Chongqing and Sichuan Travel Guide: Gateway to Western China

If you can only go deep in one part of China, we recommend Chongqing and Sichuan. This region compresses several of China's most extreme experiences into a two-hour rail radius: a three-dimensional megacity, world-class karst, giant pandas, travertine lakes, and the most addictive food in the country.

Why Chongqing and Sichuan

• Extraordinary density: cities, gorges, sinkholes, snow mountains, plateau lakes and travertine waterfalls, all within a short flight or a few hours on the road;
• Real cultural range: Ba-Shu history, river-port street culture, minority villages and Buddhist cave sculpture — far more layered than a single-city trip;
• China's best food: Chongqing hotpot and xiaomian noodles, Chengdu Sichuan cuisine and skewers, Leshan's sweets and chicken;
• Easy logistics: Chongqing to Chengdu is about 1.5 hours by high-speed rail, and both cities have major international airports.

When to go

• March–May: comfortable temperatures and everything in bloom — our top recommendation;
• September–November: crisp, clear autumn weather, and the peak window for Jiuzhaigou's coloured forest;
• June–August: Chongqing and Chengdu hit 38–40°C, but the highlands — Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, Mount Emei — are at their best for escaping the heat;
• December–February: the basin is damp but mild, with fewer visitors and lower prices. Jiuzhaigou in snow is beautiful, though some boardwalks close;
• Avoid: National Day Golden Week (1–7 October) and Chinese New Year — crowds and hotel prices both double.

Chongqing: what to do

In the city

• Hongyadong: stilted houses stacked up the hillside, glowing like a Ghibli bathhouse after dark. The best view is from Qiansimen Bridge on the far bank;
• Yangtze River Cableway: an aerial commuter crossing the river in about five minutes — the quickest way to understand Chongqing's vertical geography;
• Liziba monorail: the line that runs straight through a residential building, the city's most famous oddity;
• Ciqikou old town: a former river port on the Jialing, famous for its twisted dough snacks;
• Two-rivers night cruise: a night boat at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing, with the city lit up on both banks;
• "1949" stage show: an immersive, visually spectacular production on Chongqing's modern history.

Beyond the city

• Wulong Three Natural Bridges: a UNESCO site where three natural stone arches span a sinkhole — a filming location for Transformers: Age of Extinction;
• Longshuixia Gorge and Furong Cave: in the same area and easy to combine in one day;
• Xiannü Mountain: alpine meadow at 1,900 m — cool in summer, ski slopes in winter;
• Pengshui Wujiang Gallery and Jiuli City: a hundred kilometres of river scenery plus a Miao cultural architectural complex — a quiet, deeper route;
• Dazu Rock Carvings: a UNESCO World Heritage site and the high point of Tang and Song dynasty cave sculpture.

Chengdu and Sichuan: what to do

• Giant Panda Breeding Research Base: go between 07:30 and 09:30, when the pandas are at their most active;
• Kuanzhai Alley and People's Park teahouses: the right way to experience Chengdu's pace is a lidded cup of tea and an entire afternoon;
• Leshan Giant Buddha and Mount Emei: the largest stone Buddha in the world, and a sacred mountain famous for its sea of clouds and mischievous macaques;
• Dujiangyan and Mount Qingcheng: a 2,000-year-old irrigation system still in use, beside a Taoist mountain;
• Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong: China's most celebrated travertine lakes, reachable by air or via the Huanglongjiuzhai high-speed rail station; allow 2–3 days;
• Daocheng Yading and Mount Siguniang: advanced routes for travellers with altitude experience and time to spare.

Suggested itineraries

5 days — Chongqing in depth

Day 1 arrive, Jiefangbei and Hongyadong at night. Day 2 cableway, Liziba, Ciqikou, two-rivers night cruise. Day 3 Wulong Three Natural Bridges and Longshuixia Gorge. Day 4 Xiannü Mountain and Dazu Rock Carvings. Day 5 depart.

7 days — Chongqing and Chengdu

Day 1 arrive Chongqing. Day 2 city highlights. Day 3 Wulong. Day 4 high-speed rail to Chengdu, Kuanzhai Alley. Day 5 pandas and Leshan Buddha. Day 6 Mount Emei or Dujiangyan. Day 7 depart.

10 days — the full western China loop

Days 1–3 Chongqing and Wulong. Day 4 rail to Chengdu. Day 5 pandas and Dujiangyan. Day 6 fly or ride to Jiuzhaigou. Days 7–8 Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong. Day 9 back to Chengdu. Day 10 depart.

What to eat

• Chongqing: nine-grid hotpot, xiaomian noodles, hot and sour noodles, maoxuewang, and robust "jianghu" cooking;
• Chengdu: skewers in chilli broth, Zhong dumplings, Long wontons, sliced beef in chilli oil, sweet water noodles;
• Leshan: bobo chicken, tiptoe beef, sweet-skin duck;
• Wulong and Pengshui: Wujiang river fish, Miao sour soup, cured pork.

If you do not eat chilli, say "bu yao la" — no chilli. Chongqing's "mild" is still hot by most international standards.

Practical tips

• Chongqing summers are brutal: build an indoor or hotel break into the middle of the day;
• Food options inside Wulong and Jiuzhaigou are limited — bring snacks and water;
• Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong and Emei sit at 2,000–3,100 m. Take the first day slowly;
• Reserve scenic-area tickets online in advance; walk-up queues in peak season are long;
• A car with driver is the most efficient way to cover Wulong, Pengshui and Jiuzhaigou, where public transport between sights is slow.

Let a local team arrange it

Jadetour is based in Chongqing and has hosted inbound travellers from around the world for years, offering private custom tours, small-group departures, car-and-driver service and ticket bookings across Chongqing and Sichuan. We know the best hours at every site and how to route around the crowds.

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