Must-see attractions in Pyongyang

  • Juche Tower, Pyongyang

    Tower of the Juche Idea

    Pyongyang

    This tower honours the North Korean philosophy of Juche and was unveiled to mark President Kim Il-sung's 70th birthday in 1982. Indeed, the tower is made…

  • Mansudae Grand Monument

    Pyongyang

    Every itinerary includes an homage to these vast bronze statues of the smiling Great Leader and Dear Leader, the latter in his trademark parka. The first…

  • Kim Il-sung Square

    Pyongyang

    Pyongyang’s central square is where North Korea’s massive military parades normally take place. The plaza is ringed by austere-looking buildings: most…

  • Pyongyang Metro

    Pyongyang

    Visiting the impressive Pyongyang metro is definitely a highlight of the capital. The network, which is made up of two lines, has a simultaneous function…

  • Triumphal Arch

    Pyongyang

    Your guides will tell you proudly that the Triumphal Arch is 6m higher than its cousin in Paris, making it the largest of its kind in the world. The arch…

  • Chollima Statue

    Pyongyang

    This impressive statue portrays Chollima, the Korean Pegasus. It’s an interesting example of how the North Korean state has incorporated traditional…

  • USS Pueblo

    Pyongyang

    The USS Pueblo is a US surveillance vessel that was seized by the North Koreans off the east coast of Korea in January 1968, during a heightening of…

  • Kim Il-sung Mural

    Pyongyang

    This massive mural depicts the hypothetical scene of the joyful masses celebrating Kim Il-sung's arrival in Pyongyang, even though the event wasn't quite…

  • Tower of Immortality

    Pyongyang

    The writing on this tower, through the base of which traffic drives, pledges that the 'Great Leader Kim Il-sung and the Dear Leader Kim Jong-il will…

  • North Korea, Pyongyang. Arch of Triumph with deserted road which was erected in 1982 for Kim Il Sungs 70th birthday

    Moran Hill

    Pyongyang

    This is Pyongyang’s top recreation ground: couples wander, families picnic and there are people playing guitars and sometimes even dancing in an…

  • Tomb of Tan'gun

    Pyongyang

    History continues to evolve in North Korea, with new revolutionary discoveries being made every year. While the government announced in 1993 that its…

  • Kumsusan Memorial Palace of the Sun

    Pyongyang

    Kim Il-sung’s residence during his lifetime, the Kumsusan Palace remained so after his death. North Koreans come here en masse to pay their respects to…

  • Pyongyang Film Studios

    Pyongyang

    Several films a year are churned out by the country’s main film studios in the suburbs of Pyongyang. The two main focuses are predictably the anti…

  • Three Revolutions Exhibition

    Pyongyang

    A surreal, enormous exhibition complex, North Korea’s answer to Florida’s Epcot theme park details the ‘three revolutions’ Kim Il-sung brought about in…

  • Grand People's Study House

    Pyongyang

    This impressive building on Kim Il-sung Sq is the country’s largest library and centre of Juche studies, where any North Korean over 17 can come for free…

  • Ryugyong Hotel

    Pyongyang

    Three decades after construction began on this extraordinary hotel in 1987, it still has not been completed. Planned as a prestige project but abandoned…

  • Korean Revolution Museum

    Pyongyang

    Despite the museum’s rather misleading name, its main function is to document the death of Kim Il-sung (including a film of the extraordinary public…

  • Kim Il-sung's Birthplace

    Pyongyang

    The suburb of Mangyongdae houses the place of Kim Il-sung’s birth, a typical Korean peasant house with a thatched roof and a block of living rooms, as…

  • Party Founding Museum

    Pyongyang

    Located on the southern slope of Haebang Hill is this museum that originally housed the Central Committee of the Korean Workers’ Party, as well as Kim Il…

  • Mangyongdae Funfair

    Pyongyang

    After the relentless propaganda, you can relax with some day trippers from the capital at the Mangyongdae Funfair, a pleasant oasis built around the base…

  • Liberation Tower

    Pyongyang

    This stone column topped with a red star commemorates the Soviet liberation of Pyongyang from Japanese rule in 1945. Built in 1947, it is thoroughly…

  • Mangyongdae Revolutionary Museum

    Pyongyang

    The Mangyongdae Revolutionary Museum, located near Kim Il-sung's birthplace, continues the theme of the Great Leader's childhood and makes the point that…

  • May Day Stadium

    Pyongyang

    The largest stadium in the world, the May Day Stadium seats an incredible 114,000 people. It's most famous as the home of the impressive feat of North…

  • Taedong Gate

    Pyongyang

    This was the eastern gate of the ancient walled city of Pyongyang, built in the 6th century to defend the entrance to the inner fortress from the Taedong…

  • Korean National Art Gallery

    Pyongyang

    This large gallery on Kim Il-sung Square is worth a visit to see the postwar socialist-realist art collection. There are 14 rooms of prewar Korean art…

  • Metro Museum

    Pyongyang

    The Metro Museum details the Great and Dear Leaders' roles in the construction of the Pyongyang metro in detail, although technical information beyond…

  • Chilsong Gate

    Pyongyang

    Located inside what is today Pyongyang's main park, the Chilsong Gate was once the northern entrance to the original walled city of Pyongyang and dates…

  • Korean Central History Museum

    Pyongyang

    The Korean Central History Museum is all rather predictable – a large number of exhibits about the North's struggle against imperialism and oppression.

  • Sino-Korean Friendship Tower

    Pyongyang

    This television tower was built as a gift from the Chinese to the DRPK. It's possible to take the lift to the top and have a drink at the small cafe.

  • Potong Gate

    Pyongyang

    The western gate of the original walled city of Pyongyang dates from the 6th century, but was rebuilt in the 15th century and then again in 1955.