Itinerary · China
How Many Days in Yantai? A 3-Night, 4-Day Route
Yantai in 3 nights and 4 days, day by day: Zhifu old town, Tashan and the Route 17 coast, Penglai Pavilion and a boat to Changdao, plus a 3-day version.
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The big picture: two days in town, one in Penglai, one on the islands
The guide suggests 3 to 4 days in Yantai, plus 2-3 days on the islands if you want to see Changdao fully. This route follows the guide's 4-day plan as 3 nights and 4 days: the Zhifu old town on day 1, Tashan and the east coast on day 2, Penglai Pavilion on day 3 and a boat to Changdao on day 4. A 2-night, 3-day version that stops after day 3 is included for shorter trips.
Yantai is a port city on the northern coast of the Shandong Peninsula, with 1,071 km of coastline. In town, the key is the 1 CNY Route 17 coastal sightseeing bus plus walking. Penglai and Changdao each get a day of their own, and because the airport is also in Penglai District, the guide's last day flows from Changdao back to Penglai and on to the airport.
Day 1: Airport → Zhifu Bay Square → Chaoyang Street → Yantai Hill → Suochengli
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, walk 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.
Yantai Hill is a headland surrounded by sea on three sides, described as having Asia's most complete surviving group of early-modern consulate buildings, with a lighthouse, the seaside Relang Pavilion and a sea-view terrace. Admission was free as of October 2026. Suochengli, more than 600 years old, has grey-brick lanes, and 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, and Spanish mackerel dumplings.
Day 2: Tashan → the Route 17 coast → the Moon Bay seal park
In the morning, climb Tashan, the ridge along the south side of Zhifu. The classic route from the main gate past Taiping Nunnery and Guanyin Peak to the Sanhe Pagoda is about 3.5 km and about an hour up, with a cable car down in about 10 minutes. Views take in Zhifu Bay and the city. Some side trails have no railings and weak phone signal, so stay on the main paths with company and do not climb after rain or in thunderstorms. Check the cable car's operating hours in advance.
In the afternoon, 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, and combining Route 17 with walking works well. At the East Battery seal bay eco-park next to Moon Bay, feeding spotted seals costs 30 CNY (a plate of fish included), and the Yellow Sea Pearl pier is on the same route. The wide sand of No. 1 Bathing Beach is also a good place to watch the sunrise.
Make dinner 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. Instead of the coast, you could visit Yangma Island, called the 'Hawaii of the East'. Its 'jelly sea' looks best on sunny days at high tide and there is no admission fee, but traffic controls may apply on the island during holidays.
Day 3: Penglai Pavilion and the Qiushan wineries
On day 3, head to Penglai, where the airport is. Penglai Station is one of Yantai's high-speed rail stations, but check the official information before you go for how to get to Penglai from the city and how long it takes.
The Penglai Pavilion scenic area is a seaside landmark linked to the legend of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea. Walk the old city wall above the sea, pass the Danya Xianjing archway, then ride the cross-sea cable car and follow the Baxian Guilai boardwalk on Old Beishan for clear-water views. An admission ticket is required (the small animal park inside is free); check official information for prices and hours.
In autumn, stop at a winery in the Qiushan valley. Zhifu is described as the starting point of China's wine industry, after a wine company opened on Damalu street in 1892, and the Qiushan valley has wineries in many architectural styles. Hiking Qiushan is free; winery visits are charged and booking ahead is recommended. Autumn also brings grape picking and wine-making experiences. Staying this night in Penglai makes it easy to reach Pengchang Passenger Port the next day.
Day 4: A boat to Changdao, and a shorter 2-night version
On the last day, take a boat from Pengchang Passenger Port in Penglai to Changdao. The islands can only be reached by boat; the crossing takes about 45 minutes and a regular passenger boat is 45 CNY one way. Services can stop in strong wind or thick fog, so check the forecast and boat times before you go, and bring your passport because IDs are checked when boarding. Non-local vehicles cannot go onto the islands and must use the port car park.
Changdao is 151 islands lined up across the strait where the Yellow Sea meets the Bohai Sea. See Yueya Bay's colourful round pebbles (taking pebbles is not allowed), the sea cliffs and lighthouse sunsets of Jiuzhangya, and Fengshan Linhai, where the S-shaped Yellow Sea-Bohai boundary is visible. The all-area ticket is 129 CNY (Jiuzhangya-Yueya Bay, Wangfujiao, Fengshan Linhai, Xianjingyuan). Afterwards, return to Penglai and go to the airport, or stay a night on the islands.
With 2 nights and 3 days, do days 1-3 of this route and go to the airport, which is in the same Penglai District, after Penglai Pavilion. On the other hand, seeing the main islands of Changdao takes 2-3 days on the islands. With an extra day, you could add a sunset at Housha Square on the western coast, with its glass bridge reaching out over the sea, Kongtong Island off Zhifu (a boat is needed, so book ahead), or the Shimenli scenic area of Kunyu Mountain and the hot springs in Muping District.
Where to stay and getting around town
For a first visit, the Zhifu old town, where Chaoyang Street, Yantai Hill and Suochengli are linked on foot, is the easy choice. For beaches and sunrise, pick the east coast from No. 1 Bathing Beach to Moon Bay; for sunsets, the western coast with the Golden Beach seaside park. Penglai is good for combining Penglai Pavilion, the boat to Changdao and the Qiushan wineries. For this route, nights 1-2 in the Zhifu old town and night 3 in Penglai work well.
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.
- Airport bus: tickets at the counter by Gate 6 in the Terminal 2 arrivals hall; check times and routes with the bus operator's official notice or by phone (400-636-9369)
- Taxi: opposite Gate 7 on the Terminal 2 arrivals level. Have your destination address in Chinese
- Airport information: 0535-6299999
- Boats to the islands: Changdao from Pengchang Passenger Port in Penglai; Kongtong Island off Zhifu also needs a boat, so book ahead
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. A Changdao day trip is 45 CNY each way by regular boat plus the 129 CNY all-area ticket, and seal feeding at Moon Bay is 30 CNY. Check official information for Penglai Pavilion admission, airport bus fares and winery visit fees, and check booking sites for accommodation and food, which vary a lot by date.
The guide names May-June and September-October as good for coastal walks, and July and August as beach season. Winter is cold, so pack warm clothes. In autumn, mornings and evenings are cool and day-night temperature swings are large, so bring a windproof jacket for the seafront. Sights are crowded around National Day (October 1), and Yangma Island may have traffic controls during the holidays. Autumn is also the season for fruit such as Yantai apples and Laiyang pears.
- Visa and entry rules: check official information before you travel
- Admission fees, opening hours and boat times can change: check each sight's and operator's official information
- On your island day, check the forecast before you set out (boats can stop in strong wind or thick fog)
Plan your Yantai trip
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FAQ
How many days do I need in Yantai?
The guide suggests 3 to 4 days. Two days in town, a day in Penglai and a day on Changdao make 3 nights and 4 days; for a shorter trip, skip Changdao and do 2 nights and 3 days. To see Changdao fully, add 2-3 days on the islands.
How do I get from the airport to the city?
Buy an airport bus ticket at the counter by Gate 6 in the Terminal 2 arrivals hall. Lines are listed to Yantai South Station, the Yantai bus terminal and other stops, but times and routes change often, so check the bus operator's official notice or call 400-636-9369. Taxis wait opposite Gate 7 on the arrivals level.
Can I visit Changdao as a day trip?
Yes. The boat from Pengchang Passenger Port takes about 45 minutes, a regular passenger boat is 45 CNY one way and the all-area ticket is 129 CNY. Boats can stop in strong wind or thick fog, so check the forecast and boat times in advance and bring your passport.
When is the best time to go?
May-June and September-October are good for coastal walks, and July and August are beach season. Sights are crowded around National Day (October 1), and winter is cold, so pack warm clothes.
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ⓘ Photo credits
- Forbidden City from Jingshan Park · Pixelflake / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Airport rail platform (Hong Kong Airport Station) · MNXANL / CC BY-SA 4.0
- Coins and banknotes from many countries · Caleidoscopic / CC BY-SA 4.0