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Territory capital · 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.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CNY
Best months
Nov–Apr (dry, mild)
avoid Aug–Oct (typhoon season), Chinese New Year week (ferry and road gridlock)
Airport
HAK
Nights
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.

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.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Haikou, 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 tea in a café¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Street or quick mealNoodle or rice-plate lunch¥20–45 (≈ US$3–7)
  • Beerdraught in a bar / can at a shop¥25–45 (≈ US$4–7)¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxi¥15–25 (≈ US$3–4) (check)
  • Metro or bus rideCity bus ride¥1–2 (≈ under US$1) (check)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week¥80–200 (≈ US$12–30)
  • Museum or sight ticketTemple or academy entryFree–¥5 (≈ under US$1) (check)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, 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.

Old Qilou Streets arcade quarterHainan's main airport and ferry gatewayTianhou Temple and Wugong TempleCoconut trees and tropical street food
Airports
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.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Haikou: 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

21°C

16°C

8 rd

Feb

23°C

17°C

9 rd

Mar

27°C

20°C

10 rd

Apr

30°C

23°C

11 rd

May

33°C

25°C

15 rd

Jun

34°C

26°C

16 rd

Jul

33°C

26°C

16 rd

Aug

33°C

26°C

18 rd

Sep

31°C

25°C

17 rd

Oct

29°C

24°C

14 rd

Nov

26°C

21°C

9 rd

Dec

22°C

18°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

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 & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Wenchang

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

High-speed rail from Haikou East to Wenchang, then local transport

Coconut groves and old town streets; easy half-day to full day.

Chengmai

go

Door to door: About 1 h

High-speed rail or bus west from Haikou

Coffee country and volcanic villages; short hop.

Sanya

overnight

Door to door: 1.5–2 h

High-speed rail from Haikou East

Better beaches and resort base; sleep there, don't day-trip.

Wanning

overnight

Door to door: About 1.5 h

High-speed rail down the east coast

Surf and quieter coast; worth a night or two.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

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.

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 × 2 nights × CN¥380CN¥760
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × CN¥600CN¥2,400
Airport taxi to the centre, one way1 × CN¥55 · checkCN¥55
Airport shuttle bus, one way2 × CN¥15 · checkCN¥30
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CN¥120CN¥240
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCN¥349
Trip total≈ CN¥959 per person per day, bed includedCN¥3,834≈ US$550

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

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in a café¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
Noodle or rice-plate lunch¥20–45 (≈ US$3–7)
Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop¥25–45 (≈ US$4–7) / ¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
5 km taxi¥15–25 (≈ US$3–4) (check)
City bus ride¥1–2 (≈ under US$1) (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week¥80–200 (≈ US$12–30)
Temple or academy entryFree–¥5 (≈ under US$1) (check)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

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.
  • 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.

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.

Haikou海口

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

请到这个地址To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire119
  • Ambulance120

Embassy

Most countries have embassies in Beijing and consulates-general in Guangzhou or Shanghai; check before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Airport → city centre, taxi: ¥50–60 (≈ US$7–9), about 30 min (check)
  • Airport shuttle bus: about ¥15 (≈ US$3) per person (check)
  • High-speed rail Haikou → Sanya: 1.5–2 h (check price)

Say or show

  • 你好 — Hello (nǐ hǎo)
  • 谢谢 — Thank you (xièxie)
  • 多少钱？ — How much is it? (duōshǎo qián)
  • 请打表 — Use the meter, please (qǐng dǎbiǎo)
  • 可以手机支付吗？ — Can I pay by phone? (kěyǐ shǒujī zhīfù ma)
  • 洗手间在哪里？ — Where is the toilet? (xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ)

Tipping is not expected in China.

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 Haikou. 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: Nov–Apr (dry, mild) · avoid Aug–Oct (typhoon season), Chinese New Year week (ferry and road gridlock) · 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. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for HAK: taxi rank rules, meter fares, late-arrival fallback.
  2. Four walking clusters: Old Qilou Streets, Guomao waterfront, Qiongshan old town, and the station district.
  3. Place pages with verified hours and entry fees (Tianhou Temple, Wugong Temple, Qiongtai Academy, Hairui Tomb).
  4. Ferry and typhoon fixtures so mainland crossings can be planned with a buffer.

Meanwhile

Back to China

Sources