Southwest · 3–4 days

Chengdu travel guide

Chengdu is the easiest big Chinese city to like. The metro is fast, the food is cheap and everywhere, and the local rhythm is genuinely slower — people sit in parks with tea for hours. Give it three days and it will feel like a holiday rather than a checklist.

  • Best time: March–April, September–November
  • Suggested stay: 3–4 days
  • Reviewed 2026-11-07

Why go

Pandas before breakfast, teahouses after lunch, and hotpot that keeps going until midnight.

  • Food
  • Pandas
  • Teahouses
  • Day trips

What is worth your time

Panda Base at opening

Arrive at 7:30–8:00 for the morning feeding, when the pandas are awake. By 10:30 most of them are asleep and the crowd is three deep.

People's Park teahouse

Heming Teahouse in People's Park is where the city's afternoon happens. Order jasmine tea, sit, and watch the ear cleaners work.

Sichuan opera

Face-changing and shadow puppetry in a proper theatre, not a hotel dinner show. One hour is enough.

Airport and station transfers

Chengdu has two airports: Shuangliu (CTU) 16 km southwest and Tianfu (TFU) about 50 km southeast. Check which one your ticket uses — they are far apart.

MethodTimePriceNotes
Metro from Shuangliu35 min to centre¥6–8Line 10 connects the old airport to the city centre.
Metro from Tianfu50–60 min¥8–10Line 18 runs to Chengdu South railway station; change there for the metro.
DiDi / taxi30 min (CTU), 60–80 min (TFU)¥60–90 (CTU), ¥120–160 (TFU)Tianfu is genuinely far — do not book a tight connection.

Getting around

  • Metro — Extensive, cheap and air-conditioned. Most sights are within two or three lines of each other.
  • DiDi — Cheap and plentiful; use it at night when the hotpot places empty out.
  • Bikes — The flat centre is made for shared bikes, especially around the alleys and parks.
  • Walking — Chunxi Road, Taikoo Li and the Kuanzhai alleys are one continuous walk.

Where to stay

AreaBest forTrade-off
Chunxi Road / Taikoo LiFirst visitCentral, walkable, metro-connected; the default choice.
Kuanzhai AlleyAtmosphereRestored lanes with guesthouses and courtyard hotels; quieter evenings.
Tianfu SquareTransportMetro hub with easy access in every direction.
Chengdu South StationOnward trainsPractical for early high-speed departures to Chongqing or Xi'an.

What to eat

DishWhere to find it
HotpotAny crowded local place; order a split pot if you cannot take the chilli
Mapo tofuSichuan restaurants; the numbing heat is the point
Dan dan noodlesBreakfast shops and noodle stalls
ChuanchuanStreet skewer shops — pick from the fridge, pay by the stick
Sweet water noodlesOld snack shops, mild and cheap

What it costs

StylePer dayWhat that buys
Backpacker¥250–450Hostel, metro, noodle shops, panda base ticket
Comfortable¥650–1,1003-star hotel, DiDi, hotpot dinners, one day trip
Premium¥1,600+Boutique hotel, private guide, car to Leshan or Mount Emei

Same three tiers for every city, plus what individual meals, metro rides and tickets cost: what a trip to China costs.

A route that fits the days you have

  1. Day 1 — Pandas and parks
    Panda Base at opening · People's Park teahouse · Kuanzhai alleys · Hotpot
  2. Day 2 — Old Chengdu
    Wuhou Shrine · Jinli Street · Sichuan opera in the evening
  3. Day 3 — Day trip
    Leshan Giant Buddha by high-speed train · River boat or the cliff stairs · Back for a late dinner
  4. Day 4 — Slow morning
    Tea house · Market snacks · Train to Chongqing or Xi'an

Last reviewed 2026-11-07 — rules and prices in China change often. Confirm critical details in the app or on the official site before you rely on them.

Official sources used for this guide