[[File:Melia Hanoi Hotel 02.JPG|thumb|Kim Jong-un stayed in Melia Hanoi Hotel during the summit]]
Kim Jong-un departed from Pyongyang on February 23, 2019, according to images released by the [[KCNA]] news agency. The exact itinerary was kept secret.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 24, 2019 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-24/north-korea-leader-kim-jong-un-on-train-to-vietnam-trump-summit/10844078 |title=Kim Jong-un begins train ride to Vietnam for Donald Trump summit |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=February 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224084044/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-24/north-korea-leader-kim-jong-un-on-train-to-vietnam-trump-summit/10844078 |archive-date=February 24, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> The train arrived in [[Đồng Đăng railway station]] of the Vietnamese border city of [[Đồng Đăng]] on Tuesday February 26, and Kim Jong-un wascontinued scheduled to travelon to Hanoi by vehiclecar.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 24, 2019 |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190224000957325?section=nk/nk |title=(6th LD) (US-NK summit) N.K. leader's train heads south without stopping in Beijing |publisher=English version - Korean YonHap News Agency- en.yna.co.kr |access-date=February 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190225103156/https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190224000957325?section=nk%2Fnk |archive-date=February 25, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Some experts analyzed theKim's reasonmotive for longchoosing trainto triptake a train instead of swift air travelflying: Kim Jong-unhad decidedwanted to follow [[Kim Il Sung-sung]]'s, journeywho inhad 1958also traveled to Vietnam through China by railway in 1958.<ref>{{cite news|date=2019-02-24|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/24/world/asia/north-korea-kim-jong-un-china-train.html|title=Traveling to Meet Trump, Kim Jong-un Takes the Long Route|access-date=2019-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510175112/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/24/world/asia/north-korea-kim-jong-un-china-train.html|archive-date=May 10, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> by using the train.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 26, 2019 |title=In his grandfather's footsteps, North Korea's Kim arrives in Vietnam |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-vietnam-kim/in-his-grandfathers-footsteps-kim-jong-un-heads-to-vietnam-idUSKCN1QE23A |titleurl-status=Inlive his grandfather's footsteps, North Korea's Kim arrives in Vietnam|access-date=February 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190225223603/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-usa-vietnam-kim/in-his-grandfathers-footsteps-kim-jong-un-heads-to-vietnam-idUSKCN1QE23A |archive-date=February 25, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ARIRANG NEWS">ARIRANG NEWS- 24 Feb 2019:[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j8Vu7luQh0 ''[x5B;ISSUE TALK]x5D; N. Korean leader on way to Vietnam; U.S. president to depart on Monday| ARIRANG NEWS''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215204929/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j8Vu7luQh0|date=February 15, 2021}}</ref>
