Itinerary · China
Yantai in 1 Night, 2 Days: Old Streets and the Coast
Yantai without Penglai or Changdao: Yantai Hill, Chaoyang Street and Suochengli on day 1, then sunrise at No. 1 Bathing Beach and the Route 17 coast.
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The big picture: hill and old streets on day 1, the sea on day 2
The guide suggests 3 to 4 days in Yantai. This route is shorter: 1 night and 2 days in the Zhifu city area and on the east coast, leaving out Penglai and Changdao. On the afternoon of day 1, walk the old streets from Chaoyang Street to Yantai Hill, a headland surrounded by sea on three sides, and on to the 600-year-old Suochengli quarter. On the morning of day 2, watch the sunrise at No. 1 Bathing Beach, then follow the shore to Moon Bay on the Route 17 coastal sightseeing bus.
In town, the key is the 1 CNY Route 17 bus plus walking. The standard plan, with Tashan, Penglai Pavilion and a boat to Changdao, is laid out day by day in the 3-night, 4-day post below, so use that one if you have more time.
Day 1 afternoon: Airport → Zhifu Bay Square and Chaoyang Street → Yantai Hill
Yantai Penglai International Airport (YNT) is in Penglai District. Airport bus tickets are sold at the counter by Gate 6 in the Terminal 2 (T2) arrivals hall, and lines are listed to Yantai South Station, the Yantai bus terminal and other stops. Times and routes change often, so check the bus operator's official notice or call (Yantai bus terminal 400-636-9369). Taxis wait right opposite Gate 7 on the Terminal 2 arrivals level; have your destination address in Chinese.
Once you have dropped your bags, follow the official city-walk route: Zhifu Bay Square → Chaoyang Street → Yantai Hill → Hongkou 1920 historic quarter → Suochengli. It is about 5.3 km and can be walked in full, or add a bus to save energy. Chaoyang Street is a retro street of old buildings filled with shops and cafés.
The highlight of the day is Yantai Hill. This headland, surrounded by sea on three sides, is described as having Asia's most complete surviving group of early-modern consulate buildings. Look out to sea from the seaside Relang Pavilion, the lighthouse and the sea-view terrace. Admission was free as of October 2026, and the path down leads straight into Chaoyang Street.
Day 1 evening: Suochengli's old lanes and a first meal in Zhifu
The walk ends at Suochengli, a historic quarter more than 600 years old, with grey-brick lanes. During holidays, both Chaoyang Street and Suochengli host intangible-heritage markets and street performances.
For dinner, have spoon worm rice (haichang laofan), recommended as your first meal in Zhifu: fresh spoon worm stir-fried with chives and minced pork, poured over rice and mixed. For a snack, try Yantai menzi, starch jelly pan-fried until crisp outside and springy inside, on night-market streets such as Nanhong Street.
Day 2 morning: Sunrise at No. 1 Bathing Beach → Route 17 → the Moon Bay seal park
Get up early on day 2 to watch the sunrise from the wide sand of No. 1 Bathing Beach. In autumn, mornings and evenings are cool and day-night temperature swings are large, so bring a windproof jacket for the seafront.
Then ride the 1 CNY Route 17 bus along the coast. The roughly 18 km shore from No. 1 Bathing Beach past Moon Bay to the seaside parks is officially described as the best stretch of Yantai's coastline; Route 17 stops at many points, so combining the bus with walking works well. The Yellow Sea Pearl pier is on the same route.
At the East Battery seal bay eco-park right next to Moon Bay, you can feed spotted seals. Feeding costs 30 CNY (a plate of fish included).
Route 17 is a double-decker bus that runs about 26.6 km along Binhai Road for 1 CNY, linking 15 sights in Zhifu, Laishan and the Hi-tech Zone. For sea views, sit by a front window on the upper deck. No. 1 Bathing Beach in the city centre slopes gently with small waves and has showers, walkways and rest areas; Penglai has a beach with the same name, so don't mix them up. Golden Beach is the long, fine-sand beach of the Development Zone bathing area (Yantai Culture & Tourism Bureau, checked 13 October 2026).
Day 2 afternoon: Seafood lunch, the airport, and swaps
Make lunch a seafood one. Once the fishing season opens, steamed swimming crab, spicy stir-fried mantis shrimp and garlic-steamed oysters are at their best, and seafood dough-drop soup (geda tang) with clams, shrimp and scallops is warming. Large Spanish mackerel dumplings (bayu shuijiao) are a classic of Jiaodong-style dumplings.
The airport is in Penglai District. Check the official information before you go for how to get there from the city and how long it takes. Airport information: 0535-6299999. If you would rather swap the coast for something else, pick from the list below.
- Clear water: Yangma Island, called the 'Hawaii of the East', has a 'jelly sea' that looks best on sunny days at high tide, and there is no admission fee. Traffic controls may apply on the island during holidays
- Sunset by the sea: on the western coast, the Golden Beach seaside park has large whale sculptures and the sundial-shaped Time Tower (ticketed), and Housha Square, with a glass bridge reaching out over the sea, is a sunset spot. Check the official information before you go for how to get there
- Wine history: Zhifu is described as the starting point of China's wine industry, after a wine company opened on Damalu street in 1892, and it has wine museums with old underground cellars
- City views: from Tashan, the ridge along the south side of Zhifu, you can take in Zhifu Bay and the city. Do not climb after rain or in thunderstorms
Where to spend the night and how to get around
For a first visit, the Zhifu old town, where Chaoyang Street, Yantai Hill and Suochengli are linked on foot, is the easy choice. If the day 2 sunrise and beach walk come first, the east coast from No. 1 Bathing Beach to Moon Bay, suited to beaches, sunrise and seaside walks, is another option. Room prices vary a lot by date, so compare them on booking sites.
In town, Route 17 and the Eight Immortals-themed coastal sightseeing line (1 CNY) plus walking cover most needs. For trains, pick the high-speed rail station closest to where you are going from Yantai, Zhifu, Yantai West, Muping and Penglai, and check times and tickets with official railway information.
Budget, when to go and final checks
The Route 17 coastal sightseeing bus is 1 CNY, seaside spots such as beaches and Yangma Island are free, and Yantai Hill was free as of October 2026. Seal feeding at Moon Bay is 30 CNY. Check official information for airport bus fares, and check booking sites for accommodation and food, which vary a lot by date.
May-June and September-October are good for coastal walks, and July and August are beach season. Winter is cold, so pack warm clothes. Sights are crowded around National Day (October 1), and Yangma Island may have traffic controls during the holidays. In autumn, try seasonal fruit such as Yantai apples and Laiyang pears.
- Visa and entry rules: check official information before you travel
- Admission fees and opening hours can change: check each sight's official information
- Airport bus times and routes: check the bus operator's official notice or call 400-636-9369
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FAQ
Is 1 night and 2 days enough for Yantai?
The guide suggests 3 to 4 days. With 1 night and 2 days, focus on the Zhifu old town and the east coast as in this route, leaving out Penglai and Changdao. To include Penglai Pavilion and Changdao, see the 3-night, 4-day route.
How much is the Route 17 bus, and where does it go?
Route 17 and the Eight Immortals-themed coastal sightseeing line cost 1 CNY and run along Yantai's coastline. For the roughly 18 km coastal route from No. 1 Bathing Beach past Moon Bay, combine the bus with walking.
Where is a good place to watch the sunrise?
The wide sand of No. 1 Bathing Beach. In autumn, mornings and evenings are cool and day-night temperature swings are large, so bring a windproof jacket.
Is there an admission fee for Yantai Hill?
Admission was free as of October 2026. The hill has the Relang Pavilion, a lighthouse and a sea-view terrace, and the path down leads straight into Chaoyang Street. Entry conditions can change, so check official information.
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ⓘ Photo credits
- Penglai Pavilion's old wall and towers · Chrishcn / CC BY 2.0
- Coast of South Changshan Island, Changdao · Ngguls / CC BY-SA 4.0