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A giant panda eating bamboo on a wooded slope
Journey · 14 days · Private

Warriors, Pandasthe Mountain City

The western route. Xi'an for the warriors and Huashan, Chengdu for the pandas and Mount Emei, Chongqing for the night skyline and the karst bridges.

The trip in one paragraph

Fourteen days through China's west, in the order we would run it: Xi'an inside its Ming walls, Chengdu at its tea-house pace, Chongqing above its two rivers to finish. Along the way sit the warriors, two of China's great mountains, the pandas at feeding hour, and the karst bridges at Wulong. Your driver and guide change with each city; your specialist stays the same from first enquiry to last airport pickup.

14 days
Per person from
US$6,710

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

Indicative · your choice of hotels, priced by season when we design your trip.

What's included
  • Hotels
  • Private driver-guide
  • High-speed rail
Design my trip
  1. 5 nights

    Days 1 to 5: Xi'an

    1. Day 01: 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

    2. Day 02: 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

    3. Day 03: Mount Huashan

      Huashan's granite peaks rising through morning cloud
      Huashan, North Peak

      High-speed rail east, about forty minutes

      1. Take the cable car to the North Peak

      2. Walk the ridge toward South Peak

      3. Wind down with a booked massage back in Xi'an

    4. Day 04: Qinling

      A ridge pavilion above the Qinling range, cloud drifting below the peaks
      Qinling watershed pass

      South into the Qinling foothills

      1. Take fireside tea at a foothill farm-stay

      2. Cross the Qinling watershed pass

      3. Meet the pandas at the Four Treasures Science Park

      4. Finish with dinner and shopping at Xi'an MixC

    5. Day 05: 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

  2. High-speed rail from Xi'an, around three and a half hours through the Qinling tunnels

    6 nights

    Days 6 to 11: Chengdu

    1. Day 06: Daci Temple and Taikoo Li

      A monk in orange robes on the steps of Daci Temple, tiled rooflines folding around the courtyard
      Daci Temple

      1. Visit the courtyards of Daci Temple

      2. Graze the riverside kitchens of Wangping Street

      3. Walk Chunxi Road under the neon

      4. Finish among the lanes of Taikoo Li

    2. Day 07: Pandas and Dujiangyan

      A giant panda eating bamboo among the trees at Dujiangyan's Panda Valley
      Dujiangyan Panda Valley

      About an hour and a half northwest

      1. Watch feeding hour at Panda Valley

      2. Walk the Dujiangyan Irrigation System

      3. Wander Guanxian Ancient City

      4. Watch the Nanqiao Bridge light up over the river

    3. Day 08: Bronzes and the Three Kingdoms

      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 to Guanghan

      1. Meet the bronze masks at the Sanxingdui Museum

      2. Visit Wuhou Shrine

      3. Stroll Jinli Ancient Street next door

      4. Wander the Kuanzhai Alleys after dark

    4. Day 09: Mount Emei

      The golden summit of Mount Emei above a sea of cloud, snow peaks on the horizon
      Mount Emei

      About two hours southwest

      1. Ride the cable car up Mount Emei

      2. Walk between the temples and viewpoints

      3. Return to Chengdu for the river lights at Dongmen Wharf

    5. Day 10: Qingyang Palace and Du Fu's cottage

      The gateway of Qingyang Palace, red pillars and painted beams beyond stone couplet tablets
      Qingyang Palace

      1. Visit the halls of Qingyang Palace

      2. Walk the gardens of Du Fu Thatched Cottage

      3. Watch the Twin Towers light up the Financial City

    6. Day 11: Modern Chengdu

      The Tower of Vitality's lit water columns pouring at night above Chengdu SKP
      Tower of Vitality

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

      2. Browse the factory halls of Eastern Suburb Memory

      3. Watch the water columns light up at the Tower of Vitality

  3. High-speed rail from Chengdu, around ninety minutes

    3 nights

    Days 12 to 14: Chongqing

    1. Day 12: Jiefangbei 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 stacked storeys of Hongya Cave

      3. Walk out across the Qiansimen Bridge

      4. Watch Hongya Cave light up from the Jialing waterfront

    2. Day 13: 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

    3. Day 14: The mountain city on foot

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

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

      2. Explore the stone lanes of Ciqikou Ancient Town

      3. Climb Shancheng Alley as the lanterns come on

When to go

When to visit,
and how it feels.

March

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

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

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

Early spring and still quiet. Comfortable walking weather returns.

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.

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 a wooded slope
Everonia
14 daysWarriors, Pandas & the Mountain City

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

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Before you enquire

Questions worth
answering early.

  • Two high-speed rail legs: around three and a half hours from Xi'an to Chengdu through the Qinling tunnels, then around ninety minutes to Chongqing. Your guide takes you to the station, and the next driver is waiting with your name.

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Warriors, Pandas & the Mountain City · 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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