Plan your Sanya tour? Sanya is a city in southern Hainan province of China. Covering an area of 1920 square kilometers with 209 kilometers long coastline, Sanya has many natural advantages.
Sanya has bright sunshine, blue water and wide beaches. It attracts many international travelers as can be seen by the many Russian and English signs throughout the city. In recent years Sanya has become a common tourist destination from Hong Kong and other parts of the world.
No. 01: Tianya Haijiao
Tianya Haijiao scenic spot situates at the foot of Xiamaling Mountain in Tianya Town, about 23 km from Sanya City. Tianya Haijiao has unique scenery rarely found anywhere else. Walking into the touring area, your eyes will get caught by a couple of huge high standing caesious rock measuring over 10m high and 60m long.
The four Chinese characters “tianya” and “haijiao” are carved respectively on the two stones, meaning the edge of the whole world and the sea, hence the name “Tianya Haijiao”. Here the seawater and the sky share the same color, with mist-covered sea, sailing boats, coconut trees and grotesque stones together composing a gorgeous picture.
Entrance Fee: CNY 89
Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00
How to get there: take Buses No. 2 or 4 to the terminal, then transfer Taihe Special Tourist Bus to Tianya Haijiao; or take a minibus untitled with “Tianya” or “Nanshan” from the downtown area
Asian Dragon, or Yalong Bay, is situated in the southernmost part of Hainan Province, 25 kilometers away from Sanya.Asian Dragon Bay is different from other bays in Asia.
Opening Hours: 07:30-18:00
How to get there: take the double-decker Special Tourist Bus in the downtown area; or take Bus No. 15 to get there
Sanya Butterfly Valley is located near Longtan Lakes near stunning Yalong Bay of Sanya, the 1000 square meters of Butterfly Valley is filled with vibrant colors butterflies flying around.
In the Butterfly valley, an open air flight cage will ensure that visitors are able to interact closely with butterflies. In the large-scale exhibition hall, there are over 2000 kinds of specimens of butterflies and insects on display, among which the Golden Kaiser is the only classified as state protection butterfly in China.
Opening Hours: 07:30-18:00
How to get there: take Taihe Special Tourist Bus to the Butterfly Valley
Luhuitou Park is located high on a hill overlooking Sanya and provides visitors with sweeping vistas of the city, its surrounding area and the South China Sea.
Inside the Luhuitou Park, there are winding paths, Halley’s comet observation station built on the mountain, white wave-hearing pavilion, red Guanghai kiosk, the lover’s island, and other scenic spots like the Monkey Mountain, Deer House, Hut of Li People, Turtle’s Heaven and the Immortal Pond.
Opening Hours: 07:00-22:00
How to get there: take Bus No. 2 to Luhuitou Station; or take a Special Tourist Bus to get there
Dadonghai is located 3 kilometers southeast of downtown Sanya, between Mt. Tuziwei and Mt. Luhuitou.The beach, surrounded by mountains on three sides, is fringed with rows of coconut trees while crystal clear seawater laps the white sandy beach.
Compared with Yalong Bay and Sanya Bay, the beach is only 10 minutes’ drive from downtown Sanya, so it is the most popular and lively beach in the area.About three or four hundred meters east of the beach, there is a coastal park, where you can stand on a hill and look out over the gorgeous land and seascape.
Entrance Fee: free
Opening Hours: the whole day
How to get there: take Buses No. 2, 4, 102, 202 or 204 to Dadonghai
Wuzhizhou located at Linwan Zhen in Sanya, 2.7 km after the sea off the coast of the village. As the island is in a tropical marine zone, the climate is temperate and pleasant all year round. It is an ideal place for vacation, winter swimming as well as entertainment.
Opening Hours: 08:30-16:00 (get in the island); 09:00-18:00 (get out of the island)
How to get there: take Bus No. 23 to the corner of Wuzhizhou Island, then take a tricycle to the port of Wuzhizhou Island
Embedded in Hainan Province Nantian State Farm and faced with Wuzhizhou Island, Nantian Hot Spring is conveniently in the proximity to Hainan Nanwan Monkey Island, Yalong Bay, Tianyahaijiao, and the highway.
Nantian Hot Spring is abundant in Minerals that is healthily beneficial and therefore developed into a tourism spot filled with tropical atmosphere. The Resort is a 5-star complex incorporating services of hotspring holidays, recreations, health presering, beauty build-up and commerical events. It is a notable hot spring attracting lots of tourists.
Entrance Fee: CNY 198
Opening Hours: 08:00-24:00
How to get there: Nantian Hot Spring faces Wuzhizhou Island across the sea. Take Bus No. 23 to the corner of Wuzhizhou Island, take a tricycle to the port of Wuzhizhou Island, then take a boat to Nantian Hot Spring.
Situated 40 kilometers from Sanya City, Hainan Province, the Nanshan Temple ranks as one of the attractions in the Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone.
With its total floor space of 40,000 sq meters, Nanshan Temple boasts several replicas of Tang Dynasty architecture. The Renwang Gate, the entrance to the temple, has two figures of Buddha standing there as guards.As well, seven Buddhist figures are enshrined in the Doushuai Adytum.
The Maitreya Buddha is in the middle of the Hall with two Bodhisattvas on each side. The temple is part of an area known as the Nanshan Buddhism Cultural Tourism Zone.Entrance Fee: CNY 150
Opening Hours: 08:30-17:00
How to get there: There are Special Tourist Bus from the downtown area to Nanshan Mountain.
No. 09: Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone
The Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone is located 40 kilometers southwest of Sanya City, Hainan Province.
Nanshan Culture Tourism Zone covers an area of 50 square kilometers, and its major sites include Nanshan Temple, an important Buddhist temple, the Gold & Jade Kwanyin (Avalokiteshvara, Goddess of Compassion) Statue, which costs 192 million yuan, and is built with gold, pearls, jade and various gemstones including diamonds, and an 108 meter tall Kwanyin Statue on the South Sea. Other sightseeing options are available.
Entrance Fee: CNY 150
Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00
How to get there: There are Special Tourist Bus from the downtown area to Nanshan Mountain.
Monkey Island is located in the south of Lingshui Li Nationality Autonomous County.
The Monkey Island is home to about 1800 endangered Macaque monkeys whose habitat you get to roam freely through.
Be careful, these monkeys will jump on humans (playful) or attack for sweet drinks or food!There are also some circus-style comedy shows featuring monkeys doing stunts.
Entrance ticket is ¥68 and a round-trip ride on the gondola is another ¥60, but well worth the quiet, long, and smooth ride over gorgeous ocean-top fishing villages and jungle.Entrance Fee: CNY 128
Opening Hours: 08:30-16:30
How to get there: take a Special Tourist Bus from Haikou
Tip: Hassle-free Sanya Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Sanya Guided Tours:
Sanya Cruise Port Day Tour from US$105 p/p
Sanya 5 Day Leisure Tour from US$365 p/p
Sanya Car Rental with driver from US$49
Further Readings
Any questions, just drop a line.
What is a good time to visit Sania?
Hello Ritva Holmstrom，
Well, Sanya doesn’t have distinctive four seasons with the yearly average temperature at 25.5 ℃ and the hottest month is June with average temperature at 28.5 ℃.
For many, winter is the best reason to visit Sanya, keeping from the cold weather in the most part of China. So the high tourism season in Sanya starts from September to Chinese lunar new year ( around February ). It is better to avoid coming to Sanya in the high season and keep from the crowds. Have a good time in Sanya!
Where to play golf ?
Dear Barry J Miley，
As far as I know, there are some good quality golf clubs in Sanya. Please tune to your lodging hotel in Santa for more detailed information on the clubs. thanks!
Hello,
Thank you for this great article, is fishing allowed in Sanya?
Regards
Eric
Dear Eric,
Basically some places are allowed for fishing, some not. Just notice the no-fishing signs. Enjoy your Sanya trip!
Hi,
Finalize the 5 days trip to Sanya. Can you guide us the most attractive places to enjoy in Sanya?
Awaiting your reply, please.