4 Days Chengdu Tour with Sanxingdui Museum & Pandas

Visit Wenshu Temple in Chengdu

Jinli Ancient Street

Today's highlights: Du Fu Thatched Cottage, Wenshu Monastery, People's Park, Jinli Old Street

Today is all about getting to know Chengdu beyond the pandas.

Start at Du Fu Thatched Cottage, a peaceful garden and museum dedicated to Du Fu, one of China's best-known poets. Even if Chinese poetry isn't your thing, the bamboo gardens, traditional buildings, and quiet paths make this a lovely place for a morning walk.

Next, visit Wenshu Monastery in downtown Chengdu. Step inside and the busy city suddenly feels much farther away. Walk through the temple courtyards, see its traditional Buddhist architecture, and enjoy some quiet time before continuing your day.

In the afternoon, slow down at People's Park. This is where you'll get a real taste of Chengdu's famously laid-back lifestyle.

Take a seat at a traditional teahouse and enjoy a cup of tea while watching daily life around you. Locals come here to chat, play mahjong, dance, practice water calligraphy, or simply spend a few hours with friends. There's no need to rush. Sitting back and doing very little is part of the Chengdu experience.

Finish the day with a stroll along Jinli Old Street. The lanes are lined with snack stalls, small shops, traditional-style buildings, and local handicrafts. If you're curious about Chengdu snacks, this is a good place to try a few.

Afterwards, your guide and driver will take you back to your hotel.

Want something to do tonight? A Sichuan Opera show is a fun option, especially if you'd like to see Chengdu's famous face-changing performance.

Sanxingdui Museum

Chengdu Giant Panda

Today's highlights: Chengdu Panda Base, Sanxingdui Museum

This is the highlight of your trip, bringing together two things you shouldn't miss around Chengdu: giant pandas and Sanxingdui.

Start early at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. We visit in the morning because the pandas are generally more active before the day gets warmer.

Take your time walking through the leafy panda base and watching pandas of different ages. You might catch them eating breakfast, climbing trees, playing together, or simply stretching out for a nap.

Depending on the season, you may also get to see young panda cubs. Your guide can help you plan the visit around the different panda areas, so you spend less time figuring out where to go and more time enjoying the pandas.

After the panda base, continue to Sanxingdui Museum.

The two attractions work well together in one day because Sanxingdui lies north of Chengdu, making it a convenient next stop after the panda base rather than returning to downtown first.

Once inside the museum, things get very different from the morning.

You'll come face to face with enormous bronze masks, unusual human figures, gold objects, jade, ivory, and other treasures created by the ancient Shu civilization thousands of years ago. Many of these objects look surprisingly different from artifacts found elsewhere in ancient China.

You don't need to know Chinese history before you visit. Your guide will explain the most interesting finds and help you understand why Sanxingdui is so important, as well as some of the mysteries archaeologists are still trying to solve.

After exploring the museum, drive back to Chengdu. The evening is free for you to relax or head out for dinner.

No sightseeing rush today.

Enjoy breakfast and a little free time before leaving Chengdu. Depending on your departure time, you can sleep in, take a walk near your hotel, pick up a few souvenirs, or squeeze in one last bowl of noodles.

Your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and take you to the airport or railway station.

If you have a late flight or train and would like to do more sightseeing, the morning can also be adjusted to make better use of your time.

Your 4-day Chengdu tour comes to an end here. You'll leave with more than panda photos, having experienced Chengdu's relaxed local life and discovered the fascinating ancient world of Sanxingdui.