--- title: "Sichuan, Face to Face" description: "6 days from a teahouse chair to a cliff-carved Buddha tasting how Sichuan lives" type: "tour" route_id: "chengdu-sichuan-6-days" total_days: 6 price: 2160 highlights: ["Chengdu", "Dujiangyan", "Leshan"] url: "https://www.lyriktrip.com/tours/chengdu-sichuan-6-days" canonical_url: "https://www.lyriktrip.com/tours/chengdu-sichuan-6-days" locale: "en-US" alternates: {"en-US":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/tours/chengdu-sichuan-6-days","en-GB":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/en-GB/tours/chengdu-sichuan-6-days","zh-CN":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/zh-CN/tours/chengdu-sichuan-6-days","zh-TW":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/zh-TW/tours/chengdu-sichuan-6-days","de-DE":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/de-DE/tours/chengdu-sichuan-6-days","fr-FR":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/fr-FR/tours/chengdu-sichuan-6-days","es-ES":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/es-ES/tours/chengdu-sichuan-6-days","it-IT":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/it-IT/tours/chengdu-sichuan-6-days","x-default":"https://www.lyriktrip.com/tours/chengdu-sichuan-6-days"} --- # Sichuan, Face to Face 6 days from a teahouse chair to a cliff-carved Buddha tasting how Sichuan lives One province, no flights. Pandas, Sichuan Opera, a cooking class, a Taoist mountain trail and a family tea farm, with an English-speaking guide throughout. - Moderate — up to about 12,000 steps a day, with some stairs — City walking, forest trails, temple steps, and Mount Emei shuttles and cable cars for the climbing. ## Overview Most first journeys to China cross half the country in a week. This one stays inside one province and goes deeper. Three nights in Chengdu hold the opera community, the teahouse, the pandas and a wok you work yourself; two nights by Mount Emei hold craftspeople, martial arts, an evening temple and, on the last morning, a cliff-carved Buddha seen from the river. A private van links everything: no internal flights, and only two hotels in six days. The people are the itinerary: performers, cooks, a Taoist practitioner and a tea-farming family. Once you are home, you will notice your China stories all have names in them. LyrikTrip travel designers Your route is designed and noted before you land; a licensed English-speaking local guide is with you throughout. ## Summary - Route ID: chengdu-sichuan-6-days - Duration: 6 days / 5 nights - Starting price: $2,160 - Status: active - Highlights: Chengdu, Dujiangyan, Leshan - Cover image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/B3Bb1bOx.jpg ## Hero tags - private - cultural - food - nature - slow travel ## Highlight notes - One province, no flights. Pandas, Sichuan Opera, a cooking class, a Taoist mountain trail and a family tea farm, with an English-speaking guide throughout. ## Selling points - Eat where the neighborhood eats, carried in by tuk-tuk through Chengdu's evening lanes. - Walk a working food market with a chef, then cook your own Sichuan dishes and eat them. - Time your visit to the pandas' morning meal, the hours they actually move. - Follow a Taoist along the quiet side of Mount Qingcheng, forest overhead, learning how balance works. - Stand in an Emei temple courtyard after the day visitors leave, evening bells overhead. - Look up at the Leshan Giant Buddha from the water, then end at a tea family's table in the hills. ## City highlights - Chengdu (2 days): 成都 - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ZYPdYLd0.webp - Leshan (2 days): 乐山 - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3YWidhuR.webp - Chengdu (1 days): the Buddha and the last cup - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ZYPdYLd0.webp - Dujiangyan (1 days): 都江堰 - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2TkDaHfp.webp ## Experiences One province, two bases and no internal flights. Performers, cooks, a Taoist practitioner, a martial artist and a tea-farming family carry the journey. - Community Opera Theater (Chengdu): a neighborhood Sichuan Opera troupe rather than a big commercial stage. You meet the people behind the performance and learn how roles, costumes, makeup and stage technique pass from one generation to the next; when the troupe's schedule allows, you watch the backstage preparations up close. - Subtitle: a neighborhood Sichuan Opera troupe rather than a big commercial stage - Tags: Culture - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture - Access: You meet the people behind the performance and learn how roles, costumes, makeup and stage technique pass from one generation to the next; when the troupe's schedule allows, you watch the backstage preparations up close. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/984b6ea21914.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/afed5eb50d48.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/dbb9a4360aa6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/390a59811536.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9504e34cb716.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7fb9607dad55.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c7adcea03a38.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c084683a4ac6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/7727dea96809.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/551fdba21a23.jpg - People's Park Teahouse (Chengdu): your first sit-down with the city, on day one. A bamboo chair beside local residents, tea in a gaiwan, the lidded cup China brews in, and your guide on what a teahouse does for a neighborhood: meeting hall, living room and news desk in one. - Subtitle: your first sit-down with the city, on day one - Tags: City - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture - Access: A bamboo chair beside local residents, tea in a gaiwan, the lidded cup China brews in, and your guide on what a teahouse does for a neighborhood: meeting hall, living room and news desk in one. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/77584e962219.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/34f6c86b2f9f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/89eb340e5ae2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2726fdc3c516.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a27d0f4e6224.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3b775398e844.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b33e34d550fa.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3cbc8f748897.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/aa9f96490a8c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bb9ce7deea94.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1ea505e390f1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/221e3aa47210.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/54273121005d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/02b99824f5c6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4e4bd21b9b97.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9d549716c30b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/46bb3f1c4d8b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9cf32f1b02e8.jpg - Tuk-tuk Food Night (Chengdu): UNESCO named Chengdu a City of Gastronomy in 2010, and this evening is the street-level proof. A local tuk-tuk carries you through residential lanes and older communities, stopping at family-run eateries and food stalls; there is no set menu: you eat a spread of local dishes while the cooks' and drivers' own stories come with the food. Included in your price. - Subtitle: UNESCO named Chengdu a City of Gastronomy in 2010, and this evening - Tags: Food - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture - Access: Included in your price. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ef74dd7ddef0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2f15635ad94b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ad8d50c4a861.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/088190513777.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2feb8924f858.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/40e9dfeab474.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/48b58d7a2b0a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/680f19c6619b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/990bf3ea9324.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5aa0331a1a99.jpg - Market Walk & Cooking Class (Chengdu): first the market: stalls of vegetables, spices, tofu and pickles, with a culinary host explaining the foundations: chili, Sichuan pepper, fermented pastes and aromatics, the building blocks of mala, "numbing and hot," the flavor pair Sichuan cooking is built around. Then the kitchen: you cook several dishes under a local chef and sit down to eat what you made; the menu adapts to dietary needs and the season. - Subtitle: first the market: stalls of vegetables, spices, tofu and pickles, with a - Tags: Food - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture - Access: Then the kitchen: you cook several dishes under a local chef and sit down to eat what you made; the menu adapts to dietary needs and the season. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a8e97acabc60.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/699c8087fad0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/91ffcae78a16.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bf8d95c494b6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6264970afb88.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/db84becc90bd.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/21d74497f895.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8755f205ac3e.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f23cd4c94be3.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f02abdbad29e.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4e1aad8c7f3d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/990bf3ea9324.jpg - Panda Base, Early (Chengdu): the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, scheduled first thing in the morning, the window when pandas are most active. You walk the landscaped grounds with your guide: behavior, breeding, conservation, and the Sichuan habitat this animal comes from. - Subtitle: the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, scheduled first thing in - Tags: Nature - Host: Chengdu, Chengdu Lens — Pandas and Sichuan culture - Access: You walk the landscaped grounds with your guide: behavior, breeding, conservation, and the Sichuan habitat this animal comes from. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4bc0e3e20d87.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b9b1a6764640.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/fb8f2b170763.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f84d52332ce8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3e8e1eba78b6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/106d08f5e8be.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d9c6de8988e5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/846f447ba298.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cdab22c7bcf5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bcdc08962f93.jpg - Qingcheng Quiet-Side Trail (Qingcheng): Mount Qingcheng is closely tied to the early development of Taoism in China; together with Dujiangyan it holds a UNESCO World Heritage inscription (2000). Instead of the busiest sightseeing route, you walk forested paths on the outer mountain to a lesser-visited Taoist temple and sit with a practitioner: balance, breathing, movement, and how a human life fits inside a natural one. A relaxed exchange, not a religious lesson. - Subtitle: Mount Qingcheng is closely tied to the early development of Taoism in - Tags: Culture - Host: Dujiangyan Local Host, Dujiangyan culture and logistics specialist — A local host who tunes the Dujiangyan chapter around access, timing and food. - Access: A relaxed exchange, not a religious lesson. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0b714d59f119.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9143314f4af5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/69eb5e71ccdf.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a6a225b2e039.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/077608562783.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ce595a251ee1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f34506f2ab28.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/6ab152a8c6a7.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8c74cc4ef783.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/baa457c5b05c.jpg - Dujiangyan Irrigation System (Dujiangyan): built more than 2,000 years ago and still working, the system manages the Min River without a conventional dam. You walk the main sections and see how the current is split: flood water one way, irrigation the other, feeding farmland across the Chengdu Plain. The short version of why it matters: the meals you eat all week start in this water. - Subtitle: built more than 2,000 years ago and still working, the system manages - Tags: Heritage - Host: Dujiangyan Local Host, Dujiangyan culture and logistics specialist — A local host who tunes the Dujiangyan chapter around access, timing and food. - Access: The short version of why it matters: the meals you eat all week start in this water. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9d9a43ba2c4d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b973a332521c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ce3d6d1ff035.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ce25c7e954f6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f12326d3279b.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d3b5715456fc.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ca6aac1736b0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/271e2d47194f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d3cfbed4c2ec.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d204564d5198.jpg - Craft Households near Emei (Emei): working craftspeople in a community near the mountain: bamboo work, metalwork, traditional furniture or food production, set by the day's arrangements. Not a staged demonstration: you learn how each skill grew out of a practical daily need, and how it survives now. - Subtitle: working craftspeople in a community near the mountain: bamboo work, metalwork, traditional - Tags: Craft - Host: Leshan Local Host, Leshan culture and logistics specialist — A local host who tunes the Leshan chapter around access, timing and food. - Access: Not a staged demonstration: you learn how each skill grew out of a practical daily need, and how it survives now. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ceadda5d79f5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5fd0ec3e84a6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/fbc4e5fc8c00.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0d30c489f6e9.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/107c93b7ce50.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/51f400205bd6.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b4967f9530e8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0160d2eb08a5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/130e7c4826ad.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/131896106998.jpg - Emei Martial Arts (Emei): Emei is counted among China's major martial arts traditions. You meet a local practitioner and hear the movement, discipline and background behind the name; a light introductory session is open to anyone who wants to try. - Subtitle: Emei is counted among China's major martial arts traditions - Tags: Culture - Host: Leshan Local Host, Leshan culture and logistics specialist — A local host who tunes the Leshan chapter around access, timing and food. - Access: You meet a local practitioner and hear the movement, discipline and background behind the name; a light introductory session is open to anyone who wants to try. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a6880e20ce3d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/428b7e6eb002.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b5b158713303.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3ae35901a9d3.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/513ca979db70.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8b8025de8d15.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0160d2eb08a5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0a90b224a1b0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cd9d64f320c5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ab0a94cd85c6.jpg - Evening Temple (Emei): a Buddhist temple visited after most daytime visitors have left. You walk the grounds in the quiet hours, evening bells overhead, and learn how Buddhist practice works on Mount Emei; when the temple's evening allows, the visit includes a word with a member of the community and a simple vegetarian meal. - Subtitle: a Buddhist temple visited after most daytime visitors have left - Tags: Culture - Host: Leshan Local Host, Leshan culture and logistics specialist — A local host who tunes the Leshan chapter around access, timing and food. - Access: You walk the grounds in the quiet hours, evening bells overhead, and learn how Buddhist practice works on Mount Emei; when the temple's evening allows, the visit includes a word with a member of the community and a simple vegetarian meal. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/b06b7e8adad3.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/177ae8ca7f59.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/eb2a9191b648.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/46f8d15b5ef1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ffb012ee67d4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3a1e65a724e4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/947f2a646ad3.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/5d0c9ec0d59a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0a90b224a1b0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d263c328b708.jpg - Mount Emei by Shuttle & Cable Car (Emei): a full day on one of Chinese Buddhism's major mountains; Mount Emei and the Leshan Giant Buddha share a UNESCO World Heritage inscription (1996). Park shuttles and scheduled cable cars carry the climbing while you take in monasteries, viewpoints and forest that changes with the elevation; the route is set by season and weather, and the pace by you. - Subtitle: a full day on one of Chinese Buddhism's major mountains; Mount Emei - Tags: Nature - Host: Leshan Local Host, Leshan culture and logistics specialist — A local host who tunes the Leshan chapter around access, timing and food. - Access: Park shuttles and scheduled cable cars carry the climbing while you take in monasteries, viewpoints and forest that changes with the elevation; the route is set by season and weather, and the pace by you. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c7cb8eda51fb.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d539eafbbfe1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d8632fb95135.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c711d5b5ea8a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e98acc9307e2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/46f8d15b5ef1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ffb012ee67d4.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0160d2eb08a5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0a90b224a1b0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d263c328b708.jpg - Leshan Giant Buddha by Boat (Leshan): a Buddha carved into the river cliff at the meeting point of three rivers. From the deck of the sightseeing boat the whole figure reads at once, head to feet, with the mountains behind it: the scale only makes sense from the water. - Subtitle: a Buddha carved into the river cliff at the meeting point of - Tags: Heritage - Host: Leshan Local Host, Leshan culture and logistics specialist — A local host who tunes the Leshan chapter around access, timing and food. - Access: From the deck of the sightseeing boat the whole figure reads at once, head to feet, with the mountains behind it: the scale only makes sense from the water. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2757cfc485d9.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c54ce54d0ebb.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ad1f007549b8.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1315256e101f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/77f80238fd32.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/772754800c9a.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/e0fe53c60569.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/65e993e984ab.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/664c8d2746e5.jpg - Tea Farm Family Visit (Leshan): a family-run tea farm outside the city. You walk the rows, learn how the plants are grown and processed, and sit down to taste the result with the people who made it; in the main harvest season you can pick leaves yourself, and in other months the visit centers on processing and tasting. You leave with a small tea gift prepared by the family. - Subtitle: a family-run tea farm outside the city - Tags: Folk - Host: Leshan Local Host, Leshan culture and logistics specialist — A local host who tunes the Leshan chapter around access, timing and food. - Access: You leave with a small tea gift prepared by the family. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/26251f37a451.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1cd7ebfac146.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/962634862a44.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/46a123df8fb1.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4c442abdcde2.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8b9b84d0ebb0.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/94b408710a0c.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/d213061ef220.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/be2c1f123f52.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/f6884fd22fad.jpg ### Capture banner - Label: Save this itinerary - Title: Send the full route to your inbox - Subtitle: We will include the latest hotels, hosts and pacing notes. - Placeholder: Email address - CTA: Send route - Sent label: Sent ## Itinerary ### Tables, pandas and the water source - 3 days Chengdu and Dujiangyan #### Chengdu (2 days) - Subtitle: 成都 - Recommendation: Three nights let the city introduce itself through people, tea and food rather than a checklist. - Transport: Private vehicle - Transport mode: car The city days move from a neighborhood theater to the panda base, market and cooking table. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ZYPdYLd0.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/18sksaPz.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1BPFDek8.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2iDGv07g.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2sL1auf0.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/37Mf4mO1.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4BqwVBVY.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4mDgLfna.webp ##### Day 1: Chengdu: arrival and the first table - (transport) — Your guide meets you at the airport or station, and a private vehicle brings you to the hotel; the afternoon follows your landing time. - (sight) — Enter a neighborhood Sichuan Opera troupe's world of painted faces, costumes and technique; backstage preparations are shown when the working schedule allows. - (sight) — Sit beside local residents with tea in a gaiwan while your guide explains the teahouse as meeting hall, living room and news desk. - (dining) — Ride through residential lanes to family-run eateries and stalls, eating local dishes while cooks and drivers add their own stories. Included. ##### Day 2: Chengdu: pandas, then the wok - (sight) Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding — Arrive in the morning activity window and walk the grounds with your guide for behavior, breeding and conservation context. - (sight) — Walk a working market with a culinary host, reading chili, Sichuan pepper, pickles and fermented pastes as the building blocks of mala. - (dining) — Cook several dishes under a local chef with a menu adjusted to dietary needs and season, then eat what you made. Included. #### Dujiangyan (1 days) - Subtitle: 都江堰 - Recommendation: The mountain and irrigation system trace Sichuan's pace and food back to their source. - Transport: Private vehicle - Transport mode: car Walk the quieter outer mountain, sit with a practitioner and finish where the Min River divides. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2TkDaHfp.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/0b714d59f119.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/4219cb235eba.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/510f00cab43f.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/69eea3ce5a13.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9143314f4af5.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/9d9a43ba2c4d.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a3eabf347aee.jpg ##### Day 3: Qingcheng and the water - (transport) — Travel privately from Chengdu to Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan. - (sight) — Walk forested paths on the outer mountain to a lesser-visited Taoist temple, away from the main sightseeing route. - (sight) — Sit for a relaxed conversation about balance, breathing, movement and how human life fits inside a natural one. - (dining) — A simple local meal of regional ingredients. Included. - (sight) — Stand above the point where the Min River splits, flood water one way and irrigation the other, without a conventional dam. Return to Chengdu after the visit. - (transport) — Return privately to Chengdu after the Dujiangyan visit. ### Hands, temples and tea - 3 days Mount Emei and Leshan #### Leshan (2 days) - Subtitle: 乐山 - Recommendation: Two nights keep both the community visits and a full mountain day from becoming a day trip. The final day moves from the week's largest figure to its smallest table. - Transport: Private vehicle - Transport mode: car The exact mountain sections follow season and weather, while the evening temple follows its own schedule. See the Buddha at full scale from the water, then follow tea from bush to cup with the family that grows it. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3YWidhuR.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/kCW2cZiZ.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/cbgxR0g7.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/177ae8ca7f59.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/85y1A285.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/26251f37a451.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2757cfc485d9.jpg, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/2b16118611f4.jpg ##### Day 4: To Mount Emei: hands, fists, bells - (transport) — Leave Chengdu by private vehicle as the plain gives way to hills outside your window. - (sight) — Meet working craftspeople in a community near the mountain; the day's arrangement may be bamboo, metal, wood or food production. - (sight) — Meet a local practitioner for movement, discipline and lineage, with a light introductory session open to those who want to try. - (sight) — Walk a Buddhist temple after daytime visitors thin out. Conversation and a simple vegetarian dinner follow the temple's own evening schedule. ##### Day 5: Mount Emei - (transport) — Use official transport between monasteries, viewpoints and forest sections while your guide reads how people have shared the mountain. - (sight) Mount Emei — See forest change with elevation, old trees, mist below temple terraces and roofs deep in green; the route follows season and weather. - (note) — Walking flexes to your legs, and you return to the hotel when you have had enough. #### Chengdu (1 days) - Subtitle: the Buddha and the last cup - Recommendation: The week ends where it started and where the flights leave from. The last day runs out through Leshan and the tea country before the transfer back into Chengdu. - Transport: Private transfer - Transport mode: car Time the Giant Buddha boat and the tea farmer's table against the departure schedule, then allow room on the road back to the city. - Images: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/ZYPdYLd0.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/18sksaPz.webp, https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/1BPFDek8.webp ##### Day 6: Leshan: the Buddha and the tea table - (transport) — Travel privately from the Mount Emei area to Leshan. - (sight) Leshan Giant Buddha — Board a sightseeing boat at the meeting point of three rivers and see the cliff-carved figure from head to feet in one view. - (sight) — Walk the rows and follow tea from bush to cup through growing, processing and tasting; hands-on picking runs in harvest season. - (dining) — Sit with the family for tea and conversation, and leave with the small tea gift they prepare. - (transport) — Transfer privately to Chengdu airport, railway station or your next hotel, timed to your schedule. ## Daily plan ### Day 1 — Chengdu: arrival and the first table No monuments today. Chengdu introduces itself the way it lives: seated, then eating. - Arrival: your guide meets you at the airport or station; a private vehicle brings you to the hotel, and the afternoon paces itself to your landing time. - Community opera theater: you step into a neighborhood troupe's world: painted faces, costumes, and technique handed down inside families and companies; when the day's schedule allows, you watch the backstage preparations. - People's Park teahouse: you take a bamboo chair beside local residents, a gaiwan kept topped up in front of you; around you, the park gets on with its afternoon, and your guide translates what a teahouse means to a Chengdu neighborhood. - Tuk-tuk food night: from the back seat, lit stalls and open kitchens slide past until the driver pulls up at the first family-run eatery; you eat your way through the neighborhood, dish by dish, story by story. By the second stop, you'll be asking the cooks their names. - Stay: Chengdu - Meals: Neighborhood food dinner included ### Day 2 — Chengdu: pandas, then the wok Morning belongs to the pandas' breakfast. By evening, Sichuan's flavor is in your own hands. - Panda base, early: you arrive in the morning window when pandas are most active: a few meters from the rail, bamboo cracking in black-and-white paws; your guide fills in behavior, breeding and the conservation work behind the base. - The market: in the afternoon you walk a working food market with a culinary host: chili, Sichuan pepper, pickles and fermented pastes; how locals choose ingredients, and how mala, "numbing and hot," gets built. - The wok: under a local chef you cook several dishes yourself, the menu fitted to your table's needs and the season; then everyone sits down and eats the results. - Stay: Chengdu - Meals: Breakfast at the hotel; cooking-class meal included ### Day 3 — Qingcheng and the water A mountain that teaches slowness, then the water that feeds the plain. Today your dinners get traced to their source. - The quiet-side trail: away from the main sightseeing route, you walk forested paths on the outer mountain, temple roofs showing through the leaves, to a lesser-visited Taoist temple. - A practitioner: you sit with a local Taoist practitioner: balance, breathing, movement, and how a human life fits inside a natural one; conversation, not ceremony. On the walk down, you'll notice you've stopped checking the time. - Mountain lunch: a simple local meal of regional ingredients, included. - Dujiangyan: you stand above the point where the Min River is made to split, flood water sent one way, irrigation the other, as it has been for more than 2,000 years without a conventional dam; the farmland this water feeds grew the chilies you cooked yesterday. Return to Chengdu after the visit. - Stay: Chengdu - Meals: Breakfast at the hotel; local lunch near Qingcheng included ### Day 4 — To Mount Emei: hands, fists, bells The drive trades the plain for temple country. Skills while it's light, stillness after dark. - The drive: the private van leaves Chengdu for the Mount Emei area; the plain thins out and the hills take over outside your window. - Craft households: in a community near the mountain you sit with working craftspeople: bamboo, metal, wood or food, skills that grew out of daily needs and still earn their keep; you watch a real workshop at work, not a staged demonstration. - Emei martial arts: a local practitioner introduces the Emei tradition: movement, discipline, lineage; if you want to move, a light beginner session is yours. - Evening temple: you arrive as the daytime visitors thin out and walk the grounds in the half-light, evening bells overhead; when the temple's evening allows, there is a word with a member of the community and a simple vegetarian dinner. You'll lower your voice without anyone asking. - Stay: Mount Emei area - Meals: Breakfast at the hotel; temple vegetarian dinner when the evening's schedule allows ### Day 5 — Mount Emei One mountain gets your whole day. Pilgrims have climbed it for centuries; you get the shuttle. - Up the mountain: park shuttles and scheduled cable cars move you between monasteries, viewpoints and stretches of forest; your guide reads the mountain as you go: how the temples spread across it, and how pilgrims, monks and villagers have shared it for centuries. - Elevations: the forest changes as you climb: old trees, mist filling the valleys below a temple terrace, roofs sunk deep in the green. - Your pace: the day's route follows the season and the weather, and the walking flexes to your legs; back to the hotel when you've had enough, not when a list says so. - Stay: Mount Emei area - Meals: Breakfast at the hotel ### Day 6 — Leshan: the Buddha and the tea table The biggest thing you'll see all week, then the smallest table. The journey ends on tea. - The Buddha from the river: at the meeting point of three rivers you board a sightseeing boat; the cliff-carved figure rises over the deck, head to feet in one look, mountains behind it. - Tea fields: outside the city you walk the rows with a tea-farming family and follow the leaf from bush to cup: growing, processing, tasting; in harvest season, you pick. - The family's table: the kettle goes back on the stove. A second cup is poured before you ask. The talk drifts from tea to the household itself, and a small tea gift from your hosts goes into your bag. Somewhere in that second cup, you'll stop feeling like a visitor: when someone asks you about China, this table is where you'll begin. - Onward: a private transfer to Chengdu airport, the rail station or your next hotel, timed to your schedule with room to spare. - Meals: Breakfast at the hotel ## Hotels ### Atour Hotel Chengdu Taikoo Li Chunxi Road Pedestrian Street - City: Chengdu - Description: A simple Chengdu stay near Chunxi Road, good for travellers who want easy walks, food stops, and short city transfers. - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/bUOsDqAb.webp ### Atour Hotel Dujiangyan Imixpark - City: Dujiangyan - Description: Atour Hotel Dujiangyan Imixpark. A selected stay in Dujiangyan. - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/917aef3cca54.jpg ### Mozhuang Chanyi Hotel - City: Mount Emei - Description: Mozhuang Chanyi Hotel. A selected stay in Mount Emei. - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/8aedf00cd24f.jpg ### Rezen Select Leshan Zhanggongqiao - City: Leshan - Description: Rezen Select Leshan Zhanggongqiao. A selected stay in Leshan. - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/865402f9b373.jpg ### Golden Summit Hotel - City: Mount_Emei - Description: On Mount Emei's Golden Summit, this hotel is ideal for catching both sunrise and sunset. - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/gQ2w70bC.webp ### Borrman Hotel (Leshan High-Speed Railway Station Wanda Plaza) - City: Leshan - Description: Borrman Hotel (Leshan High-Speed Railway Station Wanda Plaza). A selected stay in Leshan. - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c990e50af0a9.jpg ### Hilton Chengdu Chenghua - City: Chengdu - Description: A practical Chengdu base for travellers who want easy city access, relaxed days out, and a comfortable return after sightseeing. - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/3pup59R7.webp ### Howard Johnson Conference Resort Chengdu - City: Dujiangyan - Description: Howard Johnson Conference Resort Chengdu. A selected stay in Dujiangyan. - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/569d8c730415.jpg ### Gongxin Hotel - City: Leshan - Description: Gongxin Hotel. A selected stay in Leshan. - Image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/a41e7cf844da.jpg ## Included / Excluded ### What's Included - Private vehicles: Air-conditioned private vehicle for all listed touring and transfers, with airport and station pick-ups - Hotels: 5 nights in selected four-star, five-star or quality boutique stays, breakfast daily - Guides: Licensed English-speaking guide throughout - Tickets and experiences: All listed attractions and experiences, including opera, teahouse, tuk-tuk food night, cooking class, Qingcheng and Dujiangyan, Emei community visits, park transport, Leshan boat and tea family visit - Meals listed: Daily hotel breakfast, day 1 neighborhood dinner, day 2 cooking-class meal and day 3 lunch near Qingcheng - Also: Bottled water on touring days and travel accident insurance ### Not Included - Flights: International and domestic flights to and from Chengdu - Meals: Beyond the listed meals, lunches and dinners remain flexible and on your account - Personal: Visas, gratuities, single supplement, personal spending and optional activities - Other: Extra costs caused by severe weather, transport disruption or closures beyond reasonable control ### Special Notes A few things on this route follow real schedules: a troupe's, a temple's and the tea plant's. Here they are, with what you get either way. - Opera backstage: Backstage access follows the troupe's working day; when preparations are closed, you still meet members and see costumes and makeup. - Craft visit: The receiving workshop is set on the day; the constant is working craftspeople, never a staged show. - Temple evening: Conversation and vegetarian dinner follow the temple evening; if the kitchen is not receiving guests, dinner is booked nearby and the courtyard visit goes ahead. - Mount Emei route: Temples and sections are chosen by season and weather; cable cars run to the operator's schedule. - Tea picking: Hands-on picking runs in the main harvest season; other months center on processing and tasting with the family. - Pandas: The early start targets active hours; the animals set their own pace, while the conservation story carries the morning. - Hotels: Named in your written confirmation; or similar means the same class and comparable location. ## Is Six Days Your Length? Tell us your dates and who is coming: we will shape it around you. ### Have about a week? This is the full shape: three city nights, two mountain nights, one province, no internal flights. ### Fewer days? The Chengdu days and mountain days can each stand on their own. ### Want the rest of China too? This six-day block joins longer journeys; tell us your full window and we place it in the arc. ## Good to Know - Group: Private; from 1 guest: no minimum - Arrival: Day 1 flexes to your landing time; later arrivals shift the visits within the six days - Language: English-speaking guide throughout - Shopping Policy: No shopping stops or commission detours on the route; your time is dedicated solely to the places listed here. - Tailoring: Fully flexible. Days, stops, and pace can be added, removed, or swapped. We'll reshape the plan together before you confirm and pay. - Payment: A 10% deposit, minimum $399, locks your dates and resources; the balance is due 14 days before departure - Flexibility: Walking distances adapt to your pace; schedule-dependent items and their alternatives are listed in Special Notes - Season: Spring and autumn are comfortable; spring overlaps the main tea harvest, summer runs green and hot, winter quiet - Ports: Chengdu In · Chengdu Out - Gateway markets: Lead country marker: FR. Gateway markets from inventory: WEU, SEU, UK, ANZ. Some source markets may need a connection. ## Your Private Concierge - Name: Jason Hu - Title: Private China Route Concierge - Tagline: A bilingual planning desk for tailor-made China journeys. - Bio: Our China team tunes pacing, hotels and local hosts around each route style. - Avatar image: https://cdn.lyriktrip.com/s/c0TBypRh.png ### Stats - 20+ Years - 300+ Trips designed - 24/7 On-trip care ### The Conversation Every LyrikTrip journey begins with a conversation. Tell us your dates and who's coming — and if this length isn't right for you, we'll say so and shape a shorter arc. First reply within four hours; a clear price for your dates within one business day. - CTA: Start the conversation ### Step 01: Tell us what excites you Not your dates and budget — your curiosity. Where have you always wanted to go? What do you want to feel? We start there. - 24h: First concept delivered ### Step 02: We design it around you Your specialist builds the itinerary from scratch — routes, hosts, hotels, and experiences you won't find anywhere else. - 100%: Bespoke, never off-the-shelf ### Step 03: Lock it in with 10% When the plan feels right, a 10% deposit holds your entire trip. Balance due 30 days before departure. - 10%: Deposit to secure everything ### Step 04: Travel. We handle the rest. Your Trip Pack arrives before you fly. On the road, your concierge is one message away — for the expected and everything you didn't plan for. - 24/7: Support throughout your journey - Free cancellation up to 30 days - English-speaking concierge - Secure payment via Stripe - CTA: Talk to Us ## Guest Reviews - Overall rating: 4.9 - Total reviews: 523 - Count label: from 523 verified reviews 4.9 / 5 ### Platforms - google: 4.9 (312 reviews) - tripadvisor: 5.0 (211 reviews) - Filter tabs: All, Google, TripAdvisor - Emily Carter (🇺🇸 Seattle, USA · 5★ · May 2026 · google): Perfect for couples - My partner and I had an amazing time in China. Everything was arranged for us — transfers, hotels, guides. No stress at all. - Claire Brooks (🇬🇧 London, UK · 5★ · Apr 2026 · tripadvisor): Great for families - Traveled with my two kids and had zero issues. The team made sure the pace wasn't too rushed and included things the kids would enjoy. Communication was easy throughout. Will definitely use them again for our next Asia trip. - Laura Bennett (🇨🇦 Toronto, Canada · 5★ · Mar 2026 · google): Alisa made the whole experience easy - Alisa was our point of contact throughout and she was brilliant — patient, knowledgeable, and always quick to reply. The trip itself was wonderful. Beijing and Guilin were highlights. - Mark Henderson (🇺🇸 Denver, USA · 4★ · Feb 2026 · tripadvisor): Good service, minor hiccup but sorted quickly - Really good service. There was a small mix-up with one of our restaurant bookings but it got sorted quickly. The rest of the trip was seamless. - Rebecca Miller (🇺🇸 Boston, USA · 5★ · Jan 2026 · google): Really listened to what we wanted - Really helpful team. They listened to what we wanted and delivered. Beijing and Xi'an were incredible. ## China Ready We've solved the hard parts. Here's everything a first-time Western traveler needs to know before arriving. ### VPN & Internet Access - Badge: Do this before you fly - What's blocked: Google, Gmail, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and most Western news sites are inaccessible in China without a VPN. - Download before you leave: It's nearly impossible to download a VPN once inside China. Install and test at home. Recommended: Astrill (most reliable), Mullvad, ExpressVPN — subscribe to at least two in case one stops working. - Hotel Wi-Fi tip: Some hotels block VPN connections on their Wi-Fi. Use your phone's mobile data as a hotspot if the VPN drops. - Good news: WhatsApp works perfectly through a VPN, so your messaging stays unchanged. Apple iMessage and Signal also work. ### Paying in China - Badge: Your concierge sets this up on Day 1 - China is cashless: Alipay and WeChat Pay are used for almost everything — restaurants, taxis, markets, tickets. Cash is rarely accepted in cities. - International cards now work: Foreign Visa/Mastercard can now link directly to Alipay (set up in minutes, $5,000 single transaction limit). Your concierge walks you through the setup on your first morning. - Carry some cash: We recommend ¥500–800 RMB in cash for the rare vendor that won't accept digital payment, and for small towns. - Booking this trip: Your deposit and balance are charged via Stripe — the same trusted platform used by Airbnb and Booking.com. USD billing, no surprise conversion fees. ### Visa & Entry - Badge: We handle the paperwork - Do you need a visa?: Most US, UK, EU, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand passport holders need a tourist (L) visa for stays over 10 days. We provide a visa invitation letter with every booking — it significantly speeds up approval. - 240-hour visa-free transit: Citizens of 55+ countries (including USA, UK, most of EU, AUS, NZ, Canada) can enter China visa-free for up to 10 days if transiting through eligible ports. This covers our 12-day itinerary only if you have a confirmed onward flight. - Processing time: Apply 4–6 weeks before departure. Standard processing: 4–7 business days. Express (3 days) and same-day options available at most Chinese consulates. - What we provide: Visa invitation letter, hotel confirmation for all nights, suggested itinerary document — everything the consulate needs, formatted correctly. ### Safety & Practical Tips - Badge: Our responsibility, always - Is China safe?: China consistently ranks among the safest countries for foreign tourists. Violent crime against visitors is extremely rare. Cities have extensive CCTV coverage and a visible police presence. - Emergency numbers: Police: 110. Ambulance: 120. Your concierge is your first call for any non-emergency situation — she has local contacts for every city on the itinerary. - Health & medications: Bring a full supply of any prescription medication. International pharmacies exist in major cities but may not carry your brand. Travel insurance is required — we can recommend policies that cover China specifically. - Language: English fluency outside hotels and tourist sites is limited. Your guides all speak English. We provide a printed pocket card with essential Chinese phrases and emergency contacts for every traveler. ## Before You Book Everything worth knowing before you book. ### Six days in one province: will we run out of things to do? No. The register changes daily: stage, panda base, wok, Taoist trail, evening temple, river Buddha and tea field. Staying in one province removes flights and leaves time to talk with people. ### We cannot eat very spicy food. Is that a problem? No. Heat adjusts across the route, the cooking menu follows your needs and the food night lets you choose stall by stall. Sichuan cooking also has gentle dishes. ### Will the pandas actually be doing anything? Mornings are their active window, so the base is the first stop. They are animals, not performers; the breeding and conservation work still carries the visit on a sleepy day. ### Is the temple evening guaranteed? The grounds and evening visit are included. Conversation and vegetarian dinner follow the temple's schedule; if the kitchen is closed to guests, dinner is booked nearby.