A country · 20 places · 4 regions

North Korea, all of it.

20 curated places across 4 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.

Complex of Koguryo Tombs, North Korea
Complex of Koguryo Tombs · via Wikimedia Commons

North Korea reads below in 4 chapters — Pyongyang, North Hwanghae Province, North Pyongan Province and Ryanggang Province — in any order you like.

Chapter I · Pyongyang · 11 places

Pyongyang

A revolving observation restaurant and viewing tower in Pyongyang offering elevated panoramas over the North Korean capital and the Taedong River that runs through it. Part of the city's array of monumental modern structures, its upper deck rotates slowly to present a full circuit of the skyline, taking in the broad boulevards, apartment blocks, and towering landmarks that define the planned capital. Access for foreign visitors is arranged through official guided tours, and the tower features on many organized itineraries of the city.

Kaesong, North Koreavia Wikimedia Commons

Chapter II · North Hwanghae Province · 1 place

North Hwanghae Province

A historic city near the inter-Korean border that served as the capital of the Goryeo dynasty for several centuries, from which the Western name Korea ultimately derives. Uniquely among major cities on the peninsula, it preserved much of its old fabric, and its monuments, palace ruins, an ancient Confucian academy, tombs, and stone bridges earned collective World Heritage recognition. The area is also known for ginseng. Foreign visitors reach it on guided excursions from the capital, often paired with the border zone.

✦ April–June, September–October · $$$

Chapter III · North Pyongan Province · 1 place

North Pyongan Province

A forested mountain northeast of Pyongyang dotted with historic Buddhist temples and deep valleys. It also houses a museum of state gifts carved into the mountainside.

Mount Paektu, North Koreavia Wikimedia Commons

Chapter IV · Ryanggang Province · 1 place

Ryanggang Province

The highest peak on the Korean peninsula, a dormant volcano straddling the North Korean-Chinese border. Its summit cradles the deep crater lake of Heaven Lake, a site of profound national significance.

✦ July to September · $

Every place in North Korea

20 places, one country.