4 Days Harbin Ice Festival with Siberian Tigers TourEnquiry
You will need all your warm clothes for this tour. Come to Harbin in the far north to experience the amazing ice and snow sculpture of the Harbin Ice festival. This tour also includes Polar World and Siberian Tiger Park.
Destinations
Harbin
Highlights
Sun Island Snow Sculptures, Polar World, Siberian Tiger Park, Zhaolin Park, St Sophia Cathedral, Stalin Park, The Flood Control Monument, Winter Swimming, Unit 731 Museum, Ice and Snow World
Please Note –
Harbin in winter is one of the coldest places in China with a temperature range in January of minus 26°C to minus 13°C. You will need to make sure that you have the right clothing for this kind of weather including down jackets, thermal underwear, snow boots, hats, scarves and gloves. It is recommended that you prepare a place within your coat where you can protect your camera from the extreme cold because battery power drains very quickly in the low temperatures.
Itinerary Day By Day
Day 1 – Arrival Harbin
Our guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area at Harbin Airport and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure.
Meals: No meals provided.
Day 2 – Harbin
Attractions: Sun Island Snow Sculptures, Polar World, Siberian Tiger Park, Zhaolin Park
Your day will begin at Sun Island Park which is a major part of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. There you can admire the many enormous snow sculptures created by Chinese and international artists.
Next you will visit Polar World. Opened in 2005 this attraction combines polar land sights and animal shows. There are more than 10,000 polar and marine creatures on display from over 600 species including penguins, arctic wolves, polar bears and arctic foxes.
You will continue with the animal theme at the Siberian Tiger Park. This is the largest breeding center in the world for Siberian tigers, many of which roam freely throughout the park. There are also lions, pumas, leopards and ligers.
Spend the evening at Zhaolin Park when it becomes a wonderland with a myriad of ice lanterns and other attractions.
Meals: Breakfast at your hotel
Day 3 – Harbin
Attractions: St Sophia Cathedral, Stalin Park, The Flood Control Monument, Winter Swimming, Unit 731 Museum, Ice and Snow World
Firstly you will visit St Sophia Cathedral. This is a former Russian Orthodox Church which was completed in 1932. It is now the Harbin Museum of Architecture and inside are many old photographs. When you stand in front of it you will know why Harbin is called “Little Moscow”.
Stalin Park was built in 1953 to commemorate the friendship between Russia and China, at that time the two largest communist countries in the world. It is next to the river and in the winter you can walk out onto the ice or even take a dog sledge or horse sledge ride.
At one end of Stalin Park is The Flood Control Monument. This memorial is dedicated to the Harbin citizens for their feat in controlling the massive flood of 1957.
Be amazed at some of the local Harbin residents who are diving into the freezing Songhua River. They believe that swimming in the icy water benefits their health and winter swimming is a popular pastime.
Later you will visit the Unit 731 Museum which displays the history of the chemical and biological weapons as it happened in China under the Japanese invasion. It is well presented with an English audio guide and is valuable in understanding the modern history of the region.
As darkness falls it is time to head to Ice and Snow World, the main attraction of the Ice and Snow Festival. When the area is lit up each evening it is a spectacular sight. Besides admiring the sculptures you can take part in various forms of recreation and entertainment.
Meals: Breakfast at your hotel
Day 4 – Depart Harbin
Today is at your leisure until you are transferred to Harbin Airport for your flight to your next destination.
Meals: Breakfast at your hotel