A New Cross-Border Tourist Train Now Links Vladivostok and China

A cross-border tourist train linking Vladivostok in Russia's Far East with Suifenhe in China's Heilongjiang Province entered trial passenger operation on July 17, 2026, with the route extending further to Mudanjiang. It's designed specifically for tourism, integrating sightseeing along the railway rather than functioning as a plain point-to-point transit service.

The launch is part of a broader expansion of Russia-China tourism links this year — mutual tourist flow between the two countries roughly doubled year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, and Russia's tourism ministry has separately proposed new direct flights from China to Kamchatka, Altai and other priority regions.

For travelers already planning a Vladivostok trip, this is a genuinely new option for continuing into northeast China by rail rather than flying or backtracking — worth checking current train schedules and visa requirements before booking, since this is a newly opened route.