Under the watchful eye of two friendly guides and several secret agents provided by the North Korean government, Michael starts his journey by visiting Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

In his second and final week in North Korea, Michael visits the Korean Demilitarized Zone (which he previously visited in Full Circle with Michael Palin: Japan/Korea (1997) from the South Korean side), the ancient Korean capital of Kaesong, the ghostly international airport in the newly built beachside resort town of Wonsan, and the Revolutionary Museum on Mount Paektu. He also talks to an army officer, joins a farming family for lunch, celebrates his 75th birthday with his guides and crew, and finally gets his female guide to open up a bit about her views on the world as they go hiking in the rocky Mount Kumgang.