Harbin Ice Festival 2026-27

What the Harbin Ice Festival actually is

"Harbin Ice Festival" is the name most people use for several separate winter attractions in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province in China's far northeast. Each venue has its own ticket and dates, and there is no combined pass. The ice lantern tradition began at Zhaolin Park in 1963, and the official China Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival holds its opening ceremony on January 5 each year.

Ice and Snow World is the headline act. Last season it covered 1.2 million square meters and used more than 400,000 cubic meters of ice and snow, with ice blocks cut from the frozen Songhua River. For 2026-27 the park plans 1.25 million square meters, more than 1,000 ice and snow structures, a new extra-long ice slide and a Frozen-themed area built with Disney China, announced in October 2026.

Harbin Ice Festival 2026-27 dates

As of October 28, 2026, Ice and Snow World has announced its 28th season but not its opening date, hours or prices. Last season gives you the pattern:

• Ice park opening: 10:00 on December 17, 2025. The date was made public only on December 15, so expect short notice again. Recent seasons have opened in the second half of December.
• Opening ceremony: the 42nd festival opened on January 5, 2026 at Ice and Snow World, with fireworks and a drone show. Expect the 43rd on January 5, 2027.
• Other venues: Sun Island had a trial opening on December 27 (official opening December 31), and the Zhaolin Park lanterns opened on December 30.
• Closing: the ice park normally runs into late February, but last season it closed early on February 21, 2026, after record-high temperatures melted the ice. Ticket holders got full refunds. Sun Island stayed open until March 3.

Our advice: put your Harbin days between about December 26 and mid-February. Last season every main venue was open by then, and you avoid the late-February melt risk.

Ticket prices and how to buy them

Prices for 2026-27 have not been announced. These were last season's:

How to buy. Last season Ice and Snow World sold tickets on its official WeChat mini-program and on Ctrip (Trip.com outside China), Douyin, Meituan, Tongcheng and Alipay, with general sales opening on December 11. Xinhua reported that its ticketing accepted passports and overseas payment methods. Enter your passport details exactly as printed and bring that passport to the gate. Sun Island sold tickets through its official WeChat account.

Day and night. Last season you could enter Ice and Snow World from 10:00 to 21:30, so one ticket covers daylight and the lights.

Fast pass. A ¥988 (about $147) ticket included entry, priority on the giant ice slide and the Ferris wheel, and show seats.

Seniors. Visitors 65 and over got in free last season, but only with a next-day reservation and an original Chinese ID card. Passports were not mentioned, so foreign seniors should budget for a full-price ticket.

Opening hours and the best time of day

The sun sets early this far north: around 3:50 p.m. in December, 4:00 p.m. at New Year and 4:40 p.m. by February 1. The lights come on at dusk.

Do Sun Island in the morning, since white snow sculptures look best in daylight. Then go to Ice and Snow World around 2 or 3 p.m.: you see the ice by day, watch the lights come on, and head back in the early evening as the temperature keeps dropping. Sun Island and Ice and Snow World stations sit next to each other on Metro Line 2.

How cold is Harbin, month by month

Average daily highs and lows, from China Meteorological Administration 1991-2020 normals:

Evenings at the ice park, standing still for photos, feel far colder than the daytime high. Cold snaps can push nights below -30°C (-22°F), and wind along the river makes it worse.

What to wear for Harbin in winter

• Layers: a thermal top and long underwear in wool or synthetic fabric (not cotton), a fleece or light down jacket, and a long hooded down parka that covers your hips. Add windproof or ski pants.
• Feet: insulated waterproof boots with deep tread, sized for thick wool socks, plus slip-on ice cleats for the river and icy sidewalks.
• Hands and head: thin touchscreen gloves under mittens, a hat that covers your ears, and a neck gaiter or face mask.
• Warmers: chemical hand and toe warmers for pockets, gloves and boots.
• Phone: Apple says iPhones are designed for 0-35°C (32-95°F) and that cold can temporarily shorten battery life or make the phone turn off. Keep it in an inside pocket, carry a power bank close to your body, and shoot in short bursts. Bring spare camera batteries.

You will rely on that phone for tickets, maps and payment, so read our guides to paying in China and eSIMs and apps before you go.

Getting to Harbin: flights and the train from Beijing

By air. Harbin Taiping International Airport (HRB) is about 37 km southwest of the city. Its 2026-27 winter schedule (October 25 to March 27) has 21 daily flights to Beijing and 25 to Shanghai, plus 13 international and regional destinations, mostly in Northeast Asia. Beijing to Harbin is about 2 hours in the air. Airport buses run to Harbin Railway Station, but a taxi or DiDi is simpler with luggage.

By high-speed train. Trains run from Beijing Chaoyang (Beijing Subway Line 3) to Harbin West (Harbin Metro Line 3). The fastest take about 4 hours 33 minutes, such as G101, leaving at 8:00 and arriving at 12:33; slower ones take up to about 7 hours. In a late-October 2026 timetable, second class cost ¥518-651 (about $77-97) and first class ¥829-1,043 (about $124-156). Book on China Railway's official 12306 website (it has an English version) or app with your passport, and book early around New Year and Chinese New Year.

If you are already in Beijing, the train is usually easier: no airport transfers, and it arrives on Harbin's metro.

How many days you need in Harbin

Two full days cover the main venues; a third gives you slack for a cold snap or a second evening. A sample 3-day plan:

1. Day 1: Walk Central Street, cobbled since 1925, and see St. Sophia Cathedral, completed in 1932 and now an architecture museum. The street ends at the Flood Control Memorial Tower on the Songhua River, where the carnival sits on the ice. After dark, see the free lanterns at Zhaolin Park.
2. Day 2: Sun Island from 9:00, lunch, then Ice and Snow World from mid-afternoon into the evening.
3. Day 3: River rides, the Chinese Baroque historic district (Metro Line 3 stops there), or a second evening at your favorite venue.

To add a ski day at Yabuli and a night in Snow Town, see our 7-day Harbin winter route.

Crowds around New Year and Chinese New Year 2027

Ice and Snow World logged about 3.06 million visits in 65 days last season. The peaks were holidays: more than 100,000 people on New Year's Eve, about 62,000 on opening day, and a record of more than 120,000 on February 19, 2026, the third day of the Chinese New Year holiday.

Chinese New Year 2027 falls on Saturday, February 6, with New Year's Eve on February 5. By law the public holiday covers February 5-8, 2027. The full 2027 holiday schedule, usually published in November, was not out as of late October 2026; third-party calendars expect a break of about a week starting February 5. Expect peak crowds and scarce trains and hotels that week.

For a calmer visit, pick a weekday in early or mid-January other than January 5.

Tips for kids and older travelers

• Children: bring each child's passport for ticket checks. Short outdoor stretches with warm-up breaks work better than one long visit. Last season Ice and Snow World opened a 5,000-square-meter heated hall with food and seating, and Zhaolin Park had warm rooms and free hot ginger soup. Check cheeks and noses often. Our China with kids guide covers the rest of the trip.
• Older travelers: the main risk is ice underfoot. Wear boots with deep tread and ice cleats, hold handrails, and take the metro or a taxi between venues. If you have heart or breathing problems, ask your doctor about extreme cold before you go.

If you'd rather have a local team plan and book this, tell us your dates.