A six-day exploration of Wuhan in Hubei province

Transit passengers from 53 countries, including the United States, Canada and all EU countries, can spend up to 144 hours in Wuhan, the capital of Central China’s Hubei province, without a visa. This visa-free policy allows travelers with visas and plane tickets to a third country to visit the city while stopping over at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport. The information below provides a suggested itinerary for a 6-day trip in the city.

Wuhan is an important industrial city and national transportation hub. It is in Wuhan that the Yangtze River meets its largest tributary, the Hanjiang River, which divides the city in into the three areas of Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang. With water accounting for a quarter of its total area, the city is renowned for a large number of lakes, including Donghu Lake, the largest lake inside a city in China.

Wuhan boasts developed transportation connections, able to reach cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong by train within five hours. It’s also the only city in Central China with direct flight routes to countries in Asia, Oceania, Europe and North America.

As one of the birthplaces of Chu culture and dating back 3,000 years, Wuhan is a historic and cultural city. There are three national 5A-rated tourist attractions – the Yellow Crane Tower, Donghu Ecological Scenic Spot, and Mulan Cultural and Ecological Scenic Spot. An ideal place to see flower blossoms, other tourism highlights in the city include Wuhan Open, one of top three tennis competitions in China; Wuhan Happy Valley, and Wuhan Polar Ocean World.

Day One Must-see scenic spots around Wuchang

The Yellow Crane Tower is one of Wuhan city’s most easily recognizable monuments.

Initially built during the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-280), Yellow Crane Tower is one of three famous towers along the Yangtze River. The tower was damaged and repaired many times in the long history of the feudal dynasties in ancient China and was destroyed in a fire in 1884. The existing tower was rebuilt on the remaining site in 1985. From the top visitors can see the breathtaking scenery of Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge and the downtown.

Address: 1 northern slope of Sheshan Mountain, Wuchang district, Wuhan
Opening hours: 8:00-18:00 (April 1 – Oct 31)
8:00-17:00 (Nov 1 – March 31)
Ticket price: 70 yuan ($10.20)
Free admission for children under 1.2 meters or under 6 years old and visitors over 65 years old with valid identification
Half price for children between 6 and 18 years old, visitors between 60 and 65 years old and full-time students with valid indentification

Hubuxiang Lane
After visiting the Yellow Crane Tower, enjoy some food in Hubuxiang Lane, a famous traditional snack food street in Wuhan that is within walking distance of the tower.

The 150-meter-long alley dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Almost all local snack food can be found there, including hot dry noodles and Wang Family’s wonton. For more local food information, refer to the food recommendations at the end of the article.

Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge

After glutting yourselves with delicacies, it’s time to have a walk along the nearby Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge.

The first bridge for both vehicles and trains built after the founding of New China and the first bridge crossing the Yangtze River, there is a giant landscape-viewing platform besides the bridge where you can get the best view of China’s longest river.