Getting Around Wanning
Wanning is a county-level city on the southeast coast of Hainan Province, and although it is called a "city," the name refers both to the urban county seat and to the wider county area as a whole. For a visitor, that matters: the built-up center, the railway stations, and the coastal resort areas are spread out, so it helps to think about which part of Wanning you are heading to before you choose how to travel. Tourism is central to the local economy, and the city is known for its tropical scenery, with several five-star hotels and the beach lying roughly half an hour's drive from Wanning proper.
Rail: The Backbone of Intercity Travel
Wanning is served by the Hainan East Ring Intercity Rail, which is the most useful way to arrive from elsewhere on the island and to move between the city's two stations.
- Wanning Railway Station (万宁站) on Jianshe North Road is the main station. Unusually for Hainan, it sits very close to the city center, which makes it convenient if you are staying in town.
- Shenzhou Railway Station (神州站) on National Highway 98 in Liji Town is closer to Xinglong and the coastal resort areas, but train services there are less frequent than at Wanning Station.
Because the two stations serve different parts of the city, pick the one nearest your accommodation when booking. There is no metro or tram network in Wanning; the intercity rail is the rail option, and local movement is handled by road transport.
Buses and Other Public Transport
Practically all tourist destinations in the city can be reached by public bus, which makes the bus network a workable choice for sightseeing on a budget. The catch is frequency: Wanning is a small city, so buses do not run as often as they do in Haikou or Sanya. Some services run only once every 40 to 60 minutes, and some operate just a few times a day. Plan around the timetable rather than assuming a bus will appear shortly, and allow extra time when returning from outlying spots.
For longer journeys, the city has two main bus stations:
- Wanning Bus Station (万宁车站) on Wanzhou Avenue, with services to most major towns and cities on the island.
- Xinglong Bus Station (兴隆车站) on Xinchezhan Road, which mainly serves Haikou and Sanya.
Bus services also link Sanya to Wanning's coastal resort areas, including Riyue Bay and Shimei Bay. Note that these resort areas have no formal bus stations, so if you want to return the same way, you will need to hail a bus from the side of the road.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are available in Wanning, and motorized pedicabs are another local option for short trips around town. These are handy for covering the gap between a bus stop or station and your hotel, or for reaching the beach and resort areas where bus service is thin. As with any small city, it is worth agreeing on the fare or confirming the meter before you set off.
Walkability
Wanning proper is a compact city, and its main railway station is unusually close to the center, so the core of town is reasonably walkable for everyday needs. The wider county, however, is not: the beach is about half an hour away by road, and the coastal resort areas and Xinglong are separate destinations best reached by bus, taxi, or pedicab rather than on foot.
Getting There from the Airport
Wanning has no airport of its own, so you will arrive via one of the island's other airports.
- Qionghai-Bo'ao Airport in Qionghai is the closest airport. From there, take a bus or taxi to Qionghai Railway Station and transfer to a train heading to Wanning. This airport is small, though, so flight options are limited.
- Haikou and Sanya are generally the easier choices for flights. Both airports have their own railway stations with direct train services to Wanning, which means you can step off your flight and onto an intercity train without a separate transfer.
Whichever airport you use, the train is the simplest way into Wanning. Once you arrive, decide between Wanning Railway Station for the city center and Shenzhou Railway Station for Xinglong and the coastal resorts, then use buses, taxis, or pedicabs for the final leg.