5 Days Private Tour of Chengdu – Leshan Buddha – Mt. Emei

The entire morning is dedicated to visiting the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, the first stop on your Chengdu tour. Pandas are at their most energetic in the morning, so we set off around 8:00am this morning. Built to mimic the wild habitat of these adorable animals, the panda base features a research and training center. These animals are adorable from the outside, and it's easy to get your heart racing as they munch on bamboo and roll around on the ground! To experience local life, what better way to immerse yourself than to do what the locals usually do? For lunch, dine at Yongle Restaurant in the Xiaojiahe neighborhood, a scenic food court not far from the Xiaojiahe River. The restaurant is 20 years old, frequented by locals, and serves mostly home-cooked food at fair prices. But you may have to wait in line for a table like everyone else at this time of year. Of course, if you don't want to wait, we can take you to a nearby restaurant that caters to your interests. Please note that lunch is at your own expense. In the afternoon, head to the local vegetable market, a must-visit for Chinese people every day. Vegetables are indeed the main commodity here, but you can also find spices, seafood and stewed products, which are all part of the Chinese food culture. Another 15-minute walk takes us to the banks of the Xiaojia River, which is packed with teahouses. The locals chat and play mahjong while sipping Gai Bowl Tea - a specialty of Chengdu's “slow-paced life”. We would like to offer you a special cup of Gai Bowl Coffee. A familiar flavor in a teahouse, but from a Chinese gaiwan? It's fascinating, isn't it? Afterwards, your guide will accompany you back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch

In the morning, we’ll drive to Leshan and get on a cruise ship to appreciate the Leshan Giant Buddha. Measuring about 71 meters (233 feet) high, it’s the world’s largest Buddha statue, carved into a hillside and representing the future Buddha of Maitreya. The sitting statue took about 90 years to complete during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), to bless ships passing the confluence of three rivers it is overlooking. Afterwards, travel to the Mt. Emei and check into the local 5-star hotel at its foot. Rest for a while and enjoy dinner. 

Meals: hotel breakfast, lunch

The private itinerary today focuses on the Mt. Emei and two renowned temples. From the parking lot, we’ll take the cable car and then walk 10 to 20 minutes to the Wannian Temple; then come back the same way we came, and continue driving to Baoguo Temple. As one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism in China, Mt. Emei is a holy land for Buddhists with many religious sites dating back to the ancient times. Acclaimed as 'a beauty spot under heaven' by Chinese ancestors, it boasts majestic cliffs, deep valleys, waterfalls, cloud sea, and verdant forests for you to wonder at. The Wannian Temple is one of the oldest temples which houses rich Buddhist cultural relics, while the Baoguo Temple, a magnificent building complex with four temple halls, quaint pavilions, and beautiful gardens, is the largest temple as well as the No. 1 scenic spot here. To stroll under its shady ever-green pines and cypresses would be an unforgettable experience. After a full-day sightseeing tour, drive back to Chengdu and check into the hotel.

Meals: hotel breakfast, lunch

This morning, let the archaeological discoveries at the Jinsha Site Museum tell you the story of the ancient Shu civilization that existed on this land from the 12th to the 7th centuries BC. Among these discoveries, the museum is most proud of a piece of carved gold foil called “Sun and Immortal Birds,” which features a sun and four birds, reflecting the Shu people's belief in the sun god. Unearthed in 2001, this piece of carved gold foil amazed the world with its exquisite craftsmanship, which was made by craftsmen 3,000 years ago. It is now a symbol not only of the Shu civilization, but also of the cultural heritage of Chengdu and China. You can see the patterns on the gold leaf almost anywhere you may pass by, such as on street light poles, at subway entrances and in parks. In the afternoon we drove to Guangnan Alley for a stroll, the last must-see attraction of our 5-day Chengdu tour. It is a neighborhood of three alleys flanked by traditional courtyard houses, some of which have been converted into restaurants, bars, teahouses and stores. It dates back hundreds of years and offers a fascinating glimpse into Chengdu's past. Now it's time to say goodbye to everyone. Your guide and driver will see you off at the airport. We hope we will have the chance to see you again in the future.

Meals: Hotel Breakfast, Lunch