Your Ultimate Guide about Taking a Flight to Jiuzhaigou

Jiuhang or the Jiuzhai Huanglong airport is the closest airport to Jiuzhaigou. The airport was opened in 2003 and there are currently only very few direct domestic flights. The Jiuhang airport is 88km from Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park and 53km from Huanglong National Scenic Reserve. Once you reach the Jiuhang airport you can get to the valley park in the Airport shuttle bus. The shuttle bus schedule is aligned with the arrival schedules. So, you will always find an airport shuttle bus waiting, although it might full almost all the time.

Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport

The next closest airport is Chengdu Shuangliu Airport. It is bigger than Jiuhang and has a lot of international flight terminals too. It is convenient for both domestic and international travellers. To cut down cost, from Chengdu you can travel by bus to Jiuzhaigou.

Chengdu Shuangliu Airport

Domestic Flights to Jiuzhaigou

Non- Stop Flights to Jiuzhaigou

1. Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou:
Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, is the most popular city for tourists to start a Jiuzhaigou tour, since there are both flights and tourists buses to Jiuzhaigou. The most convenient way to travel to Jiuzhaigou is from Chengdu by air. In Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, there are most frequent non-stop flights to Jiuzhaigou. The following Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou flight schedule is just for your reference. Please feel free to contact us for more detailed information.

2. Chongqing to Jiuzhaigou:
There are daily flights from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport to Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport. It generally takes about one and a half hours from Chongqing to Jiuzhaigou by air.

3. Guangzhou to Jiuzhaigou:
For tourists from southern China and Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a good destination to take a non-stop flight to Jiuzhaigou. However, the direct flight from Guangzhou to Jiuzhaigou only departs in the morning, which takes about two and a half hours to get to Jiuzhai Huanglong National Park. If you plan to get to Jiuzhaigou from Guangzhou by air, please double check the flight schedule before you go.

4. Xian to Jiuzhaigou:
Xian is one of the most popular tourist destinations in China after Beijing and Shanghai. Famous for terracotta warriors, the ancient city offers much to explore. After a Xian tour, you can get to Jiuzhaigou directly from Xian by air. The flight journey just takes about one and a half hours.

5. Beijing to Jiuzhaigou:
In peak season, especially from May to October, there is one non-stop flight from Beijing to Jiuzhaigou every day. The flight journey from the capital of China to Jiuzhaigou the fairyland takes about 3 hours. You may get cheaper price if you book the flight ticket as soon as possible.

Connecting Flights to Jiuzhaigou

1. Shenzhen to Jiuzhaigou:
If you plan to travel to Jiuzhaigou from Shenzhen, you should realize that there is no direct flight from Shenzhen to Jiuzhaigou, which mean you need to take a connecting flight from Shenzhen to Jiuzhaigou via Xian, Chengdu, Chongqing or Beijing. Or, you can get to the city which has the direct flight to Jiuzhaigou and then get to Jiuzhaigou by air from there.

2. Shanghai to Jiuzhaigou:
It is a pity that there is no direct flight from Shanghai to Jiuzhaigou. Tourists from Shanghai can take a connecting flight from Shanghai to Jiuzhaigou via Xian, Chengdu, Beijing or Guangzhou.

3. Hong Kong to Jiuzhaigou:
Recently, there is no direct flight from Hong Kong to Jiuzhaigou. For tourists who come from Hong Kong, they can get to Guangzhou first and then take a Guangzhou-Jiuzhaigou flight, or take a flight from Hong Kong to Chengdu first, and then take a flight from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou.

(These are only the one-stop, single airline itinerary, there are connecting flights with two stops too, and they take much longer but sometimes cost less compared to single stop)

International Flights to Jiuzhaigou

There are no direct international flights to Jiuzhaigou. The best way to go about it would be to go to Chengdu or Chongqing and then take a flight to Jiuzhaigou. You can also take a car or bus to Jiuzhaigou from Chengdu. From London the connecting flights are via Beijing. From Singapore the flights go via Chengdu or Hong Kong. New York flights go via Beijing. As you can see, most of the international flights are connected through one of the major cities. So, you can land in any major city and then go to Jiuzhaigou from there.

How to Find Cheap Flight to Jiuzhaigou

1) When you decide to go there during off-season like winter, the rates are reasonably cheaper and the tickets are much easier to get.

2) If you are going there during peak season, book at least three months in advance. The earlier you book, better the deals. The demand has always exceeded the supply in this case, so it might be a little hard to find cheap tickets in the last minute.

3) If you book in the last minute, you might find only first class seats left, during such times you can use your air miles points to get some discount.

4) The untimely hours are cheaper, i.e. early morning flights or late night flights.

5) Sometimes, the direct flights are much cheaper than connecting flights. But, keep checking the prices constantly as they keep varying depending on number of the seats filled.

Sample Travel Itinerary for an Early Flight to Jiuzhaigou

When you take an early flight to Jiuzhaigou, you will reach the airport by afternoon. The rest of the day is not enough to visit Jiuzhaigou Valley Park, so you explore Huanglong before going to Jiuzhaigou Valley Park.

Day 1
From Airport you can take a shuttle bus to Huanglong which costs about CNY 22. You can also book a taxi for your convenience. Huanglong is around 55km from the airport, so it will take you about an hour.

From Airport you can take a shuttle bus to Huanglong

Huanglong Scenic site is much smaller than Jiuzhaigou. Inside the scenic site you can take the cable cars which take you till the peak and from there you walk down your way seeing all the nature beauties. The walk back down will take you 3- 5hrs.

Taking the cable cars will take you to the peak

You can get back to the hotel for the night. The shuttle buses will be waiting in Huanglong, you can get back to Jiuzhaigou in the shuttle buses or you can book a taxi. Another option would be to book a private car if you have a loose budget. With a private car you don’t really have to worry about the timings. The travel from Huanglong to Jiuzhaigou will take about 3- 4hrs.

Booking a private car is another option for you

Day 2
You will get up early in the morning and leave early to Jiuzhaigou National Valley Park by 7:30 and enjoy a full day sightseeing and hiking at the park.

You can enjoy a full day sightseeing and hiking at the Jiuzhaigou National Valley park

Day 3
Today, you will take a flight out to your next destination. From the park you can go to airport by bus or taxi. It will take about 1h 30m to reach the airport.

Sample Travel Itinerary for a Late Flight to Jiuzhaigou

If you reach Jiuhang airport at night, go to your hotel directly. You can start your Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong tour on the next day. Here is the sample itinerary for your reference.

Day 1
You need to get back to your hotel firstly. From the airport you can take a taxi or a hire a private for the whole trip. Another option would be to take the shuttle bus to Jiuzhaigou National Valley Park and from there you can take a taxi to the hotel.

You can take a taxi to Jiuzhaigou National Valley Park

From airport Intercontinental Jiuzhaigou hotel is 66.7km and might take around 1hr 15min. Sheraton is 128km and might take around 2h 30m. Howard Johnson is 81.3km and it might take around 1hr 45m. If you’re booking to stay in hostel then there is no hassle because the youth hostels are very close to the valley park.

Day 2
Today, you can enjoy a full day at the Valley Park.

Enjoy the fascinating scenery at the Valley Park

Day3
In the morning, you can visit Huanglong scenic spot. From there you can directly go to the airport to save some time. You can go in the shuttle buses or in taxi. The shuttle buses are way cheaper than hiring a taxi or private.

Huanglong scenic spot

Travel Tips for Taking a Flight to Jiuzhaigou

1) Be mindful of the altitude. Jiuzhaigou is at an altitude of 3,800m. So, when you go by flight you are ascending too fast from a place of lower altitude and so you might experience altitude sickness. You can ’t avoid it, but you can take precautions by getting medications from your physician. It is also better to not drink alcohol.

2) Even if you go during summer months, take some winter clothing as Jiuzhaigou is in a high altitude.

3) Due to unpredictable weather the flights are often delayed and sometimes cancelled. So always keep track of your flight. Also, have a backup plan if the flight is cancelled. You can reach Jiuzhaigou by bus and chartered cars or overland.

4) It is recommended to arrive at the airport 1h 30m prior to the departure time; the counters will be closed 30mins before take-off.

5) Mid-November to March is a very low tourism season. Due to low booking or bad weather during these months, the flights from Xian and Chongqing may get cancelled. If you are travelling during off- season, it is better to use Chengdu as a spring board to get to Jiuzhaigou.