9-Step Guide for Planning 2024 Harbin Ice Festival Tour


Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival is the world's biggest ice and snow event see huge and beautifully illuminated ice and snow sculptures, ice lanterns and enjoy winter activities. The event, which has become among the major winter attractions of China, is mainly based in the Zhaolin Park, the Sun Island and a segment of the bank of the Songhua River (in the west of the Sun Island).

The 2024 Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (the 40th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival) is scheduled to open on January 5, 2024. The festival will last about 2 months till the early March of 2024. Are you planning to visit Harbin this winter? Here below you find things that are good to know when planning to visit Harbin during winter. Let's plan your trip!

STEP 1

Choose your means of travel based on the time you have to see the city and the funds you have budgeted. Harbin Taiping International Airport (HRB) serves the city. The airport is connected by direct flight with all the major cities in China. Taxis and shuttle buses make getting to the city a snap. Taxis typically take roughly 1 hour (to the downtown area) and offer flat rates set by law. Harbin Train Station and Harin West Train Station are the most important two train stations in the city, all the high speed trains from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Qingdao, Jilin, Changchun and some other major cities end their journey at the two stations.  

STEP 2

Choose a place to stay. The prices of the hotels are steep in winter, especially during the Chinese New Year and Christmas. If you want to save money, try to avoid Christmas (Dec 24-26) and the Chinese New Year holiday (Feb 9-15) and consider staying in the inn or standard class hotel. A room in the inn or standard class hotel can cost less than half that of a room in the first class or deluxe class hotel. The center of the city is Daoli District and most of the popular attractions are in this district, so you’d better book your hotel in Daoli District. It can help you save transport fee and time.

STEP 3

Decide on a mode of travel from one sight to another. Taxis, buses and subways are not convenient and not cost effective for a stranger, especially for those who cannot understand Chinese. It is advisable to rent a car or booking a tour package including a guide and driver.

STEP 4

Make a list of what you want to see and prioritize. Apart from the theme parks of the ice festival (Ice Lantern Fair in Zhaolin Park, Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, Harbin Ice and Snow World), Harbin has many major attractions, including St. Sophia Church, the Confucious Temple, Jile Temple, Dragon Tower, Siberian Tiger Park, Harbin Polarland, Heilongjiang Province Museum and the Jewish sites. If you love Russian culture and art, consider including Harbin Volga Manor and Russian Town. Walk along the Central Street, see all kinds of historical Western style buildings and enjoy all kinds of food.

STEP 5

Visit China’s Snow Town, Chagan Lake, Yabuli or Jilin, if time allows. Take a trip to the China’s Snow Town to take some pictures of the snow covered wooden houses or drive the snowmobile to watch sunrise in the Yangcao Mountain. In Chagan Lake, you can experience the Mongolian fisherman’s life and watch people catching fish in the frozen lake. Yabuli have many famous ski resorts, where you can enjoy skiing for 1-3 days. Jilin is famous its rime and historical sites. It takes only 1.5 – 2 hours to ride to Jilin by high speed train.

STEP 6

Book your airfare in advance. Because airfare will probably be the most expensive part of your trip, you'll want to book it before anything else (car rental, hotel, etc.). This will allow you to be more flexible with your dates, which is a great way to save money on your flight.

STEP 7

Choose your tours after you book your flights! Our tours with the 2024 Harbin ice festival are only available from December 24, 2023 to February 25, 2024. You just need to fill the form for a chosen package and click SUBMIT REQUEST, we will send you the quotation and details within 5 minutes - 24 hours. The early bird catches the worm. Booking our tour before October can get discount!

STEP 8

Get your documents in order. If you don't have a passport, it will take at least four to six weeks from the time of application for you to receive one. Expedited services can trim the process down to two or three weeks, but it will cost you an additional fee, so it's best to take care of this well before your trip. Already have a passport? Check its expiration date. The last thing you need is to find out your passport has expired while you're in line at airport check-in.

STEP 9

Prepare Winter Clothing. In winter, the temperature is from -25°C (-13°F) to -10°C (14°F), and that's without wind chill! Hence thermal underwear, gloves, (scarves, earmuffs), hats, (face masks), and thick arctic clothing and boots are necessary. If you have ski boots they would be ideal.

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