Ultimate Guide to the 2025 Harbin Ice Festival


By Yinmai O'Connor 

This year marks the 41st International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in Harbin. The official opening ceremony took place on January 5, and the festival runs through the end of February or early March (depending on when the ice starts melting).

The frozen festival spans multiple venues and attracts millions of visitors every year. Despite the cold, it is still one of the most popular winter destinations for domestic and international tourists in China.

Image by Yinmai O'Connor/That's

For many travelers, the International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival will be a once in a lifetime journey, so we want to help make sure you get the most out of your trip.

This guide covers the main attractions, as well as some tips to help you prepare for your plunge into this magical – but freakin' cold – realm.

Harbin Ice & Snow World

Image by Yinmai O'Connor/That's

Now in its 26th edition, Harbin Ice and Snow World, also known as Bingxue Big World, has become the most popular winter attraction in the world.

Spanning over 750,000 square meters and utilizing more than 300,000 cubic meters of ice and snow, this dreamlike theme park is basically the real-life version of Elsa's ice palace.

There are colorful illuminated ice and snow replicas of architectural monuments, including the Temple of Heaven and the Taj Mahal, as well as various cultural activities and winter sports – we highly suggest paying the RMB100 fee to feed the reindeer.

Image by Yinmai O'Connor/That's

The dining pavilion has a surprisingly great selection of options with a wide variety of Chinese restaurants, as well as a Pizza Hut, KFC, and Starbucks. It's a great place to go and warm up, but it might be a bit difficult to find a seat.

This part of the festival is much more enchanting at night, and if you can handle the cold, the crowd drastically thins out around 6.30pm. You can then enjoy a much shorter wait for attractions such as the 520-meter ice slide and the Ferris wheel.

Open 9.30am-9pm *starting February 25th the festival will open at 3pm

RMB330/person *package deals and VIP passes available online only

Free admission for children under 1.2 meters and all tourists 70 years and older with a valid passport

Ice and Snow World Songbei Dajie, Songhua River Beian (Sun Island West Side), Harbin

Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo