Panda Keeper and Classic Wonders
12-Day Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Guilin/Yangshuo-Shanghai Tour
Cute pandas and certain historic sites are unique resources in China. This tour features Chengdu, the homeland of giant pandas, but also includes the famous Golden Triangle — Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi'an. The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Warriors, the Bund and picturesque karst landscape in Guilin and Yangshuo are all yours to see.
Beijing-Xi'an-Chengdu-Shanghai Tour Map

Highlights
- Explore a less-crowded part of the Great Wall
- See how the thousand-year-old Terracotta Warriors come alive
- Be a panda keeper for a day to experience taking care of a panda
- Enjoy a relaxing Li River cruise to Yangshuo
- Admire the charming mix of ancient and modern in Shanghai
China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.


![]() ![]() |
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
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
|
Suggested Itinerary
Your private guide will be ready to meet and greet you at arrivals. A comfortable private car (non-smoking) with an experienced driver will transfer you directly to your hotel. Your guide will help you checkin.
Today's experiences include the classic, epic sights of Beijing: the Forbidden City, home to 24 emperors and its newly exhibited Qing Dynasty royalty treasures; the enormous Tiananmen Square; and a rickshaw ride through the narrow alleys plus a visit to a local family make for a truly special experience. Enjoy authentic Chinese dishes for lunch at a popular local restaurant.
Optional Activities:
Night shows, such as the Kung Fu Show at the Red Theater or the Acrobatics Show at Chaoyang Theater, are recommended to enrich your night. You're recommended to book with your guide a day before, or on the day, to allow flexibility.

Arrangements for today day make for the experience of a lifetime, the chance to walk the Great Wall of China! Your guide and driver will take you out of Beijing and onto some beautiful country roads before you reach a section of the Great Wall called Mutianyu. We select this section with the highest density of watchtowers (great for photography) and a cable car, giving you maximum time to walk, and for some insights into this area's unique battlement outcrops. After a visit on the wall we'll arrange a well-deserved lunch to follow your visit to the wall.
Tips for visiting
- Most customers find that two hours on the wall is plenty, but you are welcome to spend longer. Just let your guide know on day 2, so we can plan around traffic and offer our best advice.
- There is an optional toboggan ride down, popular with past customers of all ages.

The garden and lakes of the Summer Palace are a beautiful part of Beijing. We'll take a boat ride over to the palace, and explore the Garden of Virtue and Harmony. After lunch your drive and guide will escort you to Beijing Airport, ensuring you're at the right terminal and gate for your onward flight to Xi'an.
Your local Xi'an guide and driver will be ready and waiting at Xi'an airport arrivals.

One of the best ways to see Xi'an is from the ancient city wall. The wall is massive. It's tall and so wide we can enjoy a rickshaw, cycle or walk around this marvel of ancient engineering.
After lunch we'll drive you out to the Terracotta Warriors, where your guide will unlock some fascinating insights that few visitors notice.

The Muslim Quarter in Xi'an is an area you may not have heard of, but is has often been a highlight for our past clients. This unique area is a melting pot of Silk Road history, offering you a chance to explore a unique local mosque and try some ethnic food.
There is still time to see for one of China's most unique pagodas, the brick pagoda know as Big Wild Goose Pagoda, including its charming surrounding gardens. Then it's on to the airport for your flight to Chengdu, home of the pandas.
Our local guide and driver will transfer you from the airport to your hotel, helping with luggage and the check-in process.

Dujiangyan Panda Base is now the most popular panda base in China offering the Panda Keeper Program and the opportunity to cuddle a panda for photos (though this comes at an extra charge). It takes about 1½ hours by car to get to Dujiangyan from the hotel. This unique one-day tour will enable you to have a close encounter with the lovely giant pandas.
Under the guidance of English-speaking staff, you will clean the panda enclosures, see the pandas close-up, watch panda movies, and make cakes for the treasured creatures. Have a Chinese lunch with staff in the canteen.
This one-day close encounter with pandas makes for the more wonderful memories.
China Highlights will help you obtain the health certificate that the base requires and, after the volunteer program, you will receive a certificate from the CCRCGP (China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas). To guarantee the safety of volunteers, pandas are kept in their ‘superior room' with air-conditioning rather than in the wild.

Chengdu is a paradise of pandas; you will find lots of things related to the panda-theme. During the day, Today you will continue to enjoy the cute panda world.
Created by the internationally renowned artist Lawrence Argent, a gigantic panda sculpture weighs 13 tons and is 15 meters tall. This massive panda has become a trendy landmark in Chengdu, climbing on the wall of the Chengdu International Finance Square (Chengdu IFS) on Chunxi Road.
After lunch you will go to Chengdu People's Park to have a deep breath of fresh air. You can join the local people to experience the bustle and chatter of a local teahouse in this area.
Kuan-Zhai Lane (or Wide and Narrow Alley) is an ancient street with hundreds of years' history combined with modern elements.
This evening we will transfer you to the airport for your onward flight to Guilin, land of rivers and dramatic mountains.

A tranquil four-hour cruise on the Li River offers great views of the bamboo forests and limestone peaks, the scenery immortalized by Chinese artists down through the centuries. Exploring the countryside continues with a bike ride along small roads and lanes surrounded by paddy fields and orchards, away from traffic and crowds. A visit to a local farmer's home lets you see how people really live in these rural areas.
Enjoy staying a night in this beautiful countryside town, explore west street and try some street food on offer.
About cruise
Your luggage will be transferred directly by private van and driver from Guilin to your hotel in Yangshuo. Your personal guide will accompany you on the cruise and take care of you.
Currently, either 3-star or 4-star riverboats are available for the Li River cruise. The 3-star boats are cheaper, but have less-modern facilities. Their seat-spacing is narrower and the lunch on board is simpler. The 4-star boats are better. We will only use the relatively new 4-star boats, which serve a buffet lunch.

In the morning, your guide can show you around the local food market — the hub around which life revolves in Yangshuo. All the food is fresh, even the chickens are still flapping in their cages. A cookery class helps you discover how those delicious dishes develop their flavor, as you see which vegetables and meat are used, cook with the teacher, and then taste the results. You even get the recipes to take home.
This afternoon we'll transfer you to the airport directly from Yangshuo, ensuring you are at the right terminal and gate for your Shanghai flight.

Shanghai is a fusion of old and new. Shanghai World Financial Center which has the tallest glass observation deck in China. Lunch is a meal of Cantonese food in beautiful surroundings with a nice view over the Bund.
Half-Day Customized Icing-on-the-Cake Experience
After traveling in China for around 10 days, you might want to do something different at the end of your tour. Do you want to have some relaxation time? Do you have any unfulfilled trip wishes? In the magic city of Shanghai, your private guide will make your wishes come true!
Whether you want to relax, experience fashion, appreciate art, explore folk customs, or shop; from having fun in fancy bar to exploring an art center, trying nail beauty, testing your popularity in the marriage market, or just buying some lovely gifts, we will make it happen. Just tell us what you're interested in.
If you don't know what you want, just let your guide make the arrangements. You will not be disappointed!

Today is your final day and we allow you time to explore or relax by yourself. If you have a late evening flight and want a guide today just ask your travel advisor. As at every city, your private guide, driver and car will escort you to the airport and ensure you are at the correct gate.
Trip Notes
1. Tailoring Your Tour
This tour is very flexible. You can alter the itinerary, extend or shorten it to suit your budget, interests and schedule. Feel free to tell us your requirements, and we'll be happy to help you arrange accordingly.
2. Panda Keeper Program
As the first tour company in China to operate the program, China Highlights has developed a stable relationship with the Dujiangyan Panda Base. Sometimes the program is subject to change due to force majeure. Usually we are able to get the first-hand information necessary to arrange your tour. Your early booking (at least two weeks before departure) is useful in facilitating the availability of the program. Sometimes activities listed in the tour description will be adjusted according to the health of the pandas. Thanks for your understanding.
If your time is limited, and you can only join in with morning activities, the price will still be the same.
3. Children as Panda Keepers
Panda volunteers should be between 10 and 70 years of age. Though the pandas look harmless, they are actually carnivores. Parents must prevent their children from coming into direct contact with the pandas. The cost for children 12 years old and above is the same as the cost for adults.
If your children are between 2 and 9 years, you can still take them with you during the program. The children should not enter the room where the panda cage is, but they can watch you clean the cage, which takes around 30 minutes. Your guide will help you take care of children.
If your children are under 2 years old and you yourself take care of them throughout the day, no additional fee is charged.
Tour Price
Price includes:
Start planning your tailor-made tour now. Your 1:1 travel consultant will reply within 1 working day.