There are many places to see lovely giant pandas in China. But where is the best place for you to go for a special panda trip? What is the best time to go? We will give you some insiders' recommendations and suggestions on how to plan a panda tour.
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Where Are the Best Places to See Giant Pandas?
The four panda bases around Chengdu are the best places to see giant pandas. Which one is best for you depends on how much time you have and what kind of experience you want to have.
If it's just to SEE pandas…
If you just want to see giant pandas, we recommend you go to Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Base. It is the most easily accessible panda base. You can see pandas at different ages, from the oldest to the newborns.
This base is huge but usually crowded. A private tour is the best way to get around the base to see the most pandas and get the best experience.
For a deeper panda experience...
There are three recommended activities for a deeper panda experience:
1. Join a panda volunteer program.
Giant panda volunteer programs are available in three panda bases: Dujiangyan, Wolong, and Bifengxia. Their durations are from 1 to 3 days or longer.
Dujiangyan is the best place for a one-day program. If you want a less-crowded environment, consider Wolong and Bifengxia, though they require 2 or more days.
Your work would include weighing and cleaning bamboo, making panda cakes, cutting bamboo leaves for old pandas, watching pandas being fed, and cleaning pandas' enclosures. At the end of the program, you will receive a panda keeper certificate.
Our guest is cleaning the pandas' playground in the volunteer program. 2. Join in a Red Panda Volunteer Program.
Unlike with giant pandas, you can have a zero-distance encounter with red pandas — you can feed a group of them without a fence in between. If you are interested in red pandas, you can join in our red panda volunteer program in Wolong Panda Center.
3. Hike into the Habitat of Wild Pandas.
If you are a lover of pandas and outdoor activity as well, consider having a hike in wild panda habitat in Wolong. Go panda tracking, and see if you will be lucky enough to see a wild panda. See our 2-Day Wolong Panda Volunteer Program Tour.
| Place | Location | Activities | Visit | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center | Chengdu City | Seeing pandas | ½ day | Very crowded |
| Dujiangyan Panda Base | 1½ hours from Chengdu | Giant panda volunteer program | 1 day | Quiet |
| Wolong Panda Center | 3 hours from Chengdu | Giant panda, red panda, panda baby volunteer program, hiking in panda habitat | 2 days | Quiet |
| Bifengxia Giant Panda Base | 3 hours from Chengdu | Giant panda volunteer program | 2 days or more | Quiet |
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Chengdu 2024
He was excellent , fantastic commentator from the first contact .Extremely knowledgeable about history, culture , traditions. Very kind , well organised, helpful . more
Apr 2024, Dream
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Fun in Chengdu
Our guides name was Helen/ Fang Fang and she was excellent! We would not have had as much stress free fun without her help and energy. more
Mar 2024, Shehla
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We enjoyed the Pandas and our experiences with the locals. We are very satisfied.
Jason, our tour guide, was the best. We wanted a relaxing tour of Chengdu and that's exactly what he did for us. more
Mar 2024, MichelleJ1747
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Fantastic overview of Chengdu by Helen, our fantastic guide
What a fantastic introduction to Chengdu by our wonderful guide Helen! more
Mar 2024, Michele
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Chengdu and pandas! And a terrific tour guide
Our tour guide Michael was the best, gave us tons of fun facts, and throughout our entire trip in Chengdu he took such good care of us. more
Mar 2024,
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Captivating Pandas! Thank you Michael and Carol!
Our China Highlight guide. Michael, was attentive, thoughtful and knowledgeable. He narrated many interesting historical events about Chengdu while touring around the city and having afternoon tea with us. He was thoughtful to provide us with snacks during long hikes at Leshan or walks around the city. more
Mar 2024, Siew
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Chengdu Pandas
Our tour guide Helen, was excellent, she was very kind, professional and passionate for her work and she also loves Pandas! She will take you to take the best panda photos and to know more about Chengdu city. Our tour was great, she took us to all our destinations always with the best spots: Temples, pagodas, famous streets, theaters, pandas...you name it! Everything was great. more
Mar 2024, Megan
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Visit to Panda Reasearch Base
The tour included taking up the role as panda keeper as well as just observing these amazing animals. Our guide Jayson organised everything perfectly, so we had really great time during our visit. more
Mar 2024, Art O
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Helen is the best tour guide
Our tour guide Helen was amazing! I learned so much about the city, the care of the pandas in the Dujiangyan Panda Park, the local market and Sichuan food (we had a cooking lesson from a professional chef), and the local tea house culture! Helen is very knowledgeable and willing to share what she knows. She accommodated all our needs and looked after us very well. She’s the best! Ask for Helen for your tour! And her English is superb! more
Mar 2024, Michelle
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Best experience in chengdu
We got a very professional and helpful tour guide name Helen.SShe is very friendly caring. We very happy with the service more
Mar 2024, Ric
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The Chengdu trip.
Helen our guide explained that there was much more to Chengdu than just pandas and she was right. Her knowledge was excellent and made our trips to the museum and Buddhist temple real learning experiences. Her outgoing personality and determination for us to have a good time ensured that we were never bored. more
Mar 2024, Brian
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Taste of Chengdu
Helen told us on arrival, there’s more to Chengdu than Pandas, and she was absolutely right. We did enjoy the Pandas , and I have to say especially the red Pandas , also the museum was a great insight into Chinas long and rich past. more
Mar 2024, Martin
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We had a great time in Chengdo our…
We had a great time in Chengdo our guide Helen was excellent with explaining everything and ensuring we enjoyed our visit. more
Mar 2024, Julie
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Exploring Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve with Mary
We really enjoyed our tour with Mary around Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve, she was very informative, kind and helpful! more
Mar 2024, Caris
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Wonderful experience with Jason at panda bases and more!
Jason and Mr. Wu, our driver, ensured a terrific 3 day packed itinerary, with flexibility, where necessary, and ability to resolve any issue that arose, due to Jason's extensive knowledge and relationships with the panda bases. Jason was a fantastic guide at Wolong, Bifengxia (including our panda volunteer experience) and Chengdu bases, sharing his knowledge about pandas, and also insights about the operation of the conservation efforts. more
Feb 2024, VOyaeur 1111
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Chengdu at it`s best
We made a private tour through South China in January 2024. Altogether Chengdu was the highlight. We had an incredible day at Emeishan. In Chengdu our guidewas Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen. more
Feb 2024, peter
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Chengdu and Volunteer program Panda base
Our day volunteering at the Panda Base was truly unforgettable. Helen, our guide, provided us with invaluable insights about Chengdu and the pandas, enriching our tour with her knowledge and expertise. We're grateful to Helen for accompanying us throughout the day and showcasing the highlights of China. more
Feb 2024, Eliaquim
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Chengdu at it`s best
We had a booking with China Highlights through Silvia Ye who guarenteed a perfect organisation. In Chengdu our guide was Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen. more
Feb 2024, Peter
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Chengdu with friends
Bella, our tour guide in Chengdu, was excellent and very thoughtful. She picked us up from the train station (despite it being a free and easy day we wanted). She shared options for afternoon tea, places of interest around our hotel and helped us make dinner reservation at a local premium szechuan hotpot restaurant. During our stay in Chengdu, she took us to see the adorable pandas at the Panda Breeding Base, the beautiful Renmin Park (Chengdu People’s Park), the lively Jinli Old Street (pedestrian mall) and the Chengdu Opera (a must see - world famous face changing show). Bella is very attentive to our needs and preferences, and always made sure we were well taken care, comfortable and happy. We had so much fun together, laughing, joking and sharing stories. Food was excellent (best left the ordering to her). She is one of the best guide we had in China. more
Jan 2024, DLiew
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Excellent
Helen is the best! She is super knowledgeable and helpful with everything. Will definitely be using China Highlights and Helen when I bring my family back to Chengdu. more
Jan 2024, Riley
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Panda Tour itineraries
Here are three panda tour itineraries suitable for different needs/interests:
1. One-Day Panda Volunteer Tour
Dujiangyan Panda Base is the best place for a time-smart one-day program.
We will help you maximize your experience in your limited time. Our private transfers and flexible itineraries are the most efficient.
Activities include going into their enclosures, learning where they play, cleaning up, cutting bamboo leaves for old pandas, watching pandas fed at a very close distance, and making their favorite cakes. For more details, see One-Day Dujiangyan Panda Volunteer Program Tour.
There is a daily quota of 60 volunteers for the Panda Volunteer Program. We suggest an early inquiry and booking quickly to secure your place — preferably 3 months in advance.
If you have more time to spend with pandas and want more activities, you could check out our 2-Day Wolong Panda Volunteer Program Tour.
2. 3-Day Chengdu Tour with Pandas, Giant Buddha, and Ancient Towns
A photo of our guests with Leshan Giant BuddhaIf you want to see other highlights of Chengdu besides pandas, you could check out this itinerary:
- Day 1: Watch pandas and start a food tour
- Day 2: Explore Leshan Giant Buddha and ancient towns
- Day 3: Departure
For more details, check out our 3-Day Giant Panda, Giant Buddha, and Ancient Town Tour
Further reading: Ultimate Chengdu Itineraries: How Long to Spend in Chengdu
3. 2-Week China Tour with Pandas
If you want a complete China tour itinerary that includes the panda experience, you can check out this itinerary.
Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai are must-see cities. Chengdu is definitely included if you want a panda tour. We also recommend a Yangtze River cruise, which would start in Chongqing near Chengdu, to enjoy China's natural views.
Here is the suggested itinerary:
- Days 1–4: Beijing arrival and exploration with must-sees including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City
- Days 5–6: Xi'an sightseeing with a visit to the Terracotta Army and clay-warrior-making experience
- Days 7–8: Chengdu panda tour with a keeper program — make panda cakes, see pandas being fed at a close distance, and clean their enclosures.
- Days 9–11: Yangtze River cruise with excursions
- Days 12–13: Shanghai exploration with a visit to the Bund and some free time.
The Cost of a Panda Tour
It is not expensive to get a ticket to see the pandas. But if you want to have a volunteer program, it may cost a little more, about US$250–300 per person including private transfers, lunch, and a guide.
For a private China trip with a panda experience, the average cost per day is about US$220–350 per person, including flights/trains within China, 4- or 5-star hotels, lunches, attractions, guides, and private transport. Kids under 10 will get 30 to 50 percent off.
Best Times for a Panda Tour
The Best Season to Visit
Giant pandas don't hibernate. You can visit them in all four seasons. Spring and autumn are the best times to see pandas when they are most active and temperatures are most comfortable.
As a bonus, if you visit between August and November, you will probably see adorable panda babies.
If you visit during Chinese holidays, e.g. May 1st–3rd, October 1st–7th, we recommend you visit Bifengxia Panda Base, which will be less crowded.
The Best Time of Day
Giant pandas spend almost half their time sleeping. So, if you want to see them walking or climbing, it's important to know their general rest schedule.
Grown-up giant pandas in captivity usually eat twice a day: early in the morning and late in the afternoon. They usually sleep around noon, any time from around 10:00 a.m. to around 2:00 p.m.
We recommend you get to a panda base as early as possible (8:00 to 10:00 a.m. is optimal), when it is less-crowded and the pandas are at their most active.
Accommodation Tips
Wolong Panda BaseIf you visit Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Base and Dujiangyan Panda Base, you can stay in a hotel in Chengdu city.
If you visit Wolong or Bifengxia Panda Base, we suggest staying at nearby hotels, because the two bases are far away from Chengdu or the airport. Getting back and forth that day can be tiring and rushed. Hotel options are limited compared with in the city, and the standards are not as high. But we would carefully select the best hotels available to suit you.
When booking with us, we would coordinate your hotel booking, transfers, and lunch for a stress-free panda experience.
Popular Panda Tours
Just contact us and we'll create your ideal panda trip. We would create an itinerary according to your interests and any other requirements.
Our consultants listen to and answer your inquiries carefully and promptly and prepare the best tour plan for you.
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