The opening ceremony of the Harbin Ice Festival is predicted to be on January 5th, 2026, but the ice and snow sculptures in the Harbin Ice and Snow World are expected to open around Christmas and last until February 2026.
Worried about how to stay warm in temperatures of minus 20 or 30 degrees? Concerned about waiting for a ride in the icy snow? Afraid of missing out on the true culture of Northern China? Leave all these worries to us.
Our recommended Harbin tours below are designed to help you start to plan a memorable winter vacation in Northeast China.
Feel free to tell us your requirements and interests — our experienced travel advisors are ready to tailor-make your dream trip.
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The Ice and Snow World venue, the Sun Island Snow Sculpture Art Expo, and the Zhaolin Park Ice Lantern Festival venue are the three main venues for Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival.
Before the opening of the Ice and Snow Festival venues, huge snow and ice sculptures are being created in the middle of December. As the venues are closed before late December, you are unable to see the sculpting process up close. However, there are still many other places to see…
At Central Street, you can see how people make (smaller) snow sculptures if lucky enough. Take the warm shuttle bus to Siberian Tigers Park, and you can see Siberian tigers in the outdoors. Have a skiing day or holiday, soak in a hot spring… Although the Ice and Snow Festival doesn’t start yet, you can still have fun in Harbin!
Batteries are affected easily by low temperatures. When outside, put your cell phone and camera in a warm bag or inside your coat. If you plan to take a lot of pictures, do bring a spare battery as batteries run out quickly in low temperatures.
