⏱ 4 days / 3 nights Private guide + driver From $349 per personAll-inclusive: guide, driver & tickets Customizable

Tour summary Chengdu is the city that taught China to relax: teahouses under bamboo, mahjong in every park, and the world's most famous pandas. This private 4-day tour gets you to the Panda Base for the morning feedings, out to the 71-metre Leshan Giant Buddha carved into a cliff, and deep into Sichuan's numbing-and-spicy food culture — all at your own pace.

Why Visit Chengdu with a Private Guide

Chengdu's magic is in its pace and its palate, both of which benefit from a local who knows the city. A private guide queues for nothing — panda tickets, hotpot tables and the Leshan boat are all arranged in advance. Your guide teaches the anatomy of Sichuan flavour (the numbing of huajiao pepper, the burn of doubanjiang), picks teahouses where locals actually sit, and keeps the spice level exactly where you want it. It is the difference between seeing Chengdu and tasting it.

Your 4 days / 3 nights Itinerary

Day 1

Panda Base & Wenshu Monastery

Morning Early start to the Chengdu Panda Base to watch the giant pandas at their hungriest and most playful — red pandas too, and the nursery if cubs are around.

Afternoon Lunch of mapo tofu and twice-cooked pork, then a calm afternoon at Wenshu Monastery and its serene tea garden.

Evening Evening welcome at a hotpot restaurant — your guide explains the pot (split broth: mild and spicy) and orders the right cuts.

Day 2

Leshan Giant Buddha Day Trip

Morning Private car 2 hours south to Leshan. See the 71-metre Giant Buddha from the river boat for the full scale, then climb the cliff stairs to stand beside his feet.

Afternoon Lunch at a riverside restaurant in Leshan old town.

Evening Return to Chengdu; optional Sichuan opera evening with the famous face-changing performance (bian lian).

Day 3

Qingcheng Mountain & the Dujiangyan Irrigation System

Morning A morning at the misty Taoist mountain of Qingcheng — cable car up, temple paths down.

Afternoon Afternoon at the 2,200-year-old Dujiangyan irrigation system, still working, and a UNESCO World Heritage stroll.

Evening Back in Chengdu: a quieter dinner of dan dan noodles and tea-smoked duck, followed by a stroll through Kuanzhai Alley.

Day 4

Teahouse Morning & Jinli Old Street

Morning People's Park teahouse for a bamboo-chair morning — watch ear-cleaning street performers and couples' matchmaking corner.

Afternoon Lunch at Jinli Old Street, then explore the Shu brocade and folk-art lanes.

Evening Flexible transfer to the airport or onward by high-speed rail to Chongqing or Xi'an.

Every day is fully customizable — tell us your pace, interests and travel style and we will reshape the itinerary before you fly.

Top 5 Experiences You Can't Miss

1Giant pandas at morning feeding time — before the crowds and after their breakfast.
2Leshan Giant Buddha from the river — the only way to feel all 71 metres of him.
3A Sichuan hotpot initiation with a guide who reads the menu in code.
4Face-changing opera (bian lian) — masks switch in the blink of an eye.
5Bamboo-chair tea at People's Park — Chengdu's living room.

Best Time to Visit Chengdu

March–June and September–November are the sweet spots: 15–25°C, and pandas are most active in the cool hours regardless of season. Summers are steamy but the mountain day trips stay fresh. Winter is misty and quiet — hotpot weather, and the base is far less crowded.

Practical Tips

Topic	Advice
Language	Sichuanese dialect is thick even for Mandarin speakers — your guide is your translator and tone-deafness insurance.
Spice levels	Tell your guide your heat tolerance on day one. 'Not spicy' in Sichuan still means a little spicy — order through your guide, not the menu.
Panda visits	The base opens at 7:30 and pandas nap by midday — an early start is non-negotiable; we handle the tickets.
Payment	Alipay/WeChat everywhere; carry some cash for tiny teahouse stalls.
Dress	Comfortable shoes for Leshan's stairs and Qingcheng's paths; light layers for the mountain breeze.

What Our Guests Say

★★★★★

"We saw pandas before they got sleepy, then spent an afternoon eating everything our guide pointed at. The hotpot alone was worth the flight."

— Hannah & Chris, Melbourne, Australia

★★★★★

"Leshan Buddha from the river took my breath away. Four perfectly paced days — my guide Antonio-level patience with my zero Mandarin."

— Marco R., Milan, Italy

Combine this tour with…

Most guests pair this itinerary with Xi'an Terracotta Warriors & Chongqing Mountain City — we handle the trains, hotels and guides end to end.

Chengdu Private Tour: 4-Day Panda & Spicy Food Itinerary