Things to do in Hefei
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Hefei
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months overall, with mild temperatures, clearer skies and the most forgiving conditions for parks and Chaohu.
Plum blossom in February and cherry blossom in March at the Botanical Garden, with changeable showery spring weather.
Crayfish season runs roughly May to September, peaking with hot humid summer and the Sunac water park season.
Plum rains from early June into July bring soaking downpours that can disrupt travel and lake boats.
Chaohu crab season and autumn colour at Zipeng and Dashushan, plus the September opera season in the city.
Cold and dry winter, January averages about 3C, with low prices outside Chinese New Year and Bantang springs at their best.
Golden Week in early October is the window to avoid for Sanhe, Mushan Island and every queue in the city.
What's on
- Hefei Spring Festival Cultural Temple Fair Lunar New Year period, late January to early February
Temple fair performances at the City God Temple, with Lu opera, Huangmei opera and folk acts in the old centre.
- Lantern Festival 15th day of Lunar New Year, usually February
Lantern making, riddles and tangyuan close the New Year fortnight, with city events for residents and visitors.
- Luogang Park May Day Festival 1 to 5 May holiday period
Electronic music festival and low altitude experiences at Luogang Park drew province scale crowds in recent years.
- Anhui International Culture and Tourism Festival Mid September
The provincial culture and tourism festival opens in Hefei, with citywide cultural tourism programming.
- Operas Gathering in Anhui, Stars Shining in Hefei From 22 September
A national opera showcase in Hefei, with ticket holder perks at city attractions during the season.
Best things to do in Hefei
Sanhe Ancient Town
A Ming and Qing water town of bluestone lanes and river lanterns, best late in the day on a weekday.
Anhui Museum
The free provincial museum by Swan Lake, with Chu bronzes, Lingjiatan jades and a recreated Hui village street.
Lord Bao Park
A lake park for the incorruptible Judge Bao, with his temple, tomb and the Qingfeng Pavilion viewpoint.
Former Residence of Li Hongzhang
The vast late Qing statesman's household in the middle of the shopping street, with the Huai Army exhibition.
Xiaoyaojin Park
The free lake park on the Three Kingdoms battlefield of Xiaoyao Ford, full of local families and local pride.
Swan Lake
The new civic waterfront by the Grand Theatre, ordinary at noon and the city postcard at dusk when towers light up.
Hechai 1972
A former diesel factory turned free creative quarter of brick halls, exhibitions, cafes and night lighting.
Huaihe Road Pedestrian Street
The old city shopping spine for an evening stroll, snack stalls and the City God Temple market lanes.
Where to stay in Hefei
Swan Lake / Zhengwu District
first visits and couples
The prestige civic core with the museum, the dusk lake walk, malls and the three flagship luxury hotels.
Old centre: Huaihe Road / Sanxiaokou
food and atmosphere
The lived in historic core of parks, pedestrian streets and markets, with two luxury hotels of its own.
Binhu New District
families and Chaohu trips
The planned lakeside district for the Sunac parks and the shortest hops to Sanhe and the Chaohu shore.
Huangshan Road / USTC, Shushan
value and visiting academics
University streets where China's best mid range chains do their most reliable work, close to the metro.
Ningguo Road / Baohe food streets
budget travellers who eat out
Sleep cheap beside the lobster street and Lei Street, with Metro Line 1 and the South Station close by.
Think twice about
- Hefei Railway Station perimeter, Yaohai
A noisy tout and cheap hotel zone with pickpocket risk at festival peaks. Use the station, do not sleep beside it.
- Far Binhu beyond the convention centre
A dead zone at night without a car, with empty avenues and a long taxi ride to any food street. Fine only as a resort base.
- Xinzhan industrial fringe
Large discount hotels stranded among wholesale markets and construction, with nothing walkable for a visitor.
Best restaurants in Hefei
Tongqinglou
Hefei's historic Hui banquet house, for private room sets built around Li Hongzhang hodgepodge and braised dishes.
Lao Xie Lobster
The benchmark crayfish dinner in season, spicy heaped plates with cold noodles for the sauce and beer alongside.
Ningguo Road Lobster Street
A whole street of crayfish houses in summer, where you pick the longest local queue and commit to a preparation.
Luzhou Taitai
The friendly mid range table for a first Anhui home cooking dinner, generous portions without banquet formality.
Grandma's Home
Polished home style cooking inside Yintai mall on the pedestrian street, the reliable first night group dinner.
Shipyard Cafe and Bar
Hefei's long standing expat living room for burgers, Western breakfasts, cold beer and English speaking company.
Luzhou Roast Duck Shop
Hefei's own juicy roast duck in gravy with duck oil sesame cakes, the city's signature cheap and famous lunch.
Lei Street Night Market
An organised Hui styled night market near the South Station, for grazing small plates and crayfish in season.
Outdoor things to do in Hefei
Dashushan Forest Park
Hefei's free forested hill climb, with easy summit roads and steep stepped paths and a full city view on clear days.
Zipeng Mountain National Forest Park
An ancient tree forest park southwest of the city, the quietest landscape in the Hefei orbit and worth the car ride.
Luogang Central Park
A vast park built on the old airport runway, for cycling, kites and big open air events, best explored on rented wheels.
Binhu National Forest Park
Flat shaded wetland cycling on boardwalks and poplar groves where Hefei meets Chaohu, easy and family friendly.
Mushan Island
The boat trip island in Chaohu Lake, with Wenfeng Tower views, temples, a cave and a lake fish lunch.
Zhongmiao Temple
A thousand year old temple at the water's edge on Chaohu, paired with the Hongshizui shoreline for sunset.
Bantang Hot Spring
Historic hot springs in Huizhou style gardens near Chaohu, best on a cold weekday evening after a lake day.
Chaohu Lake Private Car Circuit
A private car day linking Zhongmiao, the Mushan Island boat, Hongshizui sunset and a Bantang soak in one circuit.
Best hotels in Hefei
InterContinental Hefei
The Swan Lake flagship with unobstructed lake views, a short walk from the Anhui Museum.
Grand Hyatt Hefei
The design led Swan Lake luxury hotel by MixC mall, with a rooftop pool and a well regarded club lounge.
Shangri-La Hefei
The old centre luxury pick above Huaihe Road and Xiaoyaojin, trading lake views for street energy and food access.
The Westin Hefei Baohe
A calmer old centre luxury option near Huaihe Road, with strong in house Chinese dining across several restaurants.
Swan Lake Hotel
The locally run lakefront landmark on Dongliu Road, with a pool and banquet culture at half the flagship price.
Pullman Hefei Sunac
The full service Binhu resort hotel by the Sunac parks, right for family park weekends and Chaohu itineraries.
Atour Hotel Hefei USTC Huangshan Road
China's best mid range chain near the science university, calm and reliable with good bedding and bookish spaces.
Ji Hotel (Hefei Ningguo Road Food Street)
A clean, quiet economy chain hotel 200 metres from the Ningguo Road lobster street and close to Metro Line 1.
Is Hefei expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | CN¥250 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | CN¥560 a person |
| Splurge | CN¥1,100 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Anhui Museum: a few days ahead
- Lord Bao Park: a few days ahead
- Former Residence of Li Hongzhang: a few days ahead
- Hefei Sunac Land: a few days ahead
- Hefei Sunac Water Park: a few days ahead
- Mushan Island: a few days ahead
- Bantang Hot Spring: a few days ahead
- Chaohu Lake Private Car Circuit: a few days ahead
- Reserve free museums on WeChat with your ID, one to three days ahead and earlier for holidays. Most close on Mondays.
- Book Tongqinglou private rooms days ahead for weekend evenings.
- In crayfish season, eat on Ningguo Road before 6pm or after 9pm to dodge the main queue.
- Book Swan Lake luxury hotels early around conferences, May Day and National Day weeks.
Is Hefei safe?
- Traffic is the main hazard. Watch for e bikes on pavements and turning vehicles even on a green light.
- Summer heat and plum rain punish midday hiking. Carry water and start Dashushan early.
- Chaohu boats cancel in wind for safety. Build a second chance into your stay.
- Emergency numbers are 110 for police and 120 for an ambulance. Carry your passport for museums and hotels.
Hefei travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Huaihe Road is a good local shopping street, not a day long sight. Do not schedule a day for it.
- Sanhe and Mushan Island at holiday weekends are far worse than on weekdays. Go midweek if you can.
- Agree boat, car and fish restaurant prices at Chaohu before you sail or sit down.
- Skip any one day bus promising Sanhe, Chaohu and the city together. The geography makes it a windscreen tour.
Getting around Hefei: public transport and more
- Metro Lines 1 to 5 cover all the main areas to stay. Line 3 serves Swan Lake and the Anhui Museum, Line 1 serves Ningguo Road.
- Taxis and Didi are cheap, with most cross town rides under 30 CNY. Show addresses in Chinese characters.
- Hefei South Station is the high speed hub, about an hour to Nanjing and about two hours to Shanghai or Huangshan.
- Xinqiao Airport is 35 to 40 km away. Allow a full hour by car and prefer the train for Nanjing and Shanghai.
Who Hefei suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Hefei your trip
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