Harbin Ice and Snow World

Harbin Ice and Snow World is ticketed; it’s worth booking tickets in advance, particularly on Mondays, at weekends, and around Lunar New Year. It’s well set up for independent travelers; you can admire ice sculptures, and enjoy rides, ice games, and performances. To get a more comprehensive taste of the full ice festival—which spans a range of different venues and experiences in and around Harbin—consider a 2- or 3-day Harbin ice festival tour.

• The Harbin Ice Festival is a great choice for photographers, social media mavens, families, and anyone whose inner child is a sucker for a hot pink ice slide.

• Harbin temperatures routinely drop to -13°F (-25°C)—the wind can whistle right through you. Layering is key to staying warm. Pack a down jacket, gloves with liners, thick socks and winter boots, and a winter hat that covers your ears.

• If photos are important to you, keep your electronics warm. Gloves with touchscreen-friendly finger pads make it easier to use your phone.

• Waterproof gear, including waterproof gloves, is a must with little children. Keep heat pads in reserve for emergencies.

• The terrain at Harbin Ice and Snow World is generally flat. But people using wheelchairs or pushing strollers may struggle in soft snow or rutted ice while rides and slides are not adapted.

The easiest way to get to Harbin Ice and Snow World is by subway; the Ice and Snow World stop is on Line 2. You’ll need to link foreign credit cards to China’s homegrown WeChat Pay or Alipay apps to use the DiDi rideshare service, as standard international rideshare apps don’t work in China.

The opening and closing dates of Harbin Ice and Snow World vary, but it generally opens in mid-late December and runs to late February. Planning your visit for midweek in January at a period that’s not during the Lunar New Year is a safe bet. The grounds are normally open from late morning until well into the evening—visit a little before sunset so you can see the ice by daylight and night.

Ice festival season in Harbin spreads across the city and offers everything from ice fishing and swimming to ice tanks. Besides Harbin Ice and Snow World, don’t miss Zhaolin Park, which hosts an annual display of ice lanterns; Sun Island, which transforms into a giant garden of snow sculptures; and the frozen Songhua River, which offers icy fun ranging from slides to mazes.