Yabuli Ski Resort, with over 49 ski trails, hands down, is China's biggest and best ski resort. The skiing season at Yabuli Ski Resort begins in mid-November and runs until the end of March. Whether you are a beginner or a professional skier, you can enjoy yourself there.
Yabuli Ski Resort is not a single resort: it consists of over 10 small ski resorts, lying on three mountains with altitudes ranging from 1,000 to 1,374 meters (3,280–4,508 ft). Among them all, Sun Mountain Ski Resort, where China's first Club Med is located, is the most popular one for its friendly trails and up-to-date facilities. Other resorts in Yabuli are very crowded, with comparatively older equipment or smaller sizes.
The Club Med Yabuli is super family-friendly with great winter activities, children's fun, and festive spirit. It is 1½ hours by train or 3 hours by car from Harbin.
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Basic Facts on Yabuli Ski Resort:
- Features: the oldest, largest, and best ski resort in China — China's first Club Med
- Location: 1½ hours by train or 3 hours by car from Harbin
- Skiing season: mid-November – late March
- Vertical drop: 918 m (3,012 ft)
- Trails: 49 trails (7 beginners, 25 intermediate, 10 advanced, and 7 experts)
- Facilities: equipped with high-speed heated gondolas, chairlifts, and magic carpets
- Snowboarding: It hosted the 2016 Snowboarding World Championships.
- Ski-in ski-out: Yes
- Suitable for: all, particularly experienced skiers
- Open: 8am–10pm
Why Yabuli Ski Resort: 4 Reasons
1. An Olympic Level Experience and Excellent Snow Quality
Alpine ski pistes in YabuliThe very fact that Yabuli Ski Resort serves as the primary training venue for China's national teams (Alpine, Nordic (aka Cross-Country) and Freestyle teams) should give an idea of the quality of the slopes at Yabuli Ski Resort.
Yabuli's prime advanced-level Alpine piste measures some 3 kilometers (3000 plus meters) with a vertical drop of an impressive 805 meters, which makes this the longest – and most exhilarating – Alpine ski piste in all of Asia (it should be noted that the ski resort is divided into a competition and a leisure section, the former being restricted to domestic and foreign professional (i.e., national-team) skiers).
The northerly location of Yabuli ensures adequate snowfall. In addition, Yabuli has 8 snow-making machines and 6 snow-grooming machines to ensure an optimal powder consistency on the surface of the various pistes at all times.
2. Enjoy Top-Level but Affordable Skiing Facilities
Yabuli Ski Resort is equipped with high-speed heated gondolas.Yabuli Ski Resort has 49 slopes (including beginner, intermediate, and advanced level routes), a 5-kilometer Nordic trail, and a 500-meter gentle Alpine slope for beginners.
Yabuli Ski Resort employs more than a half-hundred ski instructors, and though not all of the ski instructors are fluent in English, they are all reputed to be knowledgeable, and very thorough in their tutoring.
Yabuli has 9 ski lifts, more than enough to ferry skiers to their various destinations without having to wait in long queues. The views up Yabuli Sun Mountain are spectacular as you take the lift ascending alongside ridges and ravines and looking out over a forest of snow-clad trees.
3. Affordable Skiing Price
New Sport Committees Ski ResortThe minimum skiing time in Yabuli is two hours and prices begin at 150–300 yuan (for 2 hours), based on the ski resort company you choose. Prices go up on weekends, New Year's Day, and Spring Festival (Chinese New Year holiday).
Ski caps, goggles, suits, etc. are extra. If you bring your own equipment, you only need to pay the basic fee.
Staying in all-inclusive Club Med Yabuli, with a price usually starting from US$220 per person, you can enjoy:
- Childcare and children's club facilities
- Winter sports: ski pass and skiing/snowboarding lessons
- Indoor leisure activities: Table tennis, dance lessons, indoor pool, lounge, and festive evening entertainments, karaoke, card games, mah-jong
- Bars and restaurants: Full board throughout the stay including wine, beer, and or soft drinks with lunch and dinner
4. Abundant Recreational Activities
Excellent Snow Quality in YabuliBesides skiing and snowboarding, Yabuli can satisfy you with all kinds of other snow activities: snow tubing, snowmobiling, sledding, snowfield hiking, skating, snowman-making, a children's ski recreation area, and more.
Yabuli Ski Resort vs Changbaishan Ski Resort vs Beidahu Ski Resort
| Yabuli Ski Resort | Changbaishan Ski Resort | Beidahu Ski Resort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suitable for | all, particularly family groups | all, particularly beginner-to-intermediate skiers as well as families to have winter fun | intermediate to advanced skiers; not very beginner-friendly or family-friendly |
| Transport | 1½ hours by train or 3 hours by car from Harbin | 7 hours by car from Harbin; 30 minutes by free shuttle bus ride from Changbaishan Airport | 5 hours by car from Harbin; 2 hours by car from Changchun Longjia International Airport |
| Trails | 49 trails (7 beginners, 25 intermediate, 10 advanced, and 7 expert) | 43 trails (20 beginners, 14 intermediate, 9 advanced) | 22 trails (5 beginners, 11 intermediate, 6 advanced) |
| Vertical drop | 918 m (3,012 ft) | 390 m (1,280 ft) | 850 m (2,789 ft) |
| Facilities | high-speed heated gondolas, chairlifts, and magic carpets | 5 chair lifts, 2 high-speed heated gondolas, and 12 magic carpets | 3 chair lifts, 2 gondolas, 1 drag lift, and 4 magic carpets |
Read more about Top China Ski Resorts: Family, Intermediate or Advanced skiers
Hotels in Yabuli: Yabuli Club Med
Club Med Yabuli is highly recommended for foreign visitors, five-star experience, English-speaking coaches, skiing courses for all levels, diverse snow runs, high-speed cable cars, one-package service including hotel, dining, and other leisure activities like swimming and a spa.
The other hotels are not so recommended, especially if you're traveling with kids and looking for a more Westerner-friendly experience (English service, variety of buffet breakfasts, less crowding, etc.)
Club Med Yabuli is in large demand, especially around Christmas and Chinese New Year. You're suggested to make reservation as early as possible, at least one month in advance. Contact us to check out the room rates and possibilities.
How to Get to Yabuli Ski Resort from Harbin
Yabuli has three railway stations, all with trains from Harbin. The journey takes about 1½–3½ hours.
- Yabuli Railway Station: 30 minutes drive from Yabuli Ski Resort
- Yabuli West Railway Station: 25 minutes drive from Yabuli Ski Resort, it serves the most trains from Harbin
- Yabuli South Railway Station: the closest station to Yabuli Ski Resort — 5 minutes drive
Harbin Daowai Bus Station and Harbin Nangang Bus station have long-distance buses to Yabuli Town, taking about 3½ hours. From there, you'd need to take a minibus or a taxi to the ski resort.
For a more comfortable and flexible journey, a private transfer from Harbin to Yabuli is recommended. It takes about 3 hours by car. For a 5-seat vehicle, it costs from US$300. Submit an inquiry to check out the vehicle availability or tailor-make an individually-designed and affordable Harbin & Yabuli trip with your 1:1 travel advisor.
How to Plan a Harbin Tour with Yabuli Ski Resort
A Harbin tour including a Yabuli skiing trip typically needs 6 days, including two days to explore the main sites of the Ice and Snow Festival and Harbin city and four days for Yabuli Ski Resort. Here's our recommended tour plan:
- Day 1: Harbin arrival. Enjoy a mouthwatering foodie tour in the evening or have a refreshing stroll around the frozen Songhua River.
- Day 2: A full-day Harbin Ice and Snow Festival tour comes with a visit to the Siberian Tiger Park to experience Siberian tigers up close.
- Day 3: Harbin to Yabuli by high-speed train with private transfers to and from train stations
- Days 4–5: Yabuli Club Med Skiing Vacation
- Day 6: Transfer to Harbin Taiping International Airport for your flight back home.
Alternatively, you could get more ideas from our other tour designs featuring Yabuli skiing:
Can't see what you're looking for? No problem. We're expert tour designers. Contact us to begin a no-obligation inquiry with your requirements.