Chongqing
The mountain megacity that starts the Yangtze cruise
Chongqing should not work as a city and somehow does. Built on steep hills where two rivers meet, it stacks roads, monorails and buildings on top of each other — the light rail famously runs straight through the eighth floor of an apartment block.
It is also the western start of the Yangtze cruise. Board here for the Qutang, Wu and Xiling gorges, then spend two days in the city itself for hotpot, the Hongya Cave at night and the Dazu rock carvings.
Places to see in Chongqing
The highlights we build into almost every Chongqing itinerary. Your own list can be longer, shorter, or somewhere else entirely.
Hongya Cave at night
Eleven stories of stilted houses lit up above the Jialing River. The photograph everyone comes for.
Three Gorges cruise
Board here for the Qutang, Wu and Xiling gorges and the Three Gorges Dam.
Liziba monorail station
The train that runs straight through the eighth floor of an apartment building.
Ciqikou Old Town
Ming lanes, teahouses, and the smell of chillies and hotpot in the air.
Chongqing hotpot
The real thing: beef tallow, a nine-grid pot, and no apologies for the heat.
Dazu Rock Carvings
50,000 Buddhist figures carved into cliff faces between the 7th and 13th centuries.
Yangtze River cable car
A boarding cabin across the river, with the skyline sliding past.
Eling Penguin
A hillside viewpoint park over the two rivers and the lit-up peninsula.
Wulong Karst
Natural bridges and a sinkhole gorge two hours out — an easy day trip.
Gele Mountain
The wartime memorial sites in the western hills above the city.
More places in China
Tell us what you want to see in Chongqing
We do not publish fixed packages or prices, because almost nothing about a good trip to China is fixed.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
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