JADETOURTailor-made China ToursExplore curated travel products and discover your ideal journey
Six faces of the Northeast winter on one loop: the ice lanterns of Harbin, the slopes of Yabuli, the snow mushrooms of Snow Town, the frozen Heaven Lake on Changbai Mountain, the Korean-Chinese kitchens of Yanji, and finally a flight to Mohe at the very north of China. Ten days from the city to the border river.
A private vehicle throughout, with three nights in Harbin, one in Yabuli, one in Snow Town, one in Erdaobaihe, one in Yanji and two in Mohe. Harbin–Mohe is flown in both directions; the rest of the route runs on expressway and national road.
The cobbled Central Street, the green onion domes of Saint Sophia Cathedral and the Chinese Baroque courtyards of Laodaowai cover three eras of Harbin in a single day.
Yabuli's beginner slope is gentle and the snow is reliable, with boots, skis, poles, jacket and goggles all included. Afterwards a forest train runs into the woods, and a snow-field hot spring waits in the evening.
The snow here is sticky and piles up on the roofs in mushroom shapes; the Bangchui Mountain boardwalk is the best place to look down on them. You sleep on a heated kang inside the scenic area.
In winter the sides of Changbai Waterfall freeze into curtains of ice while the main flow still runs. Below, the Julong hot springs send up steam and the larches along the boardwalk are thick with rime. Whether the summit opens depends on the day's weather; if it does, the Tianchi vehicle goes straight up.
Rent traditional dress and take photographs in the folk village, and buy kimchi and rice sausage by weight at the West Market. Shop signs run in Chinese and Korean side by side.
The 'Northern Pole of China' stone, the Northernmost Family and the Northernmost Post Office all stand in the same stretch of snow in Arctic Village, with Russia across the river.
Arrive in Harbin and transfer to your city hotel. If you land early, walk a stretch of the cobbles on Central Street. Ice and Snow World opens after 20 December, so an early landing means the ice castle is possible the same evening.
Central StreetHarbin Ice and Snow WorldSee the onion domes and red-brick facade of Saint Sophia Cathedral, then the Chinese Baroque quarter in Laodaowai, with the Flood Control Monument and Stalin Park along the river. Drive to Yabuli after lunch.
Saint Sophia Cathedral
Chinese Baroque
Songhua River and Flood Control MonumentThree hours on the beginner slope with full equipment and an instructor to get you started. In the afternoon take the forest train into the woods past the reindeer, and soak in the snow-field hot spring before dinner.
Yabuli Ski ResortCross the Zhangguangcai Range on the Yaxue Highway, thick with rime along the roadside. A snowmobile carries you up Datudingzi Mountain for a view over the whole snow-covered forest. You reach Snow Town in the afternoon, and the red lanterns come on after dark.
Yaxue Highway
Datudingzi Mountain
Snow Town at NightGet up early for the Northeast country market, walk the Bangchui Mountain boardwalk for a view down over the snow mushrooms, then cross the mountains to Erdaobaihe and check into a hot-spring hotel.
Bangchui Mountain boardwalkMorning in Snow TownBegin at Moje at dawn, when mist lifts off the river and both banks are thick with rime. Then enter the north slope of Changbai Mountain: shuttle buses and the Tianchi vehicle climb to the summit for the frozen Heaven Lake, with Changbai Waterfall and the Julong hot springs below. Yanji by evening.
MojeChangbai Waterfall
Julong Hot SpringsIn the morning rent traditional dress and take photographs in the Korean Folk Village, among the traditional courtyards and swings. Then visit the West Market, where kimchi, rice sausage and dried pollack can be vacuum-packed. In the evening see the wall of signage near Yanbian University, then take the high-speed train or a flight back to Harbin.
Korean Folk Village
Yanji West MarketFly to Mohe in the morning and take the afternoon gently while you adjust to the cold. In town, see the sculptures of Polaris Square and Songyuan Primeval Forest Park, a stand of Korean pine that survived the 1987 fire. An early night before heading north tomorrow.
Polaris Square, MoheIn the morning enter Arctic Village to see the 'Northern Pole of China' stone, the Northernmost Family and the Northernmost Post Office. In the afternoon visit Santa Claus Village and its cabins and sleds, then follow the river to the First Bend and climb the boardwalk above the Ω curve.
Arctic Village
Santa Claus Village
First Bend of HeilongjiangA last morning in Mohe town for photographs, then transfer to the airport for your flight back to Harbin or onward.
Mohe townVehicle：Private vehicle throughout — 5-seat SUV or 7-seat MPV depending on group size; local vehicle in Mohe
Meals：9 breakfasts and 15 main meals, including Northeast iron-pot stew, guobaorou, Korean-Chinese dishes and Mohe river fish
Hotels：3 nights 4-star in Harbin, 1 night 3-star in Yabuli, 1 night on a heated kang inside Snow Town (private bathroom), 1 night hot-spring hotel in Erdaobaihe, 1 night 4-star in Yanji, 2 nights 4-star in Mohe
Tickets：Ice and Snow World (after opening), 3 hours beginner skiing at Yabuli with full equipment, forest train, Yaxue Highway Ice Gallery, Datudingzi snowmobile, Snow Town gate ticket and shuttle, Bangchui Mountain boardwalk, Changbai Mountain gate ticket with shuttle and Tianchi vehicle, Moje, Korean Folk Village, Arctic Village, Santa Claus Village, First Bend of Heilongjiang
Extras：Ski jacket, goggles, Snow Town drone footage (one video per family), floral-padded jacket photos, boiling-water ice trick, hot spring (bring swimwear), postcard from the Northernmost Post Office, travel accident insurance
Not included：Long-distance transport, Harbin–Mohe return flights (can be booked for you), single-room supplement, personal expenses, and anything not listed above
Notes：This route covers a long distance; winter temperatures in Mohe can reach -40°C, so bring a down jacket, snow boots and a face mask. Complimentary items are non-refundable if closed by weather or official notice.
