Arrival at Chengdu International Airport, meet your guide and driver, and tvransfer to the city center. Chengdu is a city where, once you arrive, you never want to leave. It is the capital of Tianfu and the hub of western China. Chengdu is renowned for its history, lifestyle, cuisine, and more. It was here that the world’s first paper money, called Jiaozi, was created during the Song dynasty. On February 28, 2010, Chengdu was named “gastronomic Capital” by UNESCO.  Walk in the People’s Park. It is the most pleasant green space in Chengdu, with its floral displays, bodies of water and terraces draped in glycine. If you wish, you can enjoy a cup of tea while enjoying the landscapes of the lake. Strolling the wide and narrow alleys of Chengdu (Kuan Zhai Xiangzi), a very good example of heritage preservation. It was the neighborhood where the Manchu army once lived under the Qing (1644-1911). Overnight at the charming Buddha Zen Hotel.

Transfer to Chengdu East Railway Station and board high-speed train C5762 (09:39–11:12) to Songpan. Upon arrival at Songpan station, meet your new driver. Take a stroll through the old town of Songpan, known as the “Gateway to Western Sichuan” and the “Ancient Plateau City.” It was once a key crossroads on the Tea and Horse Road.  Since the Tang and Song dynasties, Songpan has been a crucial trading hub between Han and Tibetan regions, and an important stop for the tea-for-horses trade. The current city walls, built in 1379, stretch 6.2 km in circumference and stand 12.5 m high.  Made of a mixture of glutinous rice, lime, and tung oil, they are remarkably solid, hence the historical name “Songzhou.” A group of statues on the southern side of the walls commemorates the Tang-Tibet matrimonial alliance.  After the Battle of Songzhou, the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo welcomed Princess Wencheng here. Continue on to Jiuzhaigou (approx. 2h30). Overnight at au Rezen Huating Resort Hotel

Day trip to Jiuzhaigou National Park, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 and whose name literally means ” Valley of nine villages “. The Jiuzhaigou site, located in the Aba Autonomous Region of northern Sichuan, is known as ” the fairy tale world ” and ” the best water landscape “. It consists of lakes, rivers, snow-capped mountains and offers beautiful passages. Discovery of Tibetan villages settled in the valleys, many hilly landscapes with colorful hills according to the seasons and different species of wild animals. Many scenic spots such as five-color Lake, Mirror Lake and Nuorilang Waterfall and Shuzheng Waterfall can be found in the three valleys Shuzheng, Rize and Zechawa, which constitute a Y: Rize’s branch corresponds to the right branch of the Y, Zechawa’s branch to the left branch and Shuzheng’s branch to the common trunk. Back to the hotel in the late afternoon. Overnight at au Rezen Huating Resort Hotel

Drive to Huanglong (approx. 2h). Explore Huanglong National Park, famous for its stunning karst formations. The valley’s most striking feature is its calcified surface, creating thousands of pools and natural terraces that resemble a golden dragon soaring through the forest.Calcification of the land surface is the main landscape of Huanglong Valley, with thousands of water features and calcification banks, like a golden dragon flying from the forests. The natural dams form tiered basins where glacial waters flow down the calcified steps, reminiscent of rice terraces or fish scales. The colors of the pools shift with the sediments, vegetation, and surrounding mountains, displaying shades of yellow, green, turquoise, and azure. Take the cable car up, followed by a 50-minute walk to reach the Five-Colored Lake at an altitude of 3,550 meters. The return journey takes around 2h30 on foot through a small yet magnificent valley lined with terraced limestone pools, descending to the bus station without using the cable car—an ideal way to fully admire the scenery. Transfer to Huanglong-Jiuzhai Railway Station and board high-speed train C5768 (17:59–19:52) to Chengdu. Upon arrival at Chengdu East Railway Station, meet your driver and transfer to your hotel. Overnight at the charming Buddha Zen Hotel.

Drive to Dujiangyan (approx. 1h30). Visit the Panda Park in Dujiangyan. In 1869, French missionary Armand David discovered the giant panda in Sichuan, introducing this remarkable animal to the Western world. Visitors are charmed by both young and adult pandas as they play, chase each other, munch on bamboo shoots, or simply sleep in heartwarming postures. Next, explore the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. Before its construction, the Chengdu Plain was plagued by flooding in summer due to the Min River and drought in winter. Designed in 256 BC by Li Bing, governor of the Shu Kingdom, this ingenious system diverted the Min River’s waters, transforming the Chengdu Plain into one of the most fertile regions in China for over 2,200 years. Take a leisurely stroll through the ancient town of Dujiangyan, with its charming streets and historical ambiance. Overnight at Dujiangyan Ancient City Holiday Hotel & Resort. 

Option: Volunteer day at the Panda Park in Dujiangyan. (Price: 840 RMB per person). Participation age: between 8 and 70 years old.

Drive to Leshan (approx. 2h30). Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, the Giant Buddha of Leshan overlooks the confluence of the Min, Dadu, and Qingyi Rivers, once notorious for their deadly whirlpools. The monk Haitong, who initiated the carving in 713, hoped the statue would calm the turbulent waters. As the first and largest stone Buddha in the world, it stands 71 meters tall. Enjoy a cruise on the Min River to admire panoramic views of the Giant Buddha and the surrounding landscapes. Then, climb up to the Buddha’s head and visit Lingyun Temple and the Giant Buddha site. Continue by car to Emeishan (approx. 1h). Mount Emei, one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains in China, has long been a major pilgrimage site, as evidenced by the numerous temples and monasteries that dot its slopes. Its Golden Summit, at 3,077 meters, is often shrouded in mist. The Bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Puxian) is considered the protector of Mount Emei. Visit Fuhu Temple (Temple of the Reclining Tiger), a nunnery located at 630 meters above sea level. It houses 500 clay arhats, each with strikingly different expressions and postures. Inside stands a 7-meter-high bronze pagoda adorned with 4,700 Buddha images and inscribed with the Huayan Sutra. Overnight at Holiday Inn Express Emei Mountain.

Take a shuttle bus to Wanniansi Station (approx. 40 minutes). Visit Wannian Temple, reached by cable car at an altitude of 1,100 meters. Originally built in the 4th century, the temple has been destroyed by fire several times throughout history. Inside a hall designed in an Indian architectural style stands a bronze statue of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Puxian), created in 980, embodying the mountain’s protector. Descend on foot along the mountain path (approx. 2.5 hours), passing numerous sanctuaries along the way. Visit Baoguo Temple, built in 1573 during the Ming dynasty and later rebuilt under the Qing dynasty. Its main halls are set against the mountainside, blending harmoniously into the natural surroundings. Overnight at Holiday Inn Express Emei Mountain.

Drive to Luocheng (approx. 1h30) and visit the ancient town, uniquely shaped like a boat, with streets lined by wooden-columned houses in Ming and Qing architectural style. Elderly villagers often spend their leisure time in the traditional teahouses. Enjoy a tea tasting with the locals for an authentic cultural experience. Continue by road to Lizhuang (approx. 2h). Arrive in the afternoon at this historic riverside village on the Yangtze. During the Anti-Japanese War, Lizhuang became the relocated campus of Tongji University, adding a unique chapter to its history. Explore the old streets and traditional atmosphere before continuing on to the Bamboo Sea (approx. 1H). The Bamboo Sea, a national park in Sichuan, spans 28 mountains with more than a thousand peaks, covering an area of 4,000 hectares. Famous for its rich variety of over 30 species of bamboo, it rose to worldwide fame as a filming location for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The park offers breathtaking scenery of mountains, caves, lakes, and waterfalls, along with cultural sites nestled in nature. Overnight at Chanyi Guiyunju Hotel. 

Departure in the morning for the Bamboo Sea. Upon arrival, visit the Bamboo Culture Museum to learn about the history and uses of bamboo. Then enjoy a panoramic cable car ride over the vast bamboo forest. Explore the Xianyu Caves, where Buddhist and Taoist statues are carved into the rock, before visiting the Seven-Color Waterfalls and other scenic sites. Continue on to Zigong (approx. 2h). The history of Zigong is closely tied to the salt industry, with more than 1,900 years of salt production. As early as the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220), people began drilling wells to extract salt. By the Western Jin dynasty (265–316), the city had already earned a reputation as the “Salt Capital.” In 1835, Zigong boasted the world’s first salt well to surpass 1,000 meters in depth, marking the peak of local salt-making. The city was also the first in the world to harness and use natural gas. Overnight at Howard Johnson Guotou Plaza.

Visit the Zigong Salt History Museum, originally built in 1736 by the Shanxi Merchants’ Guild. Then explore the old village of Xianshi, known for its traditional buildings and guild halls representing different provinces. Xianshi once served as the main port for transporting salt. Continue by road to Anyue (approx. 1h30), driving through the Chinese countryside, rich with rice paddies and terraced fields. Visit the Yuanjue Cave, whose exquisite carvings began during the Tang dynasty and continued through the Five Dynasties and Song periods. Overnight at Anyue Jinjiang Hotel.

Depart for the Reclining Buddha of Anyue (approx. 40 minutes) via a newly opened road. The sanctuary, dating from the 9th–11th centuries, is carved along an 850-meter-long cliff face standing 5 meters high. The site features a 23-meter-long reclining Buddha surrounded by numerous intricate bas-reliefs. On the way to Dazu, visit another Buddhist sanctuary complex: Pilu Cave, home to a finely sculpted statue of Guanyin adorned with black bamboo. Continue to Dazu to explore the UNESCO-listed Buddhist rock caves, as renowned as those in Dunhuang or Longmen. Thousands of bas-reliefs and statues, influenced by Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian traditions, are spread across roughly forty sites. The earliest works date from the Tang dynasty (9th century) and the latest from the late Song dynasty (12th century). Visit the Bei Shan rock sculpture site, an older and more fragile site from the 9th century, now protected under a shelter. It features more modestly sized carvings with Taoist and Confucian themes, including over 10,000 statues spread across 190 caves over a distance of 500 meters, created over a span of 250 years. Overnight at Ramada Hotel.

Depart for Baodingshan (approx. 30 minutes) and visit the Baodingshan rock sculpture site. Nestled along a U-shaped gorge, the site features two groups of carvings, regarded as the pinnacle of Chinese rock sculpture. Among them, the Avalokitesvara with 1,000 arms (actually 1,007) is truly remarkable. It was entirely created under the lifetime of a single man, Zhao Zhifeng, who spent over seventy years (1179–1249) raising funds to carve these statues. No other known rock ensemble of such scale was completed in such a short time, making this the last site of its kind to be created in China. Continue by road to Longchang (approx. 1h30) to discover the stone archways erected by devoted wives in memory of their deceased husbands. Return to Chengdu (approx. 3H). Overnight at Bouddha Zen Boutique Hotel.

Transfer to Chengdu International Airport (without guide) for your return flight (flight details to be confirmed). End of our services. We wish you a pleasant journey home, carrying with you many wonderful memories!