7-Day Chengdu, Mount Emei and Jiuzhaigou Scenic Tour

Taste a world of difference as you travel to China’s southwest corridor. In 7 short days, be amazed by the charms of the mystical Mount Emei, by the scenery in Jiuzhaigou Valley and by China’s mascot – the panda.

DAY 1   34Chengdu Arrival
Hotel in Chengdu: Sofitel Chengdu Taihe (5-star)/Tibet Hotel Chengdu (4-star)

Your tour guide will be waiting in the arrivals hall of the airport with a name plate and a welcoming smile. You will be transferred to your hotel by private car and driver, and your tour guide will help you check-in and ensure everything is okay at the hotel.

Optional Activity:
Shufengyayun Tea House has a history of more than 100 years. It’s an ideal place for experiencing local arts. The variety performance there (8-9pm) consists of various traditional Sichuan exhibitions: face changing, spitting fire, hand shadows, puppet show, dancing, singing and acrobatics. Have a cup of tea and enjoy a musical, colorful and magical night. It’s recommended to book with your guide a day before, or on the day for extra flexibility.

DAY 2 The Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center and Jinli Ancient Street Tour
Meals: breakfast & lunch

In the morning you will visit the Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center located about 10 kilometers (six miles) north of Chengdu. There you will see giant pandas at rest or play among the bamboo groves. The giant panda museum will allow you to learn more about this cute black-and-white animal.

Lunch is served at a Chinese restaurant with Sichuan-style dishes. You can order less-spicy dishes or ask for no spices at all, according to your preference.

In the afternoon, you will discover attractions in the Chengdu urban area. People’s Park is a spiritual haven for the city’s citizens amidst the bustle of downtown. Have a cup of tea in tea house is a traditional custom for Chengdu people. Jinli Ancient Street is one of the most ancient streets in Southwest China. You can stroll along and discover stalls selling local arts and crafts, traditional Chinese goods, and local delicacies, all in front of rows of ancient buildings built in the style of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911 AD).

Tip for getting to meet baby pandas:
For Chinese tourists, the Stone Forest Park is a must-see attraction; therefore, the March to May is the mating season for pandas. If you visit the Panda Breeding and Research Center between late August and December, you will have a greater chance of seeing tiny newborns in the Sunshine Nursery House.

DAY 3The Giant Buddha
Meals: breakfast & lunch

Hotel in Emeishan City: Hongzhushan Hotel

You will be driven in about two hours to Leshan City in the morning. After a short break and lunch, you will begin your journey to the Giant Buddha.

Listed in 1992 as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Giant Buddha in Leshan is 71 meters tall and has the largest inscription on a precipice in the world. It was cut during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) and took 90 years to complete. Besides climbing up to gain a Lilliputian view of the Giant Buddha, you will also go on a cruise to take a look at the huge inscription.

After the tour, you will be escorted to a hotel near Mount Emei, which is about 31 kilometers (19 miles) from Leshan City.

Tips for Accommodation Near Mount Emei:
Due to limited options and humid weather on Mount Emei, the conditions and services at hotels there are quite basic; but China Highlights has carefully selected the best hotel available, based on criteria like hotel environment, location, service, and previous customer feedback. Your guide will accompany you to see your room. If you are dissatisfied and there are other rooms available, your guide will be happy to assist you with changing rooms.

DAY 4  Mount Emei
Meals: breakfast & lunch

Hotel in Chengdu: Sofitel Chengdu Taihe (5-star)/Tibet Hotel Chengdu (4-star)

You will spend a full day visiting Mount Emei, which is another UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China. By taking a public sightseeing bus at the entrance, you will arrive in 30 minutes at the parking lot of the Monastery of Ten Thousand Years. Jump on a cable car to go up to the monastery in relaxed style in just 10 minutes, without wasting any time.

The Monastery of Ten Thousand Years is the largest and oldest monastery on Mount Emei. After seeing the monastery, you may choose to have a relaxing 2-hour walk to the Monkey Eco-Area. If you are not a fan of walking, we can arrange a cable car down to conserve your energy. Your guide and driver will escort you back to the hotel in Chengdu after the tour. You can rest during the 3-hour drive.

DAY 5    Flight to Jiuzhaigou, The Huanglong Scenic Area Tour
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

Hotel in Jiuzhaigou: Sheraton Jiuzhaigou Resort (5-star)/Jiuzhaigou Mingren Hotel (4-star)

Your private guide and driver in Chengdu will accompany you to the airport this morning. It takes about an hour to fly from Chengdu to Jiuhuang Airport. You will be picked up and transferred to a restaurant for lunch. After lunch, start your visit to Huanglong.

The Huanglong Scenic Area, the best-preserved plateau wetland in China, is neighbor to Jiuzhaigou. Its four highlights are colorful pools, snowcapped mountains, verdant forests, and peaceful valleys. The chairlift going up is included to save you time and energy. You can walk back down through the scenic area to enjoy the views at a relaxing pace.

After the tour, your guide and driver will escort you to a hotel near Jiuzhaigou (about two hours’ drive), where you’ll enjoy a local dinner.

Note on Dining:
The restaurant options in Jiuzhaigou are quite limited, so dinner is recommended and included in your hotel.

DAY 6The Jiuzhaigou Tour
Meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

After breakfast in the hotel, you will spend most of the day exploring the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, a wonderland named for its nine Tibetan villages (‘jiu zhai’ is Chinese for ‘nine villages’). The valley (‘gou’) winds its way across some 80 kilometers and covers an area of 720 square kilometers. Depending on your schedule, you will visit its three main ravines: Shuzheng Valley, Rize Valley, and Zechawa Valley. Private vehicles are not allowed inside, so your guide will accompany you on a public bus which tours around the area.

You will appreciate the picturesque natural scenery with clear alpine lakes, overlapping waterfalls, colorful forests, snowcapped mountains, Tibetan customs, and blue ice. Have your camera at the ready. A buffet lunch is provided in the Nuorilang Restaurant, the only restaurant in the Jiuzhaigou area. Alternatively if you prefer, we can arrange a picnic lunch for you.

At the end of the tour, your guide and driver will transfer you back to the hotel for dinner.

Tips for Visiting Jiuzhaigou:
Go early: The area opens at 7am. Get to the park as early as possible not only to have more time there, but also to avoid the tour-group crowds.
Go up first: The most spectacular scenery is at the higher parts of the scenic area. You will see the highlights first if you take the public shuttle bus to the top and walk or ride down. Head first either to Swan Lake or to Long Lake, then go down to the Nuorilang junction, then go up the other fork. Later in the day, you can see the lakes between Nuorilang and the entrance.

DAY 7  Jiuzhaigou Departure (Departure flight not included)
Meals: breakfast

Your private guide and driver will wait for you in your hotel lobby after breakfast. They will accompany you to the airport and help you check-in for your next destination.

Suggestion for Departure Flight:
Apart from Chengdu, you can fly from Jiuzhaigou to Chongqing and Xian. Sometimes the discount of flights to Chongqing and Xian is even better. If you would like us to book the departure flight, please inform your preference of the arrival city and we will check the best price for you.