📅 Day-by-Day Itinerary
Your guide will meet you at Chengdu Tianfu (TFU) or Shuangliu (CTU) airport and transfer you to your hotel in the city center (approximately 30–60 minutes). After checking in, rest or explore the neighborhood.
In the late afternoon, visit Jinli Ancient Street — a recreated traditional alleyway lined with Qing Dynasty-style architecture, teahouses, snack stalls, and artisan workshops. Try sugar paintings, watch face-changing Sichuan opera performances, and sample street snacks like rabbit heads and sweet potato noodles.
For dinner, experience an authentic Sichuan hotpot — a bubbling cauldron of numbing, spicy broth where you cook fresh meats, vegetables, and tofu at your table. A must-do cultural and culinary experience in Chengdu.
- Private airport transfer
- Jinli Ancient Street evening walk
- Sichuan hotpot welcome dinner
Rise early for the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding — arriving by 8:00 AM gives you the best chance to see the pandas at their most active, especially during the morning feeding session (9:00–10:00 AM). Watch adult pandas munch bamboo, see cubs tumbling in playpens, and learn about conservation efforts that have helped increase the wild panda population.
After the panda visit and lunch, begin your journey to Jiuzhaigou. You have two options:
- Scenic drive (7–8 hours): Wind through the Min Mountains, passing Tibetan villages, alpine meadows, and dramatic gorges. Includes stops at Diexi Lake (formed by a 1933 earthquake)
- Flight (1 hour): Chengdu to Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport (JZH), then 1.5-hour drive to Jiuzhaigou. Recommended for those who prefer comfort over scenery
Spend a full day exploring Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site often described as a fairyland on earth. The park is shaped like the letter "Y" with three main valleys, each offering different landscapes.
Start with the Rize Valley (right branch): Begin at Primeval Forest, then work your way down past the Five Flower Lake — the park's crown jewel, where water shifts between turquoise, sapphire, and emerald, with ancient tree trunks visible beneath the crystal-clear surface. Continue to Pearl Shoal Waterfall, where water cascades across a wide calcite shelf.
In the afternoon, explore the Shuzheng Valley (main branch): See the thundering Nuorilong Waterfall (the widest waterfall in Jiuzhaigou at 320 meters), the serene Reed Lake, and the Shuzheng Lakes chain. Your guide will use the park's eco-bus system efficiently to maximize your time at each site.
- Full-day Jiuzhaigou park tour (8+ hours)
- Park entrance + eco-bus included
- Five Flower Lake, Nuorilong Waterfall, Pearl Shoal, Long Lake
- Pack lunch inside the park
Return to the park for a second day to explore the Zechawa Valley (left branch) — the longest and least-visited of the three valleys, offering a more intimate experience with nature. The star attraction is Long Lake, the largest and deepest lake in Jiuzhaigou, nestled at the foot of snow-capped peaks.
Continue to the Five-Color Pond, a small but intensely vivid lake whose waters shimmer in shades of blue, green, and yellow due to mineral deposits. This is the park's most photogenic small lake.
In the afternoon, visit a Tibetan village outside the park. Meet local families, taste traditional butter tea and barley wine, and learn about Tibetan Buddhist customs that have been practiced here for centuries. The villages feature distinctive white stupas, prayer flags, and ornate wooden architecture.
- Zechawa Valley: Long Lake & Five-Color Pond
- Tibetan village cultural visit
- Butter tea and barley wine tasting
- Traditional Tibetan dinner
Drive approximately 2.5 hours from Jiuzhaigou to Huanglong National Park, another UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its extraordinary calcite (travertine) formations. The park's terraced limestone pools cascade down a mountain valley for 3.6 kilometers, filled with water that ranges from pale turquoise to deep emerald.
Take the cable car up to the top, then walk down through the park (approximately 3 hours). The highlight is the Five-Color Ponds at the top — a series of hundreds of tiny calcite pools in every shade of blue and gold, often compared to a shattered mirror reflecting the sky. Other stops include Bathing Cave, Flying Waterfall, and Welcome Pool.
⚠️ Altitude Notice
Huanglong sits at 3,100–3,500 meters (10,000–11,500 feet). Walk slowly, stay hydrated, and avoid heavy exertion. If you experience headaches or dizziness, rest at the visitor center. An oxygen station is available at the top. The cable car up + walk down approach minimizes exertion.
- Private transfer to Huanglong (2.5 hrs)
- Park entrance + cable car included
- 3-hour downhill walk through terraces
- Afternoon drive back toward Chengdu area
On your final day, stop at the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and engineering marvel built in 256 BC that still irrigates over 5,300 square kilometers of farmland today. Walk across the Anlan Suspension Bridge spanning the Min River, visit the Fish Mouth levee that splits the river, and learn how Governor Li Bing designed this system without modern tools to control floods and provide water to the Chengdu Plain for over 2,200 years.
Also visit the nearby Erwang Temple (Temple of Two Kings), dedicated to Li Bing and his son who built the irrigation system. The temple clings to a hillside with stunning views over the river and surrounding mountains.
After lunch, your driver will transfer you to Chengdu airport for your departure flight (approximately 1 hour from Dujiangyan).
- Dujiangyan Irrigation System tour (2–3 hours)
- Erwang Temple visit
- Private transfer to CTU or TFU airport
💡 Practical Information
Altitude Sickness
Jiuzhaigou (2,000–3,100m) and Huanglong (3,100–3,500m) are at significant altitude. Arrive a day early if possible to acclimatize. Walk slowly, drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol on the first night. Bring altitude sickness medication (ask your doctor about acetazolamide). Oxygen canisters are available at park entrances.
Best Time to Visit
October is peak season — autumn foliage turns the valleys into a canvas of red, gold, and orange reflected in turquoise water. Summer (June–August) brings lush green and full waterfalls. Winter (December–February) offers frozen waterfalls and blue ice with almost no crowds.
Park Entry Information
Jiuzhaigou park tickets are quota-limited and must be booked in advance (we handle this for you). The park uses a mandatory eco-bus system. Huanglong requires a separate ticket. Both parks are closed or have restricted access during certain periods — we'll advise on current conditions.
What to Pack
Layered clothing (temperatures vary 5–25°C depending on season and altitude), comfortable hiking shoes with good grip, rain jacket, sun protection (high UV at altitude), and a small daypack for water and snacks. A walking stick is helpful for Huanglong.