✈️ Detailed Harbin Review ☃️❄️
Hi everyone, I just returned from a self-guided Harbin trip from 11-21/12/2025 (11n10d), 23 million VND/person (team of 4 people) - including everything from visa, flights, sim, travel insurance,.. even money for hand warmers, only excluding money for buying souvenirs.
We had also been to TH-HC-TC-ÔT 10n9d for around 20 million VND/person and Ladakh 8n7d for 18 million VND/person, but after those trips we were too lazy to write reviews, this time after returning we saw the cost was much cheaper than initially planned so we decided to write a short sharing post for everyone to reference. Initially we planned to combine Beijing and CNT, however after thinking it over before booking tickets we changed to only CNT to have a complete itinerary, and see this as a correct decision.
🗺️ About the 11-day itinerary:
- Day 1: HN - CNT
Depart from HN at 13h, transit BK 2h45 (luggage transfers straight), arrive CNT at 22h30. We booked 2 Didi cars to the hotel (Bus to center 80 RMB/person so for 4 people booking Didi is better) - Day 2: CNT: Visit St. Sophia Cathedral, Harbin Music Gallery (Giant snowman square), Songhua River,… On the first day lacking experience and being careless because eager to play so the whole group got cold almost sick (temperature around -18 -20). Lesson learned: every 30 - 45' you should go into a warm place to warm up the body then you'll be healthy again and can play all day. 7/10, my taste prefers natural experiences more than photo spots, here is also crowded.
- Day 3: Hoành Đạo Hà Tử (Hengdaohezi)
Ticket train depart at 8h and return at 18h, play full 1 day, so go to station a bit early. From train station take taxi into the village (10 RMB/car/4 people, fixed price, has police guiding). Wander and shoot all corners and hot spots there, tired then find a café to eat and rest. Around 2h we found the way up the hill, where there's a swing overlooking the whole village. From the train barrier section up there is quite far, we caught a taxi and asked the driver to take us to buy fireworks to play too.
I went up the photo spot on the hill quite late (fee 30 RMB/person and also crowded, long queue, timed each person only3 minutes =)) ). So if you want to shoot in bright and beautiful sky then go up early. Because we booked the late return train at 18h so we bought fireworks and stayed to shoot night scene when lights on also quite beautiful. This spot is chill chill unique photos 8/10
(Note: when taking taxi in please take driver's phone number so when need to go out call them they will pick you up, if return early then in village still have taxis but if late they will all go home, still 10 RMB/way) - Day 4: Volga Manor (Russian village)
Take taxi both ways (going 40 RMB, return harder to book 80 RMB). Going in group book taxi more convenient, if alone can take bus. Buy ticket directly at gate (book in advance via app 2-3 hours seems discounted too). This area quite large, architecture strong Russian style, many snow games, we played the high ice slide there (price only 30 RMB/2 turns/person), very worth experiencing if come here, should play at dusk.
About food, inside here like high-end resort, so restaurants quite expensive, everyone can bring sweets and snacks, when hungry and cold go inside house sit rest and eat then go out play again.
9/10 – The day I went not crowded, photos here also beautiful, this spot easy to go, light fun and I like the ice slide here. - Day 5: CNT - Snow Village
We booked shuttle bus (connected by Snow Village homestay owner sister), depart at 6h morning (pickup point right near hotel we booked, about 200m away, each pulling 2 suitcases in -20 degree cold at 5h30 morning then you know why book near), arrive Snow Village around 11h noon. Buy ticket at counter (need passport), take shuttle bus to middle village. Our room booked only 100-200m from parking (also very near, homestay owner sister came to pick up, when leaving also helped carry luggage to bus).
Because room price here quite expensive but still want full experience so we booked 1 room for 4 to save cost and we only sleep 1 night. But luckily that day had guest cancel room so owner sister offered to split for us into 2 twin rooms without extra cost. Going CNT still should go Snow Village and sleep here 1 night (though cost here much higher) however I see scenery beautiful and worth coming once. 9/10 minus 1 point because price high - Day 6: Snow Village - Changbai (Erdaobaihe)
Morning wake early play boiling water freeze, shoot photos around. Booked shuttle at 12h noon to Erdaobaihe by shuttle bus (also booked in advance, connected by Snow Village homestay owner sister). Arrive around 18h, contact Erdaobaihe homestay booked and they also picked up at shuttle drop point. Here we booked a mini apartment style condo, 70m2, 2 bedrooms, full amenities very comfortable. Under the condo also many eateries, mostly Korean, North Korean food, quite convenient. Note here around 21h, 21h30 people close eateries. - Day 7: Snow Ridge
We chose to play at Snow Ridge (instead of Tianchi Lake like usual tour itineraries). Homestay owner booked full day car package, about 150km from Erdaobaihe (1h). Snow Ridge like a playground complex, scenery around covered all snow snow snow, especially reindeer farm.
There are two ways to move inside, you can buy snowmobile ticket to reindeer farm (takes 5-7'), down then rent horse carriage. Or walk both ways for full experience. We chose walk both ways to shoot photos admire scenery.
If you like snow photos under tree canopies, or like natural experiences,… then this place cannot miss. Walking both ways feels normal, not too tiring and advice if strong then walk because all beautiful scenery on the way (up one path, down another path, sunset when descending extremely beautiful), if snowmobile or horse then only 10' and cannot shoot many photos.
One note for you when renting car to here, car only park lot 3 hours free, from 4th hour add 100 RMB/h.
We played here full… 6 hours (from 11h – 17h ) paid extra 300 RMB (driver informed in advance and agreed to pay extra parking fee). So if you don't want extra cost then can play here about 3 hours then go out. 9/10 – Thick snow, beautiful scenery, super epic sunset, reindeer gluttonous but also super cute.
About eating: Go a bit there's eatery to rest (quite crowded and small). Up to reindeer farm also have rest area, eat and buy food for reindeer. - Day 8: Erdaobaihe back to CNT
Depart at 5h morning, arrive around 5h30 to do drifting mist (here they call like that, I call river drifting =)) ). You sit on raft boat drifting along water current admire frost at dawn. Scenery very mystical and eerie. Beautiful and worth experiencing. Drifting on river about 40' so must hurry to shoot to have beautiful photos.
But from experience after going I advise you go around 7h, then sun up light will be beautiful and clear especially less people. 8/10 – Beautiful when has frost and mist making mystical scenery, otherwise quite cold and if go too late sun up melt mist then probably not beautiful anymore.
11h we booked car to station for high-speed train back to CNT at 13h, arrive CNT around 18h, go eat and experience central pedestrian street. - Day 9: CNT: Ice Lanterns
Personal feeling about Ice Lanterns is ticket price expensive, complex large, vast, grand, but cold like crazy, every time shoot a photo pose must find place to warm up. We wanted to shoot Ice Lanterns morning sunny but because weather that day morning rain and snow so we came here around 3-4pm. Go evening lights on admire chill chill but photos not beautiful. Can't say come to CNT then not go Ice Lanterns, but go then feeling also normal 😀 6/10 points, say pay money to go again no hehe
About eating: inside here also have restaurant areas and fast food areas. Cold or hungry just go inside rest. - Day 10: CNT: Last morning we went to No.6 Pharmaceutical Factory, about 3-4km from center. Free entry, inside is painting exhibition, sell souvenirs. Architecture classic European style, outside photos very beautiful.
Should only photo outside, inside like commercial sales area and nothing special. 7/10
Lunch then whole group dragged suitcases to airport. - Day 11: QC - Hanoi
💰 About Costs, what everyone cares most about:
💳Visa: 1.8 million VND/person (group visa 4 people)
🛬Flight tickets: 6.1 million VND/person. Airline: Air China (23 kg checked, 5kg carry-on and extra 1 personal bag)
We booked quite early 1.5 months before so return flight not great. If optimize everyone can book before 1 month only will have more beautiful flight times (transit also only 3-4 hours like going) and price cheaper (around 5.5-6 million VND round trip)
🏨 CNT hotel 6 nights: 1.9 million VND/person (only 100-200m from central pedestrian street)
•Snow Village room 1 night: 800k/person
•Changbai (Erdaobaihe) room 2 nights: 300k/person
•Guangzhou hotel 1 night: 170k/person
🚅CNT - HĐHT train ticket: 780k/person
•CNT - Snow Village car: 80 RMB/person - about 300k/person
•Snow Village - Erdaobaihe car: 130 RMB/person - about 500k/person
•Train from Changbai (Erdaobaihe) - CNT: 870k/person
🎫Snow Village ticket: 155 RMB/person - about 600k/person
•Ice lanterns ticket: 298 RMB/person - about 1.1 million VND/person
•Russian village ticket: 188 RMB/person - about 720k/person
•Drifting mist ticket: 88 RMB/person - about 340k/person
•Snow Ridge (include car + ticket): 300 RMB/car + 88 RMB/person -> 163 RMB/person - about 620k/person.
📱Sim: 350k/person (we booked via Trip 30GB - 10 days, cannot access tiktok; fb and zalo dead, up mountain no use, back city still ok - bad)
•Travel insurance: 640k/person (buy for peace of mind as well as for cases….)
•Hand warmers: 230k/person (about 40 pieces: feet, hands, body – recommend everyone play outdoors a lot so buy hand warmer packs stuff into gloves for warm, we used not all up still had to discard)
🚌Transport money: (include from home to airport, didi to various spots): about 1 million VND/person
🍔Food money: 800 RMB/person - about 3.1 million VND/person (portions in China for 1 person quite a lot, so 4 people only order 3 portions enough)
•Misc costs: 1 million VND/person (money for games, buy fireworks, photo with foxes,…)
💼 Total damage: 23 million VND/person, excluding souvenir money as I mentioned above. This is price for 4 people (share taxi, food cheapest and most optimal)
❄️I had a memorable trip to Harbin, where -20 degree cold that before only knew by numbers, first time I really touched true winter: crystal clear cold air, breath turns to smoke, snow covers every road and corner.
📌 This itinerary for those passionate about photography, scenery, not heavy on eating or lavish rest ok.
✍️ Hope this post will help and motivate you who have been, are and intend to go to Harbin in winter.
Cre: Huy DQ
