Ice Festival Harbin-Day Tour
Ice Festival Harbin-Day Tour
4.5
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A private Harbin tour is an enjoyable way of seeing Harbin and its top attractions, such as Ice and Snow World, Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, and the Siberian Tiger Park.
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Ice Festival Harbin-Day Tour
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
53 reviews
Excellent
42
Very good
7
Average
3
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Alpana D
1 contribution
Dec 2019 • Family
Our first trip to China....I am very thankful to Tango,the travel agent who was extremely helpful and supportive while we were planning our itinerary for Harbin and Yabuli.He made excellent arrangements for us throughout the trip.We had taken a 7 days package from Tango with a private vehicle for all pick up and drops and local sightseeing.Driver was very punctual all the time and was veey helpful. Our english speaking tour guide Eric was very cooperative and informative too.He helped us a lot by all means and made our trip a memorable one.
Highly recommend to all.Thanks again Tango for all your support and making our trip memorable!!
Highly recommend to all.Thanks again Tango for all your support and making our trip memorable!!
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
seasontotravel
Alamo, CA79 contributions
Feb 2016 • Couples
I don't think we could have managed this tour on our own. I randomly interviewed online four inbound companies to help us get around and see Harbin and the Ice Festivals. I'm glad we selected this company. Our guide and driver were excellent, knowledgeable, accommodating, and courteous. We had a wonderful time at the festivals despite some personal obstacles of lost luggages for 4 days, minor illness, and not speaking Chinese. My only suggestion is to come prepared for the cold weather and take in the shows in the festival theaters to get warmed up. They serve warm beverages!
Written February 19, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew S
50 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
We arrived at the Harbin airport and our driver was waiting for us with our name and he was quite easy to find. Although he didn't speak English, he was very nice and you could tell he was genuinely happy to be of assistance to us (he was our driver the whole time we were in Harbin). On the day after our arrival our tour guide met us in the hotel lobby, (along with our driver), on time. She was very nice and you could tell extremely eager to please us during the tour. My wife got in a car accident a couple of days earlier and unfortunately we had to use a wheelchair to push her around during the day. Although we were a bit slower than we otherwise normally would have been our tour guide did not show any signs of exasperation. In addition, she was quite concerned about my wife and even pointed out spots where we could rest and my wife could sit inside and warm-up since it was so cold outside and she wasn't moving around. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about Harbin and was able to answer all of our questions. Furthermore, given my wife's accident affected her eating capabilities, she entered several restaurants for lunch to ensure they either had soup or dumplings for my wife to eat.
Throughout the whole trip the driver was extremely helpful getting the wheelchair in and out of the car and ensured that my wife was as comfortable as possible in the car as well.
Lastly, our tour company travel agent was very helpful in providing us with the necessary information to get a wheelchair from our hotel to ensure that we were able to make the trip. If it wasn't for the wheelchair, it would have been impossible for my wife and I to take the trip given my wife's accident.
Harbin was absolutely immaculate during the winter festival and I would highly recommend everyone going during this time.
Throughout the whole trip the driver was extremely helpful getting the wheelchair in and out of the car and ensured that my wife was as comfortable as possible in the car as well.
Lastly, our tour company travel agent was very helpful in providing us with the necessary information to get a wheelchair from our hotel to ensure that we were able to make the trip. If it wasn't for the wheelchair, it would have been impossible for my wife and I to take the trip given my wife's accident.
Harbin was absolutely immaculate during the winter festival and I would highly recommend everyone going during this time.
Written March 11, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Traveladdic
Brisbane, Australia133 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Overall the tour is fine. The booking process is easy and fuss free. Our tour guide and driver are friendly, punctual and flexible. However, most restaurants and hotels don’t take foreign credit cards. Wechat pay and Alipay seemed to the common payment options. We wish we had that information prior to starting the tour because we ended up having to ask our tour guide to look for ATMs for us to withdraw cash. Even though we speak the language, it didn’t stop us from being overcharged. For one of the meals, we were taken to restaurant that overcharged++ us by a lot. Do make sure that your tour guide take you to an eating area with options for you to choose. Otherwise you will end up paying exorbitant prices for one meal (and it was not tasty in a rather run down restaurant. We left most of the food untouched) which affected the overall experience. I think overall Ice festival Harbin tour is well run. However, greater coordination with local guide in terms of eating options and advice on estimated meal price can prevent the feeling of being ripped off.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
safelton_11
prague, Czech Republic6 contributions
Jan 2016 • Friends
The tour was OK, though it was extremely cold as expected, about -26 C every day. The ice sculptures were amazing. The tiger preserve was OK. The cold made everything difficult, but the heating everywhere was very good. What was not good was the tour guide. On the first of the 2 days he took us to a restaurant for lunch that overcharged us to an extent that is embarrassing to admit. He told us an outrageous price in the car, and then raised it considerably in the restaurant. The final bill for the lunch was beyond ridiculous, and he did all of this in a very cavalier way that was appalling. I emailed the company and got a response that was incomplete, and there was no follow-up as promised. Also, this tour guide was quite incompetent. He barely did any talking about the sites. The vans were not good either - it was very difficult for me to get out of the back row in both vans.
Written February 10, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VintageTravels
Arizona141 contributions
Jan 2016 • Family
Our guide referred to Harbin as "The Eye of the Chicken" as he pointed to an atlas. On a map China does indeed resemble a chicken! During the 1917 Russian Revolution many White Russians fled to Harbin settling in what is now referred to as The Old Quarter. Their cultural influence is readily evident in the architecture and cuisine. Most of the buildings in the old quarter are in a terrible state of decay from neglect and nonuse after the White Russians were forced to leave. Luckily, the Russian Orthodox church, St. Sophia has been restored and reopened to the public as a museum. Parts of the old quarter have been opened to foreigners recently.
White Russian cultural influence is apparent in local cuisine as well. Variations of hard cheese, dark bread, and Russian sausages are plentiful in Harbin shops and fine dining establishments. The menus are a treat for history buffs.
The Harbin Ice Festival held at Zhaolin Park has increased in size every January since it began in 1963. In additional to mega ice displays created by Chinese locals there is an international ice sculpture juried event that produces the finest ice sculptures I've seen. The smaller International sculptures line the bank of the partially frozen Songhua River. During the day these magnificent displays of carved ice attract large crowds inspite of the subzero temperatures. As night falls and the temperature drops, Harbin's city of sculpted ice and snow is lit up with dim colored lights, drawing even larger crowds enjoying ice cream and slipping down ice slides!
Many activities are held on the frozen surface of the Songhua River. We enjoyed a covered carriage ride drawn by magnificent black stallion. We watched reindeer racing and old Chinese men, wearing nothing more than a latex swim cap and swimming trunks, take a quick dip in a carved out hole into River. I'm told this annual ritual is believed to improve a man's constitution! Didn't see any ladies jumping in the drink!☺
I highly recommend you carry extra layers of warm clothing during your visit to Harbin. The temperature can quickly become a biting, bitter cold especially on the river. Carry a large backpack for a warm, insulated blanket, scarves, knitted cap, mittens, and a couple pairs of thermal socks in case you get wet. This precaution will keep your excursion enjoyable. Because the weather is often sub-zero temperatures this event may not be suitable for the young and elderly. There are no ADA accommodations anywhere in Harbin that I found. Our hotel's elevator was sporadically functional. Many times we had to climb 8 flights of stairs in a non-heated steel stairwell with the rails to cold to hang on to.
White Russian cultural influence is apparent in local cuisine as well. Variations of hard cheese, dark bread, and Russian sausages are plentiful in Harbin shops and fine dining establishments. The menus are a treat for history buffs.
The Harbin Ice Festival held at Zhaolin Park has increased in size every January since it began in 1963. In additional to mega ice displays created by Chinese locals there is an international ice sculpture juried event that produces the finest ice sculptures I've seen. The smaller International sculptures line the bank of the partially frozen Songhua River. During the day these magnificent displays of carved ice attract large crowds inspite of the subzero temperatures. As night falls and the temperature drops, Harbin's city of sculpted ice and snow is lit up with dim colored lights, drawing even larger crowds enjoying ice cream and slipping down ice slides!
Many activities are held on the frozen surface of the Songhua River. We enjoyed a covered carriage ride drawn by magnificent black stallion. We watched reindeer racing and old Chinese men, wearing nothing more than a latex swim cap and swimming trunks, take a quick dip in a carved out hole into River. I'm told this annual ritual is believed to improve a man's constitution! Didn't see any ladies jumping in the drink!☺
I highly recommend you carry extra layers of warm clothing during your visit to Harbin. The temperature can quickly become a biting, bitter cold especially on the river. Carry a large backpack for a warm, insulated blanket, scarves, knitted cap, mittens, and a couple pairs of thermal socks in case you get wet. This precaution will keep your excursion enjoyable. Because the weather is often sub-zero temperatures this event may not be suitable for the young and elderly. There are no ADA accommodations anywhere in Harbin that I found. Our hotel's elevator was sporadically functional. Many times we had to climb 8 flights of stairs in a non-heated steel stairwell with the rails to cold to hang on to.
Written August 20, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lyndall W
Australia10 contributions
Jan 2016 • Couples
We booked a 5 day tour but due to airline problems we arrived a day late. Having paid in full for the entire tour we were then charged 600CYN because we did not arrive on the first day. Could not find out why. The whole trip was great but the guide was not very well informed about the sites. He read most of the information from his mobile phone. Fortunately he was able to get us to all the places on the itinerary in the 4 days which was great but when we left the tiger park and were heading to the snow sculptures he had a phone call to cancel the snow sculptures. The guide and the driver disagreed with this and we went anyway. Even though it is extremely cold the whole place is amazing. Frank and Lyndall Australia
Written March 15, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JamesA045
London, UK238 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
We booked our tour through Cathy at Ice Festival Harbin. The tour was very well organised- very good communication from Cathy throughout. We had great driver and personal guide. We had a full itinerary for our 2 days in Harbin - the snow and ice sculptures were amazing and the Ice world extravaganza better than we could have imagined.
It is much colder than you think there. We took ski gear which was perfect for the very cold temperature. Remember your thermals, gloves and wooly hats!
Thank you Cathy for perfect weekend.
It is much colder than you think there. We took ski gear which was perfect for the very cold temperature. Remember your thermals, gloves and wooly hats!
Thank you Cathy for perfect weekend.
Written January 18, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
susd20
Sydney, Australia44 contributions
Jan 2017 • Family
Tango was wonderful in assisting with our tour from the moment we made contact. The whole booking process was effortless from start to finish, including arranging the payments. Thanks Tango for the amazing service provided.
Our Harbin tour was for 1.5 days and included central street, Saint Sophia church, lantern festival @ Zhaolin park, the tiger park and the ice and snow festivals. The Ice festival is worth the visit and recommend booking with Ice festival Harbin. Tour was enjoyable with our guide Billy. He found local restaurants which were great. Our hotel was great and comfy, just located around the corner from Central Street. We travelled to Harbin in mid January, very cold but layer up and is bearable. tip - to keep battery life longer on devices stick hand warmers over the battery.
Our Harbin tour was for 1.5 days and included central street, Saint Sophia church, lantern festival @ Zhaolin park, the tiger park and the ice and snow festivals. The Ice festival is worth the visit and recommend booking with Ice festival Harbin. Tour was enjoyable with our guide Billy. He found local restaurants which were great. Our hotel was great and comfy, just located around the corner from Central Street. We travelled to Harbin in mid January, very cold but layer up and is bearable. tip - to keep battery life longer on devices stick hand warmers over the battery.
Written January 17, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
auspiciousBOLT
Los Angeles, CA52 contributions
Jan 2016 • Solo
I had such a great time on my Ice Festival Harbin Tour. Both of my guides in Beijing and Harbin were wonderful. Susie in Beijing was very organized, informative and made sure every detail of the tour was taken care of. Daniel in Harbin was very accommodating, so easy going and made sure I had fun time on my tour. Both Susie and Daniel were so personable and friendly, responsible and trustworthy that I truly felt at ease just to have fun and not worry about the language barrier since I don't speak Mandarin Chinese. Also, both Susie and Daniel had no problems with taking pictures when asked to...this small fact can be such a savior when one is traveling solo...and too much selfies on your photo album of the trip can be quite dull. So now, I not only have great photos of my trip but also awesome memories of it. Thanks Ice Festival Harbin! And thanks to Susie and Daniel!!! : )
Written February 8, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
touravanh
Vientiane1 contribution
Where in Harbin can I buy Disposable Chemical Thermal Heat Packs? Preferably close to Sophia Cathedral.
touravanh
Vientiane1 contribution
Where can I find those disposable chemical heat packs in Harbin?
Chinjoongonn123
Klang, Malaysia725 contributions
Dec 1 2017 is the ice show on ?
Bruce L
Guilin, China18 contributions
The official opening date of the 34th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival will be on January 5, 2018.
The festival have 3 theme parks: Ice and Snow World, Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, and Ice Lantern Fair. In mid-December, the workers and sculptors will start to make the sculptures. From December 21 to Jan 4, snow and ice sculpture competitions will be held in these parks. The parks will have a trial run around December 25, 2017 and close on around February 25, 2018, weather permitting.
Kim C
Cairns13 contributions
Going early 24 Dec to Harbin will we miss everything?
Andrew S
50 contributions
Hi Pepa, we went there the end of January and it was perfect. My sister went in mid December the year that she went and unfortunately everything wasn't yet set-up. I think it doesn't usually get fully set up and functioning until after the turn of the calendar year, but not entirely sure. I would suggest reaching out to a Harbin travel agent and inquire as to their thoughts. They are usually pretty good at responding and will get you the necessary information you should need! Good luck and enjoy.
rominacampodonico
Mercedes, Argentina10 contributions
Hola a todos!!! Me gustaria poder visitar Harbin el proximo invierno y quisiera saber sus comentarios al respecto. Fechas aprox del 2018, costo de entradas, como llegar, donde alojarse. Se puede tramitar la visa (soy argentina) al llegar a destino o hay que hacerla previamente? Ya que pronto inicio un viaje por el mundo y no creo llegar con los tiempos. Muchas gracias!
Neal C
Oxford, UK2 contributions
Hi Sue,
my daughter rand I are visiting Harbin in February 2017. Could you offer any tips on the weather around this time of year and what would you recommend jackets/trousers to wear, Down, fibre or multi layers. Gloves, shoes, scarves etc. And any other tips to make this a trip to remember would be appreciated. Many thanks for your time.
Neal
Fiona K
Hong Kong, China58 contributions
I am not Sue but just a recent customer of Mr Tango Tan who has been fabulous with the Harbin Ice Festival Travel agency listed on the website.
If it is early february , then my advice applies:
- Get heat warmers (disposable chemical heat packs - found on amazon). The winters are a bit 'wet' compared to the Arctic winters (where I went) - that means it really cuts into the bone especially near the river when the Siberian winds come. Those are your lifesavers. You can thank me after. Mittens work well with those. Not gloves - I use gloves as a liner for my mittens.
- do layer technique - no cotton content at base, mid or outer layers. Same with scarfs, socks or beanies - you don't want cotton because it absorbs moisture and remains moist which causes your temperature to go down. Once you enter most shops, you get warm up to their heating. Some shops - no heating but the best buys. Fleece with zero cotton content, merino wool - recommended as base. If you have a 2 piece ski suit (ski jacket and pants) - that's the best for the outer layering. Do not wear 1 piece - most public toilets are squatting loos.
- My boots (those are inuit-like mukluks with thermal insulation and full waterproofing plus reindeer fur insoles) are built for -50 c (maximum) but still when Harbin goes to -23, my toes get a little cold. Definitely waterproof boots (like baffin brand). If you got ski boots , they might work and you might go skiing in yabuli. Bring cramp-ons if you are planning to visit Ice and Snow world - I was slipping and sliding around ...
- Even if you are bringing down... or not, make sure that your coat is fully waterproof , NOT water resistant. Wet down means zero insulation. Snow means wet.
- there is a pollution factor unfortunately - bring an N95 mask in case Harbin smog is around the unhealthy levels. Plus some hotels sell thermal masks to cover the mouth or your N95 mask.
- Just to let you know - Harbin does sell winter hats at around 90 RMB to 290 RMB (synthetic to real fur) , there's trapper style , male manchurian style (big furry looking hat - synthetic around 70RMB at the cheapest shop) and mongolian princess style. If you can speak mandarin going for you, you can bargain freely like me.
Hi, I am Riaz , I am student, I am livng in shenyang, I wanna visit harbin ice festival for 3 days, what will be cost of three days
Hi, I am Riaz , I am student, I am livng in shenyang, I wanna visit harbin ice festival for 3 days, what will be cost of three days