# Nanwan Monkey Island, a day trip from Sanya > Nanwan Monkey Island (南湾猴岛) is a macaque reserve on a forested peninsula in Lingshui County, an hour to 90 minutes' drive from Sanya. Entry with the return cable car across the bay costs about ¥154 (unofficial), and it's open daily from roughly 8:00 to 17:00. Allow 2–3 hours on site, half a day with the drive. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/nanwan-monkey-island - City: [Sanya](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya), China - YesGo score: 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 2 h 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Ticket with return cable car: ≈ ¥154 — cable car or ferry both ways included - Children: Under 1.2 m free; 1.2–1.4 m child ticket ≈ ¥77 - Hours: Daily ≈ 8:00–17:00, last entry ≈ 16:30–16:50 - Location: Nanwan peninsula, Xincun town, Lingshui County — outside Sanya - From Sanya: Taxi or DiDi ≈ 1–1.5 h; train to Lingshui station plus taxi; or bus with a change - Cable car: 2,138 m over Xincun harbour — China's longest over-water ropeway - Time needed: 2–3 hours on site, half a day with the drive - Payment: Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to your foreign card, or cash in yuan - Visa: Hainan: 30 days visa-free for 61 countries, including the US, UK and Australia - Coordinates: 18.39805, 109.98094 - Facts checked: 04.11.2026 ## Key facts - **2,138 m** — over-water cable car — the longest of its kind in China (source: English Wikipedia; Travel China Guide) - **≈ 1,500–2,000** — macaques live in the reserve; counts vary between sources (source: Chinese Wikipedia and Travel China Guide (about 1,500); English Wikipedia and China Daily (about 2,000)) - **≈ ¥154** — adult ticket with the return cable car or ferry, unofficial (source: ticket sellers Qunar and dahepiao.com; Travel China Guide gives ¥160) - **1965** — the year the macaque reserve was set up (source: English Wikipedia; Travel China Guide) - **≈ 10 km²** — area of the reserve (source: Chinese Wikipedia (10.2 km²); English Wikipedia (1,000 ha)) - **Peninsula** — despite the name, it isn't an island (source: English Wikipedia; sunnyhainan.com) - **95%+** — of the land is forested (source: Chinese Wikipedia; China Daily) - **猕猴** — rhesus macaques, a second-class protected species in China (source: Chinese Wikipedia; China Daily) - **≈ 54 km** — in a straight line from Jiefang Road in downtown Sanya; further by road (source: YesGo measurement from OpenStreetMap coordinates) - **30 days** — visa-free on Hainan for ordinary passports from 61 countries (source: National Immigration Administration of China) ## Nanwan Monkey Island tickets and prices An adult ticket costs **about ¥154** with Chinese ticket sellers, and it covers park entry plus the crossing both ways — by cable car or by ferry, your choice. Travel China Guide lists ¥160 and other guides quote anything from ¥143 to ¥163. We couldn't open an official price list, so treat the figure as a guide and check at the ticket office. According to ticket sellers, children under 1.2 m go free and children between 1.2 and 1.4 m pay a child fare of roughly half. Seniors and students get discounts, but ask whether they apply to foreign passports. The neighbouring Daidai Island (呆呆岛), with a beach and water sports, is sold separately or as a combo ticket. **Paying.** Most of China pays by phone. Link your Visa or Mastercard to **Alipay** or WeChat Pay before the trip — it covers the ticket, DiDi rides and lunch — and keep some small yuan notes for stalls that won't take QR codes. > **The monkeys will grab anything that looks like food** These macaques are used to people and will climb on you. **Don't carry plastic bags**, keep snacks and sweet drinks zipped inside a backpack, and hold on to glasses and phones. Avoid staring a monkey in the eye or raising a fist — both read as a threat. Guides also suggest leaving red clothes at the hotel. We found no official park rules, so follow staff instructions. ## How to get to Nanwan Monkey Island from Sanya 1. Easiest: a taxi or DiDi from downtown Sanya (Jiefang Road) or Dadonghai, about 1–1.5 hours. Show the driver 南湾猴岛索道 — the lower cable car station in Xincun town. DiDi shows the fare before you book. 2. By train: trains on the eastern ring line run from Sanya station (三亚站) to Lingshui station (陵水站) in under half an hour. From there it's about 18 km to the cable car by taxi or DiDi. Wikivoyage mentions a free shuttle from the station to the park — ask when you arrive. 3. By bus: Travel China Guide lists intercity bus line 2 from Sanya Railway Station to the Nanwan Houdao stop. Guides also describe a frequent Sanya–Lingshui bus, then a local bus to the Xincun terminus and a 300 m walk to the cable car. We couldn't confirm current numbers or timetables. 4. Buy your ticket at the lower station and board the cable car. If the queue is huge, the same ticket is valid on the ferry across the harbour. 5. Return the same way. Book your DiDi a little ahead: cars take longer to find in Xincun than in the city, especially late in the afternoon. ## Is Nanwan Monkey Island worth it? Yes, if you like wildlife and want a break from Sanya's beaches: the ride over the harbour and hundreds of macaques at arm's length are unlike anything in town. It works well with school-age kids and on an overcast day when swimming doesn't appeal. Skip it if you're in Sanya for only three or four days and came for the sea — the round trip eats two to three hours of driving. The monkeys are bold and can be pushy, so it's not much fun for anyone nervous around animals or for families with a baby in a pushchair. For a free glimpse of wild macaques in town, try [Luhuitou Park](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/luhuitou-park), though you'll see far fewer. ## What is Nanwan Monkey Island? It's a nature reserve for rhesus macaques on Hainan's south-east coast, in Lingshui County. The Chinese name is 南湾猴岛, Nanwan Houdao. Despite the name it's a **peninsula** — about 10 km² of wooded hills with sea on three sides — and the reserve dates from 1965. Estimates of the population run from roughly 1,500 to 2,000 monkeys living in troops. For visitors it's a park with paths, spots where the monkeys gather near people, and trained-monkey shows. Getting there is half the point: a 2,138 m cable car carries you from Xincun town over the harbour and its floating fishing village. ## What to see at Nanwan Monkey Island - **The cable car over Xincun harbour** — 2,138 m above the water. Travel China Guide gives a speed of 6 m per second, which by our maths is about six minutes each way. - **The Tanka floating village** (疍家渔排) — houses and seafood restaurants on rafts in the harbour, best seen from above and a good lunch stop afterwards. - **Macaques along the trails** — mothers with babies, squabbles over food, troop leaders on the railings. Mornings are liveliest. - **The monkey show** — a short performance by trained macaques; Wikivoyage says it's included in the ticket. - **Forest and sea views** — over 95% of the peninsula is wooded, with bays and islands below the hills. - **Daidai Island** next door — beach and snorkelling on a separate ticket. ## Opening hours and how long to spend The park opens around 8:00 and closes around 17:00, with last entry somewhere between 16:30 and 16:50 — sources disagree by half an hour, and we found no official timetable. It's open every day of the year. Arrive at opening if you can: the monkeys are more active, the cable car queue is shorter and the heat is bearable. Two to three hours covers the park; add the drive and lunch at the floating village and you've filled half a day or a little more. ## Guided tour or on your own? Going independently is easy if DiDi and Alipay already work on your phone; for two or three people a taxi there and back usually costs less than a tour and takes about as long. A day tour from Sanya trades that for a hotel pick-up and someone to handle tickets in Chinese — most run four to eight hours and many add the floating village. Before booking, check what's included: park entry, the cable car and hotel transfers aren't always in the price. ## Best time to visit Hainan is most comfortable from autumn to April; summer is hot and humid. Chinese public holidays, especially Lunar New Year, bring long cable car queues — go on a weekday or take the ferry. When a storm warning is issued, sea trips are suspended, so the ferry and possibly the cable car may stop; check the forecast the evening before. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Passport — for tickets and the train - [ ] Alipay linked to a foreign card, plus some cash in yuan - [ ] DiDi installed and 南湾猴岛索道 saved on screen - [ ] Zipped backpack for food and water — no carrier bags - [ ] Nothing red; glasses and hat secured - [ ] No storm warning in the forecast ## Viewpoints in and around Sanya compared Places with a view in and around Sanya rated by YesGo. - [Phoenix Island](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/phoenix-island) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free from the shore; island by booking - [Luhuitou Park](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/luhuitou-park) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free entry; cart 28 yuan return - [Tianya Haijiao](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/tianya-haijiao) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free, advance booking required - [Nanwan Monkey Island](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/nanwan-monkey-island) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ ¥154 incl. return cable car - [Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/yalong-bay-forest-park) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥158 incl. shuttle; bridges extra - [Nanshan Buddhist Cultural Zone](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/nanshan-temple) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ ¥130–160 with park train - [Yanoda Rainforest Park](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/yanoda) — YesGo score 17/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h 30 min · ≈ ¥168 incl. park shuttle - [Wuzhizhou Island](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/wuzhizhou-island) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · 144 yuan incl. return ferry ## Monkeys in the morning, the sea by evening Monkey Island first thing, Yalong Bay beach on the way back, then Dadonghai and the views from Luhuitou in the evening. YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Nanwan Monkey Island](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/nanwan-monkey-island) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ ¥154 incl. return cable car 2. [Yalong Bay](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/yalong-bay) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Beach free; rentals extra 3. [Dadonghai Bay](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/dadonghai) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free 4. [Luhuitou Park](https://yesgo.io/china/sanya/luhuitou-park) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free entry; cart 28 yuan return ## Good to know There are plenty of Monkey Islands — in Thailand, near Nha Trang in Vietnam, in Cuba. This page is about Nanwan on Hainan. Daidai Island beside it is a separate attraction with its own ticket. Hainan's own 30-day visa-free rule applies only on the island; travelling on to mainland China needs another basis for entry. ## Tips - Pack food and bottles in a zipped backpack — a bag in your hand is an open invitation. - Better not to feed the macaques at all; if staff allow it, do it only where they show you, never from your hand. - If a monkey snatches something, don't chase it or tug back — call a member of staff. - Face the harbour in the cable car: the floating village is right below you. - On holidays or with a long cable car queue, cross by ferry — it's the same ticket. - Head back before dark: taxis are harder to find in Xincun in the evening. ## Questions ### How much is the ticket to Nanwan Monkey Island? Ticket sellers list about ¥154 for adults, including the return cable car or ferry. Children 1.2–1.4 m pay around ¥77 and under 1.2 m go free. Check the price at the ticket office — we couldn't confirm it officially. ### Is the cable car included in the ticket? Yes. According to ticket sellers and Travel China Guide, the ticket includes the crossing both ways, by cable car or ferry. ### How do I get to Nanwan Monkey Island from Sanya? A taxi or DiDi to the lower cable car station in Xincun takes about 1–1.5 hours. Alternatively, take the train to Lingshui station (under half an hour) and a taxi for the last 18 km, or a bus with a change. ### How far is Monkey Island from Sanya? About 54 km in a straight line from downtown Sanya and further by road — roughly 1–1.5 hours by car. ### What are the opening hours? Roughly 8:00 to 17:00 every day, with last entry around 16:30–16:50. Sources differ by half an hour and we found no official timetable. ### Is Nanwan Monkey Island worth visiting? Yes for wildlife fans and families with school-age kids — the harbour cable car and the macaques make a memorable half day. Not if you're short on time and here mainly for the beach. ### How long do you need at Monkey Island? Two to three hours for the park and cable car; half a day or more with the drive from Sanya and lunch at the floating village. ### Can you feed the monkeys? We found no official rules. It's safer not to: the macaques snatch bags and bottles and can bite. If staff allow feeding, do it only in the area they show you. ### Is it actually an island? No — it's the Nanwan peninsula. The name sticks because the easiest way in is across the harbour by cable car or ferry. ## How we checked The English core comes from English-language search results and related questions. The park's official website serves a certificate for a different domain, and we didn't open it with security checks off; Ctrip and Trip.com block automated requests. So price and hours come from ticket sellers and guides: ¥154 at Qunar and dahepiao.com, ¥160 at Travel China Guide, ¥143–163 elsewhere. Hours differ: 8:00–17:20 with ticket sellers, 8:00–17:00 at Travel China Guide, 8:30–17:00 at Wikivoyage, 8:00–16:50 at visitourchina — we give 'about 8:00–17:00'. Monkey counts run from 1,500 to 2,000, so we show the range. Train time and the free shuttle are from Wikivoyage and Ctrip search listings; bus numbers from Travel China Guide and visitourchina, with no official timetable. We measured the 54 km straight-line distance ourselves from OpenStreetMap coordinates; driving times are from tour operators. Monkey safety advice comes from travel guides — we found no official park rules. Hainan's visa-free rule is from the official National Immigration Administration page; payment advice comes from travel guides, not banks. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Nanwan Monkey Island; Chinese Wikipedia: 南湾猴岛; Wikidata Q382279 - Travel China Guide: Nanwan Monkey Island — price, hours, cable car, bus line 2 - Wikivoyage: Lingshui — hours, buses, Lingshui station; visitourchina.com: Monkey Island — buses and safety tips - China Daily: Nanwan page on the Hainan government portal; sunnyhainan.com — tours and tips - Ticket sellers Qunar and dahepiao.com — prices and address; Tripster — tour descriptions from Sanya - National Immigration Administration of China: Regional Visa-Free Entry Policies for Foreign Nationals - OpenStreetMap — coordinates of the park, Lingshui station and Jiefang Road for the straight-line measurement --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.