25 Ways To See Daily Life In North Korea As A Tourist

Most tours in North Korea follow a script, but daily life still shows itself in brief, unscripted moments. A glance through a bus window. A pause between stops. A question that doesn’t get answered. This list doesn’t promise deep access, but it does point out the cracks where real life occasionally comes into view.

Experience A Cooperative Farm

Visit a cooperative farm to witness synchronized routines reflecting decades of collectivized agriculture. Farmers operate in units, sharing tools and harvests under state quotas. Spring and autumn are the best times for visits as fields bustle with harvesting. You might even hear work songs carried through the fields if you listen closely.

Ride The Pyongyang Metro

The Pyongyang Metro offers a rare glimpse into North Korea’s tightly curated public spaces. Built in the 1970s, it feels frozen in time—more like a museum than a transit system. Stations such as Puhung and Yonggwang are adorned with grand chandeliers and murals celebrating Kim Il Sung, surrounded by idealized workers. Each stop tells a story steeped in revolutionary imagery and socialist symbolism.

Run The Pyongyang Marathon

Want to jog through one of the world’s most closed-off capitals? This is your chance. Held each April, the Pyongyang Marathon takes foreign runners past sites like Kim Il Sung Stadium, the Arch of Triumph, and the Grand People’s Study House. Sign up through an approved tour operator, pick your distance, and expect a finish line like no other.

Join The Weekend Recreation

Public parks in North Korea come alive on weekends as locals dance, picnic, and fly kites. Families gather along the Taedong River, carrying radios and playing revolutionary ballads or traditional folk songs. Tourists can watch mass dances during national holidays, often rehearsed informally in public spaces.

Drop By The Rural Village Markets

These early-morning markets offer a glimpse into daily life that few tourists see. Locals trade produce, eggs, and home goods at both official and unofficial stalls. However, don’t expect flashy souvenirs—this is where people shop to eat, not to impress. And come in the morning to see the best produce the country has to offer.

Dine With A Local Family

It’s part meal, part performance—but still worth it. Visitors are welcomed into a carefully selected home for a sit-down dinner featuring cold noodles, kimchi, soup, and plenty of soju. The setting may be controlled, but the food is real, and the small talk over shared plates gives you a rare glimpse into domestic life in North Korea.

Tour The Tower Of The Juche Idea

Standing 170 meters tall, the Tower of the Juche Idea commands the Pyongyang skyline. Completed in 1982 to mark Kim Il-sung’s 70th birthday, it comprises 25,550 granite blocks, each representing a day of his life. This impressive monument embodies the Juche philosophy of self-sufficiency, a doctrine championed by Kim Il-sung.

Explore Local Cafes

In Pyongyang’s polished neighborhoods like Mirae Scientists Street and Ryomyong Street, cafes are catching on. Students and young professionals sip espresso or sugary soybean drinks in spotless, state-run spaces. Feeling adventurous? Try Koryo Coffee, a local brew made from roasted barley and corn. It’s not exactly Starbucks, but that’s the point.

Watch Local Sports

Neighborhood games in North Korea go beyond exercise, fostering community spirit and unity. In schoolyards and city parks, volleyball matches and group fitness drills are common, especially in the evenings and mornings. Citizens, often in white sneakers and state-issued tracksuits, participate enthusiastically, which reflects collective discipline and national pride.

Stop By The Kumsusan Memorial Palace

More than a mausoleum, this former presidential palace has been transformed into a national site of deep ceremony. Inside, the bodies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il rest in glass chambers, surrounded by polished marble and solemn rituals. The mood is heavy, the protocol precise, and the experience is unlike any other stop in Pyongyang.

Visit The Mansudae Grand Monument

At 22 meters tall, the bronze statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il tower over the Mansu Hill Grand Monument, framed by murals of the sacred Mount Paektu. Locals offer flowers and deep bows, while tourists must dress modestly and follow customs. Arriving early in the morning ensures a peaceful experience.

Experience North Korean Festivals

Holidays like May Day and National Foundation Day bring choreographed parades and lively picnics. In Moranbong Park, locals gather to share food and perform folk dances. These celebrations follow the Juche calendar, so ask your host which events are planned during your visit for an authentic experience.

Meet The Craftspeople

In Kaesong and Pyongsong, artisan hubs keep traditional crafts alive. From childhood, makers are trained in celadon pottery and hand embroidery under state-run workshops. Their work, sold locally and abroad, follows strict craft techniques. Each item reflects state standards for quality, cultural heritage, and the continuation of national tradition.

Visit The Libraries

You won’t be flipping through the books, but a visit to places like the Grand People’s Study House offers insight into how education and ideology are woven together. Locals come here to study science, politics, and foreign literature in meticulously organized reading rooms. As a visitor, you’ll get a glimpse of daily academic life in a space built to impress.

Eat Like A Local

North Korean cuisine centers on staples like rice and noodles, accompanied by vegetable side dishes and soups. Cold buckwheat noodles and potato-based dishes are typical, while grilled meats are served if available. When it comes to beverages, soju remains the most popular traditional spirit. However, the flavors here are generally milder than in the South.

Witness A Wedding Photo Shoot

Weddings are usually state-arranged events rich in traditional cultural rituals. Though visitors rarely witness the ceremonies, they can see wedding photo sessions in parks. Couples mostly pose near pavilions, dressed in traditional hanbok, beneath floral arches, with loud patriotic songs celebrating their union and heritage.

Attend Mangyongdae Children’s Palace 

This performance hall in Pyongyang gives visitors a curated look at youth education. Students demonstrate skills in music, dance, and art, all practiced to near perfection. While the experience is highly staged, it offers a glimpse into how early talent is shaped here.

Explore Fishing Villages

Along the East Sea, coastal communities rely on sardine and squid harvests. Men haul in nets at dawn as women clean and dry the catch along stone walls. Some fish are sold fresh at nearby markets, and the others are dried for later. Some wooden homes with thatched roofs in remote villages still preserve traditional coastal life.

Witness Calisthenics

Morning exercises aren’t just routine; they’re a public display of structure. Tour groups passing through Pyongyang may spot workers or students moving in sync outside offices and schools. You won’t join in, but you’ll likely catch it from a distance while touring nearby landmarks. It’s brief, silent, and unmistakably choreographed.

Observe The Fashion

Clothing in North Korea adheres to practical principles and state-imposed regulations. Workers are typically dressed in olive jumpsuits or dark suits, and red neckerchiefs identify students. Personal expression is minimal, often confined to officially sanctioned badges. Also, you will hardly see any Western brands here due to strict government control over imports.

Travel To The Demilitarized Zone

Yes, you can visit—but only on a guided tour with strict rules. The DMZ offers a close-up view of one of the world’s most tense borders, complete with watchful soldiers and layered fences. Most tours include stops like the Joint Security Area and observation posts, giving a brief but unforgettable look at a divided peninsula.

See Urban Farming In Everyday Life

Although this isn’t a tour stop, it is rather something you notice on the way to everything else. In Pyongyang, tourists often spot small gardens tucked between buildings, on rooftops, and even near factories. While you won’t be planting seeds, you’ll get a firsthand look at how residents grow their own food in nearly every corner of the city.

Step Inside The International Friendship Exhibition

Hidden inside Mount Myohyang, the marble-lined halls hold thousands of gifts from foreign leaders—some grand, some bizarre. Stalin’s bulletproof limo sits near gem-encrusted vases and stuffed animals from far-flung allies. It’s a surreal walk through decades of curated diplomacy, where every item tells a carefully preserved story.

Drop By Workers’ Cultural House Events

Local cultural centers offer a window into everyday life, featuring amateur performances, film screenings, and art exhibitions. Workers regularly rehearse after their shifts to present plays with moral themes and choirs singing revolutionary ballads. Though state-guided, the events feel sincere, revealing a genuine sense of community spirit and artistic expression.

Read Books At Bookstores

State-run bookstores stock a mix of revolutionary biographies, patriotic fiction, and approved foreign titles—all carefully curated. While most books are in Korean, tourists can browse translated selections and even buy a few as souvenirs. Expect covers with bold fonts, strong messaging, and zero subtlety. It’s not about what you’ll read—it’s about what’s on display.