Self-Driving in Dalian: A 4-Day Travel Guide to Unlock Dalian

The romance of Dalian shines in every corner of the streets! I fell in love with this city from the very first encounter many years ago! The gentle sea breeze, the distinctive architecture, the comfortable temperature... When these elements collided on that leisurely afternoon, 'Dalian' became unforgettable!

Three years have passed since my last trip to Dalian. Time has sharpened the city’s identity. This coastal city at the southern tip of the Liaodong Peninsula is truly a tourist destination. Beyond the dense clusters of attractions on the map, perhaps every street you casually walk through is a spot where countless young people have checked in. Do you want to find your street this July, when everything is just right?

Convenient transportation is especially important when traveling. As expected of a tourist coastal city, even the subway has tourist special trains. The short six-carriage train covers many of Dalian’s features, with six themes: 'Romantic Bay', 'Leisurely Mountain Scenery', 'Characteristic Architecture', 'Fresh Flavors', 'Culture and Art', and 'Building Dreams by the Sea'. From a small snapshot, you can see many dimensions of content, giving passengers a delightful surprise. If you want to experience it, you can check the special train schedule in advance on the 'Dalian Release' official account.

However, self-driving is still the most convenient way to travel in my opinion, especially in a city like Dalian that is full of attractions. From the moment you pick up the car at the airport, you can drive to every stop you want to visit! Not only does it save the time of hailing a car or waiting for a taxi along the way, but it also saves the effort of carrying luggage around!

Dalian has a huge number of free attractions. On this trip, only the Zoo and Shengya Ocean World charged admission; all other places were free. Driving to these places is very convenient, with dedicated parking lots nearby. Most charge per entry, 10 yuan each time. Some charge by the hour, 6 or 10 yuan per hour. For those that charge by time, you can also pay a flat fee that caps the price, perhaps 15 yuan. For example, at the entrance of Shengya Ocean World, the hourly rate is 10 yuan, but the attendant asked if I wanted to pay 15 yuan for unlimited time. Since I wasn’t sure how long I’d stay, I naturally chose the unlimited option...

Regarding the self-driving itinerary:

Dalian Forest Zoo — Shuting Cave Western Restaurant — near Xinghai Square / Xinghai Bay / Heishijiao

Bingshan Huigu — Shengya Ocean World — Fuguo Park Night View — Xi'an Road Changxingli Food Street

Botanical Garden — Wanghai Street — Nanshan Street — Qiqi Street — Western Suburbs Tourist Resort

Daheishi Wangyu Mountain — Return trip

Detailed itinerary and attractions:

Taking an early flight to have a fresh encounter with Dalian, after the routine arrival checks, the reserved car was waiting eagerly outside the airport for my arrival~

How could you come to Dalian without visiting the Dalian Forest Zoo? The first stop is this zoo in the forest, and the forest grows by the sea! Imagine how beautiful that sounds.

The Forest Zoo has a South Gate and a North Gate. The entire park is huge, and the two gates are connected. However, you can only park your car in the parking lot, which charges 10 yuan per entry. I searched the map and navigated directly to the North Gate. If you enter from the North Gate, the main attraction there is the elephant show.

Continuing from the North Gate toward the South Gate by car, you can pass by the Lianhua Mountain Observation Deck. If you drive, you don’t have to walk up those steps; you can drive another 100 meters up to a small train platform, which is also where you reach the deck. There you can take the small train for 60 yuan per person to reach the Lianhua Mountain Observation Deck, where you can see the cityscape of Dalian. If you’re lucky, you might even encounter deer. 'Feeding deer along Binhai Road' is a special feature here!

This beautiful coastal city is full of scenery everywhere: scattered buildings, a graceful coastline, the magnificent Xinghai Bay Bridge. When this scene appeared before my eyes again, I fell in love with this city once more!

Compared to the North Gate, the South Gate of the zoo is more popular among tourists. Many amusement facilities and the Ferris wheel are here. At the entrance, hundreds of pigeons greet you—the first welcome of the zoo. Feeding them, taking photos, adding fun to the trip.

Buy a ticket and enter the park. The park is very large. You can take the Ferris wheel and other amusement facilities here. I think kids would love this the most. The flamingos at the entrance also attracted many visitors to watch.

The Panda Pavilion is the first large exhibition hall after entering from the South Gate. You can get up close to see the adorable national treasure and learn about giant pandas. Walking around, the pavilion is not very large. It might be because the weather is too hot; the giant panda was lazy, lying under the tree and not coming out. It was my first time seeing this kind of red panda—I found it very cute, a bit like a raccoon.

Continuing further inside, I recommend taking the sightseeing car for 20 yuan per person. It saves a lot of walking energy and allows you to learn about the animals with the guide’s commentary. Sitting in the car and watching the animals is a truly pleasant experience!

Large herds are the biggest highlight of the Dalian Forest Zoo. The park raises and displays more than 80 zebras, over 50 Siberian tigers, and 22 species of primates totaling more than 300 individuals. If you have children, you can interact closely with the small animals in the free-range area. If you’re not in a hurry, you can spend a whole day here, strolling leisurely and enjoying the seaside scenery...

Tree Listening Cave Western Restaurant—just the name sounds very artistic! After getting tired from walking around the zoo, check out this nearby internet-famous restaurant! The white house is built on a hillside, with a fresh and elegant decoration style that I really like!

It’s famous for the alpacas in the backyard. Two cute little animals are the restaurant’s signature. I ordered the special set meal recommended by the owner. While waiting for the food, you can play with the alpacas. The carrots prepared by the owner are probably their favorite; their eyes light up when they see the food... So cute!

I thought the alpacas were their biggest feature, so I didn’t have high expectations for the food. But in fact, the owner makes very American-style Western cuisine, and the taste is excellent—really worth a visit!

I think Dalian must have many more such artistic places. Spend a leisurely afternoon around Xinghai Square, take in the bustling city scenery, and feel the cool sea breeze! If it were April or May, I think you might even see the long-awaited glowing sea at Xinghai Bay and Heishijiao... Next time! Leave a loose end to have a better excuse to come again.

Bingshan Huigu (Iceberg Smart Valley)—a place whose name evokes infinite imagination.

The park is transformed from an old factory area. The abandoned industrial warehouses and foundry workshops have been renovated to create this vibrant cultural and creative park.

The revived industrial park is exquisitely hidden in the bustling heart of the city! The noisy machinery and strong paint smell have long disappeared from that era, but the walls still hold stories from the last century. Art districts, handicraft shops, and exhibition halls gather here. There are about 20 shops of various sizes, similar to Beijing’s 798.

Bear Cave Street is a very distinctive cultural street in Bingshan Huigu. Many restaurants are integrated into the street. The most striking feature is this impressive polar bear—Beibei! It is said that Beijing Universal Studios has Megatron, and Dalian Bingshan Huigu has Beibei... a 6-meter-high, 25-ton intelligent mecha-style giant bear that can move and interact with people... But why didn’t it open its eyes when I went...

Shengya Ocean World is an open scenic area located on the west side of Xinghai Square, inside Xinghai Park, facing the sea and adjacent to the largest pier in Northeast China. It is divided into Shengya Ocean World, Shengya Polar World, Shengya Coral World, and Deep Sea Legend... It is also known as the most romantic ocean scenic area in China.

You can visit according to the performance schedule. The Arctic wolf is the first animal at the entrance of Polar World. Behind a small transparent glass are snow-white, lazy Arctic wolves, then cute Arctic foxes, adorable polar bears, and nearby sea lions and seals playing in the water...

Penguins are truly silly and cute animals. Their two wings stretched back for balance made me inexplicably think of 'Luffy running'! Seeing their waddling, clumsy walking, it’s hard to imagine they are also known as 'ships of the ocean'—ancient swimming birds. They can reach speeds of 25-30 km/h and swim 160 km a day. Although they walk clumsily on land, in the water, their short wings become powerful paddles!

After watching the cute penguins, go upstairs through the time slope to see the 'Legend of the Beluga' performance. The show opens with a beautiful story background, and the harmonious cooperation between humans and belugas creates scenes of pure beauty—no wonder this is called the most romantic aquarium!

Besides 'Legend of the Beluga', the Polar World venue also features the 'Kung Fu Walrus' performance, which is eye-catching and more popular with kids. The whole show is full of fun and laughter! If 'Legend of the Beluga' is given a label of romance and beauty, then 'Kung Fu Walrus' is lively and interesting! Don’t forget that sea lions are also popular performance stars. Greetings, asking for applause, balancing balls... one after another.

In the Ocean World venue, there is the 'Dolphin Bay Lovers' performance. The performance venue opens 20 minutes in advance. The show begins with a mermaid world as the opening, drawing us into her world, followed by the dolphin’s entrance...

A series of performances and interactions drew rounds of applause, and finally, a high leap brought the whole show to its climax, presenting the dolphin’s most beautiful leap. I quickly snapped a few photos, my heart leaping and gasping with its rhythm!

The Coral World is a purely exhibition hall, a coral-themed marine life museum that gathers over 100 species and more than 1,000 coral reef biological groups from around the world. Using world-class living coral life-support technology, it vividly presents living corals before our eyes, allowing us to understand the coral ecosystem in the ocean.

'Shengya Deep Sea Legend' is not a traditional aquarium; there are no marine animals or animal performances inside. This is a venue newly developed by Shengya Ocean World in 2012, a high-tech experience hall with a deep-sea theme.

It is divided into two parts: a mysterious and thrilling deep-sea experience area and a spectacular, stunning super-IMAX dome theater area. Using multimedia technology combined with sound, light, and electrical simulation, it creates a grand visual feast for us! Shengya Ocean World, with its many 'firsts' and the title of the most romantic aquarium, opened a new voyage of undersea exploration for me.

I heard that Fuguo Park offers a night view of the whole Dalian, so I went there. Many people online said it takes 20 minutes to climb up. I don’t know if I was too slow, but it felt like I climbed for a long time to reach the top. Indeed, you can see the night view of Dalian. I recommend ordinary tourists to climb up before dark. Overlooking the neon-lit city from above is itself an enjoyment!

But for those with drones, it’s better to just fly the drone directly; the shooting angles will be more varied. Dalian’s night scenery is really beautiful! The orderly arrangement of tall buildings is an essential element of urban scenery!

Coming down from the mountain, drive to Xi’an Road Changxingli Food Street to experience the bustling night market atmosphere and deeply feel the happiness of Dalian locals! Beauty and food are not to be missed!

The antique-style decoration combined with modern style, various north-south specialty snack shops are basically non-repetitive. You can eat and buy anything randomly and rarely get disappointed! A must-visit snack street in Dalian...

Dalian Botanical Garden was built in 1920, 102 years ago. Over the long century, the botanical garden has witnessed Dalian’s development! The botanical garden is also known as the outdoor paradise of Zhongshan District. From a bird’s-eye view, the lush green vegetation surrounds the Yingsong Pond inside the garden. You can imagine how good the air quality is here.

Over 300 plant species isolate the hustle and bustle of the city. Pavilions, towers, small bridges, flowing water—the natural beauty is everywhere. The park is mostly used by nearby residents for strolling and relaxation. Walk around Yingsong Pond, breathe in Dalian’s fresh air. Under the shade of trees, Dalian’s temperature is very pleasant, the summer sun recedes, and a cool breeze blows gently. The mood also relaxes...

Wanghai Street at the entrance of the Botanical Garden must have been very busy last month, with a sea of blooming roses on the walls attracting many girls! The people living on this street must value the quality of life, turning daily life into poetry—I wonder if that describes them. Traveling in Dalian should be casual; the wall covered with climbing vines is like a human oil painting!

Qiqi Street intersects with Nanshan Street. The whole street is not long, flanked by various beautiful old buildings, mostly Japanese-European mixed style. These were originally provided for Japanese residents during early Japanese colonization, and they still retain their original appearance today!

Some say that to tell if a city is ancient, just look at its buildings and trees. In an era of constant renewal of old buildings, Qiqi Street and Nanshan Street have been fortunately preserved. From a drone’s perspective, you can more intuitively see the changes between old and new times.

There are also many artistic cafes and restaurants on the street. Take photos, wander around, and if you like a place, sit down. Such an afternoon should be given to Dalian, letting the travel pace slow down and enjoy leisure at every street corner.

If you have time, you can visit the Western Suburbs Tourist Resort, which is also the Western Suburbs National Forest Park, a free 4A scenic area with mountains, water, and lush trees. On a free weekend, you can come here to set up a tent.

I navigated to the Western Suburbs National Forest Park, but the location wasn’t accurate. After arriving at the destination, I had to drive further ahead to reach the main entrance of the scenic area. It’s probably because the area is huge. Fortunately, I came by car. Actually, you can directly navigate to Tangli Lake for a more precise destination.

Along the wooden boardwalk, you can enjoy the beautiful lake view, with colorful flowers blooming by the lake in succession. The Xishan windmill stands quietly in the lake. Actually, this is Daxi Mountain Reservoir, which is also the water reservoir for Dalian citizens. Driving further inside is the essence of the scenic spot!

Mountain views, water colors, flower seas, waterfalls... all natural scenery is available. Escape the hustle and bustle, and give your mood a vacation! Then let the summer sunset collide with the reservoir!

Follow your heart and wander freely. Before leaving, go to the seaside again. Daheishi Wangyu Mountain was my last stop in Dalian. The clean beach had almost no tourists, feeling like an undeveloped blue sea. The sunlight sparkled on the sea like broken diamonds!

Because it is still the fishing moratorium, many boats were anchored on the sea. From a distance, they looked poised for action! Occasionally, jet skis sped across the sea surface, probably some tourists who couldn’t resist seeking excitement on the sea!

Wandering further along, I occasionally found large areas of rocks covered with small oysters and snails. I just squatted there quietly watching the sea creatures for half an hour...

Actually, before, you could drive directly up the mountain here without walking. But now cars are not allowed in, so I didn’t go further. Inside, there seemed to be a wedding photo base, with boardwalks and props suitable for portraits. If you could catch a sunset, it must be very beautiful!

The slightly rushed trip ended quickly! Dalian has so many beautiful places... I inevitably leave some places unvisited, but the last thing travel fears is regret, because it is an invitation for the next trip!