7 Days Chengdu Natural Exploration Tour with Mt. Emei & Jiuzhaigou

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Chengdu Arrival ( no meal )

   Upon your arrival at Chengdu airport / train station, our local driver will pick you up from the exit gate by holding a welcome board with your name and transfer to downtown hotel for checking-in. Free and easy on your arrangement for rest of the day.

   Accommodation: Overnight in Chengdu

2. Day 2: Chengdu Panda & City Tour
   Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, Wenshu Temple, Renmin Park, Kuanzhai Alley ( B, L )

   AM: At around 08:30, our English speaking tour guide and driver will pick you up from Chengdu downtown hotel, and your amazing exploration begins!

   The first scenic site will be the exciting Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, which is well known for the protection and breeding of the endangered giant pandas which are unique to China. The base is definitely a highlight for most visitors to Chengdu. There are adorable pandas everywhere. You can watch them eating bamboo, playing with each other, and of course sleeping. Your tour guide will navigate you through the huge area, share some information about the pandas, and help you take amazing photos.

   Noon: Lunch at local restaurant.

   PM: After lunch, continue your visit to Wenshu Temple which was built in the Sui Dynasty with a long history. The temple is still operating and frequented by local people who come to pray and relax themselves. It is a good place to come to know Buddhism. You can have a nice stroll around the pleasant garden and take photos of the wonderful ancient architecture.

   Later,come to enjoy some relaxing tea time in Renmin Park. Renmin Park is a perfect place to do people watching. Here you can enjoy a cup of tea in a nice tea house and watch local people while away the time with various activities such as playing cards, doing tai chi, playing mahjong, dancing, and napping.

   Afterwords, go to explore the local food and culture in Kuanzhai Alley, which has a long history and can date back to the Qing Dynasty. Now the old alleys have been converted into one of the top attractions in Chengdu. Strolling along the streets, you still can see many well-preserved Qing Dynasty buildings. In addition to appreciating the traditional architecture, you also can savor some local delicacies. As a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, Chengdu will surprise you with its delicious food.

   Accommodation: Overnight in Chengdu

   

3. Day 3: Chengdu – Leshan – Mt. Emei by Car
   Leshan Giant Buddha (B, L)

   AM: Today you are going to admire the tallest stone Buddha in the world, Leshan Giant Buddha. It took 90 years for three generations of craftsmen to accomplish this 71-meter-high statue. There is more to it than what you see with your eyes. For example, there are 1051 buns of curly hair on the head of the Buddha, and it has an invisible irrigation system just behind its ears and head. Your knowledgeable tour guide will share the history and some fascinating stories of the colossal Buddha. Please note that it involves lots of stairs. Highly recommend you wear comfortable walking shoes and watch your steps.

   Friendly Tips: There are 2 ways to visit the Leshan Giant Buddha, one is climbing up the mountain, one is taking a cruise along the river to take far view of it. Climbing up the mountain was included in the package as most tourists said this way is better. Taking cruise is optional. If you would like to take cruise instead of climbing up the mountain, or if you want to try both these 2 ways, just ask your tour guide for assistance.

   Noon: Lunch at local restaurant.

   PM: After visiting at Leshan Giant Buddha, drive to Emei Mountain. Stay overnight at the foot of Emei Mountain and get well prepared for tomorrow’s hiking over there.

   Accommodation: Overnight in Mt. Emei

   

4. Day 4: Mt. Emei – Chengdu by Car
   Emei Mountain (B, L)

   AM: After breakfast, your tour guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and take you to the stunning Emei Mountain. Famous as both world natural heritage and world cultural heritage, it attracts numerous visitors every year for hiking, photography and profound Buddhist culture. It is also home to more than 3200 plant species and over 2300 animal species.

   You will explore the beautiful Baoguo Temple first which is just located at the foot of the mountain. There were more than 100 temples in the past, but only 30 of them are left now and well maintained. You will follow your tour guide to appreciate the architectural beauty, learn the ancient history behind it, and admire the unique porcelain Buddha statue which was made in the well-known porcelain capital Jingdezhen in the Ming Dynasty.

   Noon: Lunch at restaurant on mountain.

   PM: After lunch, you will take a sightseeing bus to Leidongping, walk for about 30 minutes to Jieyin Hall, and then hop on a cable car up to Golden Summit. If you are lucky, you will see fantastic sea of clouds. There is a majestic golden statue of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva which is regarded as the symbol of the mountain. You might be curious how the Buddha statue was built on such a high peak.

   After enjoying the breathtaking scenery, you will take cable car down to Leidongping and then go down the mountain by a sightseeing bus. Please note to hide your food in your bag because there are many monkeys on the mountain which can be quite aggressive sometimes.

   After the fantastic hiking, drive back to Chengdu hotel.

   Accommodation: Overnight in Chengdu

   

5. Day 5: Chengdu - Jiuzhaigou Tour by High-speed Train
   Huanglong National Park ( B, L )

   Taking the morning high-speed train from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou. Upon arrival, our local English-speaking tour guide and driver will be waiting for you by holding a welcome board with your name.

   Today you are going to explore the gorgeous Huanglong National Park, a masterpiece of the great nature. It was listed as a world cultural heritage in 1992. Huanglong Valley is well known for the spectacular calcified landscape. It is a 7.5 kilometers long, 1.5 kilometers wide gentle-slope valley, nestled on the main peak of Minshan Mountain, Xuebao Peak. The milky yellow rocks in the valley make it look like a yellow dragon gracefully flying over the mountain. That is how the valley gained the name Huanglong (Yellow Dragon). The stunning scenery formed because of thousands of years of geological changes. You will take cable car up and walk down, which will help you save much more time and energy. There will be the most beautiful part of the valley, Multi-colored Ponds, waiting for you on the top. There is no place like this on the earth. BTW, we recommend you to take some altitude sickness pills in advance to prepare for the high altitude and ensure it will not lessen your enjoyment.

   Accommodation: Overnight in Jiuzhaigou

   

6. Day 6: Full Day Tour in Jiuzhaigou
   Jiuzhaigou Valley ( B, L )

   Today you will get up early and go to visit the breathtaking Jiuzhaigou Valley, an amazing national geological park and stunning world natural heritage site. For thousands of years, it was hidden in the high mountains of the northwest Sichuan plateau, and the Tibetans living there were almost isolated from the outside world. In the 1970s, this fairyland was accidentally discovered and was open to the public in 1984. There is a saying in China that after visiting Jiuzhaigou, you will not want to see any other lakes. There are plenty of lakes, waterfalls, calcareous tufa shoals and springs to see for hours. You can just stare at the transparent lake water. You can directly see the bottom of the lake and the logs lying there. You cannot believe there is such a beautiful colorful place in this world. You will have a great time there that is worth being cherished forever.

   Accommodation: Overnight in Jiuzhaigou

   

7. Day 7: Jiuzhaigou Departure ( B )

   Free and easy on your own until the pickup time for departure. Our driver will meet you at the hotel lobby and transfer to the airport to see you off. Your 7-day Chengdu Natural Exploration Tour ends here.

   Accommodation: N/A