12 Days Zhangjiajie Changsha Chengdu Jiuzhaigou Tour

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Zhangjiajie Arrival

   Welcome to Zhangjiajie for the start of your 12-day private China trip! Upon arrival, a local driver will pick you up and then drive for about an hour to the hotel near the Wulingyuan Area, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Take some time to relax and prepare for the upcoming adventure.

   Meal: N/A

   Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan

2. Day 2: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Tour
   Explore Avatar Mountains and Admire Tianzi’s Peaks

   Your Zhangjiajie tour begins today at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. There are over 3,000 unique peaks in this scenic area, with life-like shapes resembling beasts and objects. Upon arrival, you will first be led on a sightseeing train through the Ten Mile Gallery and enjoy the lush valleys and karst landforms along the way.

   Next, visit the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area. Follow your tour guide on the Bailong Elevator and instantly ascend to the peak of the Yuanjiajie, saving time and effort. On the way, through the transparent elevator, the beautiful scenery of Zhangjiajie can be seen at a glance. After arriving, explore the filming location of the movie Avatar.

   

   Then, transfer to Tianzi Mountain, one of the four scenic spots in Wulingyuan. The mountains here are unique, shrouded in clouds and mist, and are known as the "expanded bonsai, reduced fairyland". By taking the cable car, you can easily go up to the top and overlook the entire scenic area. The famous attractions here include the Imperial Brush Peak and Fairy Scattering Flowers, each of which is impressive. After the sightseeing, return to the hotel to rest.

   Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Accommodation: Crowne Plaza Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan

3. Day 3: Zhangjiajie to Changsha Tour
   Test Your Bravery by Walking Across the Glass Bridge

   After breakfast, continue your adventure to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. Walking in the canyon, you can see clear streams and steep cliffs. And that famous Glass Bridge, the world's longest and highest fully transparent bridge, spans over the canyon and makes people's hearts beat faster. Challenge your courage and bravery! In addition, there are a variety of amusement projects here, such as bungee jumping, zip lines, etc. (optional, extra charge).

   

   Your tour in Zhangjiajie ends here. Afterward, we will drive for about 4 hours to Changsha, the capital city of Hunan province. Changsha's snacks are famous throughout the country, and you can experience Changsha nightlife on your own.

   Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Accommodation: Grand Hyatt Changsha

4. Day 4: Changsha to Chengdu Tour by Flight
   Explore Museum’s Treasures before Departing from Changsha

   Before leaving Changsha, your private guide will take you to visit the Hunan Museum. It houses over 180,000 precious cultural relics, with the most distinctive being the artifacts unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tomb, Shang and Zhou bronze ware, Chu artifacts, silk paintings from the Warring States period, and ceramics from various dynasties. Each exhibit carries a profound history.

   After the visit, be transferred to the airport to take a flight to Chengdu. After arrival, the local driver will pick you up and take you to check in in the city center. In the evening, you can go to lively places such as Kuanzhai Alley and Chunxi Road to stroll and taste snacks by yourself.

   Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Accommodation: The Rita-Carlton Chengdu

   

5. Day 5: Dujiangyan Tour from Chengdu
   Discover Ancient Engineering at Dujiangyan and Mysterious Artifacts at Sanxingdui

   After breakfast, drive for about 1.5 hours to arrive at Dujiangyan Irrigation Project, a 2,300-year-old and well-preserved hydraulic engineering project that is still in operation today. It was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000. Here, your guide will explain the history and technology of ancient Chinese irrigation systems.

   Afterward, drive to the Sanxingdui Museum. The ancient ruins here with an area of 12 square kilometers have a history of 5,000 to 3,000 years. It is one of the great archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. You can see a 2.62-meter-high bronze standing figure, a 1.38-meter-wide bronze mask, and a 3.95-meter-high bronze tree, all of which are unparalleled masterpieces. After the visit, drive back to the city center of Chengdu.

   Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Accommodation: The Rita-Carlton Chengdu

   

6. Day 6: Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou Tour by High-speed Train
   Observe the Lovely Pandas from a Close Distance

   Today's Chengdu tour focuses on the longed-for panda! In the morning, your guide will take you to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which is equipped with research buildings, panda museums, panda hospitals, panda kitchens, and other facilities. Inside the base, there are dense bamboo forests, fragrant flowers and grasses, beautiful natural scenery and artificial landscape, which is suitable for the breeding of pandas and many kinds of rare wild animals. You can observe the lovely pandas from a close distance and learn about their daily life.

   

   Enjoy lunch after the visit. In the afternoon, take the high-speed train to Huanglong Jiuzhai Station (about 1 hour and 50 minutes). After arrival, the local driver will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.

   Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Accommodation: Seercuo International Hotel

7. Day 7: Huanglong Scenic Area Tour
   Explore Colorful Ponds and Ancient Temple

   Today you will visit Huanglong (Yellow Dragon) Scenic Area, the only well-preserved plateau wetland in China, covering an area of 700 square kilometers. Here is dotted with over 3,000 ponds, featuring a unique and colorful surface calcareous landscape.

   Follow your tour guide on the cable car up the mountain, and along the way, you can overlook the magnificent scenery of the entire Yellow Dragon. After reaching the mountainside and walking up the boardwalk, the first thing that catches the eye is the Guest Welcome Pond, with clear water and surrounded by lush green vegetation.

   

   Continue on to one of the core attractions of Huanglong Scenic Area, the Five-colored Pond, known for its vibrant colors. Under the sunlight, the water shimmers like a carefully crafted palette of nature. We will stay here for about 40 minutes to 1 hour, during which you can take photos to your heart's content.

   After lunch, you will be guided to visit other highlighted attractions such as Huanglong Ancient Temple (Tibetan Buddhism) and Golden Sands Floor. After the sightseeing, you will hike down the mountain. The driver will escort you back to the hotel to rest.

   Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Accommodation: Hilton Jiuzhaigou Resort

8. Day 8: Jiuzhaigou Valley Tour
   Admire the Beautiful Lakes, Waterfalls, and Seasonal Landscapes

   Jiuzhaigou Valley is undoubtedly the highlight of this trip to China. The scenery here varies throughout the four seasons, with the colorful autumn being the most beautiful, making it a paradise for photography enthusiasts.

   After arriving, we first take a battery car to go to Rize Valley (日则沟), the essence of Jiuzhaigou. Pearl Shoal Waterfall, famous for its majestic and splashing water, is one of the filming locations for Journey to the West. Five-Flower Lake is renowned for its colorful and sparkling water. Nuorilang Waterfall, with a width of 270 meters, is one of the largest plateau calcareous waterfalls in China.

   

   Next, go to Zechawa Valley (则查洼沟). Two of the most popular attractions are Changhai (Long Lake) and Wucaichi (Five-color Lake). Changhai is the largest lake in Jiuzhaigou with an "S" - shaped surface. Wucaichi features varied colors of water, which shows different colors at different angles and light.

   In the late afternoon, visit Shuzheng Valley (树正沟), where you can see the smallest of the four main waterfalls in Jiuzhaigou - Shuzheng Waterfall and unique landform and vegetation landscape at Bonsai Shoal.

   After all visits, return to the hotel.

   Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Accommodation: Hilton Jiuzhaigou Resort

9. Day 9: Chengdu to Leshan Tour
   Marvel at the Largest Stone Buddha in the World

   Say goodbye to Jiuzhaigou Valley after breakfast. Take the high-speed train back to Chengdu. Then drive for 2 hours to visit Leshan Giant Buddha. Located at the confluence of the Dadu River, Qingyi River, and Minjiang River, it is the largest cliff carved statue in China, with a total height of 71 meters (233 feet). The Buddha was excavated in 713 AD during the Tang Dynasty and took about 90 years to complete.

   Along the steps, tourists can experience the grandeur of the Buddha up close. In addition, you can also pay on site to take a boat ride for a panoramic view of the Buddha (optional).

   

   After the visit, drive to the hotel at the foot of Mount Emei to check in. Emei Mountain is one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China. Tomorrow, you will follow your tour guide to explore it thoroughly.

   Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Accommodation: Hong Zhu Shan Hotel & Resorts

10. Day 10: Emei Mountain Tour
    Learn about Buddhist culture and Admire Golden Summit Scenery

    Get up early and head to the Emei Mountain Tourist Center. Mount Emei is famous for its profound Buddhist culture. Upon arrival, start your hike to Qingyin Pavilion. With a quiet environment, it is an important temple. Here, you can enjoy the "clear sound of river water through stone bridges".

    Then walk for about 2 hours to Wannian Temple, one of the oldest ancient temples on Emei Mountain. It is said that the famous poet Li Bai from the Tang Dynasty once lived here. The temple houses precious cultural relics such as Buddha teeth and pattra-leaf scriptures.

    Afterwards, we will take the bus to go to Leidongping. At an altitude of 2,430 meters, you can enjoy precious flowers such as alpine azaleas here. Enjoy lunch and take a short break. In the afternoon, take the cable car to the Golden Summit, the highest point of Mount Emei. Overlook the beautiful scenery of Mount Emei and see natural wonders such as the sea of clouds and Buddha's light. The 48-meter-high Golden Buddha is a symbol, looking elegant and peaceful.

    

    After the visit, take the cable car back to Leidongping and finally take the bus down the mountain.

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Accommodation: Hong Zhu Shan Hotel & Resorts

11. Day 11: Emei Mountain to Chengdu Tour
    Explore Three Kingdoms Culture, Stroll Jinli Street to Savor Delicacies

    In the morning, drive back to Chengdu to visit the holy site of Three Kingdoms culture, Wuhou Temple. This place commemorates heroes of Shu Han period (221-263) such as Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. Exquisite carvings and quaint inscriptions, accompanied by vivid explanations from your tour guide, will reveal stories from over 1,740 years ago.

    Afterward, visit Jinli, a well-known commercial pedestrian street in Chengdu, consisting of a large number of antique buildings in the style of the late Qing Dynasty. There are many bars, restaurants, and handicraft shops here. Perhaps you can see artisans making sugar coated paintings and dough figurines. In addition, various delicious foods here will also make you salivate, such as Zhangfei Beef, BO BO Chicken, and spicy rabbit head.

    

    In the evening, you can watch Sichuan Opera Face Changing (at your own expense), which is a traditional Chinese opera characterized by quick mask changing.

    Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

    Accommodation: The Ritz-Carlton Chengdu

12. Day 12: Chengdu Departure

    After breakfast, it's time to say goodbye to Chengdu, marking the end of your 12-day private tour in China. Your driver will pick you up from your hotel lobby and drop you off at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at the agreed time according to your flight.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: N/A