⏱ 3 days / 2 nights Private guide + driver From $279 per personAll-inclusive: guide, driver & tickets Customizable

Tour summary Locals call Chongqing '8D' because it is a city with no ground floor — roads stack over roads, the metro dives under the river, and the night view from Nanshan looks like a sci-fi film set. This private 3-day tour unpacks the mountain city: Hongya Cave's golden fortress, the Yangtze cableway, a hotpot lunch by the river, and a farewell night skyline that rewrites your definition of a city.

Why Visit Chongqing with a Private Guide

Chongqing is genuinely disorienting for first-timers — GPS fails, floors don't line up, and every 'shortcut' involves stairs. A private guide is less a luxury than a survival kit. We handle the hotel pickups (drivers know the bridges), the cableway tickets, and the hotpot reservation at the riverside restaurant that serves the real thing, not the tourist version. You get the drama without the disorientation.

Your 3 days / 2 nights Itinerary

Day 1

Liziba, Hongya Cave & the Yangtze Cableway

Morning Start with the metro train that passes through a residential building at Liziba — a Chongqing-only photo moment.

Afternoon Walk the old stone steps of Ciqikou, then cross the river on the Yangtze River Cableway, a 1980s commuter line turned sky ride.

Evening Hongya Cave at dusk — 11 golden storeys of stilt houses — followed by dinner and the riverside night lights.

Day 2

Three Gorges Museum & Nanshan Night View

Morning Morning at the Three Gorges Museum for the dam, the gorges and the city's river history — a quiet, air-conditioned deep dive.

Afternoon Afternoon free to explore Jiefangbei's shopping streets or rest at your hotel before the evening.

Evening Drive up Nanshan Mountain for the classic postcard night panorama of two rivers meeting, with dinner at a mountain-view hotpot.

Day 3

Dazu Rock Carvings (Optional) or City Slow Day

Morning Choose a morning trip to the UNESCO Dazu Rock Carvings — 50,000 Buddhist statues carved into cliffs over 1,000 years — or a lazy hutong-style morning in the old town.

Afternoon Lunch of Jianghu cuisine ('jianghu' = river-and-lake food) and a farewell walk along the Yangtze.

Evening Flexible transfer to the airport, high-speed rail to Chengdu, or a Yangtze cruise embarkation.

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

1Hongya Cave's golden skyline fortress at night — pure cyberpunk.
2The Yangtze River Cableway — a 1980s commuter line turned sky ride.
3Nanshan Mountain's two-river panorama — the postcard view.
4A riverside hotpot with the mist rolling off the Yangtze.
5The metro-through-a-building moment at Liziba station.

Best Time to Visit Chongqing

April–May and October–November are clear and mild, with the best night views. June–August is famously hot — plan indoor mornings (museums) and evenings on the river. December–February is misty, moody and dramatically atmospheric for the skyline.

Practical Tips

Topic	Advice
Getting around	The city is vertical — your private car and driver are essential; the metro is fun for one stop (Liziba) with your guide beside you.
Spice level	Chongqing hotpot is the spicy end of Sichuan. Your guide orders a 'yuan-yang' split pot so you control the heat.
Stairs	Comfortable shoes with grip — Chongqing is stairs, ramps and hidden lifts.
Payment	Alipay/WeChat are king; keep cash for small teahouses and markets.
Photos	The best night shots are from Nanshan and Hongya Cave's riverside walkway — your guide knows both angles.

What Our Guests Say

★★★★★

"Chongqing at night from Nanshan is the most surreal skyline I've ever seen. Our guide made the 8D city feel simple."

— Tom & Elena, Berlin, Germany

★★★★★

"The cableway over the Yangtze at sunset was magical. Perfect mix of old town, museum and views."

— Aisha M., Toronto, Canada

Combine this tour with…

Most guests pair this itinerary with Chengdu Panda Tour & Zhangjiajie Avatar Mountains — we handle the trains, hotels and guides end to end.

Chongqing Private Tour: 3-Day Mountain City Itinerary