What's on in Pyongyang, North Korea through the year

Quiet — school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

• Rule

  Organised tours only

  1 Jan – 31 DecBook earlyClosures

  There is no independent travel here. Visits run as organised group tours with assigned guides, the borders have reopened only partly since 2020, and most Western governments advise against going at all. Source ↗

Busy — Day of the Shining Star, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Day of the Shining Star

  16 FebNational holidayCrowded

  Kim Jong Il's birthday, and one of the two dates the city is dressed for. Tours are built around it, which also means the hotels and the itinerary are fixed months ahead. Source ↗

Still on: Organised tours only (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Organised tours only (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Busy — Day of the Sun, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Day of the Sun

  15 AprNational holidayCrowdedBook early

  Kim Il Sung's birthday is the largest set piece of the year and the busiest date on the tour calendar. Mass displays and parades happen on it in some years and not others. Source ↗

Still on: Organised tours only (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Busy — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Organised tours only (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: Organised tours only (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Season

  Summer rains

  1 Jul – 31 Aug · usuallyMonsoonRisk

  Most of the year's rain falls in two months, and serious flooding in the north of the country is a regular feature of them. It is the least likely stretch for a tour to run to plan.

Still on: Organised tours only (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Organised tours only (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Summer rains (1 Jul – 31 Aug (usually))

Busy — National Day, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  National Day

  9 SepNational holidayCrowded

  The founding anniversary, marked with parades on the round-number years and civic events otherwise. Early September is also the most reliable weather of the year here. Source ↗

Still on: Organised tours only (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Organised tours only (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Organised tours only (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Quiet — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Organised tours only (1 Jan – 31 Dec)