In China, there are many places that you can see the lovable giant pandas. Considering a panda tour to China, there are many things you may concern about. Where are the best places to see giant pandas in China? When is the best time to visit giant pandas in China? How to arrange my panda tour in China?
If you want a panda tour, you should add Sichuan in your travel list. Sichuan is a beautiful province in southwest China with wonderful scenery, delicious foods and cute giant pandas. There are many famous attractions in Sichuan including Jiuzhai Valley, Leshan Giant Buddha, Mount Emei, Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Qingcheng Mountain, Western Sichuan, etc. Planing a panda tour, you can also take the other attractions in Sichuan into consideration.
There are some cities in China that you can see giant pandas like Beijing, Chongqing and Guangzhou, with over 10 giant pandas in the zoo. And if you want to visit a place with most giant pandas, you should visit Sichuan, the hometown of giant pandas in China. In Sichuan, there are several places you can go to visit giant pandas, you can visit the panda base in Chengdu, Dujiangyan, Wolong and Ya’an. Different panda bases have different advantages. You can see the following table for your reference.
Panda Bases | Distance from Chengdu | Highlights | Duration | Crowds |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding | 10 kilometers |
with over 200 giant pandas |
half a day | Crowded |
Dujiangyan Panda Base |
70 kilometers |
Volunteer experience | A day | Not crowded |
Wolong Panda Base | 110 kilometers |
Volunteer experience |
A day | Not crowded |
Yaan Panda Base |
120 kilometers |
Volunteer experience |
A day | Not crowded |
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The best time to visit giant pandas in a day is morning, from 8:00 to 10:30. Giant pandas are most active during this time. Especially in summer, the giant pandas will be taken indoor when the temperature is over 26℃. And you’d better visit giant pandas in the morning so that you can see the most active giant pandas.
If you plan to visit giant pandas in Sichuan in July or August, Sichuan is full of domestic tourists at this time. And you should not avoid the crowds and heat. And you may wait in line for a long time in some attractions. To get better traveling experience, it is recommended that you visit giant pandas in China and Sichuan Province in spring and autumn with pleasant climate. Most of the places and attractions in Sichuan in spring and autumn are very beautiful.
One Day Chengdu Giant Panda
If you plan to spend a day to see giant pandas, it is recommended that you go to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, People’s Park and Kuan Zhai Alleys.
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is the nearest panda base in Chengdu with more than 200 giant pandas. The Chengdu Panda Base should be visited in the morning.
At People’s Park, you can experience the life of local people in Chengdu and know about their life. You will experience the relax and slow pace of the life of Chengdu people.
At Kuan Zhai Alleys, you can stroll to appreciate the buildings and taste the local foods and snacks.
Recommended Tour: One Day Chengdu Essence Tour
Panda Base Volunteer
If you have several days in Sichuan for your panda tour, you can take the panda volunteer experience into your consideration. Dujiangyan Panda Base provides you volunteer experience to experience the life of the panda keepers including cleaning the dormitories of giant pandas, getting close to observe the giant pandas, learning about giant pandas and making foods for giant pandas.
In Dujiangyan, you can also visit the Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan Irrigation Project. With a history of more than 2,000 years, Dujiangyan is a magnificent irrigation system in southwest China. Qingcheng Mountain is a famous mountain in southwest China of Daoism and folklore.
Recommended Tour: One Day Chengdu Panda Volunteer Tour
Recommended Tour: 4 Days Chengdu, Dujiangyan and Mt. Qingcheng Tour
Panda, Giant Buddha and Mount Emei
A panda tour in Sichuan can include Leshan Giant Buddha and Mount Emei. Leshan Giant Buddha and Mount Emei are both World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Leshan Giant Buddha is one of the most splendid giant Buddhas in China. Standing by the river for more than 800 years, the Leshan Giant Buddha is preserved well. Emei Mountain is one of the most famous Buddhist mountains in China. Mount Emei is spectacular and beautiful, providing stunning view of sunrise, sunset and sea of clouds. At this panda tour, you can see cute giant pandas, know about Sichuan cuisine, see splendid Leshan Giant Buddha and beautiful Emei Mountain.
Recommended Tour: 6 Days Sichuan Tour to Leshan & Mt. Emei
Panda And Jiuzhai Valley
Visiting giant pandas in Sichuan, you can also take a visit to the Jiuzhai Valley. Jiuzhai Valley is a wonderland in Sichuan Province. Jiuzhai Valley is a famous tourist destination in Sichuan with scenery of snow mountains, lakes, forests, waterfalls and Tibetan culture. The best time to visit Jiuzhai Valley is autumn, when the forests in Jiuzhai Valley are colorful, making Jizuhai Valley more beautiful and charming.
Recommended Tour: 6 Days Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou Tour
China Tour With Giant Pandas
Visiting China, there are some classic cities that worth visiting like Beijing, Xi’an, Guilin and Shanghai. If you like giant pandas, Sichuan is also recommended. Beijing and Xi’an are classical tourist cities in China with long history, rich culture and great wonders. To choose these cities, you can know about the history of China, enjoy the picturesque countryside of China and know about the modernity of China.
In Beijing, you can visit the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and stroll in the hutongs.
In Xi’an, you can see the Terracotta Army, walk on the Xi’an City Wall and taste the characteristic foods.
In Guilin, you can take the cruise on the Li River, see the landmark Elephant Trunk Hill and take a visit to the countryside in Yangshuo.
In Shanghai, you can enjoy the gorgeous view of the Bund and other places of Shanghai both at day and nights, and you may impressed by the night view of Shanghai.
Of course, you can choose other cities and places in China together with Sichuan if you plan a panda tor to China. Top China Travel will help you create the best ideal itinerary for you according to your needs. You can contact us to make your own trip in China with our professional team.
Recommended Tour: 12 Days China Panda Tour
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