If you're visiting Chengdu, especially for the first time, where you stay can make a big difference in how smooth and enjoyable your trip is.
For easy access to attractions, food, shopping, and transport, we recommend staying within Chengdu's Second Ring Road, where most of the city's highlights are located.
Among the many neighborhoods, we select the 3 best areas for their central location, convenient metro access, and unique atmosphere:
- Chunxi Road: central convenience, trendy and lively
- Wide and Narrow Alleys: authentic local vibe
- Jinli Ancient Street: historical charm with plenty of local snacks
Below, you'll find the pros and cons of each area, along with tips and recommended hotels to help you find the best fit for your stay.
Stay in Chunxi Road (Taikoo Li): Highly Recommended for the Most Convenient Location
If you want the most convenient location with easy access to shopping, restaurants, and entertainment, and don't mind higher prices, Chunxi Road is your best choice.
It's the city center and the liveliest area with the most hotel options. You'll find it's easy to get around, and most attractions in the city can be reached within about 30-minute drive.
Iconic IFS Panda in Chunxi RoadAdvantages:
- More high-end and international chains
- Modern surroundings, high-rise design, with modern facilities
- Close to IFS Climbing Panda, Taikoo Lo, Tangba Street, Jinjiang River Night Cruise
- Convenient metro and direct shuttle bus, leading to panda bases, airports, Sanxingdui Museum and more
Disadvantages:
- Hotel prices are on the higher side
- Rooms on lower floors may be noisy
- Traffic jams are common in rush hours on the way back to hotel by car
Tips for Staying in Chunxi Road / Taikoo Li
- If you're a light sleeper, avoid low floors or rooms facing busy roads.
- Pick hotel chains you trust. Well-known brands tend to offer better hygiene, service, and yes, top showers. Budget hotels in this area may have simple facilities.
- High floors = long elevator waits. Unless you're chasing skyline views, hotels with rooms above the 20th or 30th floor might not be worth it.
- Book early, especially during holidays. Hotels here fill up fast and prices can spike significantly.
Recommended Hotels: Grand Hyatt Chengdu (5-star), The Temple House (luxurious 5-star), Chengdu Old Congde Alley, Pagoda Hotel Chengdu Taikoo Li (4-star)
Stay around Wide and Narrow Alleys: Close to City Center and Best for Food and Local Culture
If you're a foodie, look for convenient access to food, shopping, visiting around, and prefer slightly lower hotel prices than Chunxi Road but within 20 min to city center, you can consider stay around Wide and Narrow Alleys, which is also a great area to enjoy laid-back local life.
Hutong-like Wide and Narrow AlleysAdvantages:
- More mid to high-end boutique hotels
- Traditional Chengdu courtyard decoration with modern facilities
- Next to some local food streets like Kuixing Lou and Jixiang Street
- Close to People's Park, Shu Feng Ya Yun, Qingyang Palace
- 2 metro lines pass
Disadvantages:
- Hotel prices are still relatively high
- Also expect some traffic jams on the way back to hotels during rush hours
Recommended Hotels: Guanyin Yiyuntai Hotel (5-star), Wren Culture Boutique Hotel, Yidai Chuanjia Compound
Stay around Jinli Ancient Street (Wuhou Shrine): A Historical and Budget-Friendly Choice
If you prefer a historical vibe, heritage culture and cost-effective hotel prices, staying near Jinli Ancient Street is ideal. Hotels here often feature traditional designs, and you can also enjoy beautiful ancient nightlife. What's more, it's just a 20-minute drive from the city center.
Quaint Jinli Ancient StreetAdvantages:
- Many budget-friendly boutique hotels and quaint inns
- Next to Wuhou Shrine
- More local snacks and traditional food stalls along the main street
Disadvantages：
- Slightly farther from the city centre, but still easily accessible
- A bit far from metro station, but a new and closer metro line is going to open soon
- Few high-end or chain hotels, and some inns or homestays offer basic facilities and services
Recommended hotels: Taikoo Xirang Hotel, Jincheng Yuanshe Hotel
Other Cost-Effective But Also Popular Areas to Stay
If you're looking for quieter areas with budget-friendly hotel options, convenient transport and fewer crowds, here are some favourite picks:
Eastern Suburb Memory (Dongjiao Jiyi): A trendy industrial area popular with young travelers and couples. It's great for shopping, and closer to Chengdu Panda Base, but a bit farther from other main attractions in Chengdu. In nearby Jianshe Road, you can find many good eats.
Wenshu Monastery: A peaceful and spiritual area. You can find many quiet courtyard hotels from affordable to boutique, such as Buddha Zen Hotel (5-star). Also, there are many local and time-honored foods.
Tianfu Square: Right in the city centre, with plenty of high-end hotels (such as Sheraton Chengdu Lido Hotel) and less crowded than Chunxi Road. But many are older settings, and dining options are mostly inside the malls.
Tianfu Airport: Most international flights layover here, so staying nearby is a popular choice for transit travelers. You can consider Joyhub Air Hotel or Joyhub Cheer Hotel.
Do I Need to Stay Overnight in Dujiangyan, Leshan or Emei?
These places are all within about 2 hours' drive from Chengdu, so whether or not to stay overnight depends on how much time you plan to spend there.
Stay Overnight in Dujiangyan
- If you want to visit all the highlights in one go
Dujiangyan has more to explore, such as Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Dujiangyan Panda Base, Panda Valley, Mt.Qingcheng, Zhongshu Bookstore and Yangtianwo Square.
If you want to cover all the spots in a day, it could be really rushed, so spending a night there is better. You'll also get to enjoy the "Blue Tears" night light view in Dujiangyan Irrigation System, and explore the nearby lively Guanxian Ancient Town in the evening.
Recommended Hotels: Six Senses Hotel Qing Cheng Mountain (luxury 5-star), Howard Johnson Conference Resort Chengdu (5-star), Minjiang Xinhao Hotel (5-star), Holiday Inn Express Dujiangyan Downtown (3-star)
Stay Overnight in Leshan
- If you visit both Leshan and Mount Emei
Leshan Giant Buddha and Mount Emei are close by. However, Mount Emei takes more time to explore, so staying in downtown Leshan saves more time on road and takes your to travel pace slowly.
Leshan is a food city, full of local eats and flavor options. That's why we recommend Leshan over Emei for an overnight stay, offering more time for you to explore the good eats.
Stay Overnight in Mt. Emei
- If you just visit Mt. Emei (no Leshan Giant Buddha)
Since Mount Emei is quite large and cable car queues can take time, it's best to stay at the foot of the mountain the night before your visit. This way, you can start early the next morning.
If you're doing a day trip from Chengdu, your schedule will likely run from 6am to 9pm, including the travel time and sightseeing. We don't recommend this as it can be quite exhausting.
It's Not Worth Staying in Dujiangyan/Leshan When...
- You're only visiting 1-2 points in Dujiangyan
- Just visit Leshan Giant Buddha (no Mount Emei)
In these cases, a day trip is more than enough to each destination, including sightseeing and transfer time to and from Chengdu. So you can just stay in Chengdu without changing hotels.
A day trip to Leshan Giant Buddha typically includes both a short hike and a boat ride. And if you choose just one way to visit, your visit might finish by lunchtime and return back early.
Explore Chengdu with China Highlights
Chengdu is a city that is worth exploring deeply. We at China Highlights have rich experience in planning Chengdu tours. If you already have the inspiration to travel there, just leave the rest to us. Contact us with what you would like to do.