Chengdu Historic Tour
4-Day Chengdu Historic Tour
Chengdu is full of history and culture including the Dujiangyan Irrigation Project, a 2,500-year-old water conservation system that still works as well today as it did when it was built, the mystical Taoist temples which housed some of China's great philosophers. Find out the secret Kung Fu Panda World and Chengdu is just waiting to be explored.
Highlights
- Meet the cuddly pandas in the Panda Breeding and Research Center
- Admire the ancient culture represented by the Unesco World Heritage site-Dujiangyan Irrigation System
- Enjoy the natural beauty and Taoist fresh air on Mount Qingcheng (Uneso World Herigate site)
- Walk in the oasis of peace that is Wenshu Temple and enjoy authentic Chengdu dishes
China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.


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2 Fantastic Days in Chengdu with Helen
We had an amazing couple of days in Chengdu as part of our 2 week holiday in China. Helen was our tour guide and she was fabulous!! She had so much passion for her job it was infectious!! We went to see the pandas and Helen was able to navigate the site to ensure we were able to see the various panda houses and try and minimise the waiting time, we then experienced very local Sizhuan Opera which was intriguing and very entertaining. The following day we went to the peoples park which was very interesting and Helen was able to give us the background to the park and introduced us to some amazing activities and encourage us to participate. Our last stop was the Wenshu Monestry which was beautiful and again Helen was very knowledgable and led us around the monestry with great explanations behind what we were seeing. Helen also took us to some fabulous local restaurants and we ate incredibly well. Thank you Helen for making the few days in Chengdu so special and we will for sure be back!! more
Aug 2023,
Sandra
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Qingcheng Mountain Your Chengdu
I booked a tour with China Highlights to visit Qingcheng Mountain. Aaron was a brilliant tour guide! It was great to visit the birthplace of daoism- the temples were breathtakingly beautiful and the atmosphere was serene. Aaron was incredibly knowledgeable about the mountain, and was a really helpful guide for my stay in Chengdu! more
Aug 2023,
Stuart
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Chengdu Guide was Awesome!
Our guide, Helen, made our time in Chengdu terrific! She was very knowledgeable and got us to everything we wanted to see efficiently. She knew all the "insider tips", like which restrooms to use to avoid long lines, excellent food for lunch, etc. Helen was very flexible and changed our itinerary so we could see an additional site. She even entertained our six year old so we could enjoy more of a museum. Definitely NOT her job, but greatly appreciated! Helen was awesome and we would recommend her VERY highly! more
Jul 2023,
Suzann Demianew
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Best guide in Chengdu
Our expert guide in Chengdu, China, was Helen. She was just totally amazing! She had lots of energy and was able to get us everywhere we wanted to go. She was very flexible and changed the itinerary to add an additional site. That meant she and our driver had an extra long day. She really knew all the sights and little things like which bathrooms to use to avoid long lines. Restaurants she took us to had very tasty food. Could not have had a better guide. I highly recommend Helen! more
Jul 2023,
Suzann D
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excellent trip
We spent few wonderful days at Chengdu as part of our China trip. Our guide - HenryLi from China Highlights did a wonderful job and everything went as planned in the itinerary. Henry answered all our questions was flexible and made sure all our needs were met. I would highly recommend China Highlights and if you are going to Chengdu more
Jul 2023,
Viki B
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Best Tour of Chengdu
In July, we went to Chengdu as a part of our large tour of China. We went to see the pandas, visited a Sichuan Opera, and toured the local streets of Chengdu with traditional Sichuan Cuisine. Our guide Helen was very helpful during this trip. She was always trying to get us to places on time and made sure we did everything we could. This was especially helpful during our stop to see the pandas as it was really crowded and busy. In addition to this trip, she was able to get us last-minute tickets to visit an authentic opera with famous face-changing masks. During our car rides, she was very informative, making sure we had all the information about the beautiful city. We recommend staying there for more than a day as there are more things to do other than seeing the pandas. Helen was very attentive and always cheerful. We definitely recommend her for people who want to be more knowledgeable of Chengdu and want someone who is very caring towards their needs. more
Jul 2023,
Jimena M
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Helen wad fantastic!
Helen in Chengdu was absolutely fantastic! She is very knowledgeable, speaks English well and is very active. She was flexible, practical and ready to make changes. She offered various extra options and was very sweet with my child.Highly recommended! more
Jul 2023,
Chiara G
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Chengdu more than pandas
Our family of 4 including 2 teens visited Chengdu. I just want to say that we did much more than the Panda activities. Our favourite one was cooking and talking with a local family in their house. We had a hands on cooking experience. It was fun, relaxing and got us to catch a bit of real chinese lifestyle. Our guide Alex was so great at arranging this! He understood our preferences in all the trip. We had a great time. By the way I accidentally lost my phone one day. Sharon (the planner girl) and Alex solved the situation in no time. More than I expected from an agency. 5 out of 5. more
Jul 2023,
gilberto b
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Jiuzhaigou/Huanglong in Sichuan is a must visit!!!
my mom and I had a fantastic time in Chengdu visiting the city, Leshan Big Buddha and Panda Conservation. But the best part of the trip was travelling to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong (these two scenic spots are a MUST visit!!!) Our guide Mary was fantastic! We highly recommend her. She was accommodating, knowledgeable, and super friendly. She even helped carried our heavy water bottles for us (thank you so much). I highly highly recommend her and would seek her out again if I go again! more
Jul 2023,
Sandy
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Custom Chengdu with great guide!
Our guide Jason was a joy to travel with! He answered our million and one questions that had nothing to do with our itinerary, made us comfortable in unusual situations, was flexible, and made sure our every need along the way was met. We had a great time and would highly recommend China Highlights—and if you’re going to Chengdu, definitely request Jason as your guide. more
Jun 2023,
Renata R
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Great trip around Sichuan
My girlfriend and I booked a tour with China Highlights (Lucia Zheng was our contact there) around Sichuan. We have been visiting Emei Mountain, Kangding, Danba, Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve, and many other impressive locations always accompanied with our guide Dong Jing and our driver. We are very satisfied with the attention and service offered by them, always being helpful and adapting to our needs. Dong Jing speak great english an german even better :) We would very happy do another travel with them. Thanks for a great experience! more
Jun 2023,
Alberto S
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Great Trip Planning Experience
My family decided to have a trip to chengdu in Dec-2023 and due to the winter time concern, I have decided to try a trip planner instead of self planned tour; and I found Chinhighlights,com.Roger Li is assigned as my trip planner and it is a great to have him assisting in my trip. Roger is very knowledgeable in what he is doing with a great sense of urgency; He is very upfront on his proposal and willing to listen on my feedback. Roger also taking the extra steps to prepare itinerary in 2 different language; English and Mandarin as my kids prefer to have details in chinese and my wife only on English. Thanks a lot Roger. We managed to finalize and signoff the trip plan within 1 week. Well done. I hope I will have an equal or better experience with china highlights on my upcoming china trips. Will update with next review after my trip ends. Cheers. more
Jun 2023,
Kenneth Chin
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Family China trip
We enjoyed our trips around Chengdu with Jason, China Highlights. We were on two trips - Panda Research Base and Leshan Budda. Jason took us to really good restaurant with dumplings as we told before that we like them :) The next day he presented the famous hot pot and helped us to cook it. During the trips he was very careful with our needs and was following them, what is really important while travelling with small kids. Our driver was also good, helpful with luggage and good-driving. They also had 2 baby carseats. Definitely recommend. more
Jun 2023,
XX
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Chengdu visit - Henry Li guide
I traveled to Chengdu and visited the Giant Buddha statue that is carved in the mountain. We had Henry Li as a guide and he was excellent. He knew a lot of history about the place and answered a lot of our questions. He also took us to the local restaurants so we can experience the local cuisine. I recommend Henry, as a guide, to anyone that wants to visit Chengdu and the surrounding areas. Thank you Henry for the amazing experience. more
Jun 2023,
Adrian Iancu
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Great long weekend in Chengdu
My husband and I are Aussie expats living in China. We just finished a great 3 day weekend in Chengdu with China highlights and our wonderful guide Helen. It was a real pleasure to have Helen as our guide - she was friendly, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable about Chengdu and the sites we visited. She was also very diligent at meal time to ensure my food intolerance was accommodated - so we were able to still enjoy the delicious and famous food in Chengdu without any worries. Helen also organised for us to go to an evening show at the professional Opera one night which we really enjoyed. During our trip we also visited a little local opera house and had tea, saw the panda sculpture at IFS, went to Jinli old street, day trip to Leshan for a boat ride and walk at Leshan Buddha, Panda Breeding and research centre and a stroll around a local park to see how the locals enjoy their leisure time. The itinerary was great for the time we had and we enjoyed everything. It was also a very comfortable trip - our driver Mr Ren was very nice and we always felt safe with him at the wheel. more
Jun 2023,
Rhiannon E
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Memorable family vacation in Chengdu
As our group has elderly and children, our guide Michael was knowledgeable and flexible when we had to change plans. The LeShan journey was pleasant, driver was careful on the road, the MPV transport and freeway are in good condition. Thoroughly enjoyed the Giant Buddha river cruise. Hike to the pagoda was perfect for close-up photos. My parents were happy to experience the local delicacies, and we were pleased to stop by Taikoo Li for a personalised Lego minifigure, perfect Chengdu souvenir for our kids. more
Jun 2023,
Jean
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Loved Chengdu!
Jason was our wonderful guide. It was the perfect day to see the pandas. A little misty and few people. The pandas were out at every stop, along with the red pandas and peacocks. A fun walk at a great outdoor shopping area more
Jun 2023,
Pamela B
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Fantastic Chengdu family visit
We explored wonderful Chengdu and surroundings in 4 days. City tour in a relaxed way with delicious local snacks, really nice! Spectacular new dinosaur museum, Dujiangyan (combined Panda and dam in one outing, very recommendable), Leshan Buddha. All above super cool with the kids (ours are 7 and 4). Emei Shan impressive, maybe a little long driving to explore it and watch out for the hotels there, not all are nice and in the town itself there is nothing. But we were blessed with perfect weather on the top and perfect views. Eating hot pot is spectacular in Chengdu, but watch out how spicy it can be. Michael is just a perfect tour guide! He speaks super fluent German and has a very relaxed and competent style of explaining, which made the whole tour so nice. We love Chengdu and will definitely come back! more
Apr 2023,
Stefan P
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Giant Pandas - Giant Buddha - Mount Emei
We had a wonderful 3 days in Chengdu area,visiting the Panda breeding Center, Leshan Giant Buddha and hiking at Mount Emei.We have been travelling several times with Chinahighlights and everything was well organised as usual. Our guide Michael (fluent in English and German) was great showing us the beauty of Sichuan. We can highly recommend travelling with him and Chinahighlights. more
Mar 2023,
steffenwet
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Two amazing tours
Both tours were led by excellent guides who knew a lot about everywhere we went, and were very helpful and friendly. The agent was equally helpful and quick in responding to questions which was ,especially in covid restrictions time, extremely convenient. more
Jul 2022,
Elizabeth
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Suggested Itinerary
Your tour guide will be waiting in the arrival hall of the airport with a name plate and welcoming smile. You will be transferred to your hotel by private car and driver, and your tour guide will help you check-in and ensure everything is okay at the hotel.
Accommodation
Tibet Hotel Chengdu (4-star)/Sofitel Chengdu Taihe (5-star).
Your attraction-packed itinerary kick-starts after breakfast at the hotel. Drive for about one hour to Dujiangyan Irrigation Project, where the culture and nature flow together as one. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, it has been — and still is — nourishing the whole Chengdu Basin for well over 2,000 years.
After lunch, drive for 40 minutes and you will arrive at Mount Qingcheng, home to many Taoist temples and historical sites among winding paths. Verdant trees, thick fog and the green moss on the roof, all the natural elements are used directly to create the Panda Village in Kung Fu Panda 3. It is also listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Taking a cable car up and down, boat riding on the lake, and walking in the forest all make for a refresing day.
After the tour, transfer back to your hotel in Chengdu and stay overnight.
Accommodation
Tibet Hotel Chengdu (4-star)/Sofitel Chengdu Taihe (5-star)

The Panda Breeding and Research Center is home to over 50 giant pandas, red pandas, and some other endangered species. Visit the nursery to see the highly successful breeding program, walk among the bamboo groves and shady walkways, and view the pandas at rest or play. Enjoy authentic local food for lunch.
After one hour's drive, you will reach Sanxingdui Ruins. Among all the precious relics unearthed, the 1.38-meter-wide bronze mask is one of a kind. This is the best place for discovering the ancient history, culture, and art of Sichuan Province from 3,000 years ago.
Then your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel in Chengdu.
GOOD TO KNOW
March to May is the "falling in love period" for pandas. If you visit the Panda Breeding and Research Center between late August and December, you will have a greater chance of seeing tiny newborns in the Sunshine Nursery House.
Accommodation
Tibet Hotel Chengdu (4-star)/Sofitel Chengdu Taihe (5-star)

With a history of over 800 years, Wenshu Temple is an actual occupied monastery. You can see the monks chanting and many local people praying there. Walk around and see the peaceful gardens, calligraphy steles, and red walls of this delightful complex. Continue to stroll along Jinli Street to feel the essence of old Chengdu, such as tea houses, opera stages, and traditional handicrafts.
Lunch is arranged at a local restaurant for authentic Chengdu dishes. Your tour guide will help you with ordering. The tour wraps up with a transfer to the airport by a private car and driver. Your tour guide will escort you to check-in and wave goodbye at the security check point.

Trip Notes
1. Tailoring Your Tour
This tour is very flexible. You can alter the itinerary, extend or shorten it to suit your price, interest, and schedule. If you would like to book the hotels on your own, we can remove the hotel cost from quotation. Please inform your travel advisor about your preference.
2. Get close to pandas
In order to protect the giant pandas from canine distemper infection, The Panda Breeding and Research Center has stopped all the panda interconnect activities since January, 2015.
If you want to get close to the pandas and do something for them, you can visit the Dujiangyan Panda Base (90-minute's drive from Chengdu). The Panda Keeper Program and taking photo with pandas is only available there now. The program can last for one to three days and the activities may include feeding the pandas, making panda cakes and cleaning the panda enclosures. You can visit here to book 1-Day Chengdu to Dujiangyan Panda Keeper Program Tour.
Feel free to tell us your requirements and interests, and we will be happy to help you arrange a trip using our professional knowledge and experience.
3. Mount Qingcheng
Mount Qingcheng consists of two parts: Front Mountain and Back Mountain.
Front Mountain: The view of this part is very close to sceneries in the movie Kung Fu Panda 3 and the Taoist temples of Front Mountains are big and famous. Some stairs are narrow and steep. You can take a boat across Yuecheng Lake and take the Buyun Cable Car to keep the tour relaxing. After getting off the cable car, 1-1½ hour walking on the steep stairs is required. Without cable car, at least 3 hours are requried.
Back Mountain: This part is quieter and the Taoist temples are smaller and scattered in the deep forest. It's a great place to appreciate natural beauty and breath fresh, but the stairs of this part are lack of maintainess. Two cable cars are available at hillside and on the mountain top, but taking cable car may miss the most beautiful parts of the mountain. Without cable car, it takes about 3.5 hours to climb up and down the mountain.
4. Payment Methods:
We now offer 3 payment methods: PayPal, credit card authorization via fax and wire transfer. PayPal is recommended for its safety and efficiency. You can pay USA dollars, Australian dollars, European dollars and Great Britain Pound directly with your credit card or debit card, even if you don't have PayPal account.
5. Cancellation Policy:
In the event of cancellation we will refund any payment made to China Highlights (unless any cancellation fee applicable) within 14 days of our receipt of your written cancellation request. Visit here for more details.
6. Gratuities to Guide or Driver
Tips to the guide and driver are not included. If the guide's and driver's service truly satisfy you, our suggestion to the tips would be:
1 person in the group, CNY150-200,
2 people in a group: CNY100/person,
3-5 people in a group: CNY50-70/person,
6-9 people in a group: CNY40-50/person,
≥10 people in a group: CNY20-30/person.
The driver would be half the amount, and separate offer to each is best.
7. Travel Insurance:
Travel insurance is not included. We carefully selected some insurance providers from your region that give you the best value for money. Click here to go to the travel insurance page.
Price includes:
Start planning your tailor-made tour now. Your 1:1 travel consultant will reply within 1 working day.