City guide · Hainan

Sanya travel guide: which bay to stay in, when to go, and how to eat seafood without the bill shock

China's only true winter-sun coast — four very different bays, a coral island and a 108 m sea Buddha, all at 18° north.

Known forBeaches, diving, winter sun
Typical spend¥3,000–6,000 / person
Ideal length4–5 days
PaceSlow — beach by beach

Plan this trip Sanya tours

Reviewed by our Beijing team Updated 2026-10-10

The short version

Sanya is the only place in China with genuinely warm sea and sun in winter, and 4 days is the right amount of time: one for Yalong Bay, one for Wuzhizhou Island, one for Nanshan and Tianya Haijiao, and one for the rainforest or the hot springs. Stay in whichever of the four bays matches your holiday — they are 30 to 60 minutes apart, and picking the wrong one costs you the trip. Go November to April for weather, or June to September for prices.

Four days covers the big sights without living in a car.
The four bays — Yalong, Haitang, Dadonghai, Sanya Bay — are four different holidays.
Buy seafood by weight at the market, then pay a cook shop a small fee to cook it.
Book hotels before November; winter rates can double at Spring Festival.
Everything is spread out — plan around one bay a day, not one attraction a day.

City guide

First impressions

Photographs from the coast, and what other travellers wrote afterwards.

I've seen the sea in Dalian, Qinhuangdao, Qingdao, Shenzhen and Zhuhai — and when Yalong Bay's blue water and white sand appeared in front of us, even my husband was speechless.
A traveller's note, 'A Seven-Day Lazy Sanya Trip'

We thought Sanya would be scorching. It wasn't — a bit of cloud kept every day comfortable in the sea breeze.
A traveller's note, 'Sea-Coloured Moods in Sanya'

Sanya is where China goes when it wants summer in January. Sitting at 18° north on Hainan's southern tip, it has an average temperature of about 25°C, a coldest month that still averages 21°C, and enough sunshine to have earned the nickname 'the Oriental Hawaii'. The moment the mainland turns cold, the flights fill.

What surprises first-timers is that Sanya is not one beach but a string of bays, each with its own character. Yalong Bay is the polished resort strip with the clearest water. Haitang Bay is the newer luxury zone, next to the duty-free mall. Dadonghai is the walkable, mid-range base with the most restaurants. Sanya Bay is the long sunset beach, closest to the airport. Where you stay decides how you spend your days.

Beyond the sand, the island packs in more than a resort should: the 108-metre sea Guanyin at Nanshan, the carved boulders of Tianya Haijiao, the coral reefs off Wuzhizhou, hot springs and two rainforest parks inland, and a working fishing port whose morning catch ends up on the grill by evening.

One honest warning: Sanya is popular, and popular places get sharp practice. Overcharging at seafood stalls is a well-known local problem, which is exactly why the market-and-cook-shop system is worth learning — it puts you in control of the price. Do that, and Sanya is as relaxed as it looks.

Sanya

Don't leave without

Seven things that are worth rearranging a day for.

Snorkel or dive off Wuzhizhou Island, where visibility hits 27 m
Walk the rope bridge at the Tropical Paradise Forest Park from 'If You Are the One 2'
Buy seafood at the First Market and have it cooked beside you
Watch the sunset over Sanya Bay from the Coconut Dream Promenade
Stand beneath the 108 m sea Guanyin at Nanshan
Soak in one of the dozens of pools at the Nantian hot springs
Photograph the carved 'Tianya' and 'Haijiao' boulders at the water's edge

Highlights

What not to miss

Yalong Bay

The 'best bay under heaven' — the clearest water, the crescent beach and a wall of international resorts. Come for the sand, stay for the butterfly valley and underwater world at the back of the beach.

Wuzhizhou Island

Hainan's best snorkelling and diving, with visibility up to 27 m. The ferry-and-landing ticket is capped daily, so arrive by mid-morning; the last boat up leaves at 16:00.

Nanshan and the sea Guanyin

A vast Tang-style Buddhist complex built around a 108 m bronze Guanyin standing on the sea. The temple halls and vegetarian kitchen make it a half-day on their own.

Tianya Haijiao

The 'Ends of the Earth' — boulders at the water's edge carved 'Tianya' and 'Haijiao'. More symbolic than spectacular, but it is the photograph everyone comes for.

The rainforest parks

The Tropical Paradise Forest Park above Yalong Bay (a location for 'If You Are the One 2') and the Yanoda rainforest further inland both offer canopy walks and the rope bridge that became a photo ritual.

The seafood market system

Buy live seafood by weight at the First Market or a fishing-port market, then have it cooked at a nearby shop for a small fee. Cheapest, freshest and most local meal in town.

Suggested routes

Two ways to spend your days

The relaxed four days

4 days days

One bay or island a day, with the evenings left free for seafood and sunsets.

Day 1

Yalong Bay and the forest park

Start on Yalong Bay's beach for the clearest water in the city, then walk the butterfly valley and shell museum at the back of the sand. After lunch, take the forest cable car and the rope bridge at the Tropical Paradise Forest Park.

Stops: Yalong BayButterfly ValleyTropical Paradise Forest Park
Day 2

Nanshan and Tianya Haijiao

Morning at Nanshan for the sea Guanyin and the temple halls, with a vegetarian lunch on site. In the afternoon continue west to Tianya Haijiao for the carved boulders and the sea view.

Stops: NanshanTianya Haijiao
Day 3

Wuzhizhou Island

The full day belongs to Wuzhizhou: the crossing, the diving or snorkelling, and the walk to the sunrise rock and the old temple. Back in the evening, catch the sunset along Sanya Bay.

Stops: Wuzhizhou IslandSanya Bay
Day 4

Hot springs and the market

A slow morning, then the Nantian hot springs in the afternoon. Finish at the First Market, buying seafood and having it cooked nearby for a last, loud, cheap dinner.

Stops: Nantian Hot SpringsFirst Market

The short romantic break

2 days days

For a couple with only a weekend — the beaches and the big set-pieces, nothing else.

Day 1

Beach and rope bridge

Morning on Yalong Bay, then the forest park and the rope bridge from the film for the view back over the bay. Sunset dinner by the water.

Stops: Yalong BayTropical Paradise Forest Park
Day 2

Island and hot springs

Early boat to Wuzhizhou for the snorkelling, then the Nantian hot springs in the afternoon to slow the pace right down before you leave.

Stops: Wuzhizhou IslandNantian Hot Springs

Sights

Where the time actually goes

Beach & resorts

Yalong Bay

A 7 km crescent of clear water south-east of the city, described for years as the 'best bay under heaven' and lined with international resorts. The beach itself and the underwater world entrance are free; water sports and the attractions at the back are charged separately.

Getting there: Buses 15, 27 and the tourist lines; taxi ¥35–45 from the centre
Ticket: Beach free; shells museum ¥56
Best time: Morning, before the sun peaks

Tip The 'central plaza' is not the entrance — the beach is free, so don't buy a ticket unless you want the shell museum.

Island & diving

Wuzhizhou Island

A small island in Haitang Bay and Hainan's best diving base, with visibility up to 27 m, coral reefs and a full menu of water sports. Its landmarks are the sunrise rock on the south-east cliff, the old Mazu temple and the 'golden turtle' sea stack.

Ticket: About ¥168, including the return ferry and landing fee
Ferry: Every 15 minutes; last boat up 16:00, last back 17:30
Getting there: Bus 28 to the pier, or taxi ¥80 from the centre

Tip Eat and stay on the island only if you have to — both are expensive, and most visitors are happier back in the city for dinner.

Temples

Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone

A large Tang-dynasty-style Buddhist complex facing the sea, built around the 108 m bronze sea Guanyin. The temple halls, the bell and drum towers and the vegetarian restaurant fill a half-day, and the scale of the site still surprises people.

Ticket: ¥150; the sea Guanyin platform is charged separately, ¥25
Open: 08:30–17:00
Getting there: Buses 16, 21, 25; taxi about ¥85, 40 minutes

Tip Dress respectfully and step over, not on, the temple thresholds. The vegetarian meal at the Yuanqi building is genuinely good.

Landmark rocks

Tianya Haijiao

The 'Ends of the Earth', where boulders at the water's edge are carved with 'Tianya', 'Haijiao' and 'Southern Pillar'. It is the symbolic edge of China, crowded and photogenic in equal measure.

Ticket: ¥100
Getting there: Buses 16, 24, 25 and the tourist lines
Extra: The site is small — you do not need the shuttle, ¥10

Tip The souvenir hawkers are persistent: if you ask a price, they will follow you. A simple 'no thanks' and keep walking works.

Rainforest

Yanoda Rainforest

A dense tropical-rainforest park inland, with canopy walkways, waterfalls and interpretive trails through strangler figs and buttress roots. Cooler than the coast and a genuine change of scenery.

Ticket: ¥170, including the shuttle
Getting there: Bus toward Baoting from the coach station, alight at Sandaonongchang
Open: Daytime; allow half a day

Tip Bring mosquito repellent — the rainforest is beautiful and the insects are enthusiastic.

Viewpoint

Tropical Paradise Forest Park

The forest park climbing the hills behind Yalong Bay, famous as a location for 'If You Are the One 2'. Its Dragon-Over-River rope bridge, the Liuyun pavilion and the mountain-top viewpoints look straight back over the bay.

Ticket: ¥175; free for guests of the Bird's Nest resort
Open: 08:00–17:30
Bridge: ¥20 extra, unless you hold a resort room card

Tip Go up by the shuttle road and walk down — the view is best in late afternoon, and the bugs ease off after the sun drops.

City view

Luhuitou Park

The headland at the city's south-west tip, named for the legend of the deer that turned back. It is the best place to see the whole of Sanya laid out below, and even better after dark for the night view.

Ticket: ¥45
Open: 07:00–22:00
Getting there: Bus 22 to Luhuitou Park

Tip Come at dusk: you get the sunset on one side and the city lights coming up on the other in the same visit.

Food

What to eat

Hainanese chicken rice

The island's signature dish and the first thing to order — poached chicken, fragrant rice cooked in the broth, and a ginger dip.

Seafood, cooked to order

Prawns, mantis shrimp, sea urchin, crab and shellfish, bought live by weight and cooked at a nearby shop for a small fee.

Dongshan goat

Mutton from Wenchang, braised or in hotpot, tender and not gamey — a Hainan classic often overlooked by visitors.

Hele crab and Wenchang chicken

Two of the 'four famous Hainan dishes'. The crab is best steamed to keep its roe and original flavour.

Baoluo noodles

Thick rice noodles in a pork-and-bone broth with peanuts, pickles and shredded beef — the everyday Hainanese breakfast.

Qingbuliang

A cold, coconut-milk dessert of beans, taro, jelly and fruit — the best thing to eat at the end of a hot day.

Where to eat

Seafood, done the right way

Seafood market

First Market and the cook shops

The biggest market in Sanya for seafood, fruit and vegetables, and the locals' own shopping. Buy by weight, then hand your catch to one of the many cook shops within 50 m.

Getting there: Buses 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 12, 16 to First Market
Best for: Fresh seafood at market price
Tip: Drain the water before weighing, and compare a few stalls

Open-air food street

Hexi Road seafood plazas

A row of open-air seafood-plaza restaurants along Hexi Road, the most famous being Chunyuan and Mingrun. Loud, busy and at their peak between 7 and 8pm.

Getting there: Central; walk or a short taxi from First Market
Best for: The full communal seafood experience
Note: Prices here run high — bargain, and check the weight

Seafood, cheap

Mingji da pai dang

A long-standing no-frills seafood stall known for its seafood congee and stir-fried shellfish, and for charging a lower cooking fee than the plazas on Hexi Road.

Address: 48 Yuejin Road, at the north end of Hongqi Street
Best for: Seafood congee and stir-fried crab
Getting there: Bus 2 to Binhai Cinema, or bus 4 and walk

Classic Hainan cuisine

Haiya Restaurant

The most recommended place in the city for proper Hainanese cooking — dry-braised Dongshan goat, Wenchang chicken and peanut-and-pig-trotter soup. Light, clean seasoning, which is the point of the cuisine.

Address: No. 1 Guangming Street (plus several branches)
Average spend: ¥40–100 / person depending on branch
Best for: The 'four famous dishes' in one meal

On the water

Hongsha fishing rafts

Floating seafood restaurants reached by a complimentary speedboat from the pier — usually a self-service format, ¥50–150 per person, and far more local than the city plazas.

Getting there: Bus 17 to the end, then the raft's own boat
Average spend: ¥50–150 / person
Best for: A whole afternoon of eating on the sea

Where to stay

Four bays, four holidays

Resorts

Yalong Bay

The best sand and the clearest water, walled off by international resorts — Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, Hilton, Marriott and the Bird's Nest resort up in the forest park. Almost every hotel has a private beach.

Best for: Luxury, families, honeymoons
Price band: Roughly ¥900–1,500+ / night, rising at Spring Festival
Trade-off: Far from the city — 35–45 minutes and no evening buses back

Mid-range and hostels

Dadonghai

The liveliest and most convenient base: a sheltered beach, walkable streets, the widest spread of restaurants and bars, and both mid-range hotels and several good youth hostels.

Best for: Best value and walkability
Price band: From roughly ¥200–600 / night; dorms from about ¥45
Trade-off: The beach is not as fine as Yalong Bay

Sunset and families

Sanya Bay

The long beach closest to the airport and to Tianya Haijiao, Nanshan and the islands. The densest cluster of guesthouses, and the best value if you are moving around a lot.

Best for: Airport access, sunsets, budget stays
Price band: Guesthouses from about ¥130 / night
Trade-off: Afternoon sun, and some traffic noise near the main road

New luxury

Haitang Bay

The newest resort zone in the north-east, quieter and newer than Yalong Bay, next to the duty-free mall. Fewer hotels, but the calmest and most modern.

Best for: A quiet, modern, luxury stay
Price band: From roughly ¥1,300 / night up
Trade-off: Furthest from the city centre and the airport

Splurge

Bird's Nest Resort

The hillside resort inside the Tropical Paradise Forest Park, made famous by 'If You Are the One 2' — each villa faces the sea from the canopy. Room cards waive the park ticket and the rope-bridge fee.

Location: Yalong Bay forest park
Price: From about ¥2,000 / night
Best for: A view you cannot get anywhere else in Sanya

Getting around

How to move between the bays

By air

Sanya Phoenix International (SYX) is 20 km west of the city and the island's main gateway, with flights from most of China plus international routes.

Airport: Sanya Phoenix International (SYX)
To the centre: Bus 8 or airport shuttle; taxi about ¥40, 30 minutes
To Yalong Bay: Bus 27 or taxi, about ¥100

By rail

The Hainan ring high-speed line ties Sanya to Haikou and the rest of the island in comfort.

To Haikou East: About 1h 30m; first class ¥100, second class ¥84
Main station: Sanya Station, out at Lizhigou on the city's edge
Booking: Bookable up to 10 days ahead

By bus

Cheap and comprehensive, if a little slow at peak times. Route 25 is the city's workhorse, threading most of the big sights.

Key routes: 2 and 4 for the centre; 25 between the main sights
Fare: About ¥1–8 depending on the line
Tourist lines: Air-con and double-decker services to the bay and Tianya Haijiao

By taxi and ride-hailing

The practical way to cover the distances between bays. Meters start at ¥8 for 2 km, and out-of-town runs are often negotiated.

City to Yalong Bay: ¥35–45
Dadonghai to Yalong Bay: About ¥40
Airport to the centre: About ¥40, 30 minutes

By boat

The ferry to Wuzhizhou crossing is part of the island ticket; other boats serve diving trips and the cruise pier.

To Wuzhizhou: Ferry every 15 minutes within operating hours
Last up / back: 16:00 up, 17:30 back
Cruise pier: A few minutes' taxi from the centre, about ¥9

By bicycle

Hotels and rental outfits along the bays rent bikes by the hour or the day — a pleasant way to cover the seafront promenades.

Typical rate: ¥10–60 / hour, cheaper by the half-day
Best stretch: The Sanya Bay promenade and the Yalong Bay seafront
Note: Check brakes and tyres before you ride away

Shopping

What to take home

Duty-free shops

The duty-free mall sells international cosmetics, perfume, watches and jewellery at 15–35% below mainland retail — but only for travellers leaving Hainan by air.

First Market and Hongqi Street

The cheapest place for island T-shirts, small souvenirs and dried seafood, and everything is negotiable.

Jiefang Road pedestrian street

A short walking street of cheap, fun crafts and souvenirs — good for gifts, not for anything precious.

Hainan specialities

Coconut candy and coconut products, marine pearls, shells, crystal, dried seafood, and the fiery yellow-lantern chilli sauce.

Practical

The things that trip people up

Sanya is an easy place to be comfortable in — it is the small, well-known traps around seafood prices and seasonal hotel rates that need a moment's thought.

Visa	Hainan's visa-free scheme covers Sanya for short stays (usually up to 30 days) for travellers from eligible countries
Duty-free rules	Only if you leave Hainan by air, with an outbound ticket; buy at least 6 hours before departure at SYX, one day ahead at HAK
Payments	Mobile payment is universal; carry some cash for markets, small stalls and rural spots
Sun protection	UV is strong all year — bring high-factor sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, and reapply even on cloudy days
Overcharging	A known issue at seafood stalls; buy by weight at markets, watch the scale, and use published price caps
Safety complaints	Tourist complaint line 12315; price complaint line 12358
Typhoons	August to October is the typhoon season; ferry and flight cancellations are possible, so allow slack in your plans
Seasonal pricing	Seafood and rooms vary sharply by season; winter is peak and the same room can double at Spring Festival

Tips

Small things that make a big difference

Pick your bay first

Book the hotel by bay, not by price. Sleeping in Yalong Bay but sightseeing from the centre is a daily two-hour round trip.

Do the market, not the beachfront

The beachfront seafood restaurants are the priciest. The market-and-cook-shop system is cheaper, fresher and more fun.

Start Wuzhizhou early

The ferry and landing fee are capped by boat, the last up is at 16:00, and the day crowds build by mid-morning.

Sunblock, all year

The sun does not take winter off. Reapply through the day, and don't skip it because it is cloudy.

Dress for the temples

At Nanshan and other Buddhist sites, cover shoulders and knees and step over the thresholds, never on them.

Leave slack for weather

In typhoon season, keep a spare half-day — boats to the islands stop when the wind gets up, and no one enjoys a forced rush.

Background

Why Sanya is the way it is

A name made by two rivers

Sanya takes its name from the Sanya River: the east and west branches meet in the shape of the character for 'fork', and the old name for the water was Linchuan. The city was known in older times as Yazhou, and it has been a political, economic and cultural centre on the island's southern coast for centuries.

History left marks here that a beach town would not suggest. The Tang monk Jianzhen is said to have landed and preached on this coast, the female weaver Huang Daopo learned her craft from the Li women of the area, and figures exiled to the far south brought the influence of the central plains with them. The name's modern association — sun, sand and resort — is only the last chapter.

Low latitude, ocean climate

Sanya sits at about 18° north, low enough to be genuinely tropical and high enough to stay breezy. It has a tropical marine monsoon climate: an average of about 25°C, a July high averaging 28°C, a January low still at 21°C, and roughly 2,500 hours of sunshine a year with about 1,280 mm of rain.

That combination — no real winter, warm water, and steady sun — is rare in China, and it explains everything about the city, from the resort towers to the November-to-April high season and the crowds who flee the mainland cold.

Travel with them

Sanya on screen and in song

Film

If You Are the One 2 (非诚勿扰2)

Directed by Feng Xiaogang

The romantic comedy that made the Tropical Paradise Forest Park and its rope bridge a pilgrimage for a generation of visitors.

Film

Hold住爱

Directed by Zhang Qi

A honeymoon comedy set and shot in Sanya, following a young couple whose prize trip turns into a series of mishaps.

Song

'Beautiful Sanya, Romantic Tianya'

Performed by Ding Xiaohong

The city's unofficial anthem, written as its calling card — a tropical beach melody that names its own landmarks.

Book

Sanya: A Guide to the Sunny City

A practical city guide

A walk through Sanya's self-image — the sun, sea, sand and forest it markets, and the pearls, shells and dried-seafood trade behind the resort facade.

The questions visitors ask us most about Sanya, answered plainly.

Frequently asked questions

Prices and practical details are reviewed every month by our Beijing team and updated the day a rule changes.

When is the best time to visit Sanya?

November to April, when it is dry, sunny and 22–28°C, with sea temperatures of 22–24°C. April and November are the sweet spots — warm but outside the peak. June to September is hotter and wetter, and July–August brings the summer-holiday crowds; the plus is much lower hotel prices.

Which bay should I stay in?

Yalong Bay for polished resorts and the best sand; Dadonghai for mid-range hotels, walkable streets and evening life; Sanya Bay for sunsets and the shortest airport transfer; Haitang Bay for the newest luxury resorts and duty-free shopping. They are 30–60 minutes apart, so choose by mood, not by map.

Is Wuzhizhou Island worth the trip?

Yes, for the best water on Hainan. Visibility reaches 27 m and the snorkelling and diving are the point of the island. The ticket including the return ferry is about ¥168; boats run every 15 minutes, the last one up is at 16:00 and the last back at 17:30, so go in the morning.

How do I eat seafood without being overcharged?

Buy it yourself, by weight, at the First Market or a fishing-port market — tip the basket to drain the water before it is weighed. Then take it to a nearby cook shop and pay a small per-dish fee. This is how locals eat, it is far cheaper than a beachfront restaurant, and the authorities publish reference price caps as backup.

How many days do I need in Sanya?

Four days is the honest minimum: a day for Yalong Bay and its forest park, a day for Wuzhizhou Island, a day for Nanshan plus Tianya Haijiao, and a fourth for hot springs, rainforest or simply more beach. Five days lets you add the Dadonghai evenings and the Sanya Bay sunset without rushing.

Do I need a visa for Sanya?

Sanya falls under Hainan's visa-free entry scheme, which allows travellers from many countries to enter the province without a visa for short stays, usually up to 30 days. The eligible-country list and the rules change, so verify your passport's status before booking. Leaving Hainan for the mainland restores the normal visa requirement.

Plan this trip

Prefer it arranged for you?

The same places, with a driver, an English-speaking guide and the tickets already bought.

Sanya Hainan · 0 tours Sanya is China's tropical beach capital, on the southern tip of Hainan island, and the only place in the country with genuinely warm sea and sun in th

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Hulunbuir City guide · 12 tours China's finest grassland — a 263,000 km² sweep of steppe, birch forest and border river, best driven with the windows down.

The Forbidden City City guide · 12 tours Beijing's 600-year imperial palace — 8,700 rooms behind a 72-hectare wall, and the largest surviving wooden palace complex on earth.

Haikou City guide · 12 tours Hainan's capital is the island's living city — 600-year-old arcade streets, a volcanic village, and a morning-tea-to-midnight food culture.

Beihai City guide · 12 tours 24 km of fine white sand on one side, a volcanic island of coral and lava on the other — plus a 19th-century arcade old street in between.

Nanning City guide · 12 tours Guangxi's green capital is a gateway to Detian Falls, Beihai and Vietnam — and a genuinely excellent food city if you let it slow you down.

Guangxi City guide · 12 tours One autonomous region, a dozen landscapes — limestone peaks and rice terraces in the north, a Vietnam border and a warm gulf coast in the south.

Huizhou City guide · 12 tours A free West Lake, a Taoist mountain and 200 km of white-sand coast — the Pearl River Delta's most underrated weekend.

Beidaihe City guide · 12 tours Northern China's classic beach escape — one sunrise headland, 10 km of calm swimming water, and a bird flyway overhead twice a year.

Shanhaiguan City guide · 12 tours The town where the Great Wall stops being a rumour of mountains and walks into the Bohai Sea.

Baiyangdian City guide · 12 tours The biggest freshwater lake on the North China Plain — and almost none of it can be reached except by boat.

Qinhuangdao City guide · 12 tours 126 km of Bohai coast in one municipality — a working port, two famous resorts, and the only desert dunes that meet this sea.

Yesanpo City guide · 12 tours Gorge country where the Taihang and Yan ranges collide — 52.5 km of canyon walls, a cave that spits fish, and a river to fall off.

Zhuhai City guide · 12 tours The delta's slow city: a 28 km promenade, 146 islands, oysters fattened where the river meets the sea.

Wuyi Mountain City guide · 12 tours Nine bends of clear water, red sandstone cliffs, and the tea that made a mountain's name.

Jiuzhaigou City guide · 12 tours 108 mineral-blue lakes in one 55 km valley — the place that ruins water everywhere else for you.

Mount Siguniang City guide · 12 tours Four snow peaks, three valleys, and the friendliest 5,000 m mountain in China to stand on top of.

Hailuogou City guide · 12 tours A glacier that comes down to 2,850 m, hot springs in the forest, and Gongga Shan filling the sky above both.

Daocheng Yading City guide · 12 tours Three 6,000 m sacred peaks, glacial lakes at 4,600 m and twenty hours of road — the hardest, highest payoff in Sichuan.

Shunan Bamboo Sea City guide · 12 tours Seventy thousand mu of bamboo over twenty-eight hills, a red sandstone corridor under a closed green roof, and a banquet made entirely of bamboo.

Dujiangyan City guide · 12 tours Not a monument but a machine: three pieces of engineering with no dam, still doing their job after 2,270 years.

Qingcheng Mountain City guide · 12 tours The mountain where Daoism was organised, and the one Chengdu escapes to when the basin turns into an oven.

Qingdao City guide · 12 tours Red-tiled roofs, cold beer and a granite mountain that walks straight into the sea — the easiest good time on the Yellow Sea.

Mount Tai City guide · 12 tours 1,545 metres, 6,290 stone steps and three thousand years of emperors — the one mountain in China that is also a document.

Jinan City guide · 12 tours A provincial capital with 700 springs under the pavement — people still queue at the spouts to fill their kettles.

Weihai City guide · 12 tours 1,000 km of clean coast, a free bathing beach, the island where the Beiyang Fleet died — and thousands of wild swans every winter.

Qufu City guide · 12 tours One family, two thousand years of steles, and a ¥150 pass that covers the lot — the easiest serious day trip in Shandong.

Penglai City guide · 12 tours China's immortals' coast — a Song-dynasty naval harbour you can walk for free, a mythology nobody ever found, and the ferry to 32 islands.

Changdao City guide · 12 tours 32 islands, one causeway, a ¥150 land pass, tens of thousands of gulls and nowhere you can drive — the place where everything happens by boat.

Nanjing City guide · 12 tours Capital of six dynasties, capital of the Republic, and the city that eats more duck than anywhere else on earth.

Suzhou City guide · 12 tours Two thousand five hundred years of canals, sixty surviving gardens, and a city that shuts its gates at half past five.

Zhouzhuang City guide · 12 tours Nine hundred years, fourteen bridges, one ticket — and a town that only makes sense before eight in the morning.

Tongli City guide · 12 tours Fifteen canals, seven islets, forty-nine bridges — and a town that still gets up at dawn because it lives here.

Wuxi City guide · 12 tours Taihu on one side, a Grand Buddha on the next hill, and ribs sweet enough to argue about — the most underrated city on the Yangtze delta.

Yangzhou City guide · 12 tours A city built by salt merchants who had more money than restraint — gardens, a narrow lake, and the best breakfast in China.

Zhenjiang City guide · 12 tours Three hills, one ferry landing, and an unreasonable share of Chinese literature — the Yangtze city people drive past.

Changzhou City guide · 12 tours A 2,500-year-old canal city that built a dinosaur park and refuses to apologise for it.

Wuzhen City guide · 12 tours A town that is two towns: the older, quieter East Zone and the lit-up West Zone you sleep inside.

Xitang City guide · 12 tours Nine canals, 122 lanes, one long roofed corridor — and a town that still works for a living.

Hangzhou City guide · 12 tours A lake in the middle of a city, a tea village in the hills, and two thousand years of getting the mood right.

Xixi Wetland City guide · 12 tours Ten square kilometres of marsh inside Hangzhou, and the only way into half of it is a boat.

Ningbo City guide · 12 tours A 7,000-year-old port with Asia's oldest private library, a free waterfront 20 years older than Shanghai's, and the best seafood before the islands.

Mount Putuo City guide · 12 tours A Buddhist island with no cars, three great temples and a ¥10 lunch that is the point of the place.

Qiandao Lake City guide · 12 tours A thousand islands that did not exist sixty years ago, and the cleanest big-lake water in China.

Shaoxing City guide · 12 tours Two and a half thousand years of water-town China, and Lu Xun's house is free.

Zhoushan City guide · 12 tours 1,390 islands, one road bridge in, and a harbour that lands more fish than almost anywhere on earth.

Hengdian City guide · 12 tours A backlot the size of a town, where the palaces are copies and the film crews are real.

Yandang Mountain City guide · 12 tours A volcano that weathering turned into scenery — 500-odd sights of peak, cave and waterfall across eight scenic areas.

Zhejiang City guide · 12 tours One small, mountainous, absurdly rich province that holds a lake, two canal towns, a Buddhist island and a dead volcano.

Hong Kong Outlying Islands City guide · 12 tours Two hundred-odd islands, half an hour of ferry from the financial district, and not a car on three of them.

Hong Kong Shopping City guide · 12 tours A duty-free port where the tag starts lower, two citywide sale seasons knock a third off, and every mall sits on an MTR exit.

Macao City guide · 12 tours Four hundred years of Portuguese streets, a fake Venice under a painted sky, and the best egg tart in Asia.

Urumqi City guide · 12 tours The city furthest from the sea, with a snow range on its doorstep and dinner starting at nine.

Hong Kong SAR, China City guide · 11 tours A harbour skyline you already know by heart, dim sum trolleys at dawn, and 260 islands an hour from the neon.

Taiwan, China City guide · 11 tours Night-market alleys, high-mountain railways, and a coastline that changes character every hundred kilometres.

Qinghai Lake City guide · 12 tours A 4,400 sq km inland sea at 3,200 m, ringed by rapeseed gold, prayer flags and the best cycling road in China.

Mount Emei City guide · 11 tours A 3,099-metre Buddhist summit you can reach by cable car before lunch — and a mountain full of monkeys that will absolutely rob you.

Beijing City guide · 11 tours Six centuries of imperial red walls, a Great Wall you can climb before lunch, and the best roast duck on earth.

Taipei City guide · 11 tours A 24-hour bookstore, a night market that never stops sizzling, and a city that apologises when you bump into it.

North Xinjiang City guide · 11 tours Alpine lakes the colour of poured enamel, a village of log cabins under birch trees, and the last tear the Atlantic ever sheds.

Lanzhou City guide · 11 tours A city split in half by the Yellow River, where beef noodles are a breakfast ritual and the Silk Road still runs through the streets.

Mount Hua City guide · 11 tours Five granite peaks, one plank road bolted to a cliff face, and a sunrise that justifies the 2am start.

Dunhuang City guide · 11 tours A desert oasis where Buddhist cave art survived a thousand years and a crescent lake refused to dry up.

Gannan City guide · 11 tours 433 kilometres of the Yellow River's first bend, a 3.5 km prayer-wheel circuit, and Tibetan grasslands almost nobody has commercialised yet.

Sichuan–Tibet Highway City guide · 11 tours 2,142 kilometres of cliff-edge switchbacks, four of China's most beautiful mountains, and a road the Tibetans walk on their knees.

Kangding City guide · 11 tours The town that gave Asia its most famous love song, a 7,556m sacred peak on its doorstep, and the last real Tibetan town before the road climbs to Lhasa.

Lhasa City guide · 12 tours A city of prayer wheels and butter lamps at 3,700 metres, where the sun shines 3,000 hours a year and the world's highest palace watches over it all.

Nyingchi City guide · 11 tours Tibet's greenest corner — peach blossom valleys, a 7,782 m peak that hides from almost everyone, and the world's deepest canyon.

Namtso City guide · 11 tours A 1,920-square-kilometre sheet of impossible blue at 4,718 metres, ringed by snow peaks and prayer flags.

Chongqing City guide · 12 tours A vertical city of fog, cable cars and cliff-side stilt houses, where the火锅 never stops boiling and the night skyline outshines Hong Kong.

Qiandongnan City guide · 11 tours A thousand Miao households stacked up a mountainside, drum towers and wind-rain bridges in Dong villages, and a 600-year-old Ming garrison town on the road to Guiyang.

Libo City guide · 11 tours Emerald rivers threading through karst peaks, a 600-metre forest growing out of a riverbed, and China's largest wild plum grove.

Guiyang City guide · 11 tours China's summer capital at 1,100 metres, where the nights run on sour fish soup, street-side barbecue and mahjong that never quite stops.

Zhenyuan City guide · 11 tours A 2,000-year-old river town where the Wuyang River carves an S through the mountains and every lane hides a story.

Huangguoshu City guide · 11 tours Asia's biggest waterfall, and the only one on earth you can walk behind, above and around — plus 600-year-old Ming dynasty villages a short drive away.

Harbin City guide · 11 tours Minus 30 degrees, a frozen river you can walk across, and a cathedral built by Russians who never went home.

Yunnan City guide · 11 tours Snow mountains, tropical rainforest, twenty-five minorities and a plate of rice noodles — all in one province.

Shanghai City guide · 11 tours A 1920s waterfront of colonial banks facing a science-fiction skyline, soup dumplings you eat with a straw, and 20 million people moving like clockwork.

Zhangjiajie City guide · 11 tours Three thousand sandstone pillars straight out of Avatar, a glass skywalk bolted to a cliff, and a cable car that leaves from downtown.

Guangzhou City guide · 11 tours A 2,200-year-old trading port where dim sum is a religion, colonial islands sit beside 600-metre towers, and the food never stops.

Guilin City guide · 11 tours Karst peaks rising straight out of a green river, rice terraces carved into mountainsides, and the best bowl of noodles you'll eat in China.

Shenzhen City guide · 11 tours A fishing village that became a megacity in forty years — and it still has 500-year-old banyans, empty beaches and dim sum worth the border crossing.

Chengdu City guide · 11 tours A 3,000-year-old city where the schedule is tea, mahjong and hotpot — and the pandas are just the opening act.

Xinjiang City guide · 11 tours Snow peaks, grassland, desert and oasis — one-sixth of China, and the longest road you will ever ride.

Xi'an City guide · 14 tours Thirteen dynasties of emperors, a terracotta army buried for 2,200 years, and a walled city you can cycle in 100 minutes.

Qinghai City guide · 11 tours China's high-altitude blue heart: a salt lake you can walk on, a 3,200-metre sea, and yak butter tea at the roof of the world.

Tibet City guide · 11 tours A plateau the size of Western Europe where the sky starts at your feet, prayer flags carry the wind, and the roads run past 8,000-metre peaks.

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Free itinerary design, a revised plan within one working day, and nothing charged until you approve the final version.

Four days covers the big sights without living in a car.
The four bays — Yalong, Haitang, Dadonghai, Sanya Bay — are four different holidays.
Buy seafood by weight at the market, then pay a cook shop a small fee to cook it.

Sanya travel guide: which bay to stay in, when to go, and how to eat seafood without the bill shock

Yalong Bay

Wuzhizhou Island

Nanshan and the sea Guanyin

Tianya Haijiao

The rainforest parks

The seafood market system

Yalong Bay and the forest park

Nanshan and Tianya Haijiao

Wuzhizhou Island

Hot springs and the market

Beach and rope bridge

Island and hot springs

Yalong Bay

Wuzhizhou Island

Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone

Tianya Haijiao

Yanoda Rainforest

Tropical Paradise Forest Park

Luhuitou Park

Hainanese chicken rice

Seafood, cooked to order

Dongshan goat

Hele crab and Wenchang chicken

Baoluo noodles

Qingbuliang

First Market and the cook shops

Hexi Road seafood plazas

Mingji da pai dang

Haiya Restaurant

Hongsha fishing rafts

Yalong Bay

Dadonghai

Sanya Bay

Haitang Bay

Bird's Nest Resort

Duty-free shops

First Market and Hongqi Street

Jiefang Road pedestrian street

Hainan specialities

Pick your bay first

Do the market, not the beachfront

Start Wuzhizhou early

Sunblock, all year

Dress for the temples

Leave slack for weather

A name made by two rivers

Low latitude, ocean climate

If You Are the One 2 (非诚勿扰2)

Hold住爱

'Beautiful Sanya, Romantic Tianya'

Sanya: A Guide to the Sunny City

Frequently asked questions

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Sanya trips and tickets

More city guides

Combine Sanya with

Sort out before you fly

Understand the place

Tell us your dates.We'll do the rest.

Tell us your dates.
We'll do the rest.