13 Days Northeast China Tour to Harbin & Inner Mongolia

Today your flight will touch down in Harbin. We will meet you at the airport exit with a welcome board. Then a comfortable drive will send you to the local hotel for check in. The rest of the day is free to explore the city on your own. Rest up and get ready for tomorrow's adventure!

Your today's trip now kicks off!

After breakfast, we will drive to Qiqihaer and our first stop is Zhalong Nature Reserve. With low-lying land, dense lakes, lush reeds and grass, abundant fish and shrimp, it is a bird breeding "paradise". Every year in April and May or August and September, hundreds of wild rare birds gather here sheltering the sky and the earth, and it is so spectacular. There are 269 kinds of waterfowl here, and it is especially world-renowned for its great variety and quantity of cranes. The red-crowned cranes, also known as the Manchuria cranes, are very precious birds, often named as "the god of wetlands". Not only because they are rare in number, but also because they have a beautiful and elegant appearance, known as the "three long" of the beak, neck and legs. 

Freshen up in the morning and start your day! We will meet you at the hotel lobby and then drive you to Hailaer.

Upon arrival, you will travel through Hulunbuir Grassland in a jeep. As a souvenir, we'll take a little drone video of the Jeep crossing the vast prairie and you can share this special moment on social media. Situated in the northeast area of Inner Mongolia, Hulunbuir borders Greater Khingan Mountains to the west and gets its name from Hulun Lake and Beier Lake. Thousands of streams stretching in all directions nourished Hulunbuir Grassland. The green grasslands are dotted with colorful flowers in the summer, with birds enjoying the freedom of flying in the sky. Obo is a unique attraction here. It is a representation of how Mongols view the world and a statement of their pride and soul. In ancient times, the Huns, who nomadic on the northern grasslands, would pile stones into obo to mark the boundary of roads or pastures. On the prairie, it can be used to find directions.

Continue to visit the Hulunbuir Ancient City. This city is a good place for citizens to relax. There are distinctive ancient buildings and bustling commercial districts. Walking in the ancient city, it seems to have a dialogue across time and space with Hulunbuir a hundred years ago. Enjoy the quaint relics and take photos to experience the atmosphere of the ancient city of Grassland.

Today will be one of the unforgettable experiences as we will drive to Manzhouli City, the most beautiful border city in China. It is a place that blends the customs of China, Russia and Mongolia, and is known as the "Pearl of the North" and the "window of East Asia". In the city, the Russian style buildings characterized by spires, domes and colors can be seen everywhere.

Northern Xinjiang Pearl Tower (Climb to the top RMB100 at one's own expense) is located in the border scenic spot between China and Russia. Climbing to the top of the tower, you can overlook the beautiful scenery of Manzhouli City and feel the opening and integration of Chinese and Russian border city culture. Here fully demonstrates the unique regional charm of Manzhouli.

Among the Russian architectural buildings, Matryoshka Doll Plaza is very representative. It is the only leisure and entertainment square in China with the theme of Russian traditional crafts (Matryoshka doll), which embodies the regional characteristics and customs of both China and foreign countries.

Zhongsujin Street can be seen everywhere Russian shops, full of Russian style. Walking down the street, you will get the feeling that you are in Russia. It can be said that it is a must-visit shopping street to Manzhouli.

After dinner, stroll through the streets of various styles of buildings and admire the beauty of Manzhouli night scene.

This wonderful day will start from driving to Heishantou. Along the way, we will visit Mongolian homes and taste their homemade yogurt and other food. If you are interested, you can also wear Mongolian clothes for photos.

Then we'll go into the Mongolian tribes upon arrival. You can enjoy the highest Mongolian hospitality - dismount wine. Here in summer and autumn, the grass is green, the cattle and sheep are fat, and the climate is cool. You can also ride a handsome horse on the grassland (at your own expense), or walk freely, fly kites and so on.

In the evening you can attend a Bonfire Party (this activity is stopped during the grassland fire season) and enjoy Mongolian folk songs and dances. The delicious roasted whole lamb will amaze you. At night we'll stay in a yurt where you can hear madrigals. If the weather is good, look up at the sky and you will see the shining stars. In the embrace of nature, you will forget the noise of the city.

Good morning! Today we are going to the Ergun Wetland. It is the most intact and largest wetland in China and the first wetland in Asia, with all kinds of trees growing together. A winding, clear river runs through the wetlands, and the scenery here changes with the seasons, showing infinite vitality.

After enjoying your lunch, we will head to a place where a large number of Ewenki people live - Aoluguya Hunter Village. The Ewenki are the last hunting tribe in China and the oldest people on the grassland. Genhe is a homophone in Mongolian, meaning "clear and transparent river". Aoluguya is the Ewenki language, meaning "a place full of poplar trees". Ewenki means "people who live in the mountains and forests". The folk customs of this ancient people are colorful, and everyone is good at singing and dancing. They have nurtured the reindeer for generations. Here you can get up close to and pet the reindeer while experiencing the life of a hunter.

Enjoy your breakfast and this wonderful day will start from crossing the uninhabited area of Greater Khingan Mountains. Along the way, you can admire the lush birch forests and enjoy the mountains covered with peonies, azaleas and some unknown wildflowers.

Then we will arrive at China Coldest Village, the coldest place in China, where the winter temperature has reached 58 degrees below zero. It is small, with only a dozen families. Each home has a small yard, and the facilities in the house still maintain the living characteristics of the forest area in the past.

After enjoy your lunch, spend a leisure time in Ningcuishan Park. The hills here are steep, but the scenery is pleasant. From the gazebo on the top of the mountain, you can have a panoramic view of Mangui Town. Here every year for about 10 days after the summer solstice, you can see the wonderful view of both dawn and sunset.

After the merry time in the park, we will head to Mohe.

Note: the geology of the Greater Khingan Mountains is complex, and the road conditions change every spring and summer. If the road is impassable, the trip will be cancelled.

Start your day after breakfast!

A must and first visit is the North Pole Village. This small village is located at the "top of the rooster's comb" of China, a remote land. In April, even though it is spring in most parts of China, this village is still covered with snow.

Walk in the Arctic Plaza, see the northernmost post office, bank and the northernmost home in China, and you will find that there are countless "North". Some of these words are written on trees, others are carved on stones. People jokingly say that if you can't find the direction of North, you can come to the North Pole Village, because there is "north" everywhere. In this small village in the northernmost part of China, you may also catch a glimpse of the mysterious Northern Lights.

Today's highlight is a morning excursion to Memorial Hall of the Forest Fire in Greater Khingan Mountains on May 6, 1987. This huge forest fire, which shocked the world, burned for 28 days and left 50,000 people homeless. The Memorial Hall uses technical means such as pictures, words, objects and situational simulation to comprehensively demonstrate the whole process of the fire in the Greater Khingan Mountains and the reconstruction of ecological environment.

Next, you will be transferred to Songyuan Park to visit the North Star Plaza. It is located just across the road from the Memorial Hall and is considered an auspicious place by the locals. Many travelers come here to take pictures to wish for well-being.

After lunch at Tahe, let's turn to visit the World's Only Point Of Love because of its special latitude and longitude. In Chinese homophone, it means "I will love you forever".

Continue to Jiagedaqi and you would enjoy Beishan Park. The ecological environment here are well preserved, which is a microcosm of forest resources. Climbing to the top of the park, you can see the rolling mountains in the distance. There are also some scenic spots worth seeing, such as the Railway Soldiers Monument, the TV Tower and the Green Moon Bridge.

Additional activities: Northern bath culture experience can be arranged (at your own expense RMB98 including bath and toiletries).

Arrangements for today make for the experience of a lifetime.

Our first stop is Aihui Old City. Here, we will visit the Aihui History Museum. It displays the restored scene of the signing of the Treaty of Aigun, the semi-scene painting of Blagoveshchensk Massacre, bullets and spears with the word "Jilin" used by the soldiers and people of Aigun in their fight against the Russians, guns and knives used by the Russian army, and so on.

Then we will go to Heihe Commercial Central Pedestrian Street. This is the busiest street in Heihe, and its general layout reflects the blend of Chinese and Western architectural cultures, making it a place with regional characteristics and modern business atmosphere.

Next, visit Heilongjiang River Park and Century Square. On a boat ride on the Heilongjiang River, you can enjoy the Heihe River in China, while experiencing the scenery on both sides of Russian city of Blagoveshchensk. 

Then make a visit to the China-Russia Cross-River Heilongjiang Bridge Park. This bridge is the first Russian-Chinese highway bridge across the Heilongjiang River, which breaks the bottleneck that has long constrained the development of the border city. The entire bridge is 284 meters long and 14.5 meters wide, becoming a symbol of the construction of cross-border connectivity between China and Russia. Heilongjiang Daheihe Island is a boat-shaped island in the center of the Heilongjiang River on the Chinese side of the shore. This island has various vegetation, trade markets, negotiation center and a number of entertainment venues.

In the morning, wake up leisurely and enjoy the gentle sunshine. Today we will head to Wudalianchi Global Geopark. Here, there are 14 volcanoes, 5 volcanic weir lakes and natural cold mineral springs with excellent health treatment for the human body, known as the "Natural Volcanic Museum", "the Open Textbook of Volcanoes" and “the Crown Of the World's Three Major Cold Springs”.

After lunch, enjoy yourself in Laoheishan Mountain. It is the highest of the 14 volcanoes, with an altitude of 515.9 meters, and has been described by geologists as a "rare geological museum of volcanoes". Most of the forest is made up of black pumice stones, hence the name “Laoheishan Mountain”.

Then proceed to the Huoshaoshan Mountain. Consisting of red and black pyroclastic blocks and pumice, the crater here looks like a broken pot burned by fire, hence the name "Huoshaoshan Mountain". It is the main part of Wudalianchi Natural Volcano Museum, which has erupted during 1719-1721. Here you can see lava, stone dragons, volcanic cones, and birch forests.

Note: If Wudalianchi and Laoheishan scenic spots are not open due to environmental reasons, you will visit Wohushan Mountain instead.

This day begins with driving to Harbin.

Upon arrival, you will make a visit to the Siberian Tiger Park (at your own expense RMB95), the world's largest base for breeding Siberian tigers by humans. Located on the north bank of the Songhua River, there are more than 700 pure breed Siberian tigers. The forest park now has an adult tiger park, a tiger cub park, and a science and technology exhibition hall. With 30 wild tigers scattered, the Adult Tiger Park is currently the world's largest wild Siberian tiger natural garden, which was established to save and protect these endangered species. Visitors must take a special coach to roam among the tigers.

Then pay a visit to the Sophia Church, recognized as the largest Orthodox church in the Far East. It is also a landmark building in Harbin, and has now become the Harbin Architectural Art Museum. Thereafter, enjoy strolling around the Zhong Yang Street, which has been called "the best street in Harbin". This street is the best embodiment of the style of Paris and you will be amazed by various beautiful architecture here.

At the beginning of the 20th century, with the prosperity of national industry and commerce and the impact of foreign cultures, there appeared a group of new buildings influenced by Western architectural culture——Chinese Baroque-Ten Protected Blocks of History and Culture. The layout and function of these courtyard-style buildings is traditional, but the façade is "baroque" and decorated with auspicious motifs. The industrious people here used their own ingenuity to integrate the style of Baroque into the national tradition, creating the highly valuable and distinctive Chinese Baroque architecture.

Say goodbye to amazing Northeast China! You will be transferred to the airport and back to your sweet home. We wish you a happy flight home and hope we can serve you again in the future!