Unit 731 Museum Tour in Harbin: Private half-day with guide

Walk the grounds of Unit 731 and learn what the museum's exhibits reveal

A private half-day tour of Unit 731 Museum in Harbin, a WWII-era biological and chemical warfare testing site, with a guide who contextualizes the exhibits, the grounds, and the original structures that still stand. Hotel pickup and entry are included. The tour runs mornings or afternoons depending on your choice at checkout, and the museum closes Mondays.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Unit 731 Museum and sites

• Meet guide at hotel lobby
• Travel to Unit 731 Museum
• Explore indoor exhibits with guide
• Walk around Unit 731 grounds
• See original buildings and exhibition hall
• Return to hotel in Harbin

The experience

The Unit 731 Museum occupies the actual site where the Japanese army conducted biological and chemical warfare experiments during World War II. Thousands of prisoners, mostly Chinese, died from forced exposure to extreme cold and infectious diseases including plague. The museum, completely remodeled in 2015, now houses an exhibition hall with maps, photographs, detailed records of human and animal experiments, and medical equipment discovered on the property. Your guide will walk you through each exhibit and explain the history behind them, then you'll explore the grounds where some of the original buildings still stand, giving a physical sense of the facility's original structure.

The tour lasts four hours and includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Harbin, entry to the museum, and a private guide who speaks English or Chinese. If your group is more than three people, you'll travel by private vehicle. Smaller groups use taxi transport. The museum also contains examples of classic Japanese-style architecture in the town around it. Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather, as you'll be moving between indoor exhibits and outdoor grounds. The museum is closed Mondays, so plan your booking accordingly.

What’s included

• Private guide in English or Chinese.
• entry ticket to the museum.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Harbin.
• private vehicle for groups over three people, or taxi transport for smaller groups.
• access to both the indoor exhibition hall and the outdoor grounds with original buildings.

Options for this experience

2 options

Morning TourGuide in English or Chinese · 08:30, 09:00 and 09:30Your guide will collect you from your hotel. The Unit 731 site is closed on Mondays only during one particular week, so please note that. Transport and the entrance ticket are included, and please bring your passport. Pickup is included.

Afternoon TourGuide in English or Chinese · 12:30, 13:00, 13:30 and 14:00Your guide will collect you from your hotel. The Unit 731 Museum is closed every Monday. Transport and the entrance ticket are included, and please bring your passport. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to Sunday7 departure times: the first at 08:30, the last at 14:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (5 and older) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Audio guideEnglish

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 25 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessible

Operated by Private Tour Guide

Is this one for you?Book a morning departure if you want to spend the early hours at the museum before the day warms up, or choose afternoon if you prefer to start elsewhere in Harbin first. The four-hour duration fits comfortably into either half of your day.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

What exactly is Unit 731 and why is the museum there?

Unit 731 was a secret Japanese military facility that operated during World War II as a biological and chemical warfare testing center. The museum now stands on that same site as a memorial to the thousands of prisoners who died from experiments there, and it houses exhibits, photographs, records, and equipment that document what took place.

Will I see the original buildings from Unit 731?

Yes. Some of the original buildings from Unit 731 still stand on the grounds, so you'll be able to walk around them and see the physical structure of the facility as it was. The museum itself was remodeled in 2015 and now includes a new exhibition hall alongside these remaining structures.

Can I book a morning or afternoon departure?

You choose either morning or afternoon when you book. Both are four-hour tours that include hotel pickup and drop-off, so you can pick the time that fits the rest of your day in Harbin.

Is the museum accessible if I use a wheelchair?

The museum is wheelchair accessible. Comfortable walking shoes are still recommended since you'll be moving through both indoor exhibits and outdoor grounds.