Second Wigan to North Korea trip announced after first journey sells out

Tickets for the “Wigan-Pyongyang Express”, setting off on a 5,000-mile journey to the North Korean capital from Wigan North Western next April, were snapped up within a fortnight of the announcement, leaving many intrepid travellers disappointed.

But the popularity of the bizarre trip inspired the travel agency behind it to add a second departure in September 2020, only this time starting in Atherton.

Wigan-based Lupine Travel, run by Dylan Harris, will begin their second trip by giving the group a tour of Astley Green colliery before watching an Atherton Collieries FC fixture, before travelling onto Wigan where the group will stay overnight.

They’ll begin the first leg of the month-long journey to North Korea the following morning, hopping on to different trains to take in London, Berlin, Warsaw, Moscow, Irkutsk, Ulaanbaatar and Beijing.

The group will then spend four nights Pyongyang, visiting the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea and Mount Myohyang.

There’s even a chance to extend the stay in North Korea, visiting Wonsan on the East Coast and Mt Kumgang National Park.

When the tour ends, the group will take a train back to China to catch the flight home.

The expedition will cost £3,245, including accommodation, meals and a guide, but excludes visas to certain countries and insurance.

Lupine Travel says its finds “secure routes offering once-in-a-lifetime experiences in unique and hard-to-reach destinations”.

Visit www.lupinetravel.co.uk/atherton-to-pyongyang.html