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Major city · China

Hefei合肥

Give Hefei 1–2 nights as a high-speed rail hub for Anhui, not a destination: parks, two free museums and Chaohu Lake day trips.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CNY
Best months
Apr–May, Sep–Oct
avoid Jun–Aug (hot, humid, heaviest rain), Chinese New Year
Airport
HFE
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
  • China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
  • China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
  • China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
  • China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.

Hefei is Anhui's capital and largest city, a science and university hub of over 9 million people between the Huai River plain and the Yangtze basin. It is not a sightseeing city: foreign visitors mostly pass through on the way to Huangshan, Hongcun or Chaohu Lake. One full day covers the parks, Lord Bao's tomb and the Anhui Museum; two nights let you add a lake or mountain day trip.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Hefei, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or milk tea¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Street or quick mealNoodle soup or rice bowl¥15–40 (≈ US$3–6)
  • BeerBeer: draught in a bar / can at a convenience store¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5) / ¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxi rideMetered; unlicensed cars quote more.¥15–25 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Metro or bus rideMetro ride¥2–5 (≈ under US$1) (check)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Anhui Museum branches, Li Hongzhang residence)Bring your passport for the ticket desk.Free
  • Budget bedHostel or budget single, a night, per personCN¥80 (≈ US$12)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥380 (≈ US$55)
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥700 (≈ US$100)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget CN¥300 (≈ US$45) · Mid CN¥600 (≈ US$85) · High CN¥1,200 (≈ US$170)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Lord Bao Park and the tomb of Bao ZhengAnhui Museum (Shushan branch)Chaohu LakeHigh-speed rail junction for Anhui
Airports
HFE Hefei Xinqiao International Airport (About 30 km northwest of the centre; metro and airport buses run to the city (check current lines and times).)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Hefei: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

7°C

0°C

8 rd

Feb

10°C

2°C

9 rd

Mar

16°C

7°C

11 rd

Apr

22°C

12°C

11 rd

May

27°C

18°C

11 rd

Jun

30°C

22°C

12 rd

Jul

33°C

25°C

13 rd

Aug

32°C

25°C

11 rd

Sep

28°C

20°C

9 rd

Oct

23°C

14°C

8 rd

Nov

16°C

7°C

8 rd

Dec

10°C

2°C

7 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The metro is the easy option: Line 1 links Hefei South and Hefei stations (about ¥3, 30–40 min), Line 2 crosses the centre east–west. Buses cost ¥1–2 but are Chinese-only and packed at peak. Metered taxis start around ¥8–9; a cross-town ride is usually ¥10–30. Bike-share needs Alipay or WeChat Pay set up before you arrive.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Chaohu Lake and Zhongmiao Temple

go

Door to door: 1.5–2 h each way

Bus or train toward Chaohu, then local bus or taxi to the north bank

Lakeside temples and springs; a full day, best in spring or autumn.

Dashu Mountain

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Metro or taxi to the west side, then a 30-min walk up

City views on clear days; crowded on fine weekends.

Zi Peng Mountain

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Taxi or car, about 30–45 min from the centre

Forest park with a hilltop temple; awkward without a car.

Hongcun and Huangshan

overnight

Door to door: 2.5–3.5 h

High-speed rail toward Huangshan North, then bus or taxi

Too far for a return day: sleep in the village or at the mountain.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Around Hefei South station

Best for one night with bags: high-speed trains, Metro Line 1, chain hotels.

Luyang district / Huaihe Road

Old centre: pedestrian mall, Li Hongzhang residence, Xiaoyaojin and Xinghua parks, Metro Lines 2 and 4.

Swan Lake / Shushan

Newer west side near the Anhui Museum Shushan branch and Dashu Mountain; quieter, more spread out.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
¥250–450 (≈ US$35–65) excl. bed
Mid
¥450–900 (≈ US$65–130) excl. bed
High
¥900 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 1 night × CN¥380CN¥380
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × CN¥600CN¥1,200
Airport bus or metro, both ways2 × CN¥60 · checkCN¥120
Metro and bus day, one day2 × CN¥20 · checkCN¥40
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CN¥100CN¥200
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCN¥194
Trip total≈ CN¥1,067 per person per day, bed includedCN¥2,134≈ US$300

2026 estimate in yuan; flights and rail tickets excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or milk tea¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
Noodle soup or rice bowl¥15–40 (≈ US$3–6)
Beer: draught in a bar / can at a convenience store¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5) / ¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
5 km taxi rideMetered; unlicensed cars quote more.¥15–25 (≈ US$3–4)
Metro ride¥2–5 (≈ under US$1) (check)
Museum entry (Anhui Museum branches, Li Hongzhang residence)Bring your passport for the ticket desk.Free
Lord Bao Park through ticketPark itself is free; single attractions ¥5–35 (check).¥50 (≈ US$7)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Hefei is a low-crime city by international standards; the real annoyances are unlicensed taxis, traffic and summer heat. Keep the taxi licence plate visible, ask for a receipt, and avoid arguments over fares.
  • Unmarked 'black' taxis at the airport and stations quote inflated flat fares: use the official taxi rank or the metro.
  • Drivers may try to pick up a second passenger mid-ride; say no if you do not want it.
  • Summer heat and humidity are severe; plan indoor sights for midday.
  • Museum branches close on different days (Monday or Tuesday) and stop entry 30 minutes before closing: check before you go.
  • English is limited outside hotels and metro signage; have place names written in Chinese.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire
119
Ambulance
120

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Hefei合肥

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

请到这个地址To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire119
  • Ambulance120

Embassy

No US or UK embassy in Hefei; the US embassy is in Beijing and the UK embassy in Beijing, with consulates-general in Shanghai and Guangzhou. Your country's nearest mission is likely in Shanghai or Beijing — check before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Hefei South → Hefei station, Metro Line 1: about ¥3 (≈ under US$1), 30–40 min (check)
  • Taxi across the centre: ¥10–30 (≈ US$2–5) metered
  • Airport to city centre: bus or metro, about ¥20–30 (≈ US$3–5) (check)

Say or show

  • 你好 — Hello (nǐ hǎo)
  • 谢谢 — Thank you (xiè xie)
  • 多少钱？ — How much is it? (duō shao qián)
  • 我不想拼车 — I don't want to share the taxi (wǒ bù xiǎng pīn chē)
  • 请打表 — Please use the meter (qǐng dǎ biǎo)
  • 地铁站在哪里？ — Where is the metro station? (dì tiě zhàn zài nǎ lǐ)

Tipping is not expected. Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card covers almost everything; keep some cash for small vendors.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Hefei. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–May, Sep–Oct · avoid Jun–Aug (hot, humid, heaviest rain), Chinese New Year · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for HFE: metro and bus cutoffs, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Walking clusters with anchors: Huaihe Road and Xiaoyaojin, Lord Bao Park, Swan Lake, Dashu Mountain.
  3. Place pages with verified closing days (Anhui Museum branches, Li Hongzhang residence, geological museum) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Chaohu and Huangshan day-trip fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to China

Sources