Best Sanya & Haikou Tour

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel lobby and then escort you on an hour-long drive to the Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone, the very essence of Hainan’s five major tropical rainforests, hailed as ‘China’s Diamond-Level Rainforest Scenic Area’. Shaded by dense vegetation, the entire scenic area serves as a natural oxygen bar with traces of fresh coolness, making it a wonderful escape from the heat. To make your exploration of this expansive area less strenuous, we’ll include a round-trip cable car for you. As you enter, you’ll be welcomed by warm staff with “Yanoda”, a local greeting that sounds like “one, two, three” in their dialect and means “hello”. Along the snaking wooden plank roads, encounter the tropical rainforest’s wonders, such as ‘buttress roots’ that spread out like wings and protrude above the ground in vertically flattened shapes. At the Adorable Animal Park, get up close to red pandas, zebras, raccoons, and porcupines. Walking through the Happiness Skywalk, you’ll behold the Chinese Parasol Pavilion decorated with hand-woven grass wind chimes. The unique totem painted on the chimes is “Hercules”, the guardian deity of the local Li minority people, comprising a bull head and a frog. Moreover, appreciate a 1,000-plus-year-old banyan tree stretching its wide crown, with roots embracing the central boulder tightly. 

After that, we’ll venture into the Binglanggu Li and Miao Cultural Heritage Park, one of the best destinations to experience local ethnic culture. Take an electric bus to the Intangible Cultural Heritage Village, dotted with unique boat-shaped houses where you can discover how Li ancestors built these windproof and rainproof dwellings with thatch and bamboo. You might also encounter elderly women with traditional facial and body tattoos, quietly weaving brocade. From your guide, you’ll be surprised to learn that in the past, Li girls were tattooed with different patterns before the age of 13 or 14 to avoid marriages between close relatives. Let’s also step into the Cotton Woven Museum, where vivid waxworks recreate the four core techniques of Li brocade - spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidery. When in Ganza Li Village, chat with local elders to learn their special greeting: put your right thumb on your chest and say “bolong”. The Pottery Museum, resembling a gigantic clay distillation apparatus from afar, invites you to learn about the ancient Li pottery-making process, from clay extraction to pottery reinforcement, through illustrations and exhibits. After the visit, your guide and driver will accompany you back to your hotel. 

► Friendly Tip: These scenic areas have a humid climate with wet, slippery ground, so non-slip sneakers are highly recommended. And take precautions against insects before your entrance.

Meal: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Golden Phoenix Sea View Hotel (4 stars) or Hilton Sanya Yalong Bay (5 stars)

No guided activities are scheduled today, so feel free to have some fun at your own pace.

► Recommended Free-time Activities (at your own expense):
Wake up naturally in the morning, enjoy a hearty breakfast, and then change into your swimsuit to relax with a swim in the hotel pool, or just lie on a chaise longue by the poolside to nap or sunbathe. Later, take a stroll along the sandy beach near your hotel. Against the blue sky and fluffy white clouds, the sea water shimmers beautifully, transitioning from Tiffany blue to deep azure. After dark, immerse yourself in the lively local nightlife. Take a short 15-minute taxi ride to Yalong   Bay Night Market or Yiheng Night Market, where a wide range of signature food awaits your exploration, such as soft, sweet coconut rice, fresh coconut milk herbal dessert, and succulent grilled seafood. Both sides of the surrounding streets teem with stalls selling coconut and seashell carvings.

Meal: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Golden Phoenix Sea View Hotel (4 stars) or Hilton Sanya Yalong Bay (5 stars)

This morning is still yours to spend however you wish. As your hotel is close to the beautiful beach, why not admire a spectacular seaside sunrise if weather permits? A stretch of coconut palms rustles gently in the breeze, with one or two seagulls gliding low above the calm ocean. Suddenly, the bright sun breaks free from the horizon, casting countless golden rays across the water and bringing a vibrant new day.

In the afternoon, your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel to Sanya Railway Station for a 1.5-to-3-hour train ride to Haikou, the slow-paced provincial capital of Hainan Island. Riding on the world’s first round-island high-speed railway at 350 km/h (217 mph) makes you feel like you’re skimming over the sea, with frequent glimpses of the South China Sea’s azure waves, silver beaches, and coconut-fringed shores along the way. Upon arrival, your Haikou local guide and driver will greet you at the train station and escort you to your hotel. Rest well! 

Meal: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Wyndham Garden Haikou Meilan (4 stars) or Hilton Haikou Hotel (5 stars)

After breakfast, your guide and driver will greet you at your hotel lobby and then accompany you on a 50-minute ride to the Leiqiong UNESCO Global Geopark, China’s only tropical urban volcanic cluster geopark. Follow the scenic path surrounded by lush tropical greenery to behold the basalt landscapes and ancient lava flows formed by volcanic eruptions. At the Volcano Science Museum, get a rudimentary knowledge of volcanology through vivid 3D models. Hike up to the Saddle-Shaped Crater, one of the world’s best-preserved extinct craters and the highest point in Haikou, for a 360-degree bird’s-eye view of the Qiongzhou Strait and the entire city.  Explore a spectacular underground lava tunnel: the beauty of lava waterfalls and coral-like formations is further enhanced by colorful lighting, like an alien world straight out of a sci-fi movie. Sunshine slanting through the natural skylight casts breathtaking Tyndall beams, ideal for snapping the most atmospheric photos of your trip. Also, under the ancient banyan trees  whose dense canopy blots out the sky, stroll, enjoy the cool, and appreciate how they beautifully set against the volcanic rocks. 

Afterward, let’s dive into the Hainan Museum, a national‑level museum that focuses on the tropical island’s unique geography, history, and maritime culture. Here, you’ll witness the replica of the “Huaguang Reef No.1” Shipwreck, an 800-year-old merchant ship that once sailed on the Maritime Silk Road, fully loaded with porcelain products like powder boxes and Persian wine jugs. Have a closer look at arguably the museum’s greatest treasure, the Gold-Inlaid Bronze Sword, an imperial blade adorned with gold-inlaid inscriptions in a sinuous script integrated with bird-shaped motifs. It’s hard to imagine that the sword-making craftsmanship more than 2,400 years ago was already incredibly advanced. 

We’ll then wander through the Qilou Old Street, a living reminder of Haikou’s modern history. It has long been noted for its arcaded buildings blending traditional Chinese and Southeast Asian designs, most of which were built in the early 19th century. Shuttling through the  distinctive lanes, you’ll hear vendors hawking authentic local snacks, see the elderly playing chess, pass by the jingling e-bikes, and soak up the vibrant yet relaxed atmosphere of local life.

To conclude your day, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel. You’re also welcome to stay longer on your own in Qilou Old Street to have dinner, enjoy the lively nightlife, and finally take a 10-15-minute taxi ride back to your hotel by yourself. If you’d like, your guide will be happy to offer you some genuine suggestions.

Meal: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Wyndham Garden Haikou Meilan (4 stars) or Hilton Haikou Hotel (5 stars)

Today marks the end of your 6-day best Sanya tour with Haikou. Your guide and driver will see you off at Haikou Meilan International Airport. Thank you for travelling with us! Should you like to explore more highlights in Sanya, such as the Tianya Haijiao Scenic Area and Nanshan Temple, please contact us at any time for an exclusive trip tailored to your interests.

Meal: Western buffet breakfast