If you're looking for close contact with pandas, this 1-day panda volunteer experience will utilize your time to its fullest. It's a memorable chance to look after a cute and fluffy panda as you clean its enclosure, make its food, and watch it be fed.
Please note:
- 1. There is a daily quota of 60 volunteers for the Panda Volunteer Program. Please inquire and book soon to secure your place.
- 2. The age restriction for volunteers is between 10 and 70 years old. You can still take good care of the pandas even if you are unable to be a panda volunteer for the day. There are several activities to take part in, such as panda excreta analysis, watching a documentary movie, making panda cakes, and so on.
Tour Highlights
- Watch the keeper feed a panda at a very close distance
- Clean panda's bedroom
- Make cakes in different shapes for the pandas
- Meet oversea returnee pandas with our expert panda guide
- Receive a unique certificate proving your love for pandas
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
Big family of 18 in Jiuzhaigou
Although our train is cancelled, and we have to go back to Chengdu half day earlier, Mary managed to solve the problem by suggesting us to take a chatered bus instead of public bus is the scenic area. So the plan for 3 days tour can be done in 2 days. She is a top rated guide. more
Apr 2024, LENA ONG
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Such a great experience in Chengdu
We had a beautiful day in Chengdu with our guide Sandy. Sandy accompanied us to live an exciting experience as volunteers in the Research base center of Giant Panda. The volunteer experience is incredible. more
Apr 2024, Mat
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Well worth the trip!
Our guide Fifi was responsive to our requests and helped us with finding the best food and activities after our official tours. We walked so much and enjoyed every minute of our time. more
Apr 2024,
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Suggested Itinerary
Your guide will call you at your hotel one day in advance or will leave a message to confirm the collection time with you. You will be picked up at around 7am from your hotel. After arrival at the panda base, sign up and get a uniform. Your guide will introduce you to the professional panda keepers. The panda keepers can speak simple English but your guide will be there for you at all times, helping to translate and taking memorable photos of you with the lovable pandas.
Clean the panda enclosures. Panda volunteers need to supply fresh bamboo three times a day. The pandas usually only eat 30% of the bamboo, wasting 70% of it. You will need to sweep out the leftovers and replace them with fresh bamboo, as well as clean out the feces.
Take a break and tour around the panda base. Our guides are veritable panda lovers — they are familiar with the base and know a lot about pandas. Some of them have even hosted a live cam feed about pandas on Facebook and YouTube.
There are about 10 pandas at the base and some of them are overseas returnees, including the most popular Tai Shan and Bao Bao, who arrived from the US. You will also have the chance to meet four naughty red pandas.
Pandas are supplied with panda cakes, apples, and carrots four times a day. The panda keepers will show you how to feed a panda at close proximity.
A simple Chinese lunch is included in the canteen. Usually, there are two meat dishes and one vegetable dish. Rice and porridge are also provided. It is highly recommended for you to prepare some snacks in case you do not like the food there. After lunch, you can walk around to continue exploring or have a rest in the volunteers' office or the resting room, where benches are provided.
Having seen the panda keeper feeding the pandas with panda cakes, aren't you curious as to how they are made? It is time to make some panda cakes with your own hands. The ingredients will be prepared in advance. Get creative about the shapes of the cakes. You will also cut the bamboo leaves into small pieces for old pandas
Trip Notes
1. Booking Panda Volunteer Program
As the first tour company in China to operate the program, China Highlights has developed stable relationship with the Dujiangyan Panda Base. Sometimes the program is subject to change due to force majeure. Usually we are able to get the first-hand information that is very helpful for your tour arrangement. Your early booking is also useful to guarantee the availability of the program. Sometimes the activities listed in the description will be adjusted according to health condition of the pandas. Hope customers can understand this.
If your time is limited, you can only join the activities in the morning. The price is the same.
This tour is very flexible. You can alter the itinerary, and extend or shorten it to suit your schedule.
Physical Examination Record is required for panda keeper program application. Please click the link below to download the form. Feel free to contact our 1:1 travel expert for any questions.
2. Age Limit
The age restriction of volunteer is between 10 to 70 years old. Even though the pandas look harmless, they are carnivores. Parents must ensure that they prevent their children from coming into direct contact with the pandas. The cost for children of 10 years old and above is the same as the cost for adults. If your children are between 0–9 years old, you can still take them with you during the program. The children can not enter the room where the panda cage is. Your guide can help take care of them if you like.
3. Dress Code
Certain pavements in the base can be very wet and slippery. To avoid slipping, please do not wear short pants or slippery footwear. Also, pandas have a very keen sense of smell. As you will get very close to them during the tour, please do not wear perfume or nail polish. Our sincere thanks for your extra care and respect towards the pandas.
4. Transportation Suggestions
If you need to catch a flight or train after the program, flights departing after 8 pm or trains departing after 7 pm are recommended. For international flights, flights after 9 pm are suggested. If your flight or train leaves earlier than the recommended times above, you may need to skip some arrangements in the afternoon and head earlier to the airport or train station.
Tour Price
Price includes: