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A giant panda eating bamboo on the wooded slopes of Chengdu's panda breeding base
Journey · 14 days · Private

PandasRiver Cities

The food-first route. Chongqing for the night skyline and the hotpot, Chengdu for the pandas and the tea houses, Xi'an for the warriors and the Muslim Quarter.

The trip in one paragraph

Fourteen days through the three cities Chinese travellers go to eat. Chongqing stacked on its hills over two rivers, Chengdu at its slower tea-house pace, Xi'an inside its Ming walls. The pace leaves room for the long table evenings this route is really about. Your driver and guide change with each city; your specialist stays the same from first enquiry to last airport pickup.

From · per person
US$5,540

Per person, twin share, your choice of hotels · selected hotels

Indicative · your trip is priced when we design it.

What's included
  • Hotels
  • Guide
  • High-speed rail
Driver & vehicle

Private 5-seater · from US$350/day

Driver and bilingual guide (English & Chinese) included throughout.

Design my trip
  1. 4 nights

    Days 1 to 4: Chongqing

    1. Day 01: The two rivers and Hongya Cave

      Hongya Cave's stacked stilt houses glowing at dusk above the Jialing River
      Hongya Cave

      1. Walk Jiefangbei from the Liberation Monument

      2. See the two rivers meet at the Chaotianmen docks

      3. Ride the Yangtze River cableway across the water

      4. Watch Hongya Cave light up over the Jialing

    2. Day 02: Old Chongqing

      A Chongqing Line 2 monorail train passing through the middle floors of the Liziba residential block
      Liziba station

      1. Explore the stone lanes of Ciqikou Ancient Town

      2. Walk Eling Park above the wartime city

      3. Watch the light rail pass through the building at Liziba

      4. Sit down to a Chongqing hot pot dinner

    3. Day 03: Wulong Karst

      The Three Natural Bridges of Wulong Karst, a vast limestone arch above a green valley
      Wulong Karst Three Natural Bridges

      About two and a half hours southeast, each way

      1. Walk the valley floor beneath the Three Natural Bridges

      2. Take lunch above the gorge before the drive back

      3. Return to Chongqing and rest

    4. Day 04: Dazu Rock Carvings

      The reclining Buddha of the Great Buddha Bend at Baodingshan, attendant figures carved along the cliff below
      Baodingshan, Dazu Rock Carvings

      About two hours west

      1. Walk the Great Buddha Bend at Baodingshan

      2. Continue through the cliff galleries at your own pace

      3. Return to Chongqing and rest

  2. High-speed rail from Chongqing, around ninety minutes

    5 nights

    Days 5 to 9: Chengdu

    1. Day 05: Pandas and tea houses

      A giant panda eating bamboo at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
      Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

      1. Watch the morning feeding hour at the Panda Base

      2. Settle into a tea house at People's Park

      3. Try a traditional ear-cleaning session at the tables

      4. Wander Jinli's lantern-lit snack lanes

    2. Day 06: The old city and hot pot

      A lantern-lit lane in the Kuanzhai Alleys at twilight
      Kuanzhai Alleys

      1. Visit Wenshu Monastery and its tea garden

      2. Wander the Kuanzhai Alleys

      3. Sit down to a Sichuan hot pot dinner

    3. Day 07: Leshan Giant Buddha

      The Leshan Giant Buddha carved into the red cliff above the meeting of three rivers
      Leshan Giant Buddha

      About two hours south

      1. See the Giant Buddha from the river viewpoint

      2. Walk the clifftop paths and temple grounds

      3. Return to Chengdu with the evening at leisure

    4. Day 08: Sanxingdui and Sichuan opera

      The 2.6-metre bronze standing figure from the Sanxingdui Bronze Age site, arms outstretched holding a ceremonial object
      Sanxingdui Museum

      About an hour and a half north

      1. Meet the bronze masks at the Sanxingdui Museum

      2. Return to Chengdu with time to rest

      3. Watch a Sichuan opera face-changing performance over gaiwan tea

    5. Day 09: Dujiangyan and Qingcheng Mountain

      The Dujiangyan inner channel at night, the river lit deep blue from beneath
      Dujiangyan Irrigation System

      About an hour and a half northwest

      1. Walk the Dujiangyan Irrigation System

      2. Climb the forest paths of Qingcheng Mountain

      3. Return to Chengdu for the evening

  3. High-speed rail from Chengdu, around three and a half hours

    5 nights

    Days 10 to 14: Xi'an

    1. Day 10: Xi'an City Highlights

      The Bell Tower lit at dusk from above, ringed by the roundabout at the centre of Xi'an's old city
      Bell Tower

      1. Explore the Xiaonanmen morning market

      2. Stroll Shuyuanmen, the old calligraphy street

      3. Visit the Bell Tower

      4. See the Drum Tower

      5. Eat your way along the Muslim Quarter

    2. Day 11: Terracotta Warriors and Lintong

      Close-up ranks of terracotta warriors in Pit One
      Terracotta Army

      About an hour east

      1. Meet the Terracotta Army at first entry

      2. Ride the cable car up Mount Li

      3. Look through the Lintong Museum

      4. Stroll Lintong's old streets

      5. Watch The Song of Everlasting Sorrow at Huaqing Palace

    3. Day 12: History and Tang Dynasty Culture

      A gilded silver cup from the Hejia Village hoard at the Shaanxi History Museum
      Shaanxi History Museum

      1. Spend the morning in the Shaanxi History Museum

      2. Walk the Daci'en Temple Ruins Park

      3. Join the lantern-lit crowds at Datang Everbright City

      4. Catch the fountain show at the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

    4. Day 13: Local Markets and Yuanjia Village

      Yuanjia Village lanes lit by red lanterns at night, a stilt performer moving through the crowd
      Yuanjia Village

      Northwest into the Guanzhong countryside

      1. Start slow at Lao Cai Chang, coffee in hand

      2. Graze the snack lanes of Yuanjia Village

      3. Stay for the village's lantern-lit evening

    5. Day 14: Imperial Heritage and Local Culture

      Danfeng Gate at Daming Palace lit by late afternoon sun, a lotus paving stone in the foreground
      Daming Palace

      1. Walk the Daming Palace grounds

      2. Visit the Xi'an Museum and Small Wild Goose Pagoda

      3. Take dusk drinks at Tianpin West Bank

      4. Say goodbye over Shaanxi snacks at Yongxingfang

When to go

When to visit,
and how it feels.

March

Chongqing
Daily max (°F): 65° · Mild
Rainfall (mm): 56 mm · Showery
Crowds: Quiet

Early spring, mild and still quiet. Comfortable weather returns for the stair streets.

Chengdu
Daily max (°F): 64° · Mild
Rainfall (mm): 24 mm · Dry
Crowds: Quiet

Early spring and still quiet. Comfortable walking weather returns.

Xi'an
Daily max (°F): 60° · Mild
Rainfall (mm): 28 mm · Dry
Crowds: Quiet

Early spring and still quiet. City-wall cycling weather begins.

Temperature and rainfall are China Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991 to 2020. Crowd levels follow the Chinese public-holiday calendar and daily booking caps at the major sites.

A giant panda eating bamboo on the wooded slopes of Chengdu's panda breeding base
Everonia
14 daysPandas & River Cities

The 14-day route, day by day, with the months that suit it

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Before you enquire

Questions worth
answering early.

  • As spicy as you ask for. Chongqing and Chengdu cook hot by default, but every restaurant on the route can set a mild table, and your guide orders with you, not for you.

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Pandas & River Cities · 14 days

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Portrait of Jack Guo

Jack Guo

Your travel specialist

Jack has spent ten years working with the guides, drivers and hoteliers across China. He'll be your contact from first enquiry to final airport pickup.

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