Harbin Travelers Recommend

With three days in Harbin, you can do more than just experience the annual Ice and Snow Festival and the city’s Russian heritage. Enjoy a winter adventure to out-of-town attractions such as China Snow Town, Volga Manor, or the Yabuli ski resort, or, in summer, delve deeper into historic Harbin. Here’s how.

Day 1: Winter Wonderland

Winter or summer, start the day by discovering downtown Harbin. Ride the cableway over the Songhua River, which turns into a frozen playground come winter, complete with ice slides, ice rinks, ice bikes, and more. Soak up historic Russian architecture on Zhongyang Street and at the Russian Orthodox St. Sophia Cathedral. In winter, turn your focus to the Ice and Snow Festival. Start with the snow sculptures on Sun Island, then head to the enormous Ice and Snow World park to capture vast illuminated carvings as twilight falls; enjoy ice bikes, ice bars, and ice slides along the way. Summer visitors can join the fun at the indoor ice-sculpture gallery on Sun Island. Wrap up your first day in Harbin with a taste of Russia at one of the city’s Russian restaurants and, in winter, a stroll among the ice lanterns in Zhaolin Park.

Day 2: Off-Path Adventure

Winter is the time to discover the dramatically desolate landscapes of China’s far northeast on an overnight adventure from Harbin. Enjoy skiing at the Yabuli ski resort, along with inner tube rides, tobogganing, ice bikes, and snowmobile adventures; soak up the rural charms of the alpine village known as China Snow Town, which offers dogsledding, horse-drawn carriage rides, and fireworks; or head out to Volga Manor, a re-creation of a 19th-century Russian estate, complete with church, salon, and landscaped grounds. Look out for tours that combine two of these options into a single overnight adventure. If you’re visiting in summer, spend the day discovering the city’s two signature wildlife attractions: the Siberia Tiger Park, where big cats roam, and Harbin Polarland, with cold-climate animals such as Arctic foxes, penguins, polar bears, and beluga whales. Back in Harbin, dine on a dumpling feast at a restaurant such as Orient King of Dumplings.

Day 3: Historic Heritage

In winter, continue your snowy adventure to Yabuli, China Snow Town, or Volga Manor. In summer, delve more deeply into Harbin’s rich heritage. Discover the story of the Jewish community, which arrived from Russia in waves, fleeing anti-Semitic violence, war, revolution, and dictatorship, and once numbered over 20,000. Tours cover synagogues, cemeteries, and more. Then experience a sobering encounter with one of World War II’s lesser-known atrocities, the “medical experiments” that killed thousands of men, women, and children by germ warfare, freezing, vivisection, and more on a visit to the Unit 731 Museum. Lift your mood with a stroll through the Harbin Botanical Gardens, before you wrap up your visit with your choice of northeastern Chinese signature meals: hot pot or barbecue. Be sure to wash them down with the city’s namesake light Harbin Beer.

Two days in Harbin allows you time for more than just the vast ice sculptures and intricate snow carvings at the city’s celebrated Ice and Snow Festival. You can discover the city’s multicultural history, enjoy some signature wildlife experiences, and savor delicious cuisine. Here’s how to make the most of 48 hours in Harbin.

Day 1: Winter Wonderland

**Morning:**Start the day with a Harbin highlights reel. Ride the cableway over the Songhua River, and, in winter, enjoy slides, rides, and local games on its frozen surface. Then discover the city’s Russian heritage with a stroll down historic Zhongyang Street and a visit to the Byzantine-style St. Sophia Cathedral.

**Afternoon:**In winter, spend the afternoon and early evening exploring the Ice and Snow Festival. See the snow sculptures on Sun Island before the light fades, then head to the vast Ice and Snow World theme park to capture the ice sculptures at twilight. In summer, visit the indoor ice-sculpture gallery on Sun Island.

**Night:**Delve deeper into Harbin’s Russian history with vodka and Russian food at a restaurant such as Russia Coffee and Food, with its antiques and historic photos. Cap off the evening with a stroll along the Songhua River; in winter, don’t miss the illuminated ice lanterns in Zhaolin Park.

Day 2: Animal Magic

**Morning:**Particularly if you’re traveling with kids, spend the morning taking in one of the city’s two star animal attractions. See tigers, plus a wealth of other big cats, at the Siberia Tiger Park. Or admire cold-climate animals, including Arctic foxes, penguins, polar bears, and beluga whales, at Harbin Polarland.

**Afternoon:**Delve deeper into Harbin’s rich history. Choose to explore the city’s Jewish heritage, from synagogues to cemeteries, on a cultural tour. Alternatively, discover the cruel world of Japanese medical experiments during World War II with a visit to the heart-rending Unit 731 Museum.

**Evening:**There’s hot competition for the title of China’s best dumplings, but Harbin is definitely a candidate, with robust northern Chinese fare that’s very different from southern dim sum. Discover them at a dedicated dumpling eatery such as Orient King of Dumplings and wash them down with black tea or Harbin Beer.

Known for its annual Ice and Snow Festival, one of the largest in the world, the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin comes alive in January and February each year. The overwhelming majority of international travelers visit for the ice sculptures, but Harbin has more to offer. Here’s how to discover the city’s highlights in just one day.

Morning: City Strolling

Winter or summer, start the day by soaking up the highlights of downtown Harbin. Ride the cableway over the Songhua River; in winter, enjoy delights from ice slides and ice bikes to miniature tanks on its frozen surface, or try your hand at ice swimming. Next, discover Harbin’s Russian heritage as you peruse historic architecture on Zhongyang Street, the city’s longtime thoroughfare. Snack on wintry treats from candied hawthorn to Chinese-style ice cream as you wander. Finally, explore St. Sophia Cathedral, the Russian Orthodox edifice built in 1907, which towers surprisingly over this Chinese city.

Afternoon: Winter Wonderland

Afternoon and early evening are the times to enjoy Harbin’s signature experience, the Ice and Snow Festival. Wrap up warm, as temperatures can drop below -22°F (-30°C). Start with the Snow Sculpture Festival on Sun Island to view a wealth of intricate snow carvings best appreciated in daylight. Continue to the vast Ice and Snow World, and marvel as the brilliantly illuminated ice sculptures come to life when darkness falls. Enjoy drinks at ice bars, snacks from ice concession stands, plus ice slides, ice bikes, and even a ski run. During summer, the indoor ice-sculpture gallery on Sun Island provides a taster.

Night: Russian Flavor

The food scene in Harbin, a cosmopolitan city heavily influenced by both Russia and Korea, is one of China’s more diverse, with sausage and pickle firmly on the menu. Warm up for the evening over vodka at a Russian-themed eatery, such as Russia Coffee and Food, which serves up warming favorites from borscht to dumplings amid photos, portraits, and antiques salvaged from a Russian émigré’s estate. In winter, finish with a bracing stroll along the Songhua River, as the city’s illuminated sculptures come into their own. Don’t miss the opulent ice lantern display at Zhaolin Park.