5 Days Shanghai & Harbin Ice and Snow Festival Tour

Full Itinerary Day by day (Can Be Customized)

Day 1 Shanghai Arrival

Ni Hao! Welcome to Shanghai, the biggest metropolis of China!

Upon arrival, be greeted by our tour guide in the Arrival Hall who is holding a sign with your name. Before transferred to your hotel, you will firstly be taken to experience one of the fastest trains in the world - Shanghai Maglev Train (Optional).

Started operation at 2003, the Shanghai Maglev Train is the first commercially operated high-speed magnetic levitation line in the world. Running at the highest speed of 430km per hour, the Shanghai Maglev Train takes only 8 minutes to transfer from Pudong International Airport to Longyang Road Station in the central downtown of Shanghai. Passengers hardly can hear any noise, and feel any jolt, because the maglev trains run with touching the railway line. The facilities inside the trains are very modern, clean and comfortable. (Note: The Maglev Train only operates between Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Longyang Road Station from 06:45 AM to 21:42 PM )

Optional Activity - Attend an entertaining Acrobatic Show, including breathtaking “balls of death” acts, chair balancing, hula hoops, juggling of benches, walking in the air, and other breathtaking performances (usually performed during 19:30~21:00)

Day 2 Shanghai (B, L)

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel to start your Shanghai exploration. Your first stop is Shanghai Museum, one of the Best Four Museums in China. This modern museum, with a round top and a square base which symbolizing the ancient Chinese perception of the world as "round sky, square earth", has collected many international-standard exhibits of bronzes, paintings, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, jade from more than 5,000 years ago to the Qing dynasty. To help you learn about the history and facts about the relics in the museum easily, an Audio Explanation Device will be prepared for you. Next, you will take an interesting visit to Yu Garden, a shining star among all the ancient Chinese gardens in Jiangnan. This garden fully embodies the traditional design of Chinese architecture with jagged pavilions with elegant decorations, glittering pools with roving fish, and pine trees sprouting to the sky, all designed to refresh your mood and spirit. Adjacent to the garden is the Yuyuan Bazaar where you can savor tasteful local snacks and explore elaborate traditional Chinese handicrafts and art works. Next, you will drive several kilometers to enjoy a panoramic view of the modern face of Shanghai from the 100th floor (474m) of “the Eye of Shanghai” Shanghai World Financial Center.

You will then be transferred to another popular landmark of Shanghai, Nanjing Road, a shopping paradise as well as a great place to take a wonderful walk to experience the modern atmosphere of the City. Lastly, you will stop at the Bund, originally a simple towpath for transporting goods but now transformed into a feverish trading district. You will stroll along the Bund, seeing and feeling the perfect fusion of Chinese and Western cultures while at the same time taking in the stunning Shanghai skyline with your own eyes!

Optional Activity - Take a relaxing Huangpu River night cruise to see the city’s most significant edifices and streets sparkling under the atmospheric cover of darkness (about 50 minutes).

Day 3 Shanghai & Flight to Harbin (B)

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. First, you’ll pay a wonderful visit to Jade Buddha Temple, the site of the largest Jade Buddha in the world and numerous religious artifacts, ancient statues and Buddhist scriptures. This peaceful kingdom of Buddhism hidden among modern blocks and dominating mansions is a great place for a nice break in this very busy city.

Next, you’ll be transferred to Tianzifang which is touristic arts and crafts enclave that has developed from a renovated traditional residential area. It is the typical tourist attraction to appreciate the preservation of local Shikumen architecture. In this place full of rich flavor of life, you can leisurely stroll along the clean old alleys to watch the daily life of local Shanghai people, savor a cup of drink at the open-air café, and find some interesting things in the novel shops to feel the international feature mixed with real Shanghai culture.

After that, be escorted to Shanghai Pudong International Airport for a direct flight to Harbin (around 3 hours). Welcome to Harbin, the Ice City in China. Upon arrival, the local guide will meet you at the arrival hall of Harbin Taiping International Airport. Then, you will be driven to your hotel in downtown area of Harbin. The rest of today is on your own to explore this charming city. 

Evening Ideas (Explore on your Own):

In this evening, you can go to Zhaolin Park to appreciate the largest scale of outdoor ice lantern fair in the world. Complimented as “the non-repetitive fairy tales”, Zhaolin Park Ice Lantern Show is one of the three exhibitions that make up the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. Spend 1-2 hours to enjoy all the colorful ice lanterns and ice sculptures. (Important Note: It is held every year from January 5th to the end of February. It is suggested to visit after 18:00 when all the lights turning on.)

Day 4 Harbin (B, L)

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. Firstly, you'll visit 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.  

Day 5 Harbin & Harbin Departure (B, L)

Today, after breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel. You’ll go to 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.)

Then, make a historical visit to Laodaowai, where Harbin originated. This popular featured street block is so far the largest Chinese Baroque street block in China where boasts many meaningful old Baroque styled architectures with rich romantic color from early 20^th century. Walk free along those old streets and alleys to appreciate the ancient buildings with western façade but traditional Chinese courtyard and interior designs and interesting folk sculptures, and hear the good telling of the old life of Harbin people and history of Harbin in the past 100 years. After that, visit the Jiuzhan Park along Songhua River. Here you will watch some winter swimmers including some elders up to 60-70 years do winter swimming in the so cold water under the frozen water surface, and many people having fun on some interesting activities on ice, such as skating car, sliding, winter fishing, etc. on Songhua River.

After the tour, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport or train station for your flight / train to next destination or home. Service ends!

The quotation for this trip is from Request Per Person

1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one standard double-bed room in 4-star hotel and traveling with our private tour in low seasons.
2. This price is subject to change according your traveling season, group size, hotel class, change of activities in your itinerary and possible fluctuation of currency exchange rate. If you want a lower price, you can get more people to join you, or use economy class hotels.
3. This price is only valid to March 31, 2025.
4. Reference exchange rate of USD 1=RMB 7.00. The final quote is based on current exchange rate. It may change according to the currency fluctuation, while the RMB quotation will be remained the same.

How Our Teams Serve you at China Discovery

"Highest Standards of Quality and Honesty" is the core value of each specialized team at China Discovery.

Eveyone in our company is working hard for only one goal, which is to ensure the highest level of service, luxury, and attention to detail from the minute you begin planning your trip, to the day you return home.

1-on-1 Travel Consultant

Our travel consultants are professional, experienced and responsible, helping you from the very beginning to the end of your China trip!

After sending us an inquiry, one of our travel consultants will get back to you within 0.5~23.5 hrs. In the next few days, he/she will be working closely with you to formulate a customized tour plan, as well as providing professional suggestions based on your travel interests, time, and budget.

Beside, he/she will keep in contact with you during your entire tour in China, continually checking if everything is going well as planned.

We're working at Chengdu Bamboo International Tours, local based in Chengdu.

Local Tour Guides

Our local guide in every destination is not only very friendly, enthusiastic but also very informative and knowledgeable.

Once you arrive in the destination, the patient and punctual guides will pick you up and take you to get under skin of the city at your own pace. By in-depth discovery and explanation, they’ll show you more about the history, culture, customs and authentic local life. Throughout the journey, they're not only expert guides who take care of all the details but also fellow travelers who are dedicated to help you explore in comfort and style.

Our guides are passionate about what they do, and it shows all the way!

Local Drivers & Vehicle

Using our private transfer service makes you comfortable, relaxed and worry free all the way!

Our private service includes licensed drivers with many years’ driving experience and air-conditioned, non-smoking, clean and well-maintained cars/vans. Drivers are local, polite, friendly and helpful, taking you to your tourist sites, hotels, airport/train stations in safety. All kinds of vehicle are offered, and yours depends on the size of your group. Usually, we offer sedan cars, SUVs, business vans (MPV) and different types of buses, all with extra space for your luggage.

Our private transfer service guarantees you the highest comfort!

Comfortable & Homelike Hotels

In each destination, you’ll enjoy a comfortable stay in a great location!

The hotels we choose are based on star rating, great locations, well-equipped facilities, cozy bed, high quality service and guests’ feedbacks. Choices are a lot ranging from luxury 5 star, comfortable 4 star to budget 3 star. You could decide where to stay to best suit for your budget and likes. Generally, the hotels have both Western and Chinese breakfast with a wide choices.

If you have already got an ideal hotel, please feel free to tell our travel consultants and they'll book the hotel for you.

Have good sleep in our well-selected hotels in all the destinations of China.

Meals & Dining

We can satisfy all the dietary requirements no matter you want Chinese local food, western food, vegetarian food or muslin food.

The restaurants we will take you for lunch or dinner are all designated tourist restaurants approved by local tourist administration bureau. They have very good sanitary conditions and the food is prepared fresh and clean.

There will be some meals excluded in your itinerary as you like, and your private guide will be delighted to give you some suggestions and take you to the local restaurants to taste like Beijing Roast Duck, Xian Dumpling Dinner, Sichuan Hotpot, etc., if you are interested in local food tasting.

All the dining options will satisfy your stomach!

Check What our delighted customers are saying about our services

Hi Wonder,

Thanks for your email. We are back home now after our three weeks tour to S. Korea and China, in which the Yangtze River cruise was a key part of the trip.

I have to tell you we enjoyed the cruise very much. Everything was as what we expected. And thanks for your help for not only booking the cruise for us but also answered all the questions we had...which helped us a lot in preparations.

The Century Oasis was a very nice river cruise ship and the people are professional. The room was very nice and food was very good. We were arranged with other English speaking people as a small group for local excursions which is a great experience. Overall, I would highly recommend this cruise.

We are planning more sightseeing trips to China such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Xinjiang, etc. We hope your company can help us for the arrangements in the future.

As 2024 is quickly drawing to close, we wish you all the best for the new year.

Yours sincerely,

Andy

Andy‚ USA, November 30, 2024

Dear Mr Leo Li,

Good evening to you.

Thank you for planning my trip to Yunnan on 16-26/5/2024.

Although the trip started with an unwanted incident on the day of our arrival but overall it was a good trip especially in Dali and Lijiang. Both the tour guides, Sally and Rodney were attentive with good service and are knowledgeable.

I would say that the Kunming tour guide, Jenny was not at fault for not meeting us at the airport because she was given the wrong information that our flight was rescheduled to arrive at night instead of afternoon. She showed us the WeChat message. She is a friendly tour guide.

For your information, our visit to Shangri-la was average only. We missed out going up to turn the big wheel. Only realised it when we went back to the hotel. Anyway, it’s in the past.

Overall, the trip is wonderful with our bucket list ticked!

I am thinking of another trip to China also in May next year and would like to have your suggestion. Are you still with China Discovery?

Regards,

Ms Chai

Chai‚ Malaysia, November 30, 2024

Hi Shirley,

Thanks for all the good arrangement. Special thanks to Jessica for taking good care of us. She made a very memorable Huang Shan trip for us. The accommodation and transport arrangements were flawless. Looking forward to have my next visit with you all.

Thong

Thong‚ Malaysia, November 30, 2024

Dear Rita,

Tqvm again for all your support & your professionalism and great friendship. Below are our team appreciative & constructive feedback for your attention.

Keep in touch and god bless you always.

Thanks and regards,

Chew

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Chew‚ Malaysia, November 30, 2024

Hi Phoebe!

Our tour was fantastic! Jane was a wonderful guide and the views were amazing.

Thank you so much helping organize the tour, and for the little gifts too!

It was great weather! We got to see so much!

Esther

Esther‚ USA, November 29, 2024

Check What our customers are saying about us on Tripadvisor.com

excellent assistance, helpfulness and courtesy. My contact 'was Shirley, prepared friendly and punctual. Highly recommended...

Luciano P

"Travel consultant Mr Wonder Wang was so helpful and he planned our trip to Xi’an and Beijing so well. Mr Waldner is an amazing guide. His knowledge and enthusiasm made our tour very memorable..." read more »

Reviewed on December 13, 2024

Luciano P

"excellent assistance, helpfulness and courtesy. My contact 'was Shirley, prepared friendly and punctual. Highly recommended..." read more »

Reviewed on December 13, 2024