How much does it cost to travel to Harbin?
You should plan to spend around $54 (¥394) per day on your vacation in Harbin. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.
Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:
- $14 (¥100) on meals
- $1.48 (¥11) on local transportation
- $41 (¥299) on hotels
A one week trip to Harbin for two people costs, on average, $756 (¥5,516). This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.
All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.
Independent Travel
Traveling Independently to Harbin has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.
All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.
Is Harbin expensive to visit?
Harbin is a reasonably affordable place to visit. Located in China, which is a reasonably affordable country, visitors will appreciate the relatively low cost of this destination. It is in the top 25% of cities in the country for its affordability. If you're traveling on a budget, then this is a good destination with affordable accommodation, food, and transportation.
Within Asia, Harbin is a moderately priced destination compared to other places. The overall cost of travel here is fair for the region and comparable to Amritsar or Surat Thani.
For more details, and to find out if it's within your travel budget, see Is Harbin Expensive?
How much money do I need for a trip to Harbin?
The average Harbin trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these Harbin travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.
|
Category
|
Cost
|
|
Accommodation 1
(Double Occupancy)
|
¥299
($41)
|
|
Local Transportation 1
|
¥11
($1)
|
|
Food 2
|
¥100
($14)
|
|
Entertainment 1
|
¥380
($52)
|
|
Tips and Handouts 1
|
¥0 -
1
($0 - 0)
|
|
Alcohol 2
|
¥28 -
85
($4 - 12)
|
Accommodation Budget in Harbin
Calculated from travelers like you
The average price paid for one person for accommodation in Harbin is $20 (¥149). For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in Harbin is $41 (¥299). This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.
Looking for a hotel in Harbin? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.
Transportation Budget in Harbin
Calculated from travelers like you
-
The cost of a taxi ride in Harbin is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $1.48 (¥11) per person, per day, on local transportation in Harbin.
-
Transportation1
Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
$1.48
¥11
How much does it cost to go to Harbin? Naturally, it depends on the dates. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all airlines.
The price of renting a car in Harbin will depends on dates, the type of car, the location, and your age. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all car rental companies.
Food Budget in Harbin
Calculated from travelers like you
-
While meal prices in Harbin can vary, the average cost of food in Harbin is $14 (¥100) per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Harbin should cost around $5.51 (¥40) per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Harbin is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
-
Food2
Meals for one day
$14
¥100
Entertainment Budget in Harbin
Calculated from travelers like you
-
Entertainment and activities in Harbin typically cost an average of $52 (¥380) per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.
-
Entertainment1
Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
$52
¥380
Tips and Handouts Budget in Harbin
Calculated from travelers like you
Alcohol Budget in Harbin
Calculated from travelers like you
-
The average person spends about $7.78 (¥57) on alcoholic beverages in Harbin per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
-
Alcohol2
Drinks for one day
$7.78
¥57
Water Budget in Harbin
Calculated from travelers like you
-
On average, people spend $5.98 (¥44) on bottled water in Harbin per day. The public water in Harbin is considered safe to drink.
-
Water2
Bottled water for one day
$5.98
¥44
Harbin On a Budget
The Ice Festival in Harbin, China
Harbin, China is the northernmost major city in the country, with a population of over 10 million. Harbin was founded in 1897 by Russia, which has resulted in a lot of Russian influence throughout the city and many Russian citizens. The city is most famous for their annual International Snow and Ice Festival, a two-month-long festival running from January through February of each year.
Harbin is well-known for their long, cold, winters which see temperatures averaging 10-35 degrees Fahrenheit. Summer is a great time to visit as the weather is breezy with temperatures in the high 70's, and far less humid than other Chinese cities.
Sights
Some of the most popular sights in Harbin are the 19th century Russian buildings, which maintain much of their original splendor. You'll find the majority of these buildings in Harbin's Old Quarter near the Songhua River. One of the most famous buildings is the St. Sophia Cathedral, a stunning former Russian Orthodox church built in 1907 turned Museum of Architecture.
Sun Island is a lovely park where you'll find newlyweds taking photos in the summer and snow sculptures in the winter. The park is great for strolling around, feeding the petting deer, and enjoying the turtle pond. Harbin is also home to a few temples, the most famous of which is the Confucius Temple which is one of the largest temples in northeast China. The Temple of Heavenly Bliss is another popular destination, it is a large and active Buddhist temple which you can visit on tourist days.
Neighborhoods
Harbin is a huge city, with over nine districts throughout the city itself. Keep in mind, many of these districts are industrial and residential, making them of little interest to tourists.
The three main districts that make up the urban core are Daowai, Songbei, and Nangang. You'll find the large majority of tourist attractions here.
Daoli District is famous for Central Street, one of the main business streets in Harbin.
Activities
If you're around in the winter, specifically late December through February, you'll be able to enjoy the huge
Harbin International Ice and Snow Scultpure Festival. Sun Island comes to life with dozens of snow scultptures while Ice and Snow World is created west of Sun Island and has a number of buildings and scultptures made of ice.
Harbin also hosts an annual International Beer Festival in late August, with the local Harbin Brewery being the center of the show. It is one of the largest beer festivals in the world, rivaling the size of US and German Oktoberfests, and features beer from all over the world. The festival boasts live music, entertainers, and giveaways. Harbin also hosts a Summer Music Festival in July, held in the city square, where famous Chinese bands play a free concert. The festival is held every two years and brings thousands of Chinese and Russian tourists.
Food and Dining
Harbin has a truly special blend of food options, taking inspiration from Russia, Mongolia, Korea and other areas of China. You'll find the food to be hearty, with a lot of stews using cabbage, potatoes, and corn. Shaokao, or Chinese BBQ, and Hot Pot are popular in Harbin as well. A popular food here is actually anything that comes on a stick! From Haws-fruit stacked on a skewer and covered in frozen syrup- to grilled bread buns, you'll find plenty of awesome options. Also, due to the influence from Russia, expect to find a lot of Russian bakeries throughout the city.
Harbin is considered to be one of the less traditional cities in China, meaning they have a pretty lively night life! You'll find a lot of people start the night in cheap Hot Pot restaurants drinking local beers, then move on to some of the dancing clubs. No matter what your preferred night out involves, you're bound to find it in Harbin!
Transportation
Harbin is very easy to get in to, from domestic and international airports to trains, buses, and cars. Getting around Harbin is best done either on foot or by taxi. It's easy enough to navigate on foot, although some destinations are fairly far apart and require other modes of transportation to get to them. Taxis are pretty cheap and there are always plenty around. Just make sure the meter is on to avoid later issues with negotiating the price. Also, make sure you have the address of your destination written in Chinese characters and knowing some key phrases in Madarin will help when traveling via taxi.
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We've been gathering travel cost data from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of destinations around the world.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.