight, you will have to pay about $ 1000 at best.
How to get to Pyongyang from the airport
The capital Sunan Airport was built 24 kilometers from the center of the North Korean capital. Given the special nature of tours in the DPRK, you are unlikely to have to look for ways to transfer to the city and hotel on your own. The Korean side organizes a meeting of both organized groups and rare individual tourists who have received permission from the authorities for such a trip. The greeters receive the guest who has come down from the ladder and accompany him around the clock, providing transport and guide services. The service, of course, is included in the tour price. The average price of one day of stay in the DPRK for a foreign visitor is about $ 100 as part of an organized group and is at least twice as expensive if the traveler decides to get to know the country individually.
To the DPRK by train
You can also get to Pyongyang by land from Beijing by purchasing a train ticket that runs through Dandong and Sinyzhu. To travel on it, Russian citizens will need a transit Chinese visa.
The train leaves the Chinese capital four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and its passengers travel for about a day. Departure time is 17.30.
All prices in the material are approximate and given for March 2017. It is better to check the exact fare on the official websites of the carriers.
