The best place to see giant pandas in China is Chengdu, the home of pandas, with 5 panda bases. You can find the most pandas there and have the best viewing experience.
If you're not heading to Chengdu, don't worry. You can still see quite a few pandas in other cities like Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, and Xi'an, usually in large zoos or safari parks.
Besides regular visits, you can also join a panda volunteer program for a deeper panda tour. However, panda hugging is no longer allowed even with a volunteer program, but you'll still get closer to pandas than regular visitors.
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- Dujiangyan Panda Base
- Wolong Panda Base
- Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center
- Chongqing Zoo
- Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park
- Beijing Zoo
- Qinling Sibao Animal Protection Park
1. Dujiangyan Panda Base: Easily Accessible Panda Keeper Programs
- Location: Dujiangyan Prefecture, 67 km (41 mi) or 1½ hours from Chengdu
- Pandas: 40+ (20+ on display）
- Activities: Panda Volunteer Program
- Suitable for: those who want a less-crowded panda base or to join in a one-day volunteer program, student groups
- Time needed: 2 hrs (a day for the volunteer program)
After the panda volunteer program, you will visit the whole panda baseIf you don't want to walk too much and prefer to see pandas up close in a less-crowded environment, Dujiangyan Panda Base is the best choice. This base is compact with shuttle buses, making it kid and elderly-friendly.
It is the most easily accessible panda base offering a panda keeper program. During the program, you will take part in the daily work of panda keepers, including cleaning the glass of their enclosures and preparing panda foods (like bamboo, steamed 'panda cakes', and apples).
You'll get to see the Singapore returnee Panda Lele, along with other pandas like Rui Rui and her two babies.
2. Wolong Panda Base: The Most Peaceful Panda Base
- Location: 121 km (75 mi) west of Chengdu, 3 hours' driving
- Pandas: 40+ (20+ on display）
- Activities: Panda Volunteer Program, Panda Museum, Bamboo Planting
- Best for: Nature lovers, quiet visits, baby pandas.
- Time needed: 2 hrs (a day for a panda volunteer)
Compared with Dujiangyan, Wolong Panda Base is much further away from Chengdu and nestled in mountains. Thus, it is less frequented by visitors and has a better natural environment.
You can also see quite a few panda cubs here, plus some panda overseas returnees, like Fu Bao, Tai Shan, and Xiao Qi Ji.
The volunteer program inside the base is similar to Dujiangyan's. It is most recommended for big fans of pandas or if you want to learn more about their living habits. After taking part in the volunteer program, you can continue to go on a serene hike in a forest.
There you can learn about the environment bamboo needs to grow, and even plant your own bamboo seedling. One day, your bamboo may become food for the pandas at the base.
3. Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding: See Most Pandas and Baby Pandas
- Location: downtown Chengdu, 30 minutes by car from the city center
- Pandas: 200+
- Activities: Panda nursery Houses, Panda Museum, Panda Theatre...
- Time needed: half a day
- Best for: everyone, especially when you want to see the most pandas or have limited time
Panda cubs in Chengdu Panda BaseIt's the most popular and easily accessible panda base in Chengdu, so you'll spend more time enjoying the pandas and less time on the road. You can get there easily by metro, taxi, or direct shuttle bus.
It's also the largest panda base, with the most pandas and the best facilities. Besides giant pandas, you can also see red pandas roaming freely, and join fun activities like watching panda-themed movies or dining with a view of the pandas in the panoramic restaurant.
But it's also the most crowded, especially if you want to see Panda Huahua (1-2 hrs queues). To avoid the crowds, try to enter early or skip weekends and holidays.
Recommended Tours with Chengdu Panda Base
4. Chongqing Zoo: The Zoo with the Most Pandas
- Location: Chongqing City, 30-minute drive from the city center
- Pandas: 20+
- Activities: Seeing pandas only
- Time needed: 3 hours
- Best for: travelers who visit Chongqing or take a Yangtze Cruise
Outside of the experienced panda bases, Chongqing Zoo has the largest number of pandas among all zoos in China. The panda enclosure is conveniently located just to the right of the main entrance, where you can see pandas like Yu Ke and Yu Ai.
Chongqing is only a 2-hour high-speed train ride from Chengdu, so many travelers visit both cities together. But if you're visiting both Chengdu and Chongqing, we recommend seeing pandas in Chengdu only, as it offers a better overall experience.
Chongqing is the top port for a Yangtze River cruise. You could make a short excursion to Chongqing Zoo before your Yangtze cruise.
5. Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park: Little Panda Keeper Program for Kids
- Location: Guangzhou, 40 minutes driving
- Panda: 16
- Activities: 1-hour Little Panda Keeper Program
- Time needed: 2 hours
- Best for: families with kids, expats in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong
Enjoy a meal at Panda Canteen in ChimelongChimelong Safari Park is considered to be the largest wildlife theme park in China, and also one of the most animal-friendly. In summer, they even arrange ice beds for pandas to cool down.
You'll get to see the world's only surviving panda triplets in Chimelong. Meng Meng, one of the triplets, as well as her daughter Meizhu, are the panda internet celebrities here.
During your visit, you can also have meals at a panda-themed canteen where pandas play next to the windows.
Kids over 5 years old have the chance to join a 1-hour Little Panda Keeper Program. They will learn about pandas, make a panda cake, visit the panda house, and even go behind the scenes to watch keepers feeding the pandas.
6. Beijing Zoo: An Easily Accessible Place with Pandas
- Location: Beijing City
- Panda: 10
- Activities: Seeing pandas only
- Time needed: 2 hours
- Best for: a first China visit with limited time, Beijing expats
Our guests at Beijing ZooBeijing Zoo is one of the largest zoos in China, and as the No. 1 gateway city of China, it's often the first stop for many travelers to China. If you're short on time to visit other cities but still want to see pandas, Beijing Zoo is a great option, and you can see 9 pandas on display here.
The ticket is affordable, even cheaper than a Starbucks, and it's super convenient to get, so it can be a cost-effective panda tour. The panda house is also just to the right of the entrance. If you come only for pandas, you can buy a separate ticket instead of a package ticket for the zoo.
We could easily add a trip to Beijing Zoo to one of these popular Beijing itineraries:
7. Qinling Sibao Animal Protection Park: The Only Park to See a Brown Panda
- Location: Xi'an, 1½-hour drive from the city center
- Panda: 10+
- Activities: Seeing pandas only
- Time needed: 3 hours
- Best for: Anyone curious about rare-colored pandas
Qizai, a brown red panda at Xi'an Qinling Sibao Science ParkWe're all used to seeing black-and-white pandas, but where can you see something different? Just right here at the Qinling Sibao Animal Protection Park! You'll see the only captive brown panda in the world, Qizai.
If you're mainly here for Qizai and other pandas, hop on the park's shuttle bus and ride to the final stop, the Panda Pavilion. There, you can see adult pandas, including Qi Zai. Then, walk a bit further down is the nursery area, which is best to catch mother pandas with their cubs.
You can get more inspiration from our popular panda tours. We are happy to tailor-make your own unique tour, including a place to see pandas, according to your interests and requirements. We will help you plan and create your perfect trip.