7 Days Sichuan Discovery Tour

Highlights: Welcome to Chengdu---home of giant pandas. Upon arrival, your personal guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. Rest of the day will be free for you to relax.

Highlights: Today you will visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, followed by a trip to the Wenshu Temple, then wander around Jinli Old Street for shopping.                                                                                                           

Chengdu Panda Base: Which is 10km from Chengdu downtown, and takes 35 drive to get there. The panda based was founded in 1987 with with 6 giant pandas that rescued from the wild. Through 2015, it has had 161 panda births, and its panda population has grown to 108. Located in the base, the Giant Panda Museum is the world’s only museum that focuses entirely on the critically endangered giant panda.

Wenshu Temple: Located in the northwest of Chengdu, the Wenshu Temple is a famous Buddhist temple in China. The present temple grounds were built in 1697 of the Qing Dynasty. Wenshu is the Chinese word for the future Buddha Maitreya, whose presence was found during the construction of the original temple in the form of persistent lights. Here you can find a fine cup of green tea and the best vegetarian food in the city. A tourist district called Wenshufang is around the temple, it is great place for food, souvenirs ,etc. 

Jinli Old Street: Originally built in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Jinli Street is 350m long and a concentration of Chengdu nightlife, snacks and folk culture. There are many cafes and bars here - including Starbucks. They blend modern elements with the old buildings harmoniously. It is enjoyable to sit on a wooden or bamboo chair with a cup of delicious coffee. When night falls, the whole street is decorated with beautiful red lanterns on the each eave of the ancient buildings. 

Recommended paid add-on Sichuan Opera show (RMB260=USD43/per): As one of the oldest and most interesting opera forms in Southwestern China, Sichuan Opera is an important part of Chengdu culture and a perfect combination of local dialect along with the customs, folk music, and dances from other regions. Besides the normal singing, and martial arts, Sichuan Opera has many unique features that set it apart, features such as fire breathing, changing faces, and juggling pottery. When enjoying the performance, visitors always amaze at different facial make-ups that are changed fast and mysteriously.

Highlights: On this day you will be driven about 2 hours to Leshan Giant Buddha, then drive 30 minutes to Mt. Emei, from where you will take 2 hours park bus from the bottom of the mountain up to the cable car station on the hill top, then take 10 minutes cable car up to the top, after the cable car ride, walk 20-30 minutes or so to your hotel at the summit.

Leshan Giant Buddha: Located 125km away from downtown Chengdu, and covers 2.5 square kilometers, the 71m-high Giant Buddha is the biggest Buddha statue in the world. It sits in a cliff overlooking the confluence of Min, Dadu and Qingyi River. A local saying goes: "The mountain is a Buddha, and the Buddha is a mountain".  Legend has it that an eminent monk Hai Tong of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) often saw boats capsize in the turbulent river. Shipwrecks were a common place. Wishing to protect passing boats and calm down the rough river currents, the monk vowed to build a Maitreya Buddha. He made great efforts to collect the funds for the construction.

Highlights: Today's morning you will get up early to witness the famous sunrise at Gold Summit, and walk around to see the other sites of the mountain. After the tour you will be take cable car and bus down to the bottom, then drive 2 hours back to Chengdu. 

Mt.Emei: Located 150 km away from downtown Chengdu, Mt. Emei is one of the four most famous Buddhist mountains in China due to its pleasant weather, gorgeous natural scenery, and ancient Buddhist architecture. With an elevation of the mount is 3,099m, around 1,000m higher than the other three Buddhist sacred mountains. The mountain is characterized by ancient pines, clean brooks, picturesque waterfalls and sea cloud. In 1996, it was listed as an UNESCO's Natural and Cultural Heritage site.

Highlights: Today you will be driven to airport for the flight to Jiuzhagou. Our Jiuzhaigou guide will escort you to visit Huanglong National Park, then drive to hotel in Jiuzhaigou for check-in. 

Huanglong National Park: Huanglong is located on the easternmost of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and 300km away from Chengdu. It consists of numerous unique landscapes of geological landforms. Glacial revolution, terrane structure, stratum of carbonic acid rock, tufa water and climatic conditions such as artic-alpine sun light have created this world-famous travertine landscape. The park is famous for its colorful lakes, snow-topped mountains, beautiful valleys and virgin forests. The area, declared a World Heritage Site in 1992 by UNESCO, has been called a "World Wonder" and “Fairy Land on Earth. 

Highlights: Today you will have full day visit in Jiuzhaigou National Park

Jiuzhaigou National Park: Listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1992, Jiuzhaigou Valley is an incredible site in the world. It covers 72,000 hectares, and about 2,000 to 4,500 meters about sea level. The park is about the scenery, scenery that takes your breath away, Multi-level waterfalls, colorful lakes and snow-capped peaks are highlights in the park, you may be briefly distracted from the scenery by the telling of local legends and stories, and even a song or two. 

Highlights: Transfer to Jiuzhaigou airport for the flight to next city