Optional Extension to all tours departing by train
See Dandong, the China-DPRK border point

Dandong; a fascinating small city on the Chinese side of the Yalu river, facing across to Sinuiju, your point of exit from DPRK after the tour. Instead of returning directly to Beijing we are pleased to offer a one day extension to the tour to take in all the sights of Dandong on a special North Korea-themed extension.

The train from DPRK arrives in China at around 17:30 and here you get off and transfer to Dandong’s best hotel - the 4 star Zhong Lian Hotel (foreign TV, located on the waterfront next to the railway bridge with great views over North Korea), dinner is in a local Chinese restaurant and the evening is your own.

After staying overnight in the hotel the first stop is a trip to the most eastern part of the Great Wall at Tiger Mountain overlooking North Korea. Here you can take a boat trip at the 'one metre hop' the narrowest point between China and DPRK (it is possible to see Korean People's Army border guards up close, as little as a metre away!). Next stop is the snappily-named ‘Museum of War to Resist America and Aid Korea’ otherwise known as the Korean war museum, which charts the events which led to the deployment of over 2 million Chinese 'volunteers' to Korea in 1950. Here you can learn the Chinese side of the story as well as view many very well presented rooms (now all exhibits have English captions), compare and contrast with the Korean version of events as well as that taught in the west. Stunning city views are afforded by the hilltop location of the museum which is situated on the site of Chinese Volunteer Army supreme commander Peng De Huai's base prior to moving into Korea.

After lunch which is taken in a North Korean restaurant complete with song and dance show from the waitresses, you take another boat trip, this time on the wider Yalu river; the boat sweeps up and down the river in and out of North Korean waters, great for photos! You can also walk along the ‘Broken Bridge’ which runs parallel to the friendship bridge over the Yalu river connecting the two countries. Half destroyed by the US air force in the Korean War, the broken bridge extends to exactly the halfway point between China and DPRK. Around the bridge area all manner of North Korean goodies can be bought, from badges and cigarettes to currency and other knick-knacks!

After this there will be just enough time to pose for photos at the giant red Chairman Mao statue outside the railway station before boarding the overnight sleeper for Beijing, 4 berth soft sleeper beds carry you to China's capital overnight for an 08:34 arrival the next day.

COST This extension is fully guided and priced at 160 Euros per person all inclusive of all of the above attractions; meals, hotel, etc, single room supplement is an additional 50 Euros (this is the price for group tour tourists only- for independent tourists please click here) If you are travelling to Dandong between 29th September and 7th October 2008 (inclusive) then there will be an additional charge of EUR 25 per person due to higher rates for the national day holiday.

If you would like to take this option then please tick the relevant box on the visa application form when applying for the DPRK tour, if you have applied already and want to add this option please send an email to tours@koryogroup.com.

Note that this extension is only available to those who choose to travel out of DPRK by train at the end of the tour.

The perfect way to end a tour of North Korea, and a unique look at a fascinating part of China!