Pair Harbin's Ice and Snow World with Yabuli, host of the 2025 Asian Winter Games: the train from Harbin West, what is announced for 2026-27, the 240-hour transit question and how cold it gets.
Harbin is China's best-known winter city, and Yabuli, in the hills south-east of it, is the country's most storied ski resort. Yabuli hosted the 1996 Asian Winter Games, the 2009 Winter Universiade and, in February 2025, the skiing at the Asian Winter Games. A few nights in Harbin plus two or three days on the slopes is an easy trip to plan.
Harbin Ice and Snow World is rebuilt every winter from blocks of Songhua River ice and is best seen after dark, when it is lit. The 28th edition was announced on 12 October 2026: 1.25 million m², the largest yet, with about 400,000 m³ of ice and snow, a new extra-long ice slide in the West Zone and new shows. The opening date and ticket price had not been published on 20 October 2026. For reference, last season opened on 17 December 2025 with a 328-yuan adult ticket.
Last season also ended early. Record warmth melted sculptures and the park closed on 21 February 2026, so if you go in late February, check it is still open.
The wider Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival traditionally opens on 5 January; the 42nd opened on 5 January 2026. Sun Island's snow sculptures, across the river from the centre, and Central Street, which ends at the Songhua River, round out the city. Harbin also has a year-round indoor ski park in a mall, opened by Wanda in 2017, with six runs up to about 500 m long.
Yabuli is several operators on three linked peaks. For 2025-26 the linked network offered 56 trails and up to 912 m of vertical, added three beginner trails and snow tubing, and opened on 7 November 2025. It drew about 1.39 million visits that season. Sun Mountain is the main zone and home to Club Med Yabuli, the first Club Med in China, which bundles lift passes, lessons with English-speaking instructors and meals.
We could not find an official day-ticket price for 2025-26 or 2026-27, and the 2026-27 opening date had not been announced on 20 October 2026. Check the resort's status before you book.
Harbin Taiping airport has direct flights from Seoul-Incheon and Tokyo-Narita, among others. High-speed trains run from Harbin West to Yabuli West in about 1 hour 5 to 1 hour 20 minutes; a recent snapshot showed second class at about 76 to 86 yuan. Yabuli West is about 25 minutes by road from the slopes. In 2024-25 a seasonal train, K5197, also ran from Harbin to Yabuli South station, 500 m from the lifts, in 2 hours 15 minutes for 49.5 yuan. Whether it returns for 2026-27 is not yet known.
With 240-hour visa-free transit at Harbin Taiping, your permitted area is Harbin. Yabuli is in Shangzhi, which Harbin administers, but we could not confirm that the transit area includes it. If your passport qualifies for 30-day visa-free entry (to 31 December 2026 unless renewed), the question does not arise. See China travel essentials.
Harbin's January average high is -11.8°C and its average low -22.4°C. Dress in layers with a face cover and mitts, carry hand warmers, keep phones inside your jacket so the battery lasts, and expect upper lifts to close early on the coldest days.
Day one, arrive in Harbin and see Ice and Snow World at night. Day two, Sun Island in the morning, then the afternoon train to Yabuli West. Days three and four, ski, then return to Harbin for your flight. Our Harbin ice festival page has more itineraries.