There are many places to see lovely giant pandas in China. But where is the best place for you to go for a special panda trip? What is the best time to go? We will give you some insiders' recommendations and suggestions on how to plan a panda tour.
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Where Are the Best Places to See Giant Pandas?
The four panda bases around Chengdu are the best places to see giant pandas. Which one is best for you depends on how much time you have and what kind of experience you want to have.
If it's just to SEE pandas…
If you just want to see giant pandas, we recommend you go toChengdu Panda Breeding and Research Base. It is the most easily accessible panda base. You can see pandas at different ages, from the oldest to the newborns.
This base is huge but usually crowded. A private tour is the best way to get around the base to see the most pandas and get the best experience.
For a deeper panda experience...
There are three recommended activities for a deeper panda experience:
1. Join a panda volunteer program.
Giant panda volunteer programs are available in three panda bases: Dujiangyan, Wolong, and Bifengxia. Their durations are from 1 to 3 days or longer.
Dujiangyan is the best place for a one-day program. If you want a less-crowded environment, consider Wolong and Bifengxia, though they require 2 or more days.
Your work would include weighing and cleaning bamboo, making panda cakes, watching pandas being fed, and cleaning pandas' enclosures. At the end of the program, you will receive a panda keeper certificate.
2. Join in a Red Panda Volunteer Program.
Unlike with giant pandas, you can have a zero-distance encounter with red pandas — you can feed a group of them without a fence in between. If you are interested in red pandas, you can join inour red panda volunteer programinWolong Panda Center.
3. Hike into the Habitat of Wild Pandas.
If you are a lover of pandas and outdoor activity as well, consider having a hike in wild panda habitat in Wolong. Go panda tracking, and see if you will be lucky enough to see a wild panda. See our2-Day Wolong Panda Volunteer Program Tour.
Place | Location | Activities | Visit | Crowds |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center | Chengdu City | Seeing pandas | ½ day | Very crowded |
Dujiangyan Panda Base | 1½ hours from Chengdu | Giant panda volunteer program | 1 day | Quiet |
Wolong Panda Center | 3 hours from Chengdu | Giant panda, red panda, panda baby volunteer program, hiking in panda habitat | 2 days | Quiet |
Bifengxia Giant Panda Base | 3 hours from Chengdu | Giant panda volunteer program | 2 days or more | Quiet |
China Highlights,Asia Highlights, andGlobal Highlightscollaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.
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Helen is the best Panda tour guide going around!
I had a fantastic Panda tour with Helen in Chengdu City. From the moment she picked me up, my energy was low from a heap of travelling, but Helen quickly brought me up a notch with her breathtaking passion for Pandas. Not only did she provide a fantastic experience accommodating my every need, but she was also a genuinely kind and joyful company to tour the city with. I can't recommend Helen enough - you won't regret it! more
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Sep 2023, Declan O
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Viaje a Chengdu con China Highlights y su guía Pablo.
Visitamos Chengdu y otras ciudades chinas con China Highlights en un viaje que nos organizó la magnífica Juana Pan. Al llegar a Chengdú nos estaba esperando Pablo, nuestro guía en espa?ol que nos llevó al hotel y nos instaló. Al día siguiente fuimos a ver el Gran Buda de Leshan y, aunque lamentablemente no pudimos hacer el viaje en barco que teníamos contratado debido a las condiciones atmosféricas, Pablo nos llevó a la cima de la monta?a desde donde pudimos admirar esta gran belleza. Después, hicimos una rica comida típica y caminamos por las calle de la ciudad y al día siguiente la visita nos llevó a callejear por sus calles antiguas, sus templos y vistamos el curioso "mercado de matrimonios" dentro del parque del pueblo. En definitiva una experiencia gratísima y que Pablo nos descubrió. Gracias Pablo more
Aug 2023, Eco C
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Perfect tour in Chengdu
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Aug 2023, Adriano C
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2奇妙的Days in Chengdu with Helen
我们有一个了不起的几天在成都作为标准t of our 2 week holiday in China. Helen was our tour guide and she was fabulous!! She had so much passion for her job it was infectious!! We went to see the pandas and Helen was able to navigate the site to ensure we were able to see the various panda houses and try and minimise the waiting time, we then experienced very local Sizhuan Opera which was intriguing and very entertaining. The following day we went to the peoples park which was very interesting and Helen was able to give us the background to the park and introduced us to some amazing activities and encourage us to participate. Our last stop was the Wenshu Monestry which was beautiful and again Helen was very knowledgable and led us around the monestry with great explanations behind what we were seeing. Helen also took us to some fabulous local restaurants and we ate incredibly well. Thank you Helen for making the few days in Chengdu so special and we will for sure be back!! more
Aug 2023, Sandra
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Qingcheng Mountain Your Chengdu
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Aug 2023, Stuart
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Chengdu Guide was Awesome!
Our guide, Helen, made our time in Chengdu terrific! She was very knowledgeable and got us to everything we wanted to see efficiently. She knew all the "insider tips", like which restrooms to use to avoid long lines, excellent food for lunch, etc. Helen was very flexible and changed our itinerary so we could see an additional site. She even entertained our six year old so we could enjoy more of a museum. Definitely NOT her job, but greatly appreciated! Helen was awesome and we would recommend her VERY highly! more
Jul 2023, Suzann Demianew
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Best guide in Chengdu
Our expert guide in Chengdu, China, was Helen. She was just totally amazing! She had lots of energy and was able to get us everywhere we wanted to go. She was very flexible and changed the itinerary to add an additional site. That meant she and our driver had an extra long day. She really knew all the sights and little things like which bathrooms to use to avoid long lines. Restaurants she took us to had very tasty food. Could not have had a better guide. I highly recommend Helen! more
Jul 2023, Suzann D
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excellent trip
We spent few wonderful days at Chengdu as part of our China trip. Our guide - HenryLi from China Highlights did a wonderful job and everything went as planned in the itinerary. Henry answered all our questions was flexible and made sure all our needs were met. I would highly recommend China Highlights and if you are going to Chengdu more
Jul 2023, Viki B
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Best Tour of Chengdu
今年7月,我们去了成都作为我们大的一部分tour of China. We went to see the pandas, visited a Sichuan Opera, and toured the local streets of Chengdu with traditional Sichuan Cuisine. Our guide Helen was very helpful during this trip. She was always trying to get us to places on time and made sure we did everything we could. This was especially helpful during our stop to see the pandas as it was really crowded and busy. In addition to this trip, she was able to get us last-minute tickets to visit an authentic opera with famous face-changing masks. During our car rides, she was very informative, making sure we had all the information about the beautiful city. We recommend staying there for more than a day as there are more things to do other than seeing the pandas. Helen was very attentive and always cheerful. We definitely recommend her for people who want to be more knowledgeable of Chengdu and want someone who is very caring towards their needs. more
Jul 2023, Jimena M
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Helen wad fantastic!
Helen in Chengdu was absolutely fantastic! She is very knowledgeable, speaks English well and is very active. She was flexible, practical and ready to make changes. She offered various extra options and was very sweet with my child.Highly recommended! more
Jul 2023, Chiara G
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Chengdu more than pandas
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Jul 2023, gilberto b
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Jiuzhaigou/Huanglong in Sichuan is a must visit!!!
my mom and I had a fantastic time in Chengdu visiting the city, Leshan Big Buddha and Panda Conservation. But the best part of the trip was travelling to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong (these two scenic spots are a MUST visit!!!) Our guide Mary was fantastic! We highly recommend her. She was accommodating, knowledgeable, and super friendly. She even helped carried our heavy water bottles for us (thank you so much). I highly highly recommend her and would seek her out again if I go again! more
Jul 2023, Sandy
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Custom Chengdu with great guide!
Our guide Jason was a joy to travel with! He answered our million and one questions that had nothing to do with our itinerary, made us comfortable in unusual situations, was flexible, and made sure our every need along the way was met. We had a great time and would highly recommend China Highlights—and if you’re going to Chengdu, definitely request Jason as your guide. more
Jun 2023, Renata R
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Great trip around Sichuan
My girlfriend and I booked a tour with China Highlights (Lucia Zheng was our contact there) around Sichuan. We have been visiting Emei Mountain, Kangding, Danba, Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve, and many other impressive locations always accompanied with our guide Dong Jing and our driver. We are very satisfied with the attention and service offered by them, always being helpful and adapting to our needs. Dong Jing speak great english an german even better :) We would very happy do another travel with them. Thanks for a great experience! more
Jun 2023, Alberto S
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Great Trip Planning Experience
我的家人决定在12月去成都-2023 and due to the winter time concern, I have decided to try a trip planner instead of self planned tour; and I found Chinhighlights,com.Roger Li is assigned as my trip planner and it is a great to have him assisting in my trip. Roger is very knowledgeable in what he is doing with a great sense of urgency; He is very upfront on his proposal and willing to listen on my feedback. Roger also taking the extra steps to prepare itinerary in 2 different language; English and Mandarin as my kids prefer to have details in chinese and my wife only on English. Thanks a lot Roger. We managed to finalize and signoff the trip plan within 1 week. Well done. I hope I will have an equal or better experience with china highlights on my upcoming china trips. Will update with next review after my trip ends. Cheers. more
Jun 2023, Kenneth Chin
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Family China trip
我们喜欢旅行在成都与杰森,China Highlights. We were on two trips - Panda Research Base and Leshan Budda. Jason took us to really good restaurant with dumplings as we told before that we like them :) The next day he presented the famous hot pot and helped us to cook it. During the trips he was very careful with our needs and was following them, what is really important while travelling with small kids. Our driver was also good, helpful with luggage and good-driving. They also had 2 baby carseats. Definitely recommend. more
Jun 2023, XX
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Chengdu visit - Henry Li guide
I traveled to Chengdu and visited the Giant Buddha statue that is carved in the mountain. We had Henry Li as a guide and he was excellent. He knew a lot of history about the place and answered a lot of our questions. He also took us to the local restaurants so we can experience the local cuisine. I recommend Henry, as a guide, to anyone that wants to visit Chengdu and the surrounding areas. Thank you Henry for the amazing experience. more
Jun 2023, Adrian Iancu
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Great long weekend in Chengdu
我和我丈夫是澳洲的外国人生活在中国. We just finished a great 3 day weekend in Chengdu with China highlights and our wonderful guide Helen. It was a real pleasure to have Helen as our guide - she was friendly, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable about Chengdu and the sites we visited. She was also very diligent at meal time to ensure my food intolerance was accommodated - so we were able to still enjoy the delicious and famous food in Chengdu without any worries. Helen also organised for us to go to an evening show at the professional Opera one night which we really enjoyed. During our trip we also visited a little local opera house and had tea, saw the panda sculpture at IFS, went to Jinli old street, day trip to Leshan for a boat ride and walk at Leshan Buddha, Panda Breeding and research centre and a stroll around a local park to see how the locals enjoy their leisure time. The itinerary was great for the time we had and we enjoyed everything. It was also a very comfortable trip - our driver Mr Ren was very nice and we always felt safe with him at the wheel. more
Jun 2023, Rhiannon E
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Memorable family vacation in Chengdu
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Jun 2023, Jean
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Panda Tour itineraries
Here are three panda tour itineraries suitable for different needs/interests:
1. One-Day Panda Volunteer Tour
Dujiangyan Panda Baseis the best place for atime-smartone-day program.
We will help you maximize your experience in your limited time. Our private transfers and flexible itineraries are the most efficient.
Activities include going into their enclosures, learning where they play, cleaning up, watching pandas fed at a very close distance, and making their favorite cakes. For more details, seeOne-Day Dujiangyan Panda Volunteer Program Tour.
There is adaily quota of 60 volunteersfor the Panda Volunteer Program. We suggest an early inquiry and booking quickly to secure your place — preferably six months in advance.
2. 2-Day Panda Tour with a Wild Panda Habitat Exploration
If you have more time to spend with pandas and want more activities, we recommend a visit to Wolong Panda Base where you can enjoy more panda activities.
- Day 1: Explore the wild habitat of pandas and try to find evidence of wild giant pandas
- Day 2: A one-day panda volunteer program
If you are interested in this itinerary, check out our2-Day Wolong Panda Volunteer Program Tour.
3. 2-Week China Tour with Pandas
If you want acomplete China tour itinerary that includes the panda experience, you can check out this itinerary.
Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai are must-see cities. Chengdu is definitely included if you want a panda tour. We also recommend a Yangtze River cruise, which would start in Chongqing near Chengdu, to enjoy China's natural views.
Here is the suggested itinerary:
- Days 1–4: Beijing arrival and exploration with must-sees including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City
- Days 5–6: Xi'an sightseeing with a visit to the Terracotta Army and clay-warrior-making experience
- Days 7–8: Chengdu panda tour with a keeper program — make panda cakes, see pandas being fed at a close distance, and clean their enclosures.
- Days 9–11: Yangtze River cruise with excursions
- Days 12–13: Shanghai exploration with a visit to the Bund and some free time.
Further reading:Ultimate Chengdu Itineraries: How Long to Spend in Chengdu
The Cost of a Panda Tour
It is not expensive to get a ticket to see the pandas. But if you want to have a volunteer program, it may cost a little more, about US$250–300 per person including private transfers, lunch, and a guide.
For a private China trip with a panda experience, the average cost per day is about US$220–350 per person, including flights/trains within China, 4- or 5-star hotels, lunches, attractions, guides, and private transport. Kids under 10 will get 30 to 50 percent off.
Best Times for a Panda Tour
The Best Season to Visit
Giant pandas don't hibernate. You can visit them in all four seasons.Spring and autumnare the best times to see pandas when they are most active and temperatures are most comfortable.
As a bonus, if you visit betweenAugust and November, you will probably see adorablepanda babies.
If you visit during Chinese holidays, e.g. May 1st–3rd, October 1st–7th, we recommend you visit Bifengxia Panda Base, which will be less crowded.
Recommended Tours:
- 1-Day Chengdu Panda and Sichuan Cuisine Tour
- 1-Day Dujiangyan Panda Keeper Program Tour
- 2-Day Wolong Panda Keeper Program Tour
- 4-day Wolong in-depth Panda Tour
The Best Time of Day
Giant pandas spend almost half their time sleeping. So, if you want to see them walking or climbing, it's important to know their general rest schedule.
Grown-up giant pandas in captivity usually eat twice a day:early in the morningandlate in the afternoon. They usually sleep around noon, any time from around 10:00 a.m. to around 2:00 p.m.
We recommend you get to a panda base as early as possible (8:00 to 10:00 a.m. is optimal), when it is less-crowded and the pandas are at their most active.
Accommodation Tips
If you visit Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Base and Dujiangyan Panda Base, you can stay in a hotel in Chengdu city.
如果你参观卧龙或碧峰峡熊猫基地,我们苏ggest a staying at nearby hotels, because the two bases are far away from Chengdu or the airport. Getting back and forth that day can be tiring and rushed. Hotel options are limited compared with in the city, and the standards are not as high. But we would carefully select the best hotels available to suit you.
When booking with us, we would coordinate your hotel booking, transfers, and lunch for a stress-free panda experience.
Popular Panda Tours
Just contact us and we'llcreate your ideal panda trip. We would create an itinerary according to your interests and any other requirements.
Our consultants listen to and answer your inquiries carefully and promptly and prepare the best tour plan for you.