Vladivostok

The Russian port city closest to northeast China, with the Golden Horn Bridge, Russky Island and king crab. It is the terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway and the easiest entry point to Russia for Chinese travelers.

Vladivostok (formerly known in Chinese as Haishenwai) is the largest port city in the Russian Far East and the capital of Primorsky Krai. It sits at the southern tip of the Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, with the Sea of Japan's Peter the Great Gulf on three sides. The city is built on rolling hills around the Golden Horn Bay, which cuts deep inland. It is only about 180 km from Hunchun in China's Jilin Province and has flights from Harbin and Changchun, making it the easiest Russian city for Chinese visitors to reach. It is also the end of the 9,288 km Trans-Siberian Railway and the home port of Russia's Pacific Fleet. The city's look is Russian: brick-and-stone buildings from the Tsarist era (the railway station, the Central Post Office, the GUM department store), Soviet apartment blocks, Orthodox churches, and two sea-spanning bridges built for the 2012 APEC summit. The main sights: first, the city center (the railway station, Svetlanskaya Street, the Central Square, the S-56 submarine and the Fleet embankment), which can be covered on foot; second, the viewpoints on Eagle's Nest Hill north of the center and around the old campus of the Far Eastern Federal University; third, the Sportivnaya Harbor promenade to the west, the beaches of Amur Bay and the Tokarevsky Lighthouse at the end of the peninsula; and fourth, Russky Island across the Russky Island Bridge (the oceanarium, the new Far Eastern Federal University campus, Voroshilov Battery and the cape trails). The climate is monsoonal: in winter (December–February) it is −10 to −20°C, with the sea frozen but skies clear; April–May is often foggy; June–September is best, with August the warmest at about 25°C and good for swimming, and September is crisp and the season for king crab, sea urchin and scallops; it turns cold after mid-October. Getting there: Vladivostok International Airport (VVO, in the city of Artyom, 45 km from the city) has an Aeroexpress train (about 55 minutes) and buses; there are international buses from Hunchun (about 4–5 hours, including border time), and from Suifenhe you can take a train via Grodekovo; in the city, use Yandex Go or Maxim for taxis, and bus fares are about 35 rubles. Chinese citizens can use a travel agency to arrange a visa-free group tour, and individuals can apply for a Russian e-visa (up to 16 days' stay within a 30-day validity). Allow 3–4 days. Notes: Visa and Mastercard are not used in Russia, so bring cash to exchange for rubles or use a UnionPay card (supported at some ATMs); Alipay and WeChat Pay work at a few shops popular with Chinese tourists; the city has many hills and steps, so wear comfortable shoes; roads are icy in winter; English is not widely spoken, so have a translation app ready.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries