Jiuzhaigou Hiking Guide: Experience the Best of Jiuzhaigou by Hiking and Trekking

With snow-capped mountains surrounding, colorful forest growing, majestic waterfalls roaring and crystal blue lakes scattering around, Jiuzhaigou Valley is an excellent place for tourists to hike. Consisting of three wonderful valleys, Jiuzhaigou National Park forms a “Y” shape with Rize Valley on the right section, Zechawa Valley on the left section and Shuzheng Valley at the lower section. Most visitors prefer to start Jiuzhaigou National Park hiking by taking bus to the highest point of Rize Valley, then hike downhill along the wooden boardwalks.

Hiking in Jiuzhaigou doesn’t require high physical strength, which makes Jiuzhaigou a paradise for hiking lovers as well as ordinary tourists. Theoretically, one-day of trekking, combined with the tour bus is enough. But if you want to deeply immerse yourself in nature, a 2-day tour is more suitable. The tour bus would stop at every key spot in the park in case you get tired on the way.

Suggested Order of Hiking in Jiuzhaigou

The suggested order of visiting Jiuzhaigou National Park is: Rize Valley - Zechawa Valley - Shuzheng Valley. This allows you to get the best of the valleys all together, without backtracking on yourself too much.

The Map of Jiuzhaigou National Park

Hiking in Rize Valley

Key Spots: Primitive Forest, Grass Lake, Swan Lake, Arrow Bamboo Lake, Arrow Bamboo Waterfall, Panda Lake, Panda Lake Waterfall, Five Flower Lake, Pearl Shoal, Pearl Shoal Waterfall, Mirror Lake and so on.

The whole length of Rize Valley is 18km which is located between Nuorilang, the center of the “Y” shape and the Primitive Forest, the top of Jiuzhaigou National Park. This is the most essential part of Jiuzhaigou owing to its majestic views and changeable sceneries, as well as being the climax of your tour. The Primitive Forest is too far and too dangerous for tourists who go to Jiuzhaigou only for one day.

Jiuzhaigou Hiking Trails at Rize Valley

The whole Rize Valley route could be separated into 3 parts, among which the 1st part should not be missed and must really be visited in the morning, while the other 2 parts could be combined with other routes.

The 1st Part: Entrance (bus) - Mirror Lake (bus) - Arrow Bamboo Lake (trek) - Arrow Bamboo Lake Waterfall (trek) - Panda Lake (Trek) - Panda Lake Waterfall (trek) - Five Flower Lake (trek).

In the morning, taking a tour bus at the entrance of Jiuzhaigou National Park to the Mirror Lake, you would see the most splendid inverted image of mountains and sky in the surface of the lake. You would miss this if you go to the Mirror Lake in the afternoon. After taking photos of the Mirror Lake, you should take the tour bus to Arrow Bamboo Lake, then trek through Arrow Bamboo Lake, Arrow Bamboo Lake Waterfall, Panda Lake, Panda Lake Waterfall and Five Flower Lake, which is about 3.5km, taking you around 2 hours.

This part is known as the vital core of Jiuzhaigou, and is a section of the park that you should never miss.

The 2nd Part: Five Flower Lake (bus) - Primitive Forest (trek) - Swan Lake (trek) - Grass Lake (trek).

You can take the tour bus from Five Flower Lake to the Primitive Forest, and trek to Swan Lake and Grass Lake, which takes you about 1 hour.

The 3rd Part: Grass Lake (bus) - Primitive Forest (bus) - Pearl Shoal (trek) - Mirror Lake (bus) - Nuorilang Waterfall.

Going back to the Primitive Forest, you may take the tour bus going down to the Pearl Shoal, from where the trek to Mirror Lake is charming as well. This part takes you about 1 hour, and you can take the tour bus from Mirror Lake to Nuorilang Waterfall, where you can have lunch, calling an end to the morning. After that, you can take the tour bus to visit Zechawa Valley in the afternoon.

Insider tips:
1. The tour bus in the morning goes to the Primitive Forest, so if you are going to stop in the middle, please tell the tour guide or the driver.
2. Touring all of Rize Valley takes you about 5 hours, which makes getting up at 6 o’clock necessary.

Zechawa Valley

Hiking Route: Nuorilang Waterfall (bus) - Long Lake (trek) - Five Color Lake (bus) - Upper Seasonal Lake (bus) - Lower Seasonal Lake (bus) - Nuorilang.

Jiuzhaigou Hiking Trails at Zechawa Valley

Highlights: Season Lake, Five Color Lake, and Long Lake. As the longest and highest route of all the routes inside Jiuzhaigou, Zechawa Valley extends 18km from the Nuorilang Waterfall to the Long Lake.

Taking the tour bus from Nuorilang center after lunch, you could stop at the Long Lake and then trek to Five Color Lake. You can take the tour bus going back to Nuorilang, during which time you can visit Upper Seasonal Lake and Lower Seasonal Lake. This route takes you around 1.5 hours.

Insider tips:
In the dry season of winter and spring, there is no water in the Seasonal Lakes.

Shuzheng Valley

Highlights: Nuorilang Waterfall, Rhinoceros Lake, Tiger Lake, Shuzheng Waterfall, Sleeping Dragon Lake, Sparkle Lake, and so on.

Regarded as the epitome of Jiuzhaigou, Shuzheng Valley has mysterious lakes, colorful shoals, magnificent waterfalls, gallery roads, and wooden bridges.

Jiuzhaigou Hiking Trails at Shuzheng Valley

This route is divided into 2 parts as well. From Bonsai Shoal to Rhinoceros Lake, you can hike on the well-built gallery road, which surrounds the lakes. Some parts are near the road while others are in the forest, and all have different views. Given this situation, it is suggested that you separate this route into 2 parts, in which the first part should be scheduled in the morning while the second part could be arranged in the afternoon, right before you leave Jiuzhaigou.

The 1st Part: Entrance (bus) - Rhinoceros Lake (trek) - Tiger Lake (trek) - Shuzheng Lake (trek) - Sparkle Lake.

In the morning, you should take the tour bus from the entrance to the Rhinoceros Lake and wait for the inverted image in it. Then, going down along the gallery road to the Tiger Lake and Shuzheng Waterfalls, finally arriving at Sparkle Lake takes you around 2 hours.

The 2nd Part: Sparkle Lake (bus) - Sleeping Dragon Lake (trek) - Reed Lake (trek) - Bonsai Shoal (bus) - Entrance.

You can trek from Sparkle Lake to Bonsai Shoal, where you can take the tour bus back to the entrance and then leave the park.

Insider tips:
1. The distance between the Bonsai Shoal and Jiuzhaigou Entrance is about 5.8km, but lacks amazing views
2. To sum up, Jiuzhaigou is a good start for people who want to try hiking. The views are charming and the sceneries are abundant, and whenever you are tired you can take a rest in the tour bus.

Additional Notes:
For tourists who wants to spend 2 days in the valley, you can go to Rize Valley and Zechawa Valley in the first day and go to Shuzheng Valley and other places that you are interested in in the second day. Some parts of the gallery road are going to be closed from every middle of November to the next April. But some parts are still passable. There is a valley named Zhongcha Valley which is located at 20km away from Jiuzhaigou. The local people call it the back garden of Jiuzhaigou with a good view, and tourists can ride a horse there. The ticket is free. But the chartered car charges 60 RMB. Staying inside the Jiuzhaigou National Park is illegal. However, there are some guest houses in Shuzheng Valley that offer rooms for tourists.

What’s the Best Time to Hike in Jiuzhaigou?

A fairyland of multi-colored alpine lakes, beautiful waterfalls, verdant primeval forests, and snow-covered mountains, Jiuzhaigou is a star attraction in Sichuan Province in Southwest China. The Y-shaped valleys are renowned for having different unique beauty in each season, but to enjoy the true grandeur of this stunning destination, it is important to travel at the right time of year.

September is one of the best time to hike in Jiuzhaigou.

Autumn is generally the best time to visit Jiuzhaigou, from September to early November, when you have some of the most fascinating views of the natural scenery. Lying under clear blue skies, the whole valley undergoes a change of colors, as the leaves turn to reds, and golds, and browns. Green pine trees intersperse these colorful landscapes, with a multitude of colors reflecting in the spectacular mirror-like surfaces of the lakes.

What to Pack for Jiuzhaigou Trekking Tour?

Rainfall is at a minimum in autumn, but high changes in temperature are common through September and October. Temperature differences of around 8-10 degrees between day and night are normal at this time of year, so you should bring plenty of warm sweaters to keep yourself warm in the evenings and at night. However, the cozy weather in the autumn makes it the best time for trekking.

Layers of clothes are the best option for trekking, as you can add or remove as you require to maintain a steady temperature. And while there is very little rain, carrying a raincoat in your day pack is a useful addition. Trekking pants or nylon are best for warmth and to allow breathing, and you should avoid wearing jeans, as they can get heavy. Trekking boots with ankle support and good tread is essential, as the routes through the park can be rough in places. You should also include sunglasses, sun block, moisturizers, lip balm, and sunhat to keep the heat of the sun from causing you problems.

Where to Stay in Jiuzhaigou?

While the beauty of the valley is immense, it is not possible to camp inside the valley overnight. This is because of the need to preserve the natural ecosystem of the park and to avoid damaging the delicate environment of the valleys. Entrance tickets are only valid for one day, and numbers are checked at the end of the day to ensure all entrants have left the valleys.

Jiuzhaigou Qian He International Hotel

If you are planning to stay in the area to take a longer hike around the park, you can find hotels and guesthouses just a short distance from the entrance to the valley. The closest hotels to the main entrance are the Jiuzhaigou Tianfeng Hotel (0.5km), the Morning Jiuzhai Hotel (1km), the Qian He International Hotel (1.5km), and the Sheraton Jiuzhai Resort (1.6km). Other hotels can be found 2-5 kilometers from the park, but it is best to find somewhere close after a long day of trekking. You can also find several guesthouses within a 10-minute walk, including the Jiuzhaigou Tongfu Hostel, the Jiuzhaigou Anduo Small Courtyard Youth Hostel, the Jiuzhaigou New Eija Youth Hostel, the Zhuo Ma Youth Hostel, the Meido Kamso Tibetan Inn, the Cecilia Homestay, and the Jiuzhaigou Xiozhen Yizhan Hostel. - Check the Guide for Jiuzhaigou Accommodation

How About the High Altitude Sickness in Jiuzhaigou?

Altitudes in the Jiuzhaigou Valley ranges from as low as 2,000 meters above sea level to as high as 4,500 meters at the highest points. The entrance is at around 1,990 meters, while you can head upwards to the peak of the Ga Er Na Feng Mountain at 4,764 meters above sea level. While it is unlikely for visitors to the park to suffer from altitude sickness, the risk does vary from person to person. However, altitude sickness generally occurs at altitudes above 3,000 meters, and ascending through the valley slowly and resting often can help reduce the chance of feeling any effects of altitude sickness.

How to Get to Jiuzhaigou?

The best place to start for traveling to Jiuzhaigou Valley is from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. Located to the south of the valley, you can travel by flight to Jiuhuang Airport near Songpan or choose to travel overland through Wenchuan and Songpan to reach the valley.

Jiuzhaigou Jiuhuang Airport

Flights to Jiuhuang Airport depart daily, and you can get shuttle buses from the airport to the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, which costs around 45 Yuan and takes around 2 hours.

Buses run to the valley four times a day from Chengdu, and cost from around 141-158 yuan per person. However, the 435km route does take several hours to cover, and you will need to find accommodation once you arrive, as it will be too late to enter the park. - Further reading about how to travel from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou by bus.

Conclusion

Jiuzhaigou National Scenic Area is one of the most beautiful destinations in Southwest China, and is an ideal place to spend a couple of days trekking and touring around the three valleys. For those planning on trekking, the park has great routes across all three valleys. And if you get tired, the buses run through the park throughout the day, so you can hop on and get a ride to your next stop. However, you cannot stay inside the park, so it is best to make sure you are booked into a hotel or guesthouse before you start trekking and sightseeing.