Sun Island Ice and Snow Tour in Harbin: Private Guide

Two of Harbin's biggest winter showcases in one day, with a guide who knows them both

A private full-day tour of Harbin's Ice and Snow Festival attractions with a local English or Chinese-speaking guide, hotel pickup, and lunch. You visit Sun Island's Snow Sculpture Art Expo, where over 260 snow carvings fill the landscape, then Ice and Snow World, an illuminated palace of ice sculptures and winter activities. The itinerary runs about nine to ten hours and includes transportation, meals, and time to explore both sites at your own pace within the day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Harbin Ice and Snow Festival

• Visit Sun Island Snow Sculpture Expo
• Enjoy ice slides and cultural activities
• Explore Harbin Ice and Snow World
• Experience ice slides and snow games

The experience

Sun Island is the first stop: the Snow Sculpture Art Expo carves more than 260 artistic pieces from 150,000 cubic meters of snow, built fresh each winter season. You can ride the ice slides, join in cultural activities, and walk through the sculptures without a set schedule: the guide stays with you but the pace is yours. The site opens at the end of December and runs through February, so timing matters if you're visiting Harbin in winter.

Ice and Snow World comes next, a separate venue where millions of cubic meters of ice and snow become massive sculptures and castles. After dark the place lights up in colored reflections across the ice, turning the whole space into something closer to an art installation than a playground. You'll have time for ice slides and snow games alongside the walking and looking. Both sites are included in the same day, which is why the tour runs nine to ten hours: the travel time between them, the meal break at noon (Harbin Northeastern cuisine), and time at each stop all fit inside.

Your guide speaks English or Chinese and meets you at your hotel, handling the driving in an air-conditioned vehicle. The operator builds flexibility into the itinerary: if you want to skip one site or spend longer at the other, you can arrange that in advance. The tour is wheelchair accessible, and specialized infant seats are available if you're traveling with small children.

What’s included

• Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.
• a local guide fluent in English or Chinese.
• lunch featuring Harbin Northeastern cuisine at midday.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

AgesAdult (3 to 80 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live 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 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Starry Trip CN

Is this one for you?The tour runs a full day with about nine to ten hours including meals and travel, so it suits someone who wants to see both major winter sites without splitting the experience across two separate bookings. A private guide means you set the pace at each location rather than moving with a group schedule.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 3): free.

What exactly is the Snow Sculpture Art Expo on Sun Island?

Sun Island's Snow Sculpture Art Expo is an outdoor winter exhibition where artists carve over 260 sculptures from 150,000 cubic meters of snow. The pieces range from large-scale installations to detailed carvings, and the site includes ice slides and cultural activities alongside the sculptures. It operates from late December through late February each year.

Can I do activities at Ice and Snow World, or is it mostly for looking?

Ice and Snow World has both activities and sculptures. You can ride ice slides, play snow games, and walk through the ice palaces and castles. The sculptures are lit up at night, so the visual experience changes depending on when you visit during your tour.

How much time do I spend at each location?

The tour runs nine to ten hours total, including travel between sites, a lunch break at noon, and time at both attractions. Your guide can adjust how long you stay at each place if you prefer one over the other, as long as you arrange it beforehand.

What's included in the lunch?

Lunch is Harbin Northeastern cuisine, served at noon during the tour. Alcoholic beverages are not included.

Do I need to arrange my own way to the tour starting point?

Hotel pickup is included, so your guide will meet you at your accommodation and drive you to both sites in an air-conditioned vehicle.