Must-see hotels in North Korea

  • Minsok Folk Hotel

    North Korea

    If you stay over in Kaesong, you’ll normally be based at this wonderful hotel consisting of 20 traditional Korean yeogwan (small, well-equipped en suite…

  • Yanggakdo Hotel

    Pyongyang

    The tallest building in the country, this mid-'90s tower on its own island right in the middle of Pyongyang is where nearly all tour groups stay. The…

  • Nansan Hotel

    North Korea

    In the middle of Rajin, the Nansan Hotel is the most common choice for visitors to the area. Its rooms are clean and spacious, with some wonderfully…

  • Mt Chilbo Homestay Program

    North Korea

    This World Tourism Organization–pioneered project is some way from what you might imagine of a ‘homestay’ – a purpose-built village of large traditional…

  • Koryo Hotel

    Pyongyang

    This striking 1985 twin-towered structure is commonly used for business travellers and NGO staff, although some tour groups stay here, too. Each of its…

  • Chongjin Tourist Hotel

    North Korea

    Accommodation in Chongjin is limited to this imaginatively named hotel, which has a very friendly manager and a team of frustrated singers working in the…

  • Pyongyang Hotel

    Pyongyang

    Popular with international residents in the capital mainly for its excellent Arirang restaurant (supposedly one of the city’s best, though tourists aren’t…

  • Potonggang Hotel

    Pyongyang

    Famously the only hotel in North Korea to get the CNN news channel, the pink-painted Potonggang was owned by the late Unification Church leader Reverend…

  • Sosan Hotel

    Pyongyang

    This hotel with decent, renovated rooms is used mainly by visiting sports teams. It's generally held to be the best of the budget hotels in Pyongyang …

  • Chongnyon Hotel

    Pyongyang

    The ‘Youth’ Hotel is in the bizarrely empty sports district around Chongchun St, and while it boasts an outdoor pool, its rooms are damp and depressing…

  • Majon Beach Guesthouse

    North Korea

    Rather isolated some way out of town, this place nevertheless enjoys access to a lovely beach where swimming is possible; the guides will sometimes even…

  • Ryonggang Hot Spring House

    North Korea

    Some way outside the city, this former guesthouse for government officials boasts 20 well-appointed villas, with several bedrooms in each, spread out…

  • Pegaebong Hotel

    North Korea

    Just outside the resort town of Samjiyon, this hotel is a decent option, with modern rooms and hot running water in its newest wing. The staff sometimes…

  • Tongmyong Hotel

    North Korea

    This large '70s hotel in a lurid shade of green is right on the harbour and has decent, spacious rooms, many with sea views. There's a good restaurant and…

  • Kumgangsan Hotel

    North Korea

    In the village of Onjong-ri, the Kumgangsan Hotel is a large and modern affair, consisting of a main building and several outer buildings that include…

  • Ryanggang Hotel

    Pyongyang

    Located in the sports district of Chongchun St, this place is one of the cheapest hotels in the city and it shows: there’s a revolving restaurant that…

  • 8th March Hotel

    North Korea

    There is no hotel in Sinchon, but it's possible to stay at this hotel in the nearby small town of Sariwon. Weirdly, the furniture here is donated by a…

  • Masik-Ryong Hotel

    North Korea

    Those overnighting in Masik-Ryong have the option of staying at this luxury hotel. Facilities include a sauna and pool, a great bar on the 9th floor and…

  • Songdowon Tourist Hotel

    North Korea

    A 2nd-class hotel right on the waterfront in the centre of the city, the Songdowon nonetheless boasts absolutely 1st-class '70s socialist interiors and a…

  • Sin Hung San Hotel

    North Korea

    On the city’s main drag is Hamhung's main hotel, which is rarely used to house travellers. The rooms are basic but clean, there’s running water and more…

  • Chongchon Hotel

    North Korea

    Tourists usually stay overnight in the Chongchon Hotel in Hyangsan town, a simple, three-storey 1970s place that has a couple of bars, but limited hot…

  • Imperial Hotel

    North Korea

    The Chinese-owned Imperial Hotel is one of the best in the country, with fancy rooms and plush public areas. Most guests stay here to play at the casino.

  • Hyesan Hotel

    North Korea

    In the town of Hyesan, further away from Paekdusan than Samjiyon, you can stay at the second-class Hyesan Hotel.

  • Haebangsan Hotel

    Pyongyang

    Centrally located, this hotel has decent-enough rooms, a good shop and pool tables.

More destinations you need to see