Chengdu & Jiuzhaigou Alpine LakesComfortable

Trip Summary

Sichuan's greatest double act at a comfortable pace: two slow days of pandas, parks and hotpot in Chengdu, the flight or new road to Jiuzhaigou's terraced lakes, a full Huanglong calcite day among the golden travertine, and a gentle return with Mount Siguniang's peaks on the horizon.

Trip Highlights

• Jiuzhaigou's five-colour lakes and double waterfalls
• Huanglong's 3.5-km calcite terrace, the 'yellow dragon'
• Pandas at the 08:00 feeding, then bamboo-chair tea
• Tibetan-Qiang villages of the Aba plateau
• Return-day views of Mount Siguniang's four sister peaks

Day by Day

Day 1 — Arrive Chengdu

Fly into CTU/TFU. Evening lanterns and shadow-puppet shops of Jinli.

Jinli Ancient Street

Flight in · Chengduinternational flights, destination pre-filledBook →

Stay · Kuanzhai Alleylane-courtyard baseBook →

Car rental · Chengdupick up at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on arrivalBook →

Day 2 — Pandas & park tea

Panda base for the morning feed, People's Park bamboo chairs all afternoon, mapo tofu and an opera's face-changers at night.

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding People's Park (Chengdu)

Stay · Kuanzhai Alleysecond panda-and-tea nightBook →

Tickets · Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breedingskip-the-line entryBook →

Day 3 — To Jiuzhaigou

Fly to Jiuzhai Huanglong airport (JZH, 1 h) or the scenic drive via Wenchuan; acclimatise with a Tibetan village stroll.

Wenchuan Special Tourist Area

Stay · Jiuzhaigouvalley-gate lodge for the first shuttleBook →

Day 4 — Jiuzhaigou lakes

Shuttle the Y-shaped valley: the five-colour ponds, Nuorilang's broad falls, the primeval boardwalks.

Jiuzhaigou Valley

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Tickets · Jiuzhaigou Valleyskip-the-line entryBook →

Day 5 — Huanglong terraces

Cable up and walk the golden travertine terraces to the Five-Colour Pond, descent past the temples; night back in the valley.

Huanglong Valley

Stay · Jiuzhaigouthird terrace nightBook →

Tickets · Huanglong Valleyskip-the-line entryBook →

Day 6 — Return via Siguniang option

The road south pauses at Mount Siguniang's viewing towns for photos and Qiang watchtowers; back to Chengdu for hotpot.

Mount Siguniang Scenic Area

Stay · Kuanzhai Alleyhotpot return nightBook →

Tickets · Mount Siguniang Scenic Areaskip-the-line entryBook →

Day 7 — Kuanzhai & out

Morning in the Kuanzhai lanes for last Shu-brocade gifts, then the metro to the airport.

Kuanzhai Alleys