Hailar is served by Hulunbuir Hailar International Airport (IATA: HLD), with regular flights to Beijing (about 2.5 hours), Hohhot, Harbin, and seasonal connections to other Chinese cities. The airport is about 7 kilometres east of the city centre; taxis cover the distance in about fifteen minutes.
By rail, the main connection is from Harbin, a journey of roughly twelve hours on the direct overnight train. The line runs through a remote stretch of the Greater Hinggan Mountains and the scenery is excellent — this is a worthwhile journey in its own right if time allows. From Hohhot, the most practical option is to fly; overland connections via train require a long detour through Harbin or Shenyang. Buses from Manzhouli (about 1.5 hours west) run regularly throughout the day.