China
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province and one of the most relaxed, food-loving cities in China, famous as the home of the giant panda and of fiery Sichuan cooking.
At its northern edge, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding lets visitors watch pandas and red pandas in parkland enclosures, while in the old centre the lanes of Kuanzhai Alley, the lantern-lit stalls of Jinli Ancient Street and the bamboo chairs of People’s Park show how the city has always lived: slowly, over tea. Evenings belong to hot pot, street food and Sichuan opera with its famous face-changing. Within a day of the city lie the 71-metre Leshan Giant Buddha, the sacred monasteries of Mount Emei, the 2,000-year-old Dujiangyan irrigation system and the astonishing bronze masks of the Sanxingdui Museum. Entry rules for China change often, so check the current requirements for your nationality before you travel.
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
The city’s best-known sight: a leafy research and breeding centre about ten kilometres north of downtown where giant and red pandas live in large naturalistic enclosures. Go early, when the pandas are fed and most active, and book your entry in advance.
Leshan Giant Buddha Day Trip
A 71-metre Buddha carved into a cliff above the meeting of three rivers, begun in the year 713 and one of the largest stone Buddhas in the world. An easy day trip from Chengdu, seen here on a dedicated Leshan Giant Buddha day tour.
Sichuan Cooking Class with Market Visit
A half-day class that starts with a walk through a local market for fresh vegetables and spices, then teaches you classic Sichuan dishes at the stove, ending with the meal you cooked. One of the most popular experiences in Chengdu.
Mount Emei (Emeishan)
One of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains and a UNESCO World Heritage site, rising to 3,099 metres southwest of Chengdu, with ancient monasteries, forest trails and cable cars. Best with an overnight stay, though a long day trip is possible.
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
The city’s best-known sight: a leafy research and breeding centre about ten kilometres north of downtown where giant and red pandas live in large naturalistic enclosures. Go early, when the pandas are fed and most active, and book your entry in advance.
A 71-metre Buddha carved into a cliff above the meeting of three rivers, begun in the year 713 and one of the largest stone Buddhas in the world. An easy day trip from Chengdu, seen here on a dedicated Leshan Giant Buddha day tour.
One of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains and a UNESCO World Heritage site, rising to 3,099 metres southwest of Chengdu, with ancient monasteries, forest trails and cable cars. Best with an overnight stay, though a long day trip is possible.
A 2,000-year-old irrigation marvel that still waters the Chengdu plain without a dam, set beside the Dujiangyan panda base and Mount Qingcheng. An easy day trip by train, seen here on a day tour combining the irrigation system with a panda park or Qingcheng.
A lantern-hung street of snack stalls, teahouses and craft shops beside the Wuhou Shrine, themed on the Three Kingdoms and the folk culture of Sichuan. Free to walk, open all day, and at its most atmospheric at dusk.
FreeThree parallel lanes of restored Qing-dynasty courtyard houses in the centre of Chengdu, now filled with teahouses, cafes, snack shops and boutiques. Free to enter, open all day, and the easiest place to feel old Chengdu.
A free city-centre park where Chengdu goes to drink tea: bamboo chairs, covered cups and the Heming Tea House, one of the most atmospheric teahouses in the city. Metro Line 2 reaches the gate.
An evening of Sichuan opera with its famous bian lian face-changing, music, puppetry and acrobatics, performed in a teahouse-style theatre in Chengdu. Short, colourful and easy for first-timers who do not speak Chinese.
A half-day class that starts with a walk through a local market for fresh vegetables and spices, then teaches you classic Sichuan dishes at the stove, ending with the meal you cooked. One of the most popular experiences in Chengdu.
An evening food tour of Chengdu’s local eats, travelling between stops by tuk-tuk to taste noodles, dumplings, skewers and snacks, with hot pot and the city’s spicy flavours as the theme. Lively, filling and a top-rated way to eat your way through the city.
A museum of bronze masks with protruding eyes, a towering bronze tree and jade treasures from a lost Bronze Age Shu culture, in Guanghan, about an hour north of Chengdu. One of China’s most astonishing archaeological sites, best done as a half-day or day trip.
A forested Taoist holy mountain about an hour and a half from Chengdu, with temples, stone stairways and a cable car. The front mountain is the cultural walk, the back mountain is the wild one.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Taikoo Li (Jinjiang)
A design-led luxury hotel in a heritage courtyard setting at Taikoo Li, the former Temple House, with a teahouse restaurant, a spa, a heated indoor pool and Chunxi Road on the doorstep.
Check rates →Binjiang East Road (riverside)
A large five-star riverside hotel on Binjiang East Road with two pools, a spa, a health club and free parking, within walking distance of Jiuyan Bridge and a short drive from Chunxi Road.
Check rates →Chunxi Road (Chengdu IFS)
A modern luxury hotel in the Chengdu IFS complex, a five-minute walk from Taikoo Li and Chunxi Road, with an indoor pool, a 24-hour gym, a Cantonese restaurant and free parking.
Check rates →Wenshufang (Qingyang)
A tranquil boutique hotel two minutes’ walk from Wenshu Monastery, with a terrace and garden, two restaurants and covered parking, in the old-town streets of Qingyang district.
Check rates →Wuhou (Huanhuaxi)
A practical, good-value hotel on Jinyang Road in Wuhou district with free breakfast, a gym and free parking, six minutes’ walk from Longzhaoyan metro station and within reach of Du Fu Thatched Cottage.
Check rates →Tianfu Square area (Qingyang)
A 350-room luxury hotel on Shuncheng Avenue, an 11-minute walk from Tianfu Square, with a 25-metre indoor pool, a 24-hour gym, a ten-room spa and five restaurants.
Check rates →Tianfu Square area (Qingyang)
A 282-room luxury hotel on Taisheng Road South with indoor, seasonal outdoor and children’s pools, a Sichuan and Cantonese restaurant, free parking and a nine-minute walk to Tianfu Square.
Check rates →Jinjiang (Dongyu Street)
A 373-room luxury hotel on Dongyu Street in Jinjiang with an indoor pool, a spa, a 24-hour gym and walkable access to Chengdu IFS, Tianfu Square and Taikoo Li.
Check rates →Renmin Middle Road (city centre)
A 387-room five-star hotel on Renmin Middle Road with an indoor pool, spa, gym and three restaurants, three minutes’ walk from the Donghuamen Archaeological Site and 11 minutes from Tianfu Square.
Check rates →Xindu (near the Panda Base)
A 345-room five-star resort-style hotel in Xindu with indoor and seasonal outdoor pools, a spa, three restaurants and free parking, about 14 minutes by car from the Panda Base.
Check rates →The practical primer for a first visit to Chengdu: when to see the pandas, which day trips to book, how many days to plan, getting around by metro, and a general note on China entry rules.
A neighbourhood guide to Chengdu: the Chunxi Road and Taikoo Li core, the riverside near Jiuyan Bridge, the old-town charm of Wenshufang and the budget-friendly west.
A three-day plan for Chengdu that puts the pandas at opening time, keeps the old lanes and teahouses for slow hours, and spends one full day on Leshan or Dujiangyan.
What to eat in Chengdu and how to order it: hot pot, mapo tofu, dandan noodles, skewers and small snacks, plus how to handle the spice and where tea fits into the day.
How to choose between Chengdu’s great day trips: the Leshan Giant Buddha, Mount Emei, Dujiangyan, Mount Qingcheng and Sanxingdui, with travel times, who each suits and how to combine them.
When to go to Chengdu: what spring, summer, autumn and winter are like, how the seasons affect the pandas and the day trips, and how to avoid China’s national holiday crowds.
