Dazu Rock Carvings Tour: Hidden Buddha Statues Near Baoding

Twin Buddha statues over 10 meters tall, carved 900 years ago, stand in a quiet woods where almost no one goes.

A private tour of Dazu's ancient rock carvings near Chongqing, with driver-guide, hotel pickup and lunch, that combines the UNESCO-listed Baoding site with a hidden highlight: twin giant Buddha statues and a 900-year-old pagoda in a small local park. The tour lasts roughly eight to nine hours and reaches sites most group tours skip because they spend time in souvenir shops instead.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Dazu Rock Carvings and Local Highlights

• Pick up travelers in Chongqing
• Drive 1.5 hours to Baoding ancient rock carvings
• Tour Baoding rock carvings for 2 hours
• Transfer via shuttle bus and golf car
• Enjoy typical local lunch in downtown Dazu
• Walk through local park to twin giant Buddha and ancient pagoda
• Drive 2 hours back to downtown Chongqing
• Drop off travelers at hotels or specified location

The experience

Baoding carvings, the largest and best-preserved ancient stone sculptures in southern China, sit on a cliff side 1.5 hours from downtown Chongqing. The statues were carved to display and facilitate worship, and the site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. You'll spend about two hours inside with your private guide, though you'll transfer to an internal shuttle bus and golf car for the walk through the site: a mandatory arrangement to protect the cultural relics. The driver-guide speaks English or Mandarin and knows both the history and the landscape well enough to move at your pace instead of a schedule.

After the main site, you'll head into downtown Dazu for a typical local lunch, included in the tour. Then comes the hidden highlight: a walk through a small park to a pair of twin giant Buddha statues and an ancient pagoda, both over 900 years old and part of a Song dynasty temple complex that local villagers financed and built. The pagoda was designed as a library for Buddhist holy documents and still stands solid after earthquakes and fire. Because the site sits in a quiet woods attended mostly by locals, you won't navigate crowds: the whole place feels like a forgotten corner, and the fresh air and relaxed pace are part of what makes it different from the main attraction.

The driver-guide handles all transport, including the drive back to downtown Chongqing and drop-off at your hotel or any location you specify. Bottled water is provided throughout the day. Admission to Baoding carvings and the internal shuttle ride there are paid on site, not included in the tour price.

What’s included

• Driver-guide in English or Mandarin.
• hotel pickup and return to your hotel or specified downtown location.
• lunch in Dazu.
• bottled water throughout the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to12h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 19.05

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Legend Tour

Is this one for you?The tour moves at a private pace and includes a lunch break, so the full eight to nine hours are spread across a relaxed day rather than a rushed one. The schedule is built around walking and learning, not fitting as many stops as possible into the afternoon.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How far is Baoding carvings from Chongqing, and how long do I spend there?

Baoding carvings is roughly 1.5 hours by car from downtown Chongqing. You'll spend about two hours inside the site with your guide, walking the cliff-side sculptures and learning their history.

What are the twin Buddha statues, and where are they?

The twin giant Buddha statues stand over 10 meters tall in a small park in Dazu, built by local villagers during the Song dynasty 900 years ago. They sit beneath an ancient pagoda, also 900 years old, in a quiet woods away from the main Baoding site that most tours visit.

Is lunch included, and what kind of food will I eat?

Lunch is included and served in downtown Dazu after you leave Baoding carvings. It's a typical local meal, giving you a taste of the region's everyday cooking.

What do I need to pay separately, and what's already covered?

Hotel pickup, the driver-guide, lunch and bottled water are all included. Admission to Baoding carvings and the internal shuttle bus and golf car ride inside the site are paid on site, not in advance.