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Sichuan

 

Sichuan is a mountainous province in the South West of China, which is famous around the world for its spicy cuisine and for its Panda Reserve close to Chengdu.

The Panda Sanctuary is one of the major attractions in Sichuan, along with the Yangtze River and the cultural attractions of Chengdu, which has grown to be China’s 5th largest city.

Despite this, Chengdu maintains the atmosphere of its rural origins in the winding backstreets and lively markets.

 

Discover Sichuan

Chengdu Buddha Zen Hotel

Great value, superbly located boutique hotel in Chengdu with authentic Buddhist ambience and right next to Wenshuyuan Temple.

Great Boutique Hotel
Highly Recommended
3 Nights from
£756pp
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Flight Inclusive Price from UK

Rhombus Park Aura Chengdu

Centrally located, contemporary, hip boutique hotel in Chengdu, ideal for a stylish stay in China's 5th largest city.

Contemporary & Stylish
Luxury Boutique Hotel
3 Nights from
£780pp
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Flight Inclusive Price from UK

Temple House Hotel Chengdu

A distinctively different luxury hotel in Chengdu, The Temple House is a beautiful blend of traditional and modern design.

Trip Advisor Favourite
Luxury in Chengdu
3 Nights from
£840pp
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Flight Inclusive Price from UK

Six Senses Qing Cheng

Luxury resort close to the World Heritage & Natural Cultural site of Dujiangyan and with easy access to Panda Sanctuary & Chengdu.

20 km to Chengdu
Mountain Location
3 Nights from
£925pp
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Flight Inclusive Price from UK

Chengdu City Stays

Visit Chengdu's Giant Panda Sanctuary and see the best of Chengdu which has one foot in the past and one in the future.

Easy Chengdu Add-on
See Giant Pandas
3 Nights from
£350pp
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Hotel, Tours, Transfers, Breakfast

In Pursuit of Pandas

See the best of China including Giant Pandas in Chengdu on this 10 night journey.

Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, Chengdu
China Highlights plus Pandas
10 Nights from
£2385pp
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Flight Inclusive Price from UK

Local Chengdu

Jinli Pedestrian Street was once the commercial heart of the ancient Sichuan kingdom, and has been authentically restored. Here, you can sample local delicacies and bargain for local arts and crafts, or simply people watch from a local café.

Wuhou Temple

Wu Hou Temple was built in honor of the Marquis of Wu, an outstanding military strategist during the Three Kingdoms era (220-280 AD).

Wenshu Temple

Find peace of mind at the peaceful Wenshu Temple, a large Buddhist monastery.

Small ponds and lightly used buildings offer spots for visitors to sit down and relax, and every now and then, watch as a robed monk scurries past you and the other visitors strolling through the grounds.

Transfer back to your hotel.

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From £28pp

Chengdu Cycling - Half Day

Travel with an insider and discover the hidden back streets of Chengdu on pedal. Whether it's your first or thirteenth time in Chengdu, this morning bike tour is the perfect way to travel from sight to sight at a leisurely pace.

You’ll bike approximately 16 km on an easy to moderate ride, and you can make as many rest stops as you need. You'll receive superb personal service from your guide in a small group with a maximum of 10 people.

The friendly local bilingual guide will help you navigate the streets and share stories of the landmarks you see.

Itinerary

7:00 am Meet the guide and join a pre-departure briefing from your guide. Learn the local traffic rules and customs to keep you and others safe.

7:10 am Time to hit the road. Pedal along Wuhouci Main Street, passing Jinli Ancient Street and Wuhou Memorial Temple, dedicated to the legendary Chinese sage Zhuge Liang from Three Kingdoms.

7:30 am The first stop is People’s Park. Follow your guide and walk around the park. Discover how local people spend their morning, playing musical instruments, singing, playing chess and practicing Taichi.

They won’t hesitate to welcome you to join their activities.

8:30 am Cycle your way along Funan River and breathe in fresh air with the cool river breeze brushing your cheeks. The next stop WangJiang Park 7 km to the South East.

9:30 am Wander around the teahouses of WangJiang Park, home to various kinds of businesses: peddlers selling local’s favourite snacks, blind people offering massages, musicians, singers, portrait painters, shoe-polishers as well as ear-pickers offering what is apparently a Chengdu-only practice, ear picking!

9:50 am Soak up the atmosphere with some jasmine tea with the friendly locals.

Locals mostly gather to play Mahjong or cards while sipping tea to burn daylight. In traditional Chinese culture, tea-sipping was considered as a refined activity and tea-culture was synonymous with elegance.

Drinking tea goes well with spicy food for locals. If you like we might recommend where to enjoy a mouth-watering lunch in a typical Chengdu restaurant where local specialties and snacks are served.

12:00 pm Ride back and return your bike and gear.

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From £35pp

Sichuan Cuisine - Half Day

Calling all Szechuan cuisine lovers! If you’re a gourmand or a fan of homemade cuisine, this intimate, fun half-day cooking course is for you! Where better than a Chengdu home to take an authentic Szechuan cooking class?

You will spend half a day with a local host family who will take you step-by-step through the process of preparing a traditional Szechuan meal.

The small number of participants in this class ensures you will have personalized attention from the chef and a highly memorable Szechuan culinary experience.

Unlike the rather sanitized ‘cooking-school’ cooking which focuses on modernized, watered-down dishes to cater to western palates, this experience focuses on home-made cooking and authentic Sichuan cuisine and culture. Prepare to get spicy and experience something authentic.

Itinerary

4.30 pm Meet the host family and enjoy a special local welcome tea.

5.00 pm Brief introduction to Sichuan cuisine, highlighting the contents of tradition meals.

5.15 pm Take a short walk to the local farmer’s market. Enjoy a tour of the market highlighting the ‘wet’ market with unusual fruits and animal-part delicacies (think chicken feet and pigs trotters) with the chef.

6.00 pm Back to the Cooking class and commence cooking class with the chef.

7.30 pm On completion of the cooking class, enjoy the meal and a chance to chat with the host family.

Relax in the comfort of the dining area and enjoy a local beer or wine or lemon juice offered by the host family. Take home printed recipes and some memories of authentic Sichuan cuisine.

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From £35pp

Giant Pandas

Spend the morning at Dujiangyan Giant Panda Center or the Chengdu Panda Breeding Center with transfers from your hotel in Chengdu. This excursion includes a walk through the adult and baby panda areas with one of the keepers.

The keeper will provide an insight into the lives of the Giant Pandas. In addition to Giant Pandas there are also Red Pandas in both centres.

There is the option to upgrade the trip and hold one of the baby Giant Pandas.

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From £42pp

Jinyiang Steam Train

Step back in time to the age of steam aboard the only narrow-gauge small steam train still in operation in the whole world. The 20 km long Bashi Railway runs on tracks just 76 cm wide.

In the mountains and hills of south Sichuan, a few miles to the South East of Chengdu runs the 19.8-km long Bashi (Bagou-Shixi) Railway.

It is fondly known as a living fossil of the 18th century industrial revolution and has been running for almost half a century.

It was built in 1958 for coal transportation and winds through the green mountain ranges outside of Chengdu.

This half-day excursion is a unique opportunity to step back in time to the last of the steam powered trains.

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From £75pp

Chengdu

Chengdu is the gateway to South West China and with direct flights from the UK a stay here is becoming much more of a common feature in tours of China.

Chengdu is probably most well-known amongst travellers for the Chengdu Panda Base which offers an amazing chance to see these endangered animals up close and learn about efforts to keep the species alive.

Chengdu is also famous for its tea-houses, always alive with the sound of Mahjong table. ‘Mala’ is the flavour of Chengdu – meaning ‘tingly-hot’ – reflecting the pepper and chili, which form the base of Sichuan cuisine. Cooking classes are popular here.

Last but not least, Chengdu is the gateway to southwest China, a transfer point for travel into Tibet.

The Panda Centre

The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (to give it its full title) is one of the best places in the world to experience Giant Pandas.

The centre, which is just 10 km from Chengdu recreates the natural environment of Giant Pandas in the wild, with a focus on breeding and research.

The Giant Panda is only found in 3 provinces in China and it is estimated that there are less than 2,000 individuals in the world, of which the majority are found in Sichuan.

The Panda Centre is also home to other rare and endangered animals and birds.

Panda Volunteering

There are four other Panda Centres in Sichuan.

Dujiangyan Panda Base is 55 km from Chengdu and offers a full day Panda volunteer program which is a very popular option.

Close to the base is Dujiangyan Panda Valley, a facility opened in 2012 where giant pandas are slowly being reintroduced to the wild.

Visitors can assist in the daily care of the Pandas, including cleaning the cages and preparing food.

Ask us about this volunteering experience which is a great way to get close up with Giant Pandas.