Sichuan Charm & Buddhist Traces | Classic 3-Day Tour of Chengdu + Panda Base + Leshan Giant Buddha + Chunxi Road + Jinli

Welcome to Chengdu, the hometown of giant pandas. Our driver will meet you at the exit of the airport/train station and escort you to the hotel to check in and rest. You can arrange the remaining time freely. If you are tired, you can rest at the hotel to relieve travel fatigue. If it is still early, you can also stroll around nearby. You can refer to the following suggestions for free time, or consult your guide for travel advice according to your own time and interests. Suggestions for Free Time 1. People's Park: People's Park is known as one of the "most beautiful parks in Chengdu" and is an excellent place to experience Chengdu's leisurely culture up close and local people's slow life. Here, you can order a cup of fragrant covered-bowl tea in a century-old teahouse, sit on bamboo chairs with a few friends and chat leisurely, experience intangible cultural heritage ear cleaning and enjoy the "little comfort" of a tingling sensation rushing to your head, or watch exciting local mahjong games and visit the famous matchmaking corner. 2. Kuanzhai Alley: Kuanzhai Alley is known as one of the "Top Ten Most Beautiful Streets in Sichuan." It is the only remaining ancient street from the Qing Dynasty in Chengdu, preserving the authentic old Chengdu style. It is a great place to experience authentic Chengdu's leisurely slow life. Strolling leisurely through it, you can admire exquisite ancient architecture, taste authentic old Chengdu food (dan dan noodles, spicy rabbit head, skewers, etc.), and take excellent travel photos. (Optional paid activity: You can enjoy a spectacular Sichuan opera face-changing performance in a teahouse or small theater in Kuanzhai Alley.) Suggested Ways to Arrive 1. By plane: Chengdu has two airports - Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU) and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU). They have many direct domestic routes, such as Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi'an, Guilin, Hangzhou, Kunming, Lhasa, Chongqing, Wuhan, Guiyang, Xiamen, etc., as well as direct international routes, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Japan, etc. Transportation is very convenient. 2. By train: Chengdu has four railway stations in total. You can take high-speed rail to Chengdu from cities such as Beijing (7-11 hours), Xi'an (3-4 hours), Chongqing (1.5-2 hours), Shanghai (12.5-14.5 hours), Kunming (6-6.5 hours), and Guiyang (3.5-4.5 hours).

After breakfast, you will drive about 17 kilometers to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, located in the northern suburbs of Chengdu, to see China's adorable national treasure, the giant panda, and learn about their habits and conservation efforts. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, or Chengdu Panda Base for short, is home to over 100 giant pandas, making it the world's largest captive giant panda breeding facility. Here, you can watch giant pandas of different ages playing, eating, climbing hills and trees, and sleeping in the park, and you can also follow your guide to visit the Chengdu Giant Panda Museum to learn more stories about pandas. If you visit in autumn, you may even have the chance to see adorable giant panda cubs at the Moon Nursery and Sun Nursery. Moreover, the famous Chinese panda star Hua Hua lives here, known for her cute appearance and unique personality, and is called the "top female celebrity." In addition to giant pandas, you can also see red pandas (rarer than giant pandas), Baer's pochards, golden pheasants, collared scops owls, and other rare animals at the Chengdu Panda Base. (Note: 1. Giant pandas prefer cooler weather and are more active in the morning, so it is recommended to arrive early to see more natural behaviors; 2. Admission to the Chengdu Giant Panda Museum is free, but advance reservation is required, and it is closed every Monday.) Afterwards, you will drive about 2 hours to visit the famous World Cultural and Natural Heritage site, the Leshan Giant Buddha. The Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest and tallest stone-carved Buddha in the world, a great miracle in world cultural history, and a well-known Buddhist holy site in China. The Buddha is carved into the cliff at the confluence of the Minjiang, Qingyi, and Dadu rivers. Its superb carving technique makes it an artistic treasure of Tang Dynasty rock carvings in China, and its exquisite design has kept it standing for over a thousand years, earning the saying "The mountain is a Buddha, and the Buddha is a mountain." Carved into the riverside cliff, the Leshan Giant Buddha is about 71 meters high, with shoulders about 28 meters wide, a head about 14.7 meters high, ears about 7 meters long, nose and eyebrows about 5.6 meters long, mouth and eyes about 3.3 meters long, and feet about 8.5 meters wide, with the top of the feet able to seat over a hundred people. It is truly magnificent and solemn. You can explore on foot to see the Buddha up close and feel its grandeur, visit ancient Buddhist temples such as Lingyun Temple and Jiading Temple to learn more about Leshan's history and Buddhist culture, or go to the Buddha viewing platform to photograph the full view of the Leshan Giant Buddha and the surrounding charming natural scenery. Optional activity recommendation: The plank road at the Leshan Giant Buddha is narrow, steep, and winding. If you are not physically fit or prefer a more relaxed visit, you can take a boat cruise to enjoy the panoramic view of the Buddha, taking in the magnificent figure of the Buddha. After the tour, our driver will escort you back to your hotel in Chengdu for rest.

After breakfast, you can take some time to freely explore more of Chengdu according to your interests, enjoying a leisurely and relaxed travel experience. Free time suggestions 1. Chunxi Road: Chunxi Road is the most prosperous and fashionable commercial street in downtown Chengdu, one of Chengdu's most representative city cards, and a famous commercial pedestrian street in China, known as the "First Street of Southwest China." The climbing giant panda at Chengdu IFS is a landmark attraction on Chunxi Road, where you can take photos, and you can also overlook Chengdu's charming city scenery from the rooftop lawn and observation deck. Then, stroll through Taikoo Li Chengdu, where you can browse a wide variety of international luxury brand stores and distinctive local shops, and admire architecture that blends Western Sichuan residential style with modern design. In addition, the thousand-year-old Daci Temple hidden in Taikoo Li provides a peaceful oasis amid busy urban life, where you can enjoy tea, pray, and experience the beauty of tradition meeting modernity. 2. Jinli: Jinli is known as the "First Street of Western Shu" and the "Chengdu version of Along the River During the Qingming Festival," and is one of Chengdu's most representative historical and cultural districts. It was once rated by CNN as one of the 21 most beautiful streets in the world. Strolling through the ancient streets and alleys, you can admire antique Ming and Qing architecture and the beautiful scene of red lanterns hanging high, experience the profound Three Kingdoms culture and unique Western Sichuan customs, watch wonderful Sichuan opera face-changing performances, capture beautiful travel moments, slowly browse specialty handicraft shops (Shu embroidery, bamboo weaving, paper-cutting, calligraphy and painting, etc.), taste authentic old Chengdu snacks (dan dan noodles, ice jelly, sugar oil fruit, etc.), and immersively feel the lively atmosphere unique to Chengdu's old streets. After the tour, this wonderful and unforgettable 3-day Chengdu-Leshan trip will come to an end, and our driver will take you to the airport or train station. If you wish to extend this trip and explore more destinations in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Huangshan, Harbin, Yunnan, Xi'an, Zhangjiajie, Tibet, Guilin, Xinjiang, etc., you can also contact our customer service to arrange it for you.