成都 / A connected city stay
A five-day Sichuan stay with a panda-base morning, People's Park, Du Fu Thatched Cottage and an onward link to Chongqing.
Start with the journey in
Chengdu works best when the pauses are part of the plan. Build around a panda-base visit, a park-and-teahouse day and a cultural day in western Chengdu. This five-day version includes arrival and departure, leaving three full days in the city. Regional excursions deserve extra days, not a squeezed afternoon after the pandas.
Tianfu (TFU) and Shuangliu (CTU) are separate airports. Check the code on both arrival and departure tickets, including domestic connections.
Do not book an airport transfer from the word Chengdu alone. Save TFU or CTU and the terminal from your ticket. Follow the airport's current metro, bus or taxi signs and compare the complete journey to your hotel. Changing between the airports requires a ground transfer; it is not a terminal change.
Use the exact station printed on the ticket, such as Chengdu East (成都东), to plan the hotel transfer. If your China trip begins in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Shenzhen, choose the domestic connection before committing to an early panda reservation. Keep the transfer day free of major timed visits.
After check-in, choose a meal and short walk in your own neighborhood. Ask for less chili if needed, but also explain any allergies separately. Save the hotel name, entrance and phone number before heading out; tomorrow's first destination should already be stored in Chinese.
Choose one useful base
A useful central base if parks, museums and easygoing city walks matter most. Compare hotels by their nearest usable metro entrance and luggage access, then plan each day around one district.
Consider this area for shops, restaurants and a more urban evening. It does not eliminate the journey to the panda base, so confirm that morning's transport separately. A central base is usually more useful for this itinerary than moving hotels for one attraction.
5 days · Arrival + 3 sightseeing + departure
Arrival and departure are part of this stay. Adjust sightseeing around confirmed admission slots and the weather. The planner opens this same route; changing its style or length changes the daily suggestions.
Settle in and confirm the hotel address and payment setup.
Take a low-pressure walk around a central park or nearby street.
Try a mild first meal if you are adjusting to spice.
Follow your actual arrival time. Leave luggage or check in when the hotel allows; a late arrival replaces the outing with a nearby meal and rest.
Visit Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (成都大熊猫繁育研究基地) in your reserved entry session; carry the document used for booking.
Return for rest rather than stacking a distant attraction.
Choose a calm neighborhood dinner.
Check current ticketing and visitor guidance before the trip.
Walk People's Park (人民公园) and pause in a teahouse after checking the menu.
Continue through a nearby central neighborhood at an easy pace.
Use dinner to explore Sichuan flavors gradually.
Visit Du Fu Thatched Cottage (杜甫草堂) after checking current museum admission.
Stay around the Huanhua area for a slower walk and a seated break.
Revisit a favorite breakfast area or rest.
Check airport or station details and pack with transfer time protected.
Your ticket time takes priority. An early departure replaces the outing; collect luggage and leave time for the hotel-to-station or airport journey.
Give each place its own time
Use these notes for the daily route above, or swap in an alternative. This is a menu of places, not a list to finish in one day. Photographs record earlier visits; current access and services may differ. Original ChinaPass photos and credited external photos are identified below. Select a photograph for a larger view.
01 / 成都大熊猫繁育研究基地
Reserve a suitable entry session and make the visit the main event of the day. The official ticket page distinguishes this base from Panda Valley in Dujiangyan: check the venue name, not just a panda photograph. Carry the original document used for booking and leave the afternoon for rest.
Use current visitor notices for opening and animal-viewing arrangements. Neither a particular panda nor outdoor viewing is guaranteed.
02 / 人民公园
Walk slowly, choose a place to sit and let the park be the outing. Check the menu and any service prices before ordering. Nearby central streets can fill the afternoon if you have energy; leaving an empty hour here is a sensible part of the trip.
Choose a shorter park visit in uncomfortable weather and move the break indoors.
03 / 杜甫草堂
Use a separate cultural day for the poet's memorial site in western Chengdu and the surrounding Huanhua area. Give the gardens and interpretation time instead of treating the visit as a photograph stop. This is Chengdu's Du Fu Thatched Cottage; Changsha's riverside Du Fu Pavilion is a different place.
Save 杜甫草堂 for navigation and check the museum's current admission arrangements.
04 / 文殊院 · 宽窄巷子
For an extra day or a swap, choose either the Wenshu neighborhood or Kuanzhai Alley. Explore one area, stop for food and keep religious spaces respectful. These are alternatives to a busy day already in the itinerary, not two more compulsory stops after the cottage.
For a longer Sichuan excursion, add a full transport day and check admission before choosing it over a city day.
The next city starts at hotel checkout
Compare dated rail services and the station-to-hotel journey on both ends. Save the precise Chongqing hotel entrance because roads and buildings sit on different levels. The seven-day combination protects a transfer day; the new city's night views are optional after check-in.
Chengdu → Chongqing · 7 days →Our Xi'an → Chengdu route gives each city two complete sightseeing days, plus arrival, transfer and departure. For Chengdu, that shorter version prioritizes pandas and People's Park. Add time or swap a day if the cottage is essential; the standalone five-day guide has more room.
Xi'an → Chengdu · 7 days →Plan from current information
The route and neighborhood choices are ChinaPass editorial suggestions. Official venue, city and transport sources below support the place and access details. Recheck admission, opening calendars, terminal arrangements and dated services before booking; this guide does not quote live fares or guarantee availability.
Venue-specific tickets, reservation sessions and identity requirements.
Animal welfare, viewing changes and visitor guidance.
CTU / TFU distinction and ground-transfer arrangements.
Central accommodation areas and intercity transport context; schedules must be checked separately.
Museum identity and western Chengdu location.
Before, during & after your city stay
Match your arrival airport or station to your booking, save the hotel address in Chinese and leave time for luggage and check-in. A late arrival means a nearby meal and rest.
The city planner includes arrival on Day 1 and a departure buffer on the final day. Those days allow short local outings, not full sightseeing schedules.
Confirm your next hotel or departure ticket before adding another city. Returning to your first city requires its own transport and time; it is not automatically included.
These complete routes show how Chengdu connects with other stops. Choose a route to open its full itinerary; incoming routes are not suggestions to travel in reverse.
7 days · Finishes here
The final day includes a departure buffer. Return travel to the first city is additional.
View Xi'an → Chengdu plan →7 days · Starts here
The final day includes a departure buffer. Return travel to the first city is additional.
View Chengdu → Chongqing plan →