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Major city · China

Dalian大连

Give Dalian 2–3 nights: coast and squares in the centre, one day out to Lüshunkou or Golden Pebble Beach. Skip if you want classical China.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CNY
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Nov (coal-smog season), early Jul–late Aug (domestic peak, higher prices), Labour Day and National Day weeks
Airport
DLC
Nights
2–3
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.

Dalian is northern China's biggest port and a seaside city built on Russian and Japanese colonial bones, with wide squares, a rocky coastline and beaches. It is a domestic holiday city more than an international sightseeing one: come for the sea air, the seafood and the tram, not for ancient monuments. Two or three nights covers the centre and one coastal day trip.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Dalian, 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.

  • Coffee¥20–40 (≈ US$3–6)
  • Sit-down mealSeafood dinner, per personAsk the price per jin before ordering.¥80–200 (≈ US$12–30)
  • Street or quick mealBowl of noodles¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Beerdraught / can¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5)¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi, 5 kmRounded up to the nearest ¥1.¥15–20 (≈ US$3)
  • Metro or bus rideMetro ride¥2–5 (≈ under US$1)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week¥80–150 (≈ US$12–25)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personCN¥80 (≈ US$12)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥450 (≈ US$65)
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomCN¥800 (≈ US$120)

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.

Russian and Japanese colonial architectureXinghai SquareCoastal road and beachesSeafood and cherriesHistoric trams
Airports
DLC Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (Metro line 2 to the centre, about 30 min; official taxi queue on the east side of the ground floor)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Dalian: 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

0°C

−6°C

4 rd

Feb

3°C

−4°C

4 rd

Mar

8°C

1°C

5 rd

Apr

15°C

7°C

6 rd

May

21°C

13°C

7 rd

Jun

25°C

18°C

8 rd

Jul

27°C

22°C

11 rd

Aug

28°C

22°C

10 rd

Sep

25°C

18°C

7 rd

Oct

18°C

11°C

6 rd

Nov

10°C

3°C

5 rd

Dec

3°C

−3°C

4 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

Metro lines 1 and 2 link the airport, the two train stations and the centre; buses are frequent but signage is patchy in English. Taxis start at ¥10 for the first 3 km (¥13 after 22:00), then ¥2/km, rounded up to the nearest ¥1. The old tram line along the main east–west street is a cheap sight in itself. Cross streets carefully: cars often do not yield on a green pedestrian signal.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Lüshunkou (Lüshun)

go

Door to door: 1.5–2 h each way

Metro line 12 or bus from the centre to Lüshun, then local buses

Former Port Arthur; colonial sites and the southern tip. A full day.

Golden Pebble Beach (Jinzhou)

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Metro line 3 to Golden Pebble Beach station, then a short bus or taxi

Best in warm months; the beach is the point, so skip in winter.

Zhuanghe and Bingyu Valley

overnight

Door to door: 3 h+

Long-distance bus or train north, then local transport

Too far for a day return; valley scenery and hot springs.

Dandong

overnight

Door to door: About 2.5–3 h

High-speed train from Dalian North

Border city on the Yalu River; better with a night.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

Zhongshan

Downtown: Zhongshan Square, the train station, the old tram and the ferry terminal. Best first base.

Xigang

People's Square and the municipal district; quieter, still central, walkable to Zhongshan.

Shahekou

Xinghai Square and the universities; good for beaches and newer hotels, further from the station.

Jinzhou

North, near Golden Pebble Beach; only worth it if the beach is your main plan.

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 × 3 nights × CN¥450CN¥1,350
Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × CN¥600CN¥3,600
Airport metro line 2, one way2 × CN¥5 · checkCN¥10
Taxi across the centre1 × CN¥20 · checkCN¥20
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CN¥100 · checkCN¥200
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCN¥518
Trip total≈ CN¥950 per person per day, bed includedCN¥5,698≈ US$800

2026 estimate in yuan; flights and long-distance rail excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee¥20–40 (≈ US$3–6)
Bowl of noodles¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5)
Seafood dinner, per personAsk the price per jin before ordering.¥80–200 (≈ US$12–30)
Beer: draught / can¥15–30 (≈ US$3–5) / ¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
Metro ride¥2–5 (≈ under US$1)
Taxi, 5 kmRounded up to the nearest ¥1.¥15–20 (≈ US$3)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week¥80–150 (≈ US$12–25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Dalian is a low-crime city and walking the centre is fine day and night. The real risks are traffic that ignores pedestrian signals, slippery pavements, unlicensed taxis and winter air pollution.
  • Air pollution can be heavy in November when coal heating starts; bring N95 masks if you travel then.
  • Illegal taxis exist: use the official queue and prefer cars with a blue or white roof light.
  • Some drivers pick up extra passengers in rush hour; say no if you are not comfortable.
  • In heavy rain or snow some drivers refuse the meter or only take long fares.
  • Pavements can be slick with dust and dew in the morning and shiny tile is dangerous when wet or icy.
  • Book long-distance train and plane tickets early in the summer holidays and around 1 May and 1 Oct.

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.

Dalian大连

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 Shenyang or Shanghai; check before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Airport → centre, metro line 2: about ¥5 (≈ under US$1), about 30 min (check)
  • Taxi, first 3 km: ¥10 (≈ US$2) day, ¥13 (≈ US$2) after 22:00, then ¥2 (≈ under US$1)/km
  • High-speed train Dalian North → Shenyang: about ¥150–200 (≈ US$25–30), 2–2.5 h (check)

Say or show

  • 你好 — Hello (nǐ hǎo)
  • 谢谢 — Thank you (xièxie)
  • 多少钱？ — How much is it? (duōshao qián)
  • 请打表 — Please use the meter (qǐng dǎ biǎo)
  • 我不吃辣 — I don't eat spicy food (wǒ bù chī là)
  • 地铁站在哪里？ — Where is the metro? (dìtiě zhàn zài nǎlǐ)

Show the Chinese address to the driver; few speak English.

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 Dalian. 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: May–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Nov (coal-smog season), early Jul–late Aug (domestic peak, higher prices), Labour Day and National Day weeks · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 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. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for DLC: metro line 2 last-train time, official taxi queue, late-arrival bed rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with anchors: Zhongshan Square and the station, People's Square, Xinghai Square, the coastal road.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (tram, Lüshun sites, beaches) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Peak-date fixtures for the summer holidays, 1 May and 1 Oct so gates can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to China

Sources