Things to do in Chengdu
The unmissables
Most booked
Chengdu Cooking Class: 4-hour market-to-table lesson★ 4.99 (607) · 4h
Top rated
Chengdu: Tuktuk Food Tour with Local Family Eats & Drinks★ 4.92 (495) · 3h 30m
Best value
Chengdu Panda Breeding Center: Private Half-Day Tour & Optional Volunteer★ 4.83 (420) · 3h–4h
Recommended (7)
Dujiangyan Panda Base: Keeper Day Trip from Chengdu★ 4.93 (113) · 9hUS$ 170View ›
Leshan Giant Buddha & Huanglongxi Ancient Town Private Day Trip★ 4.73 (100) · 8h–10hUS$ 93View ›
Dujiangyan Panda Volunteering: Work with keepers, lunch included★ 4.84 (69) · 8hUS$ 279View ›
Chengdu: Giant Panda Breeding & Wenshu Temple Private Tour★ 4.91 (53) · 7h–8hUS$ 141View ›
Leshan Giant Buddha Day Trip: Private Guide & Local Food★ 4.78 (46) · 8h–9hUS$ 199View ›
Dujiangyan Panda Volunteer Day Tour from Chengdu | Private Experience★ 4.40 (42) · 7h–8hUS$ 307View ›
Chengdu & Leshan: Panda Base Tour with Buddha Visit & Lunch★ 5.00 (40) · 9hUS$ 249View ›Lowest price (9)
Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base: Entry Ticket & Research VisitYou get entry to a 1000-acre research base where giant pandas and red pandas live in breeding and conservation programs. Walk through multiple enclosures at your own pace, see animals at different life stages, and understand how one of China's most important wildlife projects actually operates. Wheelchair accessible throughout, and stroller-friendly if you're bringing young children. Arrange your own transport to the base, which sits 10km north of Chengdu city center.Is it for me?Right for anyone visiting Chengdu who wants to see giant pandas in a research setting rather than a traditional zoo — the scale and focus on actual breeding work make it different from most wildlife attractions. Stroller-friendly and fully wheelchair accessible, so families with young children and travelers with mobility needs can navigate the whole base without limitation.
Chengdu: Giant Pandas & Leshan Buddha Day TripYou start with three hours watching giant pandas eat and play in their habitat, then either return to Chengdu or continue to the ancient Leshan Giant Buddha for a 2.5-hour visit that includes the option to see it from the river. Transport, entry fees, and an air-conditioned vehicle are all included; the full day takes eleven hours and returns you by evening, while the half-day panda option gets you back by lunchtime.Is it for me?Pick this if you want to see both pandas and one of China's oldest Buddhist monuments in a single day without arranging separate transport or tickets—the fixed schedule and included entry mean you just show up at 8 a.m. and the logistics are handled.
Private Chengdu TukTuk Food Tour: Hidden Alleys & Local EatsA private Chengdu food tour by tuk-tuk through old neighbourhoods and local streets, with an English-speaking host who adjusts the pace and food choices to suit your group. Four carefully selected food stops across around 2.5 hours, ending in the city's riverside bar district. Bottled water and dinner included; no mixed groups, no other travellers on your booking.Is it for me?The tour starts at Hong Xing Bridge station at 6pm and includes all transport by tuk-tuk, so you do not need a car or a driver to navigate Chengdu's old neighbourhoods after dark — the host handles the route and the stops.
Leshan Giant Buddha Day Tour: Three River ViewsA private full-day tour of the Leshan Giant Buddha, a UNESCO World Heritage Site standing 71 meters tall where three rivers meet, with door-to-door pickup and an experienced driver who provides written descriptions in the car. You choose how to approach the statue—by boat or by climbing the mountain stairs—and experience it from multiple angles in a single day. The itinerary does not include a tour guide; if you want one, the operator can connect you with a guide for an additional fee.Is it for me?The driver provides written descriptions instead of live commentary, so you get the information at your own pace without paying for a separate guide—book this if you prefer to move through the site independently and want to keep costs down. If you'd rather have someone explain the history and carving techniques as you go, you can add a guide for $75 at checkout.
Sichuan Opera & Hot Pot Dinner in Chengdu: Private Evening TourA private half-day tour in Chengdu combines a hot pot dinner and a 90-minute Sichuan Opera performance at Shufen Yayun Teahouse, with hotel pickup, drop-off and an English-speaking guide. The evening starts with hot pot—a social meal where you cook meats, vegetables and seafood in a simmering broth at your table—then moves to the opera, which features acrobatics, puppetry, dancing and two signature acts: Changing Faces (rapid onstage makeup switches) and Rolling Light (a performer balancing a flaming bowl while dancing). Children from age 3 are welcome.Is it for me?Hotel pickup means you don't need a car or directions to find the restaurant or teahouse—the guide handles the route and timing, so the evening flows without you arranging transport or navigating Chengdu on your own.
Chengdu: Giant Pandas, Teahouse & Tuktuk Food TourYou start at the Giant Panda Base watching cubs and adults in a 400-acre park with your guide explaining their behavior; move to an authentic "fly restaurant" where you point at Sichuan dishes and eat how locals do; sit in a traditional teahouse playing mahjong or watching others play; then hop on a tuktuk for an evening food tour hitting dandan noodles, wontons, and mapo tofu at hidden neighborhood spots. Hotel pickup, all drinks, entrance fees and guide are included, so you arrive back without logistics to untangle.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see pandas, eat real Sichuan food, and understand how locals spend their time—all without arranging separate bookings, transport between stops, or figuring out where to eat. The full-day structure is what makes it possible to move between three very different sides of Chengdu without feeling rushed.
Chengdu: Panda Center & City Tour with Lunch & Local GuideYou’ll watch giant pandas wake up at their breeding center before most tourists arrive, then share real Sichuan food with locals for lunch. Sip jasmine tea in People’s Park while life unfolds around you, and wander historic Kuan Zhai Alley with your guide sharing stories along the way.
Mount Qingcheng & Dujiangyan private tour with local lunchYou’ll step into misty forests at Mount Qingcheng, ride boats and cable cars past hidden temples, share laughs with your local guide, and taste real Sichuan flavors over lunch. Then see how ancient engineering still shapes life at Dujiangyan Irrigation System — moments you’ll remember long after you leave Sichuan.
Leshan Giant Buddha & Mount Emei 2-Day All-Inclusive TourA two-day guided tour from Chengdu combining Mount Emei's Golden Summit and the Leshan Giant Buddha, with a private English-speaking guide, one night's accommodation at the foot of Mount Emei, meals, entrance fees, cable car and sightseeing bus included. The itinerary covers the 3,099-meter summit where a 48-meter gold-plated Buddha statue sits among three palaces, then descends to visit the cliff-carved Leshan Buddha by either hilltop hike or river cruise. All transport between Chengdu and the sites, plus breakfast and lunch, is arranged; you choose your option for viewing the Leshan Buddha when you book.Is it for me?Book this two-day private tour if you're traveling as a pair or small group and want to see both Mount Emei's Golden Summit and the Leshan Buddha without splitting them across separate days—your guide coordinates the cable car timing and chooses between hiking or boat access to the Buddha based on conditions.
