For the Traveler Who's Really Been Everywhere - NORTH KOREA

For the truly inquisitive traveler, The Great Canadian Travel Company is offering a 10-day/9-night guided tour to this isolated nation. It is priced at CA$4,340 (app. US$3,975) per person, double occupancy, and the departure date is September 4, 2014 from Beijing.

The program will provide a comprehensive overview of the nation and its turbulent history. A visit to Pyongyang's Korean War Museum tells the story of the Korean War from the perspective of the North Koreans. Nearby, see the USS Pueblo, the American spy ship captured by the DPRK navy in 1968 and retained ever since as a trophy. Other highlights include the War Victory Monument and Kim Il Sung Square; the Pyongyang Metro (the deepest underground system in the world); and the Mansudae Art Studio, the DPRK center of artistic excellence.

Outside of Pyongyang, the itinerary goes to Nampo, the major port city on the West Sea of Korea (Yellow Sea), where the group will visit an orphanage, then through a stunning mountain area to Sinchon, the location of the US Atrocities Museum. Not for the faint of heart, this museum details the alleged massacre in this area of over 35,000 people during the Korean War, when it was occupied by the US military. There is a visit to Sariwon Folk Village, a representation of traditional Korean architecture, and to the old dynastic capital city of Kaesong.

Also on the itinerary: a visit to the Panmunjom/DMZ where North and South Korea continue their decades-old faceoff. It is possible to go into one of the huts that straddle the demarcation line and actually cross over into South Korea. This is one of the few places you can take pictures of (and with) members of the DPRK military. Nearby, visit the twin-domed tomb of King Kongmin, the 31st king of the Koryo Dynasty (918 - 1392 AD), which remained largely undamaged during the Korean War. There will be a drive to the Concrete Wall - an observation post deep in the DMZ where you can view South Korean positions and see the anti-tank barrier which stretches across the peninsula.

The group will be in North Korea for the celebration of DPRK Day (September 9), the 66th anniversary of the founding of the nation. On that day, visit the Mansudae Grand Monument - statues of North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, flanked by powerful sculptures telling the story of the anti-Japanese War, the rebuilding of the country and finally the Korean War.

Other highlights include the Mangyongdae Native House, the birthplace of North Korean President Kim Il Sung, as well as the 500 foot tall Juche Tower, the highest stone monument in the world (topped with a flickering red torch). You'll stop at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace of the Sun, where North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie in state.

There will be a drive to Mt. Myohyang - the Mountain of Mysterious Fragrance, two hours north of Pyongyang. It is said that the air here is so fresh that regardless of how much alcohol you drink, provided you sleep with your window open you won't have a hangover the next day. In the area is the International Friendship Exhibition. Built in 1978, these two huge subterranean halls are filled with gifts to the leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, presented to them by people all over the world -- from heads of state to ordinary citizens.

Included in the North Korea program: flight Beijing-Pyongyang, flight or train Pyongyang-Beijing, all meals on the tour (except on the train), all hotel accommodations, all entry fees, two guides and a driver, and all transportation while in the DPRK.

Reservations and additional information available from The Great Canadian Travel Company, 800-661-3830, www.greatcanadiantravel.com. The URL for the North Korea program is https://greatcanadiantravel.com/tours/north-korea-national-day-long-tour.