Metro Line 2
Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport (DLC) has its own Line 2 station (Airport), running into the city via Zhongshan Square and People's Square. Change to Line 1 for Xinghai Square.
Korean MOFA travel advisory: Your destination: Level 1 (exercise caution) · some areas of the country have advisories
Elsewhere in the country: Level 1 (exercise caution) — some regions: Special advisory: Tibet, Xinjiang Uyghur AR / L1: rest of the country
checked 2026-10-01 · Details ↗ This is the Korean government’s advisory — also check your own government’s travel advice.
Dalian Travel Guide
A port city at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula, with sea on three sides and a climate officially described as free of severe cold in winter and scorching heat in summer — mild for China's northeast. Walk its coastal roads, vast squares and early-20th-century streets, and feast on seafood such as sea urchin dumplings. Nearby Lüshun holds the former prison where Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun died, making it a meaningful history trip too.
Plan your Dalian trip
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- Currency
- CNY (¥)
- Power & plugs
- 220V · Type A/C/I
- Driving side
- Right
- Tipping
- Not expected
- Local language
- 中文(简体)
- How long to stay
- 3 to 4 days
Emergency numbers
When to go
Late spring to early summer and autumn are pleasant for seaside walks. July and August are the hottest months with busy beaches, and typhoons occasionally reach the area (one made landfall in Dalian in September 2022). January and February drop below freezing with a cold sea wind. National Day week (around October 1) is very crowded.
Airport to the city
Taxi
With heavy luggage or a late arrival, take a metered taxi from the airport taxi rank. Have your hotel address in Chinese.
Getting around
Metro
Useful lines: Line 1 (Xinghai Square, Dalian North Station), Line 2 (airport, Zhongshan Square), Line 3 (Dalian Station to Jinshitan) and Line 12 (Hekou to Lüshun). Fares are distance-based, from 2 CNY for up to 6 km.
Paying for the metro
Single-journey tickets are sold at stations. The operator also lists app QR codes, phone NFC and linked bank cards, but check before you travel whether these work for foreign visitors.
High-speed rail
Dalian North Station is the southern terminus of the Harbin-Dalian high-speed line and is on Metro Line 1. Central Dalian Station handles both high-speed and conventional trains.
Taxi
Taxis are metered. Showing your destination in Chinese helps, and they are handy for hopping between coastal sights.
Where to stay
Zhongshan Square and Dalian Station
Good for: First visit, transport, historic architecture
The downtown core, with early-20th-century buildings ringing a circular square. Metro Lines 2 and 3 and Dalian Station are close by.
Around Xinghai Square
Good for: Seaside walks, modern district
Centered on a huge seafront square, on Metro Line 1 and a good base for the coastal road.
Around Russian Style Street
Good for: Historic street walks, souvenirs
Near a roughly 500 m pedestrian street lined with Russian-era buildings, pleasant in the evening too.
Lüshun
Good for: Historic sites, museums
At the far southwestern tip, reached by changing from Metro Line 1 to Line 12 at Hekou. Most people visit as a day trip.
Jinshitan
Good for: Beaches, natural scenery
A coastal resort area to the northeast, reachable by Metro Line 3 from Dalian Station but far from the center.
Map of stays in Dalian
Compare prices from many booking sites on the map
Search stays in Dalian in the appMap & prices: Stay22 — you book on each site
Top sights
Xinghai Square
A seafront square described as the largest city square in Asia. Lovely for a sunset stroll.
Binhai Road (coastal road)
Dalian's signature scenic road along the southern coast, with sea views stretching from Laohutan toward Bangchui Island.
Laohutan Ocean Park
A marine theme park midway along the southern coast, with polar and coral halls and a cable car over the sea. Check official information for hours and fees.
Zhongshan Square historic buildings
A circular plaza about 213 m across, ringed by buildings from the 1900s-1910s and listed as a major national heritage site.
Russian Style Street
A street from the era when Russia began building the city in 1898, with heritage buildings including the former Dalny city hall. Lots of souvenir shops.
Lüshun Russo-Japanese Prison Site Museum (Lüshun Prison)
A prison built by Russia and expanded by Japan, where Ahn Jung-geun was held after shooting Ito Hirobumi in Harbin in 1909 and executed on March 26, 1910. His remains have never been found, and the Korean government is pursuing a search. Individual visitors can now enter without booking by showing valid ID, so bring your passport; check official information for hours and fees.
Lüshun Museum
Opened in 1917, the oldest museum in China's northeast and a national first-grade museum, with Silk Road relics and ancient Chinese art. Check official information for hours and fees.
Jinshitan (Golden Pebble Beach)
A national 5A resort area of rocky coastline and beaches. Take Metro Line 3 and allow a full day.
What to eat
Seafood
Dalian is famous for sea cucumber, abalone and scallops. Where seafood is priced by weight, confirm the unit price and cooking fee before ordering.
Sea urchin dumplings
Boiled dumplings filled with sea urchin, counted among Dalian's signature local foods.
Fried menzi
Cubes of set starch jelly pan-fried and topped with sauce, a classic Dalian street snack; a seafood version also exists.
Seaweed buns (hai ma xian baozi)
Steamed buns filled with a local seaweed, with a fresh taste of the sea.
Dough-drop soup (geda tang)
Little drops of flour dough simmered in broth, listed among Dalian's local specialty foods — warming on a chilly day.
Daily budget (per person)
Budgetabout 300 CNY per day: guesthouse, local food, metro
Mid-rangeabout 600-900 CNY per day: city hotel, seafood restaurants, entry fees
Comfortabout 1,500 CNY+ per day: sea-view upscale hotel, car with driver
Amounts are rough figures in local currency. Check exchange rates before you go.
Sample itinerary
- Day 1
Metro Line 2 into the city, check in, walk around Zhongshan Square's historic buildings, then Russian Style Street with menzi and dumplings in the evening.
- Day 2
Xinghai Square in the morning, then the Binhai Road coast, Laohutan Ocean Park in the afternoon and a seafood dinner.
- Day 3
Metro Lines 1 and 12 to Lüshun for the former prison where Ahn Jung-geun died and the Lüshun Museum, then back to the city.
- Day 4
Jinshitan's beaches in the morning if time allows, souvenirs, then the airport with plenty of time.
Local tips
- In Dalian, UnionPay cards work at merchants with POS terminals, and major places such as the airport, hotels, restaurants and sights also accept Visa, Mastercard and JCB. You can link overseas cards to Alipay and WeChat Pay, so sign up before you go.
- Cash is available from bank exchange counters and ATMs. Carry a little cash in case a payment fails.
- January and February drop below freezing with biting sea winds. Pack a windproof coat and gloves.
- Strong-wind warnings can halt boat services, and typhoons occasionally reach the area. Swim only at designated beaches in lifeguarded zones.
- The Lüshun prison site honors those who suffered there. Visit quietly and have your passport ready for museum entry.
- Lüshun has military facilities. Do not enter or photograph areas marked as military zones, and follow on-site instructions.
- Entry requirements, including visa-free stay rules, can change, so check official Chinese government or embassy information before you travel.
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