Winter wonderland: Beijing and Harbin in 7 days
Beijing · Harbin
Photo: N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0
7Days
2Cities
Dec–FebBest time
A snowy Great Wall, then the Harbin Ice and Snow World, the frozen Songhua River and Russian-era streets.
Relaxed paceGood first trip
The route
- High-speed train · about 5–7 hOr a 2-hour flight.
Journey times are typical. Check 12306 or Trip.com for trains on your date.
Day by day
- Day 1Beijing
Arrive. Lamb hot pot for dinner.
- Day 2Beijing
Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in winter light.
- Day 3Beijing
Mutianyu Great Wall in the snow (toboggan may be closed).
- Day 4Harbin
Train or fly to Harbin. Central Street and St Sophia Cathedral.
- Day 5Harbin
Sun Island snow sculptures by day, Ice and Snow World at night.
- Day 6Harbin
Walk on the frozen Songhua River, Siberian Tiger Park.
- Day 7Harbin
Fly out from Harbin.
Book before you go
- Tiananmen Square Booking requiredFree real-name booking, 1–7 days ahead, released daily at 12:00, on the 天安门广场预约参观 WeChat mini-program or the official booking website (yuyue2026.tamgw.beijing.gov.cn in 2026; the address changes yearly). Book with your passport. No walk-ins.
- Forbidden City (Palace Museum) Booking requiredBook on the official English site intl.dpm.org.cn with your passport, 1–7 days ahead. New tickets go on sale at 20:00 each evening and peak dates sell out in minutes. No same-day tickets. Beijing’s government says foreigners can book there without a Chinese phone number.
- Mutianyu Great Wall Booking recommendedReal-name tickets with your passport on the official English site en.mutianyugreatwall.com, up to 15 days ahead, or through agencies such as Trip.com. Your passport is checked at the gate.
Similar routes
Good first tripBeijing → Xi'an → ShanghaiFirst trip classic: Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai in 10 daysThe Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army and the Bund, linked by fast trains. The route most first-timers should start with.
Good first tripBeijing → Xi'an → Chengdu → Guilin → ShanghaiChina highlights in 12 days: palaces, pandas and karst peaksThe classic five: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai. Busy but doable with trains and two short flights.
Beijing → Datong → Pingyao → Xi'anAncient China: Beijing, Datong, Pingyao and Xi’an in 10 daysBuddhist grottoes, a temple hanging on a cliff, a walled Ming town and the Terracotta Army, for history lovers.