The Ultimate Chengde Travel Guide 2026: Things to Do, Weather, and Where to Stay

Chengde, also called Rehe in ancient times, is a beautiful city tucked between the mountains in Hebei Province. It is adjacent to Beijing, with only 250km apart. For the proximity, it used to be a summer resort only for the royal families of the Qing Dynasty. But today, it becomes a popular summer retreat around Beijing that is rich in UNESCO sites

If you are bored with the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds of Beijing, why not take a relaxing journey to Chengde? After one hour around, you will arrive at this remarkable place that seamlessly blends imperial architectural grandeur, solemnity of temples and natural beauty of mountains and rivers. Now, read our detailed Chengde travel guide to explore this amazing city!

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• Basic Facts About Chengde:
• Why Visit Chengde?
• Top Attractions & Best Things to Do in Chengde
• How to Plan Your Chengde Trip: Duration & Itinerary Ideas
• How to Get to & Travel around Chengde
• Chengde Weather & Best Time to Visit
• Where to Stay in Chengde
• Chengde Local Food & Dining
• Practical Travel Tips & FAQs for Visiting Chengde
• Explore Chengde with China Xian Tour

Basic Facts About Chengde:

• Location: in the northeast of Hebei Province, about 250km from Beijing
• Chinese name: 承德
• Population: about 3.7 million
• Area: 39,500 square kilometers
• Airport: Chengde Puning Airport
• Main train stations: Chengde Railway Station, Chengde South Station
• Area code: 0314
• Zip code: 067000

Why Visit Chengde?

• An imperial resort to escape summer heat: The average temperature of Chengde is 5 to 8°C lower than Beijing in summer. It feels cool and comfortable, making Chengde an ideal place to spend a summer vacation around Beijing.
• An open-air museum of architectural wonders: Chengde is home to the magnificent Chengde Mountain Resort as well as the cluster of Tibetan temples built along the mountain ridge.
• An authentic Great Wall hiking experience without queuing: Explore the less-crowded but equally photogenic Jinshanling Great Wall.
• Unparalleled natural beauty that retains rough-edged authenticity: Chengde boasts forest parks and vast Bashang Grassland involving the Mulan Padcock.
• Easy access from Beijing: With the convenient high-speed rail link costing only one hour, Chengdu makes a perfect destination for a 2-3 side trip from Beijing.

Top Attractions & Best Things to Do in Chengde

Chengde Mountain Resort (Imperial Summer Palace)

• Location: 6, East Shanzhuang Road, Shuangqiao District, Chengde
• Opening hours: 7:30am – 6:00pm from April to October; 8:00am – 5:30pm from November to March
• Entrance fee: 130RMB from April to October; 90RMB from November to March
• Recommended visiting time: 4 – 6 hours
• Best time to go: June to October
• Highlights: the largest surviving imperial garden in China

The Mountain Resort is a can’t-miss in any typical Chengde tour, and for good reasons. It was built as the summer palace for Qing Dynasty emperors. The construction began in 1703 during Emperor Kangxi’s reign and took 89 years to complete. In 1994, Chengde Mountain Resort, alongside the surrounding Outer Eight Temples, was listed as a world heritage site. The entire garden is very large, consisting of four main zones: the palace zone, lake zone, mountain zone, and grassland zone.

Jinshanling Great Wall

• Location: Bakeshiying Town, Luanping County, approximately 130km northeast of Beijing
• Opening hours: 4:30am – 6:00pm from March 16 to November 15; 5:00am – 5:30pm from November 16 to March 15
• Entrance fee: 65RMB from March 16 to November 15; 55RMB from November 16 to March 15
• Recommended visiting time: 3 – 4 hours
• Best time to go: All year round
• Highlights: a paradise for shutterbugs, less touristy than Badaling Great Wall

To be honest, Jinshanling Great Wall may appear not that familiar to foreign travelers compared with Badaling. But don’t frustrate, it’s in fact equally worth a visit. Lying on the border between Hebei and Beijing, it perfectly balances the authenticity and travel convenience offered by wild and restored great walls. The exceptionally dense watchtowers, well-preserved fortifications and smaller crowds help it to, gain popularity among hikers and photography enthusiasts.

How do I get from Chengde/Beijing to Jinshanling Great Wall?

From Beijing: There is a through tourist bus to Jinshanling at Wangjing West metro station at 8:00 am. But this is only feasible in peak travel seasons between April and November. In case that you miss the bus, it may be a little complicated to reach Jinshanling via public transport. To ensure a smooth trip, please book a guided one day tour that covers round-way transportation.

From Chengde: Take a tourist bus at Chengde Tourist Distributing Center. It sets off at 7:00am and 9:00am daily. The ticket fare is 135RMB, including the entrance fee to Jinshanling Great Wall.

Hiking Tips

• Wear comfortable hiking shoes with thick soles to cope with the gravel paths.
• Arrive early in the morning to avoid crowds and capture sunrise moments.
• Walk sideways when going down the steps.
• No toilets along the way. Use the one at the entrance before starting your hiking.
• If you intend to take sunrise photos, spend a night at the nearby guesthouses.

Recommended tour

1 DAY

Beijing No-shopping Group Tour to Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking

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Putuo Zongcheng Temple (The Little Potala Palace)

• Location: Shiziyuan Road, Shizigou Town, Shuangqiao District; to the north of Chengde Mountain Resort
• Opening hours: 8:00am – 6:00pm from April 1 to October 9; 8:30am – 5:00pm from October 10 to March 31
• Entrance fee: 80RMB for a joint ticket with Xumi Fushou Temple
• Recommended visiting time: 2 – 3 hours
• Best time to go: sunny days in any season
• Highlights: a replica of Lhasa’s Potala Palace, provides a bird’s eye view of the surrounding temples

As the largest among the Outer Eight Temples, Putuo Zongcheng Temple is an epitome of the fusion of Han and Tibetan architectural art. It was built to imitate the Potala Palace in Tibet with the purpose to celebrate Emperor Qianlong’s 60^th birthday and the 80^th birthday of his mother. Once you step in, the golden roof of the main hall glittering in the sunlight will catch your eyes. The Great Red Terrace with a white base is a wonderful spot for taking blockbusters in Tibetan costume.

Puning Temple

• Location: Shuangqiao Districts, Chengde; to the north of Chengde Mountain Resort
• Opening hours: 8:00am – 5:30pm from April to October; 8:30am – 5:00pm from November to March
• Entrance fee: RMB45
• Recommended visiting time: 2 – 3 hours
• Best time to go: all year round
• Highlights: the largest golden painted wood sculpture of the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin (Bodhisattva of Mercy)

Whether you are interested in Chinese Buddhist culture, or simply seeking spiritual peace, Puning Temple is a must-visit. Initially, it was constructed to celebrate Emperor Qianlong’s successful suppression of Dzungar revolt. Later, it witnessed the communication between Qing Government and tribes from Mongolia and Tibet. The star attraction within the temple is a wooden statue of the Bodhisattva of Mercy. Standing 27.21 meters tall, it is the world’s largest wood Buddha statue painted by golden lacquer and has been collected in the Guinness World Records.

Bashang Grassland

• Location: a vast area spanning Chengde, Zhangjiakou and Inner Mongolia
• Recommended visiting time: 1 – 3 days for each grassland
• Best time to go: June to October
• Highlights: the nearest natural grassland to Beijing, rich in nomadic culture

Bashang Grassland is actually a collective term. It refers to four distinct grasslands, respectively Fengning Bashang, Weichang Bashang, Ulan Butong, and Zhangbei Bashang. Among them, Fengning Bashang and Weichang Bashang are located within Chengde.

If you travel from Beiijng, Fengning Bashang is a closer option requiring only 3-4 hours drive. But if time permits, head to Weichang Bashang for more spectacular scenery. It was the site of Mulan Paddock in the Qing Dynasty, where emperors host massive hunts to showcase their military power.

Another important sight is the Saihanba National Forest Park—a green miracle created by three generations. They changed this place from a barren desert to a sea of forests in 60 years. Now, it’s a top choice of photographers to record the colorful autumn.

Recommended Tour

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Chengde Bashang Grassland Tour from Beijing

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Qingchuifeng Forest Park (Bangchui Mountain)

• Location: to the east of Chengde Mountain Resort, a 10-minute walk
• Opening hours: 7:30am – 6:00pm from April 1 to October 9; 8:30am – 4:30pm from October 10 to March 31
• Entrance fee: 25RMB
• Recommended visiting time: 2 -3 hours
• Best time to go: September to November
• Highlights: an iconic natural landmark in Chengde, unique Danxia Landform, a vantage point to overlook Chengde Mountain Resort and the Outer Eight Temples

Qingchuifeng Forest Park is a masterpiece by nature and time. What makes it famous is the Qingchuifeng Peak that has stood there for centuries. A glance of it may leave you a deep impression for the grotesque shape. It’s a towering Danxia stone pillar thick in the top while thin in the bottom. From a distance, it looks like a giant Bangchui (a kind of ancient Chinese laundry mallet used for beating clothes in washing). That’s how it got the nickname Bangchui Mountain. A cable car ride can take you direct to the summit, where you will get an unobstructed view of the landscape below.

Shuangta Mountain (Double Pagoda Mountain)

• Location: 98, Binhe Avenue, Shuangluan District, Chengde
• Opening hours: 6:00am – 5:00pm from April 1 to October 10; 7:30am – 4:00pm from October 11 to March 31
• Entrance fee: 50RMB
• Recommended visiting time: 2 – 4 hours
• Best time to go: spring and autumn
• Highlights: ancient pagodas atop two parallel stone pillars, various stone formations, wild monkeys

Shuangta Mountain, or the Double Pagoda Mountain, is a mysterious site appealing to throngs of adventurous travelers. As its name implies, the mountain stands out for two brick pagodas dating back to over 1,300 years. What make them special are their locations on two natural pillars rising vertically from the surrounding hills. As the pillars are over 40 meters high and very steep, even professional rock climbers can hardly reach the top. No one knows how ancient people managed to lift the building materials to the summit. But visitors can now take a cable car to get close to the pillars.

Watch Grand Ceremony of Kangxi

• Location: Yuanbao Mountain, Shuangluan District, Chengde
• Performance hours: 7:40pm – 8:50pm from mid-April to mid-October (May add sessions during holidays)
• Ticket: 198RMB for Area B, 268 – 288RMB for Area A, and 688 – 888RMB for VIP Area
• Highlights: an open-air stage taking Yuanbao Mountain as the background, shocking visual effects, professional cast consisting of more than 500 actors and nearly 100 horses

No visit in Chengde is complete without watching the Grand Ceremony of Kangxi. It’s not just a large-scale show, but also a historical spectacle that brings you back to the Qing Dynasty to know more about Kangxi, one celebrated emperor of China. The show is made up of six chapters, showing Kangxi’s growth from am ambitious young people to the ruler of a prosperous, unified country. By the aid of cutting-edge sound and light technology, the show will surely make your heart thrill.

How to Plan Your Chengde Trip: Duration & Itinerary Ideas

Depending on how much time you have, you can make different itineraries. Many people ask whether a one day trip to Chengde from Beijing is feasible. The answer is YES, but you may feel rushed. A weekend trip from Beijing is the choice of many. Of course, you can enjoy a deep dive for three or more days if possible. Below are some sample itineraries.

• 1-Day Chengde Tour at a Glance:

Morning: High-speed train to Chengde – Mountain Resort

Afternoon: Putuo Zongcheng Temple or Puning Temple – return to Beijing by high-speed train

• 2-Day Classic Weekend Trip:

Day 1: Chengde Mountain Resort – Grand Ceremony of Kangxi

Day 2: Putuo Zongcheng Temple – Xumi Fushou Temple – Puning Temple

• 3-Day In-depth Discovery：

The former two days follow the above itinerary.

Day 3: Spend one day in Jinshanling Great Wall.

How to Get to & Travel around Chengde

How to Get to

Thanks to the developed network of high-speed rails, Chengde is well connected with other cities. If you depart from Beijing, it’s both fast and convenient. Chaoyang Railway Station offers dense trains to Chengde South Station, costing only one hour. By the way, conventional trains are also available.

If departing from remote cities, visitors can fly to Chengde Puning Airport. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the downtown by taxi.

How to Travel around

Chengde is surprisingly friendly to travelers. A tourist bus has been operated to cover all major sights including the Mountain Resort, Qingchuifeng Forest Park, Chengde Museum, Puning Temple, Putuo Zongcheng Temple, and Xumi Fushou Temple. A point-to-point ticket just costs 10RMB.

There are also city buses. They are not that convenient, but can still take you to the main scenic areas. For example, bus 69 runs between Chengde South Station and the Mountain Resort.

If you are tired after one-day exploration, it’s wise and relaxing to take a taxi.

Chengde Weather & Best Time to Visit

Chengde is a typical northern city of China, characterized by four distinct seasons. Spring and autumn are relatively short, with mild temperatures. Summer here is wet and cool. Thunderstorms may occur every now and then. It’s dry and cold in winter with little snowfall.

The prior choice is summer (June to August) for a Chengde tour. Surrounded by hills, it’s naturally an air conditioner to escape summer heat. If you intend to go on excursions to Jinshanling Great Wall and Bashang Grassland, autumn (September to October) is also recommended for the colorful foliage.

Where to Stay in Chengde

Chengde downtown for proximity to main tourist attractions

The major tourist spots in Chengde are centered around the Mountain Resort at the northern part of downtown area. Therefore, the prior choice is to stay around the Mountain Resort or the Outer Eight Temples for travel convenience. Both high-end international hotels and budget chain hostels can be found there.

For Bashang Grassland: Stay near the scenic area

For an in-depth exploration to the suburban Bashang Grassland, it’s recommended to stay near the scenic area. If your destination is Fengning Bashang, stay overnight at Datan Town or nearby villages, where the farmyards and distinctive guesthouses are popular. If going to Weichang Bashang, you had better stay near Mulan Paddock or Saihanba National Forest Park. There are lots of quality holiday resorts themed on grassland and hot springs for you to choose from.

For Jinshanling Great Wall: Option to stay in nearby Gubei Water Town

Photographers always want to capture the first glow of sunrise or morning mists over the Jinshanling Great Wall. For this purpose, they are recommended to stay overnight at Gubei Water Town, which is about 30 minutes’ driving from Jinshanling. There are both boutique hotels and elegant guesthouses. In addition, you can enjoy a night tour at the nearby Simatai Great Wall.

Chengde Local Food & Dining

Owing to Chengde’s historical status as an imperial residence, it has developed a unique culinary system that well integrates royal and civil flavors. Not only can you enjoy high-end banquets here, but also down-to-earth street snacks. Influenced by nomadic tribes like Manchu and Mongolia, the local cuisine features the mass use of beef, mutton, and diary products.

What do you must try?

• Pingquan Lamb Soup: Creamy white lamb broth served together with newly baked cakes
• Jian Wan Tuo: Pan-fried buckwheat jelly in a bowl shape, seasoned by sesame sauce and garlic sauce
• Buckwheat Noodles: Smooth and chewy, served in a rich broth or dry with a compound sauce
• Manchu Eight Big Bowls: Eight bowls of delicacies, including four meat treats and four vegetable dishes

Where to enjoy authentic Chengde food?

• Qing Yuan Heng Restaurant
• Qiao Family Manchu Eight Bowls
• Erxianju Night Market
• Nanyingzi Street
• Laosan Buckwheat Noodles

Practical Travel Tips & FAQs for Visiting Chengde

Can I visit Chengde on a day trip from Beijing?

Yes, you can, but your schedule may only allow you to take a glance of the Mountain Resort and one of the nearby temples.

What is the difference between Chengde Mountain Resort and Beijing’s Summer Palace?

Though both masterpieces of Qing Dynasty imperial gardens, they distinguish themselves in many aspects.

Explore Chengde with China Xian Tour

No matter you are travelling to Chengde from Beijing or any other city, we can arrange an all-inclusive tour for a peaceful wander in Chengde. Forget the noise and traffic in other cities, what await you are lush hills, delicate gardens, quiet temples, and ancient wonders. Our passionate guide will lead you to savor the most authentic meals and bring history back to life. Book now to start your hassle-free trip together with China Xian Tour!