A group of Western tourists were treated to a surreal performance of North Korean schoolchildren dancing and singing against a backdrop of animated ballistic missiles during the first officially sanctioned trip to the Hermit Kingdom in five years.

Axar.az reports citing New York Times, the unsettling choreographed display was just the tip of the weirdness iceberg for the handful of thrill-seeking travelers from the UK, France, Germany and Australia who made the four-day trek to the Asian country’s remote Rason region last week.

One tourist revealed the trip was so closely monitored by Kim Jong Un’s repressive regime that he even had to ask permission to use the bathroom.

“They’ve had five years to fix things. North Koreans are so sensitive about what they show tourists. If this is the best they can show, I dread to think what else is out there,” another visitor remarked.

It was no ordinary vacation, with no cellphone or internet service — and not so much as an ATM available for use.

The tourists were given a strict set of guidelines to follow, including: Don’t insult the country’s leaders, don’t mock North Korea’s ideology and don’t be judgmental of their unusual and repressive way of life, the outlet writes.

They were also followed and watched closely at all times by the country’s ever-present minders, who make sure visitors don’t run afoul of the restrictions or stray from the itinerary.

It was the first time since 2020 tourists were allowed to enter — the notoriously secretive nation locked itself down at the start of the pandemic, leaving many to wonder whether Westerners would ever again be able to cross its border.