Trip Summary
Sichuan's west rim taken slowly: unhurried Chengdu days of pandas and tea, the alpine lakes of Jiuzhaigou, a full Huanglong travertine day, the Qiang watchtowers and Mount Siguniang's four sisters on the return — with hotpot bookends and altitude taken gently.
Trip Highlights
- Jiuzhaigou's five-colour ponds and waterfalls, all day long
- Huanglong's golden calcite staircase
- Mount Siguniang's four-peak wall from the valley towns
- Pandas, People's Park ear-cleaners and Kuanzhai's lanes
- Qiang stone watchtower villages of the Wenchuan road
Day by Day
Day 1 — Arrive Chengdu
Settle into a lane courtyard; Jinli's lanterns at dusk.
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 & tea
Panda base at the 08:00 feed, bamboo-chair afternoon in People's Park, face-changing opera.
Stay · Kuanzhai Alleysecond tea nightBook → Tickets · Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breedingskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 3 — Lanes & shrines
Kuanzhai, Wuhou and Du Fu's cottage at museum pace; hotpot night.
Stay · Kuanzhai Alleythird hotpot nightBook → 
Day 4 — To the plateau
Fly to JZH (1 h) or take the canyon road via Wenchuan's watchtowers; acclimatise at the valley town.
Stay · Jiuzhaigouvalley-gate lodgeBook → 
Day 5 — Jiuzhaigou
The Y-valley by shuttle and boardwalk: five-colour ponds, Nuorilang falls.
Stay · Jiuzhaigousecond lake nightBook → Tickets · Jiuzhaigou Valleyskip-the-line entryBook → Day 6 — Jiuzhaigou slow day
The other fork and the forest decks; a tea stop at the Tibetan villages.
Stay · Jiuzhaigouthird fork nightBook → Tickets · Jiuzhaigou Valleyskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 7 — Huanglong
Cable up the yellow-dragon terraces to the Five-Colour Pond; slow descent past the temples.
Stay · Huanglongterrace-side stayBook → Tickets · Huanglong Valleyskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 8 — To Siguniang
Transfer south along the plateau road; afternoon viewpoints of the four sisters.
Stay · Mount Siguniangpeak-view lodgeBook → Tickets · Mount Siguniang Scenic Areaskip-the-line entryBook → Day 9 — Siguniang valleys
The Shuangqiao valley's boardwalks and peaks; hot-spring finish.
Stay · Mount Siguniangsecond sisters nightBook → Tickets · Mount Siguniang Scenic Areaskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 10 — Return & out
Road back past Dujiangyan's ancient waterworks for a farewell walk, then CTU/TFU out.
Tickets · Mount Qingcheng & Dujiangyanskip-the-line entryBook → 
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