Harbin Ice Festival 2027: Dates, Tickets and How to Visit

The 2026–27 Harbin ice season is confirmed, but its exact dates and prices are not. As of 23 October 2026, the organisers have said only that the 28th Harbin Ice and Snow World (哈尔滨冰雪大世界) will open "in the 2026–27 ice and snow season" on a record 1.25 million m² site. Last season it opened on 17 December 2025 and a standard adult ticket cost ¥328, so plan for a late-December opening, similar prices and a visit between Christmas and mid-February.

What's announced for 2026–27

• Confirmed (12 October 2026): the 28th Ice and Snow World is in full preparation, with a larger park, a rebuilt main gate and main tower, more than 1,000 ice structures and a new extra-long ice slide.
• Not announced yet: opening day, closing day, ticket prices and opening hours.
• Last season for reference: opened 17 December 2025 at 10:00 and closed early on 21 February 2026, after record warm days melted the sculptures. Tickets for 20–28 February were fully refunded.

Opening dates are usually published a few weeks ahead on the park's official WeChat account and in Chinese news. Until then, book hotels with free cancellation, and don't pin your trip on late February: a warm spell can end the season early.

Harbin Ice and Snow World

This is the main event, on the north bank of the Songhua River (松花江) next to Sun Island. Ice buildings the size of temples are lit from inside after dark, and the long ice slides are the most popular thing in the park.

Tickets last season (2025–26): - Standard adult: ¥298 in the opening week (17–23 December 2025), then ¥328 from 24 December. - Reduced tickets exist for children, students and seniors; check the conditions when you book. - Tickets are single entry. If you leave and come back, you pay again.

Booking: last season tickets were sold on the park's official WeChat account (search 哈尔滨冰雪大世界), Trip.com and Alipay, and the park said it accepts passports and overseas bank cards. Book at least a day ahead for weekends, New Year and Spring Festival, and carry the passport you booked with.

Timing: arrive around 15:00. You see the ice in daylight, sunset comes at about 16:00 in midwinter, and by 16:30 the park is fully lit. Plan 3–4 hours; longer than that and the cold usually wins. The evening between 18:00 and 20:00 is the most crowded, and the queue for the longest slide can run over an hour on peak days.

Sun Island Snow Sculpture Expo

The Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo (太阳岛雪博会) is a daytime sight: huge carved sculptures in pure white snow, best in morning sun. The 38th edition opened on 31 December 2025 on 1.5 million m². The last confirmed adult price we could find is ¥198 (2024–25 season), with hours 09:00–17:00 and last entry at 16:30; check this season's price before you go. Allow 2–3 hours. It sits next to Ice and Snow World, so do Sun Island in the morning and Ice and Snow World from mid-afternoon on the same day.

Zhaolin Park ice lanterns

Zhaolin Park (兆麟公园), a short walk from Central Street, hosts the Harbin Ice Lantern Art Fair, the oldest of the city's ice shows (the 2026 event was the 52nd). It is smaller and more old-fashioned than Ice and Snow World, but entry has been free since December 2018. It usually opens around New Year. Go after dark; an hour is enough.

Central Street, St. Sophia and the frozen river

• [Central Street](/cities/harbin/central-street) (中央大街): a pedestrian street paved with granite cobbles laid in 1924 and lined with early-20th-century European-style buildings. Free and open at all hours. Locals happily eat Madieer ice lollies (马迭尔冰棍) outdoors at −20 °C.
• [St. Sophia Cathedral](/cities/harbin/st-sophia-cathedral) (圣索菲亚教堂): a Byzantine-style brick church with a green onion dome, completed in 1932 and now the Harbin Architecture Art Gallery. The square in front is best at dusk, when the building is floodlit. It is about 10 minutes' walk east of Central Street.
• [Songhua riverfront](/cities/harbin/songhua-riverfront): the north end of Central Street leads to the river. In deep winter the frozen river becomes a playground with ice slides, horse and dog sleds, skating and ice bikes, each paid separately. Only go onto the ice where operators have set up.

Getting there and around

• Train: fast G trains on the Beijing–Harbin high-speed line run from Beijing Chaoyang (北京朝阳) to Harbin West (哈尔滨西) in about 4.5 hours; many others take 5–7 hours. Some trains use Harbin Station (哈尔滨站), closer to Central Street. Book on 12306 or Trip.com; tickets go on sale 15 days ahead and sell out around New Year and Spring Festival. See our high-speed train guide.
• Flights: Harbin Taiping International Airport (HRB, 哈尔滨太平国际机场) has direct flights from most large Chinese cities.
• Metro: Line 2 stops at Ice and Snow World station (冰雪大世界站) and Sun Island station (太阳岛站). In the 2024–25 season, exit 3 of Ice and Snow World station was a 50-metre walk from the east ticket hall, and winter service ran 06:00–23:00.
• Closing time: thousands of people leave at once. Taxi queues are long, DiDi prices surge, and cars often stop 2–3 km from the gate. Take the metro, or walk a few hundred metres away before you order a car.

The cold: what to wear and what fails

In January, Harbin daytime temperatures sit around −15 °C and nights commonly reach −20 to −30 °C. - Layers: thermal base layer, fleece, a long down coat, insulated boots with good grip (pavements are icy), a hat that covers your ears, a face mask or scarf, and two pairs of gloves (thin touchscreen liners inside). - Phones: batteries can die within minutes at −25 °C. Keep the phone and a power bank in an inner pocket, take your photo and put it back. - Hand warmers: stick-on heat packs (暖宝宝) are sold in every convenience store. Put them on an inner layer, never directly on skin. - Buy locally: down coats, fur hats, boot covers and anti-slip shoe grips are cheap in shops around Central Street, which is easier than packing them.

More in what to pack for China.

Crowds and hotel prices

New Year (1–3 January) and Spring Festival (Lunar New Year falls on 6 February 2027) are the peaks. Hotels near Central Street rise sharply in price then, so book early with free cancellation. Read travelling during Chinese New Year before choosing those dates.

Read next: Harbin city guide and Harbin Ice and Snow World.