Jiuzhaigou Valley 4-day tour: Panda Base & alpine lakes

Jiuzhaigou Valley in four days: pandas, a millennium-old city, terraced pools, and alpine water

A 4-day tour of Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area with stops at Dujiangyan Panda Base, Songpan Ancient City, Huanglong National Park, and the Gami Temple. You travel by private vehicle, see about 20 giant pandas across four gardens, walk through a thousand-year-old walled city at night, cross Huanglong's 3,000 natural color pools and calcified rapids, and spend two days exploring Jiuzhaigou Valley's 108 high mountain lakes, waterfalls and forests. The itinerary does not include a tour guide, though one can be arranged for an additional fee.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Dujiangyan Panda Base3h
2. Huanglong National Park6h
3. Jiuzhai Valley8h

Day 1: Visit Panda Base and Songpan Ancient City

• Visit Dujiangyan Panda Base
• Explore Songpan Ancient City at night

Day 2: Explore Huanglong Scenic Area and Gami Temple

• Visit Huanglong Scenic Area
• Drive to Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic Area
• Visit Gami Temple en route

Day 3: Tour Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic Area

• Explore Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic Area

The experience

Dujiangyan Panda Base opens the tour with four separate gardens holding roughly 20 giant pandas across Panpan, Shuangnan, Linze and Diequan parks. Panpan Garden houses named individuals like Panpan and Yuanyuan. Shuangnan holds Xile, Gonggong and others. Linze Park also shelters seven red pandas, two black bears, and dozens of pheasants alongside rare plants (the living fossil Gong Tong, the king of ferns, and red yew) plus the bamboo varieties that form the pandas' diet. You move through these gardens at your own pace before heading north toward Songpan.

Songpan Ancient City, a walled settlement built a thousand years ago on the northwest Sichuan plateau, anchors your first night. The itinerary recommends staying here so you can walk the ancient streets after dark and see the residential quarters of Tibetan and Qiang ethnic groups. From Songpan, the drive to Huanglong Scenic Area takes you through high terrain where the operator arranges a stop at Gami Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery built in 1378 with a distinctive glass and gold roof, scripture wheels for prayer, and thangka paintings. Huanglong itself spreads across 80,000 acres of calcified rapids and holds over 3,000 natural color pools, five karst waterfalls, and four karst caves. It is China's only well-preserved plateau wetland. After Huanglong, a two-hour drive brings you to Jiuzhaigou Valley, where you'll book accommodation for the final two nights.

Jiuzhaigou Valley holds 108 high mountain lakes of different sizes and shapes, each with water so clear and colored it earned the name "human jade pond." Alpine forests, waterfalls and snow peaks frame the lakes. Autumn brings the most dramatic color (red and yellow leaves scattered across the mountains), though spring shows melting ice and mountain flowers, summer reaches peak waterfall flow, and winter blankets everything in snow. You receive paper introduction materials for all scenic spots and one high-altitude oxygen cylinder per person to manage the elevation. Hotels, attraction tickets and a guide are not included in the booking, but the operator will help you arrange and book them after you reserve. Tickets vary by age and some seniors receive free admission.

What’s included

• Private transportation throughout the four days.
• one high-altitude oxygen cylinder per person for Huanglong.
• English explanatory materials for all scenic spots.
• assistance booking hotels and attraction tickets at your own expense.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to12h before

AgesUp to age 80

GroupPrivate

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 11 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by pandachinago

Is this one for you?This tour suits travelers who want to move at their own pace through high-altitude terrain and don't need a guide narrating the stops. The private vehicle means your group travels together without joining others, and the two full days in Jiuzhaigou Valley let you explore the lakes and waterfalls without a fixed schedule.

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Top questions

What will I see at Dujiangyan Panda Base?

Dujiangyan Panda Base holds about 20 giant pandas across four gardens: Panpan Garden, Shuangnan Garden, Linze Garden and Diequan Garden. You'll also see seven red pandas, two black bears, dozens of pheasants, and rare plants including the living fossil Gong Tong and red yew trees that grow alongside the bamboo the pandas eat.

How much time do I spend in Jiuzhaigou Valley itself?

The itinerary allocates two full days to Jiuzhaigou Valley after you arrive from Huanglong. You explore the 108 alpine lakes, waterfalls, forests and snow peaks at your own pace during that time.

What is Songpan Ancient City like?

Songpan Ancient City is a thousand-year-old walled settlement on the Sichuan plateau where you can walk the streets at night and see the residential areas of Tibetan and Qiang ethnic groups. The itinerary recommends staying overnight here on your first night to experience the local culture.

What happens between Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou Valley?

After Huanglong Scenic Area, the driver takes you to Gami Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery built in 1378 with a distinctive glass and gold roof and thangka paintings, before continuing the two-hour drive to Jiuzhaigou Valley.

Does the tour include a guide?

The itinerary does not include a tour guide. The operator can help you arrange one for an additional $75 fee, which you pay directly to the guide.

What is included and what do I need to book separately?

Included are private transportation, one high-altitude oxygen cylinder per person, English explanatory materials for all scenic spots, and assistance booking hotels and attraction tickets. Hotels and attraction tickets are at your own expense and vary by age. Some seniors receive free admission. A tour guide is optional and costs $75 if you choose one.