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Voykit pocket guide · China
Rizhao
日照
Go for 2 nights in Jul–Aug if you want a cheap Shandong beach; skip it Apr–Jun and Oct–Mar, when Qingdao or Weihai do the same job better.
Rizhao is a port city of about 3 million on the Shandong coast, 1.5 h by bus from Qingdao Jiaodong airport and on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed line. Its draw is a long free beach strip at Wanpingkou and the Third Bathing Beach, plus a forest park and a lighthouse headland. Sights are spread along the coast and the city is a domestic summer destination, so beds and beaches are busiest in Jul–Aug. Two nights covers the coast; one night is enough if you are passing through by rail.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 日照
- Best months
- Jul–Aug for swimming; May–Jun and Sep for cooler walking
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (cold, windy coast, most beach services shut); national holidays
- 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 ¥200–350 excl. bed · Mid ¥350–700 excl. bed · High ¥700+ 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 milk tea | ¥15–30 |
| Noodle soup or dumplings | ¥15–35 |
| Beer: draught in a restaurant / can at a convenience store | ¥10–20 / ¥5–10 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ¥12–18 |
| Bus ride | ¥1 |
| Ocean park entry | ¥130 (check) |
| Museum or scenic-area entry | ¥0–60 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- RIZ · Rizhao Shanzihe Airport
- Domestic flights only; about 20 km west of the centre, shuttle bus to town, public bus c106 runs roughly 06:00–17:50 (check)Domestic flights only; about 20 km west of the centre, shuttle bus to town, public bus c106 runs roughly 6:00 AM–5:50 PM (check)Domestic flights only; about 12 mi west of the centre, shuttle bus to town, public bus c106 runs roughly 06:00–17:50 (check)Domestic flights only; about 12 mi west of the centre, shuttle bus to town, public bus c106 runs roughly 6:00 AM–5:50 PM (check)
- TAO · Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport
- The practical international gateway; direct coach to Rizhao takes about 1.5 h
Typical fares
- Taxi, first 3 km
- ¥6 plus ¥1 fuel surcharge (check)
- Taxi, 3–7 km
- ¥1.5/km (check)
- Bus
- ¥1 flat, roughly 06:10–19:00 (check)¥1 flat, roughly 6:10 AM–7:00 PM (check)
Get around
Buses cover the coast and centre at ¥1 a ride, roughly 06:10–19:00; the tourist express line links the lighthouse, sailing base, Wanpingkou, Wangjiazao beach and the forest park. Taxis start at ¥6 for the first 3 km, then ¥1.5/km to 7 km and ¥2.25/km beyond, plus a ¥1 fuel surcharge. Public bikes are free for the first hour after registration. High-speed trains use Rizhao West station, regular trains the central Rizhao station.Buses cover the coast and centre at ¥1 a ride, roughly 6:10 AM–7:00 PM; the tourist express line links the lighthouse, sailing base, Wanpingkou, Wangjiazao beach and the forest park. Taxis start at ¥6 for the first 3 km, then ¥1.5/km to 7 km and ¥2.25/km beyond, plus a ¥1 fuel surcharge. Public bikes are free for the first hour after registration. High-speed trains use Rizhao West station, regular trains the central Rizhao station.Buses cover the coast and centre at ¥1 a ride, roughly 06:10–19:00; the tourist express line links the lighthouse, sailing base, Wanpingkou, Wangjiazao beach and the forest park. Taxis start at ¥6 for the first 1.9 mi, then ¥1.5/km to 4.3 mi and ¥2.25/km beyond, plus a ¥1 fuel surcharge. Public bikes are free for the first hour after registration. High-speed trains use Rizhao West station, regular trains the central Rizhao station.Buses cover the coast and centre at ¥1 a ride, roughly 6:10 AM–7:00 PM; the tourist express line links the lighthouse, sailing base, Wanpingkou, Wangjiazao beach and the forest park. Taxis start at ¥6 for the first 1.9 mi, then ¥1.5/km to 4.3 mi and ¥2.25/km beyond, plus a ¥1 fuel surcharge. Public bikes are free for the first hour after registration. High-speed trains use Rizhao West station, regular trains the central Rizhao station.
See and do
Known for
- Wanpingkou Seaside Scenic Area
- Third Bathing Beach
- Rizhao Seaside National Forest Park
- Dongyi Town
- Sunrise over the East Sea show
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Qingdao | High-speed train from Rizhao West to Qingdao, about 1.5–2 h | About 2.5 h |
| Rizhao Seaside National Forest Park | Bus 36 or the coastal tourist express line from the lighthouse | About 1 h |
| Zhudongtian bamboo scenic area | Taxi or self-drive, about 17 km west of WanpingkouTaxi or self-drive, about 11 mi west of Wanpingkou | About 40 min each way |
| Fulaishan, Ju County | Coach or car to Ju County, then local taxi | 2 h+ |
Sleep
- Wanpingkou / Shanhaitian resort strip
- Beachfront hotels and apartments; walk to the sand, quiet out of season, 15–20 min by taxi to the station.
- Dongyi Town area
- Guesthouses around the free recreated town; walkable to the ocean park and the beach, food and shops on site.
- City centre (Donggang, around Wanxianghui and Wanda)
- Cheapest beds, malls and bus lines; 20–30 min by taxi or bus to the beach.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | 你好nǐ hǎo |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxie |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duōshao qián |
| Can I pay by card? | 可以刷卡吗？kěyǐ shuākǎ ma |
| Where is the beach? | 海滩在哪里？hǎitān zài nǎlǐ |
| No MSG, please | 不要味精bú yào wèijīng |
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
- The coast is a summer product: outside Jul–Aug many beach facilities, showers and stalls are closed or unstaffed.
- Rizhao Shanzihe airport handles domestic routes only; international arrivals come through Qingdao.
- Two railway stations: high-speed trains stop at Rizhao West in the western suburbs, not the central station — check your ticket before booking a hotel.
- Swim only inside the marked safe zone; there are no lifeguard guarantees outside the patrolled season.
- Beachfront seafood restaurants often price by weight with no menu — agree the total before ordering.
Rizhao is a low-crime city and the usual risks are coastal: strong currents outside the marked swim zone, sunburn, and seafood bills agreed by weight. Keep an eye on your bag on crowded summer beaches.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Rizhao yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Wanpingkou Seaside Scenic Area
- Third Bathing Beach
- Rizhao Seaside National Forest Park
- Dongyi Town
- Sunrise over the East Sea show
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Rizhao, revision 5244712 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5244712
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Rizhao日照
请到这个地址
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Rizhao; your embassy is in Beijing and most consulates-general are in Shanghai or Qingdao (check).
Beach services and some attractions run on summer hours only; confirm before travelling out of season.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/rizhao). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.