Chengdu
Pandas, teahouses and the food capital of China
Chengdu is a city that has decided life should be pleasant. Mornings belong to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base — go at opening time, when the pandas are awake and eating. Afternoons belong to People's Park, where one cup of tea buys you four hours of watching the world go by.
It is also the gateway to Sichuan proper: the Leshan Giant Buddha, Qingcheng Mountain, and an excellent cooking class in the city.
Places to see in Chengdu
The highlights we build into almost every Chengdu itinerary. Your own list can be longer, shorter, or somewhere else entirely.
Giant Panda Breeding Research Base
Go at opening time. By 10am the pandas are asleep and the crowds have arrived.
People's Park teahouses
One cup of jasmine tea, one afternoon, and a bamboo chair in the shade.
Jinli and the Wide and Narrow Alleys
Restored Qing lanes, street snacks and face-changing Sichuan opera.
Wuhou Shrine and Du Fu Cottage
The Three Kingdoms memorial and the thatched cottage of China's best-known poet.
Sichuan cooking class
A market tour first, then a hands-on class in a local kitchen.
Leshan Giant Buddha
A 71-meter Buddha carved into a river cliff two hours from the city.
Dujiangyan irrigation
A 2,300-year-old water system still working, an hour from the city.
Qingcheng Mountain
The misty Taoist mountain behind Dujiangyan, with cliffside temples.
Kuanzhai Alleys
Three restored Qing lanes of teahouses, bars and courtyard courtyards.
Huanglongxi Ancient Town
A river town of Ming and Qing mansions, 45 minutes out of the city.
More places in China
Tell us what you want to see in Chengdu
We do not publish fixed packages or prices, because almost nothing about a good trip to China is fixed. Send us your dates and interests and a specialist will design an itinerary around them — with a clear, itemized quotation.
- Your own English-speaking guide and private vehicle
- Hotels chosen for location, not for commission
- Tickets and permits booked on your behalf, including timed entries
- Free revisions until the trip is right
We reply to every inquiry within one business day.