Harbin Ice Festival New Year's Eve tour: Countdown at midnight

Watch the New Year arrive at an ice palace

A 3-hour late-night group tour to Harbin Ice and Snow World on December 31, departing from your Harbin hotel between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm, with a local guide, entrance fee and return transport included. The tour runs until midnight so you can welcome the new year at the festival. Groups stay under 15 people, and your guide helps with photos and shares how the ice structures are built.

Step-by-step itinerary

Harbin Ice Festival New Year Eve Tour

• Hotel pick up between 9:10pm and 9:40pm
• Transfer to Harbin Ice and Snow World
• Guide shares information about ice festival
• Visit ice festival and New Year show
• Take photos with icy artwork
• Return transfer to hotel

The experience

The pickup happens in two waves: your guide meets you at your hotel lobby between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm, then collects other group members on the way to the festival. Once you arrive at Harbin Ice and Snow World, you can explore the ice sculptures and the New Year show on your own pace or follow your guide through the grounds. The guide stays with the group until midnight, so you're there for the countdown itself: the main reason most people book this date.

The tour includes a local guide who speaks English or Chinese and will explain how the ice and snow structures are built if you're curious. If you want photos with the sculptures, your guide can help frame them. Drink shops operate inside the festival (at your own cost) if you need warmth. After midnight, the guide escorts the group back to your hotel, arriving sometime after 12:30 am depending on traffic and how long people linger at the festival.

Groups are capped at 15 people, so it stays small enough to move together without feeling crowded. The tour ends with a return to your Harbin hotel. Your operator will confirm your exact pickup time by email the day before departure, so check your inbox the evening of December 30.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Harbin.
• entrance fee to Harbin Ice and Snow World.
• a local guide who speaks English or Chinese.
• transport to and from the festival.
• the tour runs until midnight for the New Year countdown.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 18:30, 19:00, 19:30 and 20:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Infant (under 7)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Audio guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Private Tour Guide

Is this one for you?The late pickup (between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm) and the midnight finish mean you're out most of the evening, so this suits travelers who don't mind a late night and want to experience the festival's peak moment. Groups stay under 15 people, which keeps the experience intimate without the chaos of larger crowds on New Year's Eve.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

2 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 7).

What time does the tour pick me up on December 31?

Your guide collects you from your Harbin hotel between 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm on December 31, with the exact time confirmed by email the day before. The operator arranges pickups one by one based on hotel locations, so your time may differ slightly from other group members.

Can I explore Harbin Ice and Snow World on my own, or do I have to stay with the guide?

You can choose to wander the festival and watch the New Year show independently, or follow your guide through the grounds. Either way, the guide is there if you want help with photos or information about the ice structures.

Does the tour actually stay until midnight for the New Year countdown?

Yes, the tour runs until midnight so you're at Harbin Ice and Snow World when the new year arrives. After the countdown, your guide escorts the group back to your hotel.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, entrance to Harbin Ice and Snow World, a local guide, and transport to and from the festival are all included. Drinks and snacks at the festival shops are at your own cost.

How cold will it be, and what should I wear?

Harbin in late December is well below freezing. Wear heavy winter layers, a thick coat, insulated gloves, a hat and warm boots. The guide can point you to drink shops if you need to warm up during the evening.