Ice and Snow Festival, China Snow Town & Changbai Mountain in One Go
What is your imagination about “CHINA WINTER”? Only white snow everywhere, desolately and boringly? This is wrong! A short trip to the Northeast China in winter will show you more than “white snow”, but also “colorful activities and grand ice and snow festival” with great fun in each destination.
This is the in-depth Harbin tour with 6 days arranged in and around the “Ice City of China”, taking you first to immerse into the annual Ice and Snow Festival with numerous innovative snow sculptures which emit colorful lights at night; and then heading to the no.1 snow town in China - China Snow Town where you will have a totally different feeling of winter with heavy snow reaching up to 2 meters and numerous snow activities waiting for you to enjoy. The last stop for the tour is Changbai Mountain, one of the top 10 mountains in China, where you can get atop of the mountain to Heavenly Lake for a panoramic view and see what a mountain looks like in winter time when temperatures get as low as -15 ℃ to -30 ℃.
Extension Ideas: This winter tour covers Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin City, beautiful snow town, winter scenery of Changbai Mountain, and if you want to see more types of winter scenery, you can extend to Wusong Island in Jilin City and hanging waterfall in Jingpo Lake. Just take a look at our 7 Days Amazing Northeast China Winter Tour with Changbai Mountain & Wusong Island.
Ni Hao! Welcome to Harbin, the Capital of Heilongjiang Province, which is well known as the "Ice City" in China. Your local guide will meet you at the arrival hall of the airport / railway station. Then you will be escorted to your hotel (prebooked by us) in downtown Harbin. The rest of today is on your own to explore this city.
Arrival Ideas:
Harbin Taiping International Airport is 41 km’s driving distance from downtown area. It has flights from Beijing (2 hrs), Dalian (1.5 hrs), Qingdao (2 hrs), Jinan (2 hrs), Xian (3 hrs), Shanghai (3 hrs), Chengdu (3.5-4 hrs), Ordos (2.5 hrs), Hangzhou (3 hrs), Guangzhou (4-4.5 hrs), Xiamen (4-4.5hrs), Wuhan (3-3.5 hrs), Sanya (5 hrs) and more destinations in China, and more international cities like Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Moscow, Phuket Island, etc. While Harbin West Railway Station has high-speed trains linking Harbin with Beijing (7~8 hrs), Changchun (1 hr), Shenyang (2.5~3 hrs), Dalian (4~5 hrs), Jilin (2-3 hrs), Tianjin (6.5 hrs), etc.
Evening Ideas (Explore on your own):
In this evening, you can visit Zhaolin Park, one of the 3 main venues of Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, to appreciate the wonderful world largest scale of outdoor ice lantern show. Take a relaxing walk in the “ocean of ice lantern” with over thousand exquisite arts that are totally different every year and feel the joy of the big World Ice and Snow Festival. (Please note: it holds every year from January 5th to the end of February. Please wear warm down coat and shoes when visiting it at night.)
Today, after breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel. You’ll first visit Sophia Square to admire the holy appearance of the St. Sophia Cathedral from 1907. This must-visit site is a typical Byzantine architecture with a large green dome and was once the largest Orthodox Church in the Far East. The cathedral is the symbolic architecture in Harbin and at present is used as Harbin Architectural Art Gallery and displays some souvenirs. Then, you’ll visit the nearby exotic Zhongyang Pedestrian Street from 1900. Stroll along this 1,400 meters long historic street to appreciate the 71 precious buildings in different styles with long history, including Renaissance, Baroque, etc. (The Stalin Park is very close to the pedestrian, so if you are interested and time permits, you could walk there to admire the Russian architectures and enjoy many creative artistic sculptures.)
After that, continue your fabulous enjoyment to the Sun Island Scenic Resort, which is a major venue to hold the International Snow Sculpture Art Expo on Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in winter. Walk into this vast pure lovely fairyland of 60,000 square meters and meet the incredible “white visual storm”. Have a close look at the thousands of excellent large-scaled artistic snow sculptures of landscape, cartoon, figures, buildings, etc., which will make you wow at the outstanding talent of the craftsmen who inject life into the cold snow. With so amazing backdrop, you just can’t help taking some great photos to record the nice moment (You are highly advised to wear sunglasses to visit the Snow Sculpture Art Fair since the glary from sunshine on the snow is really intense.)
Then, be escorted to the nearby Siberian Tiger Park, the largest breeding center in the world for endangered Siberian Tigers that. Over 1,300 purebred Siberian Tigers are raised there. You’ll not only pay a safe walk to observe different kinds of tigers (Siberian Tigers, White Tigers, White Lion, Leopard, Liger, etc.), but also take a tourist bus with wire-mesh protection through the park to closely see the tigers and lions and take some photos.
After dinner, you will head to the incredible gorgeous Ice and Snow World, the highlights of annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. Start your freedom stroll in the dazzling magical world of ice where to appreciate over 2,000 pieces of sculptures of ice and snow including pagodas, towers, famous world architectures, landscapes, and so forth dyed with romantic colorful LED lights, which can easily make you want to stay longer in such an “Ice Wonderland in Harbin”. Besides the sightseeing, if you would like to enjoy the festive atmosphere to the fullest, you can choose to have fun with the world longest sliding, or other winter activities on ice, such as ice maze, ice climbing, skating, etc.
Note: 1) Please wear enough layers of proper clothes and warm shoes to keep you away from the freeze especially when you want to stay here longer to enjoy the beautiful scenery. 2) An indoor Ice and Snow Paradise with smaller scale is built in the scenic area of the Ice and Snow World, and tourists could also enjoy the ice and snow there as well when the festival ends. 3) There may be long queues in front of some hot activity items in the Ice and Snow World during traditional Chinese Lunar New Year and weekends, and you could visit there during other dates to avoid crowds.
After breakfast, meet your guide and driver at your hotel, then drive 5~6 hours to China Snow Town, the No.1 China Snow Town located in Shuangfeng Wood Farm in Mudanjiang City, about 280 kilometers from Harbin. On route, you will enjoy the beautiful snow scene in the winter wonderland - bright sunshine, clear sky, fresh air, endless snow-capped land, primitive wooden houses.
After arrival, take a short rest in your hotel and then reach up the viewing deck to capture a panoramic view of the amazing China Snow Town, a dreamlike paradise. Later, enjoy a leisure walk along the 500-meter-long Xueyun Avenue with all wooden houses hanging with red lanterns and if you like, try some local snacks at this lively street. Have fun at Snow Town Photography Ground where you can play with snow, bringing you a happy childhood memory. Later, walk around the snow town at your own pace, you can enjoy amazing snowscape and experience the lifestyle of snow town people. When the night falls, if you like, walk outside and enjoy the charming night view.
Please Note:
1. Weather condition and what to wear: The weather is freezing in China Snow Town and the temperature is around -15 ℃ to -35 ℃ during November to February. Take enough warm clothes, shoes, wind cap, and gloves with you. And sunglasses, sunblocking scream, antifreeze, high-calorie snacks are also needed.
2. Snow activities to enjoy more fun: Many exciting snow activities are provided in this town. If you are interested, you can try skiing, snowmobiling, dog-drawn sled, horse-drawn sled, etc. You need to pay an extra fee for each activity.
3. Photography tips: If you like photography, you can go to Dream Home to shoot the snow mushrooms, performance of Errenzhuan and take photos of sunset and panoramic view of the whole white world. Remember to bring the cold-proofing and warm your camera.
4. Best location for Night View: Night scene is the essence of China Snow Town. There are three best locations to appreciate night view - Dream Home, Xueyue Avenue and Fairytale World Plank Road.
In this morning, you will first enjoy a visit to Dream Home which is a famous site to shoot some Chinese TV series and movies. It is a must-see place for photography enthusiasts. Hiking up to the slope of the hill, you can see lots of “mushrooms”, “rabbits” and “turtles” in the town, which are "transformed" by the thick snow covering them. Moreover, the red lanterns hanging under the eaves create a joyful and dreamlike atmosphere to the landscape. Cherish your time to enjoy the snow scenery and fun activities at China Snow Town.
After the happy time, you will be escorted to Erdaobaihe Town where Changbai Mountain is located nearby. It is about 372 kilometers from China Snow Town, which needs about 5-6 hours’ driving. Have a good rest tonight.
After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel. Have a short scenic driving to Changbai Mountain. Also known as Ever White Mountain in Chinese and Changbaek-sanjulgi in Korean, Changbai Mountain range forms the border between the Chinese provinces of Liaoning and Jilin and North Korea. It is one of the top ten famous mountains in China, where the top of the mountain is covered with snow all the year round. It is a dormant volcano boasting rare animals, lush forests, clear lakes and bubbling hot springs. The most beautiful of the lakes is Tian Chi (Heavenly Lake), the deepest alpine lake in China. Changbai Mountain is divided into four slopes - North, South, West and East (within the territory of North Korea). The most recommended part is visiting the Northern Slope which has the most attractions and is easily access to Heavenly Lake. Take the sightseeing bus and vehicle directly reaching up to Heavenly Lake which is at 2189 meters above the sea level. This lake has been recognized as the highest volcanic lake in the world by Guinness Book of Records. With white clouds and blue sky, Heavenly Lake surrounded by 16 peaks is like a jade in the sky. Catch the rare time to enjoy unbelievable panoramic view of this beautiful lake. After that, get down for for further sightseeing and enjoy different winter views. You will head to Changbai Waterfall with its water melted from Heavenly Lake at a height of 68 meters, making the longest volcanic waterfall in the world. Overlook the grand waterfall at the viewing deck that you can see two strands just like two huge flying dragons above the ground. Get back to Small Heavenly Lake hidden in the primitive birch forest where ou can enjoy some walking along the river. Move to Green Deep Pool which is reputed as “Little Jiuzhai Valley in Northeast China” with emerald water and small waterfalls falling from the cliff - very elegant. The last spot is Valley Forest. When the volcano erupted, the volcano cone broke and collapsed, forming a valley of 50 meters deep and about 3,000 meters long from north to south. There are tall ancient trees and huge rocks at the bottom of the valley, making it a natural oxygen bar. Take a short walk in the primitive forest. After that, take the sightseeing bus to get down the mountain.
Later, your guide and driver will take you to Changbai Korean Folk Village located about 3.5 km in the east of Changbai County. This ethnic village is situated at the Southern Slope of Changbai Mountain and at the source of the Yalu River. The Korean group is one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized in China. Buildings in the village fully present the traditional customs and styles of the Korean ethnic group. Enjoy a relaxing walk in the village and have a look at its Memorial Archway, the Magpie Bridge, Bronze Bull, waterwheel, rare stone garden, square, cultural wall, and scenic walls, etc. Without stepping on the territory of North Korea, you can fully enjoy Korean ethnic culture in this folk village.
After the tour, you will be taken to the hotel in Erdaobaihe Town.
Warm Tips:
Weather Condition & What to Wear: The weather is extremely cold in Changbai Mountain and the temperature is around -15 ℃ to -30 ℃ during November to February. Take take all your warm gears, like cotton trousers, thermal underwear, down jacket, fleece gloves, wool hat, thermal underwear, etc.
In this morning, you are free until be escorted to the Changbaishan Airport or Dunhua Railway Station for your flights / high speed train to next destination.
Departure Ideas:
1. Changbaishan Airport is about 81 kilometers from Erdaobaihe Town which needs about 1.5-2 hours’ driving. Travelers can take flights to Beijing (about 2 hours) and Shanghai (about 2.5 hours).
2. Dunhua Railway Station is a little far from Changbai Mountain which is 146 kilometers from Erdaobaihe Town, taking about 2.5 hours. It has high speed trains to Jilin (about 1 hour), Harbin (3-3.5 hours), Changchun (1.5-2 hours), Beijing (8.5 hours).
3. Depart from Other Cities: To well match your following schedules, you can get to Jilin, Changchun, Harbin or Yanji to catch a flight or train to other destinations in China.
Yabuli Ski Resort, about 220 km southeast from Harbin city, and 85 km from China Snow Town, it has long been welcomed by many tourists, because it has really fantastic skiing equipment, the national longest, exciting and steepest ski trail. Through the development of 20 years, there are 46 trials and 25 ropeways in Yabuli, with the longest single trial of 5 km long, longest high mountain slide way of 2680 m. The biggest vertical drop of athletics trail is 900 m, and in the leisure area, it becomes 600 m. Tyros and professional skiers can enjoy their special snow time here, since the trails are well divided into the primary, middle level and the advance types. Have fun with the snow during the middle of November to late March.
Harbin / China Snow Town / Harbin
Harbin / Jilin / Changchun / Shenyang / Dalian
Harbin / China Snow Town / Jingpo Lake / Dunhua / Changbai Mountain / Jilin
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