Krahun Kimchi Making
Cultural Tour
Description
Krahun invites guests to come make kimchi in North Korea alongside locals! Known as gimjang (김장), North Koreans across the country take part in this age-old tradition to make kimchi for the long winter. Internationally recognized by UNESCO, the tradition of making kimchi is a significant cultural event in the country. Guests will not only get to make and eat fresh kimchi, they’ll also get to experience the special camaraderie of working alongside local North Koreans.
Found at virtually every meal and an important part of Korean culture, kimchi is a spicy pickled dish made of cabbage. Guests can join in every stage of the gimjang process, preparing the vegetables, pickling them and storing them in large clay jars. And guests will work hand in hand with North Koreans for the most authentic local experience available to outside guests.
Along with making kimchi, guests will also tour the Rason region, enjoying the sights and sounds of the area and combining traditional tourism with hands-on service. Guests can practice English with students at the local foreign language middle school, have a chance to explore the local scenery, including beaches, parks, and mountains, go shopping at the open-air market among a sea of locals, and more – guests will be able to experience a slice of real DPRK life.
November 1 (WED) – 6 (MON)
(5 nights, 6 days)
$725
Application Deadline: October 8
Itinerary
*Visitors should be in Yanji, China earlier for a mandatory pre-trip orientation.
November 1
Wednesday
Off to North Korea!
Your tour begins! We depart Yanji in the morning by private chartered bus. It’s a 2 hour drive to the China-DPRK border and we drive through several other cities along the way. After being personally led through the border by one of our Krahun staff members, we head to downtown Rason and enjoy lunch at the Rason International Trade Agency.
After lunch, we visit a foreign language book store and souvenir shop where guests have a chance to see and even buy DPRK books written in other languages, including English. Then we’re off to a local kindergarten to watch an entertaining musical performance by the students. Afterwards, guests visit mosaic portraits of President Kim Il Sung and General Kim Jong Il. Then it’s off to a greenhouse to see and learn more about the Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il flowers. Before heading back to the hotel, guests visit Rajin Port to see and learn more about an important part of Rason’s development and future. The day comes to a close with dinner and rest at the hotel.
November 2 & 3
Thursday & Friday
Kimchi Making
After breakfast at the hotel, it’s time to make kimchi! Guests head to our headquarters to join our local and foreign staff in making kimchi the traditional way. Together we gather and prepare the cabbage, make the famous red-pepper paste, and have fun making kimchi in North Korea! Then guests spend the morning making kimchi just as countless Koreans have done in the country for centuries.
We take a break for lunch and rest, with guests resting as long as they would like. Guests are free to explore our headquarters and enjoy our farm in a myriad of ways. In the afternoon we gather again to continue making kimchi before calling it a day. Guests head back to the hotel to enjoy dinner and some much deserved rest and relaxation.
November 4 & 5
Saturday & Sunday
Exploring Rason & Visit Krahun Co.
After breakfast, guests explore more of Rason. A visit to Daehung Trading Company, largest state-run seafood processing factory in the region, provides a unique window into the local economy here. Then it’s off to hang out at Hye Ahn Park, located near the center of the city and a frequent gathering spot for locals, especially during holidays. Guests can soak in the sights and sounds of the park, joining a volleyball game with locals, watching North Korean families and kids enjoy a movie on the big, outdoor screen, go rollerblading, or, if lucky, join other locals dancing to some local jams! Before lunch, guests visit the local art gallery to check out DPRK artwork that can also be purchased.
After lunch at a local Korean restaurant, guests visit the foreign language middle school where students learn one of several languages, including English. Guests have a wonderful opportunity to visit a classroom and talk to students learning English in a small group setting. Next, guests visit the Golden Triangle Bank and have the option of exchanging currency for North Korean won, which can even be used later. Then it’s time to hit the main market and shopping area in town, the only opportunity in the whole country where foreigners are actually allowed to visit and shop where the locals shop, a truly unique and eye-opening experience. Walk around, haggle with vendors, and move among a sea of locals for a truly local experience! To end the day, guests visit a state-run sewing factory before returning back to the hotel for dinner and rest.
November 6
Monday
Final Farewell
Guests enjoy a final breakfast at the hotel before heading off to see a few more sites before leaving the country. First is a visit to Bipa Island off the coast to explore great ocean views. The island offers an optional boat ride for fee to visit the only seal sanctuary in the country. Afterwards, we make a stop at the five-star Emperor Casino Hotel, built and operated by a Hong Kong based company. Next up guests visit the revolutionary site of Comrade Kim Jong Suk (the mother of Kim Jong Il) and then the tri-country border point where Russia, China and North Korea meet, which also contains the General Ri Sun Shin “turtle boat” memorial.
While overlooking the three countries, guests enjoy a lunch picnic and then head to the China-DPRK border. Guests say their final farewells to their tour guides and to North Korea at the border point in Wonjong before taking a private chartered van back to Yanji. The tour concludes with a debrief dinner in Yanji.
Travel Information
Tours are guaranteed to run with a minimum of three people
Guest may also add a Chongjin-Mt. Chilbo leg or a Pyongyang leg to this tour. Please contact us for more information.
Included in Tour Fee
- DPRK visa fee and processing
- China customs fee and bridge transportation
- Round-trip transportation from China and DPRK
- Hotel accommodation in DPRK for 4 nights
- 3 meals per day in DPRK
- All transportation in DPRK
- Two DPRK tour guides
- One DPRK driver
- Standard tips for DPRK tour guides and driver
- De-brief meal after tour
Not Included in Tour Fee
- China visa fee and processing
- Travel expenses to and from China
- Spending money for drinks and souvenirs in DPRK
- Transportation, meals, and accommodation in China
- Travel insurance or medical evacuation insurance (not required but recommended)
- Entrance fees for special events, if applicable
