North Korea
Where to stay in Pyongyang
Pyongyang is a city in North Korea, home to about 2,863,000 people.
- Best months
- October
- Nearest airport
- FNJ24 km · Pyongyang Sunan International Airport
- Currency
- KPWNorth Korean won
- Time zone
- Asia/Pyongyang
- Language
- Korean, North Korean standard language
About
About Pyongyang
Pyongyang (Korean: 평양) is the capital and largest city of North Korea. According to the 2008 population census, it has a population of 3,255,288.
Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea, and also a "showcase city" where people have a markedly higher standard of living than elsewhere in the country. Many of the nation's tourist attractions can be found here and will likely form part of most travel itineraries to North Korea. Largely destroyed during the Korean War in 1952, it was rebuilt to be a model city to boost morale in North Korea. The Russian-style architecture features wide boulevards and lots of green space and decoration.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Pyongyang
See
- Arch of Triumph
- Arirang Mass Games
- Children's Palace
- Chollima Statue
- Juche Tower
- Kaeson Funfair
- Kimilsungia-Kimjungilia Flower Exhibition Centre
- Korean War Museum
- Mansudae Grand Monument
- Munsu Water Park
- North Korean Film Studio
- Pyongyang Circus
Do
Normally, tourists in Pyongyang are restricted to guided tours. Personal visitors to foreign residents are usually free to wander around, though they may also be placed under the care of a guide.
- Pyongyang Marathon
- Swimming
- Bowling
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Pyongyang
3 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Ryugyong Hotel | 2.6 km | |
| Yanggakdo International Hotel | 1995 | 2.0 km |
| Pothonggang Hotel | 1973 | 2.6 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Pyongyang
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Pyongyang are October. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; July is the wettest, with about 273 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Pyongyang: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (FNJ), about 24 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting around
Tourists to North Korea will need to be accompanied by an accredited guide or guides, who will arrange where you can visit and how you will get there. However, personal visitors of foreign residents in Pyongyang are free to go around by themselves, unless explicitly told not to by the government. The metro system has two routes. However, if on a package tour, your short trip on the metro will be organised in advance. Only visitors of foreign residents may use the entire metro.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
FNJ · Pyongyang Sunan International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Pyongyang
Eat
Local residents generally eat at home, and as such the Pyongyang restaurant scene is lacking. You will normally eat dinner at your hotel. There are a number of small diners in the city, but they are mostly aimed at local workers and have rather spartan fare—boiled corn, kimchi, some fish or squid, white rice. The legal situation surrounding these semi-private establishments is complicated, and foreigners are not advised to eat at them. A famous local specialty of Pyongyang is cold noodles (랭면 raengmyŏn); ask your guide if they can organise an outing so you can try it. There are, however, several restaurants well-suited for tourists.
Drink
There are few bars and clubs to which foreigners are allowed, although North Korean beer is available at hotels. Some may also offer Chinese and other foreign beers, such as Heineken. The local draught beer is excellent, and costs from €0.50 to €1.40. There are three main places, apart from restaurants and hotels, where foreign residents go to socialise; the old Diplomatic club, near the Juche tower by the river, the Friendship, inside the Munsu dong foreigners' compound, and the Random Access Club (RAC), run by the UN, also inside the foreigners' compound. Provided that transport (difficult) and permission (less difficult) is obtainable, all of these can be visited.
Stay safe
Pyongyang is a very safe city for foreigners who follow the rules. See the main article for safety information about North Korea.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Pyongyang: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Pyongyang?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Pyongyang are October. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; July is the wettest, with about 273 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Pyongyang?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Pyongyang Sunan International Airport (FNJ), about 24 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Pyongyang?
North Korean won (KPW).
Nearby
Destinations near Pyongyang
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.