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Voykit pocket guide · China
Haikou
海口
Give Haikou 2 nights as a transport base and old-street stop, not a beach trip: the city beach water is murky and the coast is better further south.
Haikou is Hainan's capital and northern gateway, a tropical port city of about 1.8 million people with coconut-lined streets, a preserved qilou arcade quarter and the island's main airport and ferry ports. Most travellers pass through on the way to Sanya or use it as a one- or two-night base for the north coast. It is a hub first and a resort second.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 海口
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (dry, mild)
- Avoid
- Aug–Oct (typhoon season), Chinese New Year week (ferry and road gridlock)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥250–450 excl. bed · Mid ¥450–900 excl. bed · High ¥900+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire 119 · Ambulance 120
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | ¥15–35 |
| Noodle or rice-plate lunch | ¥20–45 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop | ¥25–45 / ¥5–10 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ¥15–25 (check) |
| City bus ride | ¥1–2 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ¥80–200 |
| Temple or academy entry | Free–¥5 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HAK · Haikou Meilan International Airport
- Terminal 1 domestic only; Terminal 2 handles domestic and international; free shuttle between them. About 30 min by taxi to the centre.
Typical fares
- Airport → city centre, taxi
- ¥50–60, about 30 min (check)
- Airport shuttle bus
- about ¥15 per person (check)
- High-speed rail Haikou → Sanya
- 1.5–2 h (check price)
Get around
Taxis and ride-hailing cover the centre; meters start at ¥10 and a short hop runs about ¥15. Buses are cheap but need route knowledge. The island's high-speed line doubles as a commuter service between Haikou Station, Haikou East, the airport and the west coast, with tickets ¥2–10. Electric motorbike taxis run ¥5–10 within the city. Riverside Binjiang Road has a car-free cycling and running path.
See and do
Known for
- Old Qilou Streets arcade quarter
- Hainan's main airport and ferry gateway
- Tianhou Temple and Wugong Temple
- Coconut trees and tropical street food
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wenchang | High-speed rail from Haikou East to Wenchang, then local transport | About 1.5 h |
| Chengmai | High-speed rail or bus west from Haikou | About 1 h |
| Sanya | High-speed rail from Haikou East | 1.5–2 h |
| Wanning | High-speed rail down the east coast | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Old Qilou Streets / Zhongshan Road
- Arcade streets, markets and cafés on foot; best for a short stay with sightseeing.
- Guomao and Binhai Avenue
- Modern malls, waterfront and mid-range hotels; 10–15 min by taxi to the old streets.
- Haikou East Railway Station area
- Practical for early high-speed trains and the long-distance bus terminal opposite.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxie |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duōshǎo qián |
| Use the meter, please | 请打表qǐng dǎbiǎo |
| Can I pay by phone? | 可以手机支付吗？kěyǐ shǒujī zhīfù ma |
| Where is the toilet? | 洗手间在哪里？xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Ignore drivers calling 'taxi' inside the terminal: they are unlicensed. Walk out to the licensed rank and insist on the meter (dabiao).
- Ferries to and from the mainland are often cancelled in summer storms and winter fog; build a buffer day around any ferry crossing.
- Beach water in the city area is murky; swim further south, not in Haikou.
- Typhoon season runs roughly Aug–Oct: check forecasts before booking flights or ferries.
Haikou is generally safe for tourists; the real risks are unlicensed airport taxis, typhoon-season ferry cancellations and summer heat. Use licensed taxis, insist on the meter and keep a buffer day around any ferry.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Haikou yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Old Qilou Streets arcade quarter
- Hainan's main airport and ferry gateway
- Tianhou Temple and Wugong Temple
- Coconut trees and tropical street food
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Haikou official website: www.haikou.gov.cn
- Wikivoyage: Haikou, revision 5273263 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5273263
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/haikou). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.