The Best of Chengdu
This tour is recommended for a first-time visitor who seeks a day tour containing the most important features of Chengdu: pandas and Sichuan cuisine.
Highlights
- Meet pandas with a smart route
- See baby pandas in late summer before October
- Take up a food challenge at the city's last farmers' market
- Step into an experienced chef's kitchen and cook real Sichuan cuisine together
- Get a taste of local life and have fun playing mahjong
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
![Trip Advisor certificate of 2024](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
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Cheng du with Helen
![]() We had excellent guide Helen . Very profesional, good historical knowleadge, very helpfull and flexible. Highly recommend. more
Jun 2024, Anni
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Szechuan hospitality
![]() Our guide Helen was a mine of information and enthusiasm. Her energy was contagious as she led us to the Giant Buddha, local vibrant markets and restaurants, the giant panda base, and an unmissable theater show. Helen exemplifies the incredible warmth and hospitality of the local people. more
Jun 2024, Kate
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well organised trip
![]() Our adventure was smooth. Both our guides were excellent in caring for my 88 year old mum. Seow Yak (Evan) was very attentive, personable, polite with a can do attitude. Similarly Helen in Chengdu aimed to please and was flexible. more
Jun 2024, Gee
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Suggested Itinerary
Visiting the city's panda base can be a challenge as it is easily accessible and has various animals. We've designed a smart route to beat the crowds while matching the pandas' active period as much as possible for you.
If you travel in late summer, you will have a chance to see baby pandas.
![Chengdu panda](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
Chengdu was named as the first city of gastronomy in Asia by UNESCO, and the local delicacies are rooted in close-to-life market.
Try some local snacks, such as pickled dishes, century eggs, Chinese rice wine, and so on.
Intergrating yourself with the locals: how to bargain like a local and how to wrap Chengdu dumplings - learn this from the shopkeepers who can easily make 100 perfect dumplings in minutes.
![Chengdu market](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
It is very hard to travel like an insider when you are surrounded by thousands of tourists in incredibly crowded tourist areas. Instead, a visit to a local chef's home will be one of the best ways to get a taste of local life.
Unearth the secrets of Sichuan cuisine as you cook three typical Sichuan dishes with the chef and invent your own recipe. Try to play mahjong in the living room as well if you want to.
![Learn to cook classic Sichuan cuisine](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
Trip Notes
The weather of Chengdu is mild and humid, and it's suitable for travel all year round.
March to June is pleasant to visit with refreshing spring colors.
September to November is the coolest time to enjoy an autumn tour.
March to May is the "falling in love period" for pandas. If you visit Chengdu between late August and December, you will have a greater chance of seeing tiny newborns and cuddle babies in the Panda Breeding and Research Center.
Please avoid peak times for Chinese tour groups. Most schools start their vacation period in the middle of July.
Price includes: