Key Contents: attractions + activities + itinerary + directions + where to stay + what to eat + where to eat

(This guide has been written by the creator of the China online travel guide, YenKid In China, who last visited Chengdu in 2024).

Introduction

Chengdu is best known for

Being the heart of Sichuan cuisine, one of the most well-known Chinese regional cuisines in the world
Its Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, with over 100 pandas
Being the capital of the Shu Han kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period.

A Few Facts about Chengdu

The city’s over 2,300 years old! It managed to keep the same name throughout the dynasties.
It’s home to over 20 million people, around 1/4 of Sichuan’s population.
It’s located in the Sichuan Basin, surrounded by mountains on all sides.

What I liked particularly about Chengdu 👍🏻

Impossible not to mention Sichuan food, one of the delights of the world. I was very addicted to it.
The fact that it’s the panda capital makes the city very cute and welcoming
The city with the most teahouses in the world and clearly has a relaxing vibe

3 Things To See + Photographic Spots Not To Be Missed 📷

Seeing pandas up close of course. Definitely worth every penny
Gazing up at the Towers of Vitality, dynamically coloured water towers, which made me feel I was in a sci-fi world
Strolling through the lively Jinli Ancient Street with hundreds of red lanterns

3 Things To Do 🚶🏻

Entering the Wuhou Shrine and reliving the history of the Three Kingdoms
Visiting Sanxingdui Museum, with countless stunning relics from the Bronze Age
Cycling around the city - an underrated pleasure, thanks to the flatness of Chengdu

Points of Interest / Attractions to Visit 🌆

Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding 成都大熊猫繁育研究基地 🐼 - one of the main panda breeding sanctuaries.
Apparently there are over 100 giant pandas! You’ll be able to see lots of pandas, including babies. When I went, one was rolling around, another was sleeping on a branch.
Basically a panda zoo, virtually everything is panda themed including the food stalls. I learned so much about pandas. I recommend visiting in the morning.
Jinli Ancient Street 锦里古街 - a historic pedestrian street filled with food stalls, restaurants, and souvenir shops. It’s themed in a Three Kingdoms style. I recommend you visit at nighttime for the best atmosphere. Don’t forget to see the illuminated red lanterns!
Wuhou Shrine 武侯祠 - a shrine dedicated to the Three Kingdoms period. You’ll see statues of Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei here. A great feeling to be reliving the history. I also really liked the well-maintained gardens.
Dufu Thatched Cottage 杜甫草堂 - home of one of the most famous ancient poets in China, in a beautiful and tranquil setting. I got stunning photos here.
Kuanzhai Xiangzi 宽窄巷子 - Literal translation is “Wide and Narrow Alleys”. Three main alleys with traditional Qing Dynasty architecture, food stalls, teahouses, cafes, restaurants, and souvenir shops. A bustling atmosphere at night and you can even watch Sichuan opera here.
Chunxi Lu + Taikoo Li 春熙路 + 太古里 - a massive pedestrianised area with malls and hundreds of street-level shops. I was a little overwhelmed by the amount of choices.
People’s Park 人民公园 - a classic park with teahouses and one of the best places to “people watch”
Wenshu Monastery 文殊院 - a major Buddhist temple with remarkable architecture, historic relics, and peaceful gardens, dating back to 605 AD. One of my favourite temples. The red and yellow walls at the front entrance are eye-catching!
Tianfu Square 天府广场 - a huge open square which marks the centre of the city. There’s even an underground mall below it.
Chengdu Museum 成都博物馆 - one of the most educational museums I’ve visited. I learned a lot about the history and traditions of Sichuan. Thanks to Chengdu’s long history, it has some of everything starting from the Shu kingdom to the modern day.
Chengdu Twin Towers 成都双子塔 - two twin skyscrapers with full height LED facades that give a futuristic night vibe
New Century Global Center 环球中心 - one of the world’s biggest buildings with hundreds of shops, restaurants, entertainment facilities, and even a water park. Its design is really something to behold.
Towers of Vitality 生机之塔 - this turned out to be even more mind-blowing than I expected. I would recommend to this to anyone who is interested in sci-fi and futuristic vibes. I definitely didn’t expect the sprays of water everywhere.
Anshun Bridge 安顺廊桥 - a triple arch bridge which lights up at night. An icon of Chengdu. It’s near a nightlife district.
Sanxingdui Museum 三星堆博物馆 - a Bronze Age museum which is unknown by a lot of people. Very underrated. I predict that the site will become a World Heritage Site in the near future.
Jinsha Site Museum 金沙遗产博物馆 - archeological site dating to 1200 BC, showcasing ancient relics from the Shu Kingdom. One of the most iconic items is the Golden Sun Bird. Another potential World Heritage Site.
Dujiangyan Irrigation System 都江堰 - Engineering marvel built in 256BC by the Qin to irrigate land and control floods over the last 2,300 years. UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Qingchengshan 青城山 - a sacred mountain known as the birthplace of Taosim. You’ll find ancient temples and stunning greenery. Perfect for hiking. It takes around 1.5 hours by car from the centre of the city.

My Suggested Itinerary

Day 1 - Panda Base ➡️ Tianfu Square ➡️ Chengdu Museum ➡️ People’s Park ➡️ Kuanzhai Alley ➡️ Wuhou Shrine ➡️ Jinli Ancient Street
Day 2 - Wenshu Monastery ➡️ Dufu Thatched Cottage ➡️ Chunxi Lu ➡️ Anshun Bridge ➡️ Panda Twin Towers ➡️ New Century Global Center ➡️ Towers of Vitality
Day 3 - Dujiangyan Irrigation System ➡️ Sanxingdui Museum

Summary of Attractions 🎟️

Attraction | Ticket Price | Metro Station Exit

Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding | 55rmb | no metro station next to the main entrance - I recommend you take a taxi there
Jinli Ancient Street | free | Line 10, Wuhou Temple, Exit B
Wuhou Shrine | 50rmb | Line 10, Wuhou Temple, Exit B
Dufu Thatched Cottage | 50rmb | Line 13, Dufu Thatched Cottage, Exit C
Kuanzhai Xiangzi | free | Line 4, Kuanzhaixiangzi Alleys, Exit B
Chunxi Lu | free | Line 2/3, Chunxi Road, any exit
People’s Park | free | Line 2/17, People’s Park, Exit B/J
Wenshu Monastery | free | Line 1, Wenshu Monastery, Exit K
Tianfu Square | free | Line 1/2, Tianfu Square, Exit H
Chengdu Museum | free | Line 1/2, Tianfu Square, Exit H/J
Twin Towers | free | Line 1, Financial City, Exit C/D
New Century Global Center | free | Line 1, Jincheng Plaza, Exit A
Towers of Vitality | free | Line 1, Jincheng Plaza, Exit D or Line 18, Jincheng Plaze East, Exit B
Anshun Bridge | free | Line 13, Jiuyanqiao, Exit A
Sanxingdui Museum | 72rmb | Take the train from Chengdu East railway station to Guanghan North
Jinsha Site Museum | 70rmb | Line 7, Jinsha Site Museum, Exit C
Note: most museums closed on Mondays. Even if the attraction is free, it is likely to require online booking. Please check Trip or the official museum mini-program for info.
(Information last checked in Sept 2025)

Recommended Days in Chengdu 📅

3-4 days depending on your interests.
Longer if you want to explore the wider Sichuan province.
Sichuan is China’s 5th biggest province and is similar in size to Spain and Thailand.
There are so many natural wonders and cultural sites that it’s easy to spend a week or more here.
Some people say Western Sichuan is just as breathtaking as the Swiss Alps.

Best Time to Visit ☀️

March to May + September to November
It can get super hot in summer but it’s also the sunniest. Cloudy and humid most of the year.
See my Weather Dashboard for temperature ranges by month.

How to Get There ✈️

By air

Land at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (most international flights land here)
OR
Land at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (which is much closer to the city but mainly caters to flights from other Chinese cities)

By land

Take the high speed train to Chengdu East or Chengdu South (the two main high speed railway stations)

How to Get Around 🚇

The most convenient way is Chengdu Metro. It has 15 lines as of 2025 and is one of the top 10 longest metro networks in the world.
Chengdu is also a very flat city and has a lot of cycle lanes. It is perfect for cycling and you can hire a shared bike - see this article
City taxis or DiDi are also widely available.
Check out these articles if you’re stuck:
How to Ride the Metro in China: Ultimate Guide to Getting Around the City (2025)
How to Hail a DiDi Driver in China (2025 Guide)

Where Should You Stay 🛏️

Jinjiang district - best area is around Chunxi Lu, the heart of the commercial district with a central location and countless food options. Make sure you don’t mistakenly pick a location on the other side of the district.
Qingyang district - one of the central districts, home to Tianfu Square, People’s Park, Kuanzhai Xiangzi. I stayed in this district, not far from Wenshu Monastery. Very convenient transport links.
Wuhou district - pick this district if you prefer to stay in the south of the city, where Wuhou Shrine, Jinli Ancient Street, and Towers of Vitality are located. Make sure you pick a hotel close to the centre, as it’s a huge district.
Chenghua district - home to the Panda Base, Chengdu Zoo, and Chengdu East railway station. However, it takes longer to travel to other attractions and the main commercial districts.
I recommend you use Trip, since it is the top hotel booking platform in China and has the bigger range of hotels. Always cheaper for me as well.
Check out my articles How to Get The Best Deal For Hotels in China and Things To Consider When Booking a Hotel in China

What Should You Eat 🥢

Chengdu is one of the spice capitals of China! You can even try chili coffee. It shares a lot of dishes with neighbouring Chongqing, which used to be part of Sichuan province.
Major Chengdu specialties are:
- kung pao chicken | gōng bǎo jī dīng | 宫保鸡丁
- tofu in spicy sauce | má pó dòu fu | 麻婆豆腐
- Sichuan hotpot | sì chuān huǒ guō | 四川火锅
- minced pork noodles with chili oil and Sichuan pepper | dàn dàn miàn | 担担面
- spicy boiled pork | shuǐ zhǔ ròu piàn | 水煮肉片
- spicy wontons | chāo shǒu | 抄手
Check out my 33 spicy dishes to try - you can easily find all of the Chongqing dishes in Chengdu. Look for regional restaurants for the other cuisines.

Where Should I Eat 🧑🏻‍🍳

Chunxi Lu + Taikoo Li for major restaurants
Jinli Ancient Street for street food and snacks
Kuanzhai Xiangzi for street food, teahouses, and cafes
Yulin Lu for street food, teahouses, and cafes
Don’t forget the streetside restaurants in your local neighbourhood. You can use Dianping to check out the food and reviews.
Check out my article How to Find Great Restaurants in China - A Simplified Guide to Dianping and RedNote.

Best Places to Relax ☺️

People’s Park, Cultural Park, Jiuyanqiao. Don’t forget teahouses all over the city.
You can also take a walk along the Jin River.

Nearby cities and villages worth visiting (1-2 hours by train) 🚅

Chongqing, Leshan, Emeishan
The famous Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong Scenic Areas are around 3-4 hours away if travelling by bullet train to Huanglongjiuzhai Station + taking local transport.