Chengdu Trip Overview
See remote areas of Sichuan province and visit two UNESCO World Heritage–listed national parks on this 4-day private tour from Chengdu. With a private guide, you’ll visit Jiuzhaigou Valley and Huanglong Valley to see natural features like multicolored limestone terraces, shimmering pools and lakes, massive waterfalls and lush forests. You’ll also check out Songpan, Diexi Lake, Tibetan villages, Huanglong Temple and Wenchuan county, plus learn about the history of the region. Includes private transportation, three nights of accommodation, meals, and hotel pickup and drop-off in Chengdu.
Additional Info
Duration: 4 days
Starts: Chengdu, China
Trip Category: Outdoor Activities >> Hiking & Camping
Explore Chengdu Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Chengdu, Sichuan, China
See remote areas of Sichuan province and visit two UNESCO World Heritage–listed national parks on this 4-day private tour from Chengdu. With a private guide, you’ll visit Jiuzhaigou Valley and Huanglong Valley to see natural features like multicolored limestone terraces, shimmering pools and lakes, massive waterfalls and lush forests. You’ll also check out Songpan, Diexi Lake, Tibetan villages, Huanglong Temple and Wenchuan county, plus learn about the history of the region. Includes private transportation, three nights of accommodation, meals, and hotel pickup and drop-off in Chengdu.
Itinerary
Day 1: Chengdu – Jiuzhaigou
Stop At: Jiuzhaigou County, Jiuzhaigou County, Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan
Your private guide and driver pick you up early at your Chengdu hotel to start the 7-hour drive to Jiuzhaigou. As you travel by private car along the expressway, watch the landscape change from plains to mountains, passing by rural wilderness, farmland, the Min Jiang River Valley, and the ruins of the devastating 2008 earthquake around Wenchuan. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant in Mao County (Maoxian), an area where ethnic minorities such as Qiang and Tibetans make up the majority of the population. Continue through Songpan, and arrive in the early evening in Jiuzhaigou, where you’ll have dinner at a local restaurant before retiring to your hotel.
Duration: 7 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Jiuzhaigou Xanadu Hotel
Day 2: Jiuzhaigou National Park
Stop At: Jiuzhaigou Natural Reserve, Zhangzha Town, 623400 China
Today, visit UNESCO World Heritage-listed Jiuzhaigou. Renowned for its turquoise-blue lakes, thundering waterfalls, and lushly forested mountains, this spectacular wilderness spreads across 278 square miles (720 sq km) on the steps of the Tibetan Himalayan Plateau.
With your guide, board a hop-on hop-off bus in the park, and ride up to the highest point of Zeru Valley. Take a leisurely walk along a forest trail to see Tibetan villages, Pearl Shoals Waterfall, and lakes, including Mirror Lake, Arrow Bamboo Lake, and Panda Lake. Then return by bus to the visitor center near Nuorilang Waterfalls, and have a boxed lunch at the dining hall. Afterward, hop back on the bus to tour Shuzheng Valley and see some of its 40 lakes, including Long Lake and Five-Coloured Pool.
After exploring this magnificent park, return to town and have dinner at a local restaurant. Optional to attend a Tibetan and Qiang dance performance (at own expense) or simply rest or explore on your own.
Duration: 7 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Jiuzhaigou Xanadu Hotel
Day 3: Jiuzhaigou – Huanglong – Songpan
Stop At: Huanglong Scenic Valley, Pingsong Street, Songpan County 623300 China
In the morning, leave Jiuzhaigou, and head to Huanglong National Park. Take a 10-minute cable car ride to the top of the valley (there may be a wait, depending on crowds), where you can admire the views from an altitude of 11,483 feet (3,500 meters) before hiking down a well-maintained trail, a walk that takes three to four hours. Along the way, pass by Huanglong Temple — the park’s star attraction — a Ming-era Buddhist temple set amid dozens of travertine terraces with milky blue-and-gold-colored pools. You’ll also walk next to bubbling streams, waterfalls and natural landmarks like Golden Sand, an expanse of travertine deposits that resembles a beach.
Duration: 5 hours
Stop At: Songpan County, Songpan County, Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan
Next, make the short drive to Songpan, where you’ll have a late lunch, and then tour the old town, once an important trading post on the Tea Horse Road (a historic trade route between China and Tibet). Founded during the Tang dynasty and rebuilt during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Songpan features massive stone gates and walls that protect the old town. At the end of the day, relax over dinner at a local restaurant and spend the evening at your leisure.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Songpan Zhongtingxiyun Hotel
Day 4: Songpan – Chengdu
Stop At: Diexi Songpinggou Scenic Area, Songpinggou Countryside, Diexi Town, Mao County China
Depart from Songpan in the morning to begin the 5-hour drive back to Chengdu. Along the way you’ll stop at Diexi Lake, which formed when landslides caused by the 1933 earthquake blocked the Min Jiang River. The flooding destroyed the town of Diexi, submerging it underwater. After a short visit to the lake, continue the drive, stopping for lunch in Wenchuan County. Upon arrival in Chengdu in the afternoon, your guide drops you off at your hotel or the Chengdu airport to end your 4-day tour.
Duration: 30 minutes
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.
