Wolong National Nature Reserve is considered to be the real hometown of wild pandas. Tragically, the Wolong Panda Center was largely devastated by the catastrophic 2008 earthquake. The new Wolong Panda Research Center was opened to the public in May 2016 and China Highlights was the first tour company to inspect it. During this tour, you will be able to explore the habitat of wild giant pandas and to be a panda keeper for a day in the brand new center.
Highlights
- Visit the new Wolong Panda Research Center
- Hike in Dengsheng Gorge to explore the habitat of wild pandas
- Make panda cakes in different shapes
- Feed a panda with your own hands
- Receive a unique certificate proving your love for pandas
Suggested Itinerary
Dengsheng Gorge
Wolong Panda Museum
Clean Enclousure
Feed a Panda
Our service includes:
- Our 1-to-1 expert China consultancy with unlimited itinerary changes
- Booking of China internal flights, trains, and cruises, per your preferences
- Your own China-Highlights-trained, versatile and knowledgeable tour guide
- Your own chauffeured and comfortable vehicle, chosen for ample space
- Hand-picking of hotels for your requirements
- Hotel breakfasts arranged, and local restaurant lunches ordered, to suit you
- Entry to all attractions on your itinerary, with queues avoided wherever possible
- Our 24-7 helpline for while you are travelling
Hotel Recommendations in Chengdu
The price for reference is based on the following included hotel. We are happy to adjust the hotel according to your preference.
- Central location, 10-minute walk from the shopping mall
- Featuring a local Tibetan theme, with some modern art
- Decorated with French elegance and a subtle Chinese touch
- Next to Jinjiang River, 15-minute walk from the commercial centre
- Ranked 1/2746 of Chengdu hotels on TripAdvisor
- Tucked away on an ancient temple site, with a blend of traditional and modern
Suggested Activities to Enrich Your Tour
Would like to make your tour more unique? Why not enrich your tour with our exclusive activities. Feel free to get your personal travel expert add it for you.
This donation program allowing you to take pictures with a panda for about 10 seconds is not included in the Panda Keeper Program. The donation amount is CNY1,800 per person. Only 20 tourists are allowed to take close-up photos with pandas each day. If interested, please book as early as possible. Remember to take enough CNY cash, as payment by a non-Chinese credit card is not accepted there.
Sichuan Cuisine Museum lies in an ancient town , about 1 hour’s drive from Chengdu city. It is the only interactive museum in the world displaying Sichuan culinary culture. During this trip, you will taste various Sichuan snacks, learn about Sichuan cuisine's history and a professional chef will teach you to how to cook three typical Sichuan dishes.
Trip Notes
1. Tour Map
2. Hotels and Meals in Wolong
Tourism in Wolong is still in the early stages of re-development after the earthquake in 2008. Hotel and restaurant options are still limited, and standards are rather basic. China Highlights has carefully selected the best restaurant and hotel available, based on criteria like location and environment. Your private guide will assist you in ordering the dishes you like and will accompany you to check in to your room.
3. Seeing and Tracking Wild Giant Pandas
Giant pandas are solitary animals. Wild pandas usually don’t have a fixed resting spot. Most of the time they wander in a big habitat, feeding on bamboo and resting wherever they go.
Wild pandas don’t have good eyesight, but they have very sharp sense of smell and hearing, and they are easily frighten by humans, so they will usually hide themselves before they can be seen. The number of wild pandas is still low and their habitat is huge, so there is no guarantee of seeing wild pandas or their spoor.
In winter, when there is a lack of food, their foraging will extend to more easily accessible areas. Therefore, the possibility of seeing panda activity is slightly larger from December to March.
China Highlights has conducted three field inspections in Wolong Nature Reserve in 2016, building partnerships with the new Wolong Panda Research Center and experienced local guides.
We can tailor-make panda tracking tours to Huangcaoping (where pandas are trained for release into the wild), Wuyipeng (the most well-known panda observation station), and Niutoushan (for mountain camping and tracking wild pandas). The hiking difficulty and length of the tour can be customized to fit your physical strength, time, and budget.
