Cuddly and Mysterious Kingdoms
40 kilometers north of central Chengdu, by the same highway as Chengdu's Giant Panda Breeding Base, the bronze-age Sanxingdui site is regarded one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.
Thousands of rare treasures from two large sacrificial pits dating back to Shang Dynasty times (1600–1046 BC) have recently been supplemented with finds from six new sacrificial pits, which visitors can see being prepared for display in Sanxingdui Museum.
This tour not only takes you to visit the cuddly kingdom of giant pandas, but also the mysterious Kingdom of Shu (a.k.a. the Sanxingdui Civilization). The protected pandas and Sanxingdui's relics are both considered national treasures.
Tour 'Wow' Points
Witness Rare Treasures Only Seen in China
Sanxingdui Museum had held exhibitions in more than ten overseas countries over the last twenty years, but many treasures have only been exhibited in China (like the four below).


Discover Sanxingdui's "Alien" Civilization
The archeological finds of the Sanxingdui Civilization show it to be quite "alien" to the contemporary Shang Dynasty by the Yellow River, traditionally the cradle of China, down to the way they made bronze. The protruding eyes of its bronze heads tally with local Shu Kingdom records of their "alien-looking", bulging-eyed, founder Cancong.


A Morning Date with Active Pandas
It is best to go early in the morning to see the pandas feeding at around 9:30am, which is their most active time of the day.


Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.

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Excellent tour guide in Chengdu
![]() Fi Fi has been an amazing and very accommodating tour guide in Chengdu. She is very knowledgeable, patient, enthusiastic, cheerful and engaging. Excellent and very happy with the service!! more
Jun 2025, steven
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Helen from Chengdu - 6 Stars
![]() Helen, our private guide in Chendu, was just the best. An ABSOLUTE 6 Star Guide. She met us from the airport, calmly reviewed out 3 day itinerary, checked all was as we expected, and then spent 3 days ensuring we have the best time possible. Helen was lovely and was very flexible to our needs, and changed a few things for us. She took us on so many unscheduled activities, such as a Local Street Foodie tour, which was just fabulous, and tea in the local park, with ear cleaning, and a “marriage market” (although we couldn’t offload our daughter there !). Helen seemed to be telepathic in understanding what we wanted, and you could see she was thinking and adjusting everything all the time, to suit us. If I was running a Tour Company I would get her to train everyone. Helen from Xian - 6 Stars ******. more
Jun 2025, Andy
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Exploring chengdu
![]() We went to the panda research centre, spent a day exploring chengdu, and took a trip out to huanglong and Jiuzhaigou. Evan was our guide for everything and he was brilliant! I’d highly recommend spending a few days in Chengdu to explore the beautiful city. Evan really gave us an insight into local life and he really did make our trip one to remember! more
Jun 2025, Eimear C.
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Itinerary Quick Look
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests.
Your personal private guide will contact you a day in advance and arrange the starting time according to your preference.
Visiting the city's panda base can be a challenge as it is quite large and has various animals. We've designed a smart route to beat the crowds as much as possible while timing it to the pandas' active period for you.
After the short road trip on to Sanxingdui, you will be served with a Sichuan meal at the restaurant of Sanxingdui Museum.
Sanxingdui Museum, in the northeast corner of the Sanxingdui Ruins archeological site, is where the Shu Kingdom's 3,000-year-old treasures are displayed. Discover a unique part of China's history in this large modern thematic museum.
As this is a private tour, you can decide whether to spend more or less time in the different areas according to your interests. The schedule is flexible and only for your reference.
Price includes:
- Private air-conditioned business car with big windows and ample space
- English speaking local guide
- Activities and meals listed in the itinerary
- 24/7 helpline for while you are traveling
Tour code: cd-87