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Chengdu Full-Day Tour

Giant Pandas, Traditional Teahouse & Hot Pot

Start Time: 8am End Time: 7:30pm

$209 USD / person

Hotel pick-up & transportation included.

Entrance ticket to Chengdu Panda Base included.

The Essentials:

Discover the best of Chengdu in one day, from its famous giant pandas to its laid-back teahouse culture and legendary Sichuan cuisine. Visit the Chengdu Panda Base, enjoy a delicious local lunch, and spend the afternoon experiencing the city’s traditional tea culture. Finish with a flavorful Sichuan hotpot dinner, bringing together Chengdu’s wildlife, local traditions, and food in one unforgettable experience.

Group Size

Small groups of 2-10 people per tour. Can be made private, by request, for an additional charge.

Start & End Locations

Hotel pick-up is available for guests staying within Chengdu’s third ring road. The tour ends near Wide and Narrow Alley following dinner at a local hotpot restaurant.

Cancellation Policy

Reservations cancelled 48 hours or more before your tour start time are fully refundable.

Inclusions

  • Hotel Pick-Up
  • Chengdu Panda Base Entrance Ticket
  • Local Lunch
  • Traditional Teahouse Experience
  • Sichuan Hotpot Dinner
  • Expert English-Speaking Guide
  • Ground Transportation
  • Included Drinks
  • China Travel Guide PDF

Dietary Requests

  • Vegetarian
  • Dairy Free
  • No Spicy
  • No Nuts
  • Vegan
  • Gluten Free

We can accommodate the checked dietary requests on this tour. All requests must be communicated at time of booking. Visit our FAQ section for more details.

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What You'll Do:

Hotel Pick-up

Hotel pick-up will be provided for guests staying within Chengdu’s third ring road. Exact pick-up times will vary and be communicated 24 hours before your tour starts.

Watching a Panda Eat
Two Pandas Playing
Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base Pathway
Child Holding Panda Ice Cream Bar

Explore Chengdu's Giant Panda Research Base

Start the day at this 400-acre park designed to give pandas a natural home. Walk along pathways and platforms to see playful cubs, adult pandas, and the rare red panda. Your guide will share stories about panda behavior, conservation, and fun facts about these iconic animals.

Duration: approx 2.5 hours

Lunch at a Chengdu Fly Restaurant

Enjoy lunch at a favorite spot for authentic Sichuan dishes. Dishes are cooked and placed on a table, where customers point at what they want and grab it! Try tea-smoked duck, chilled bean jelly noodles, pork with crispy rice, and other classic dishes.

Table Full of Dishes
Chef Slicing Roast Meat
Plates of Dandan Noodles
Outdoor Eating Area
Chef Preparing Dishes
Bowls of Mapo Tofu
Locals drinking tea and playing games
Kids at teahouse pond
Two cups of local tea
Teahouse tables
Tables at teahouse

Visit a Traditional Local Teahouse

Travel to a historic teahouse in Chengdu where tea culture has remained unchanged for decades. Sip tea alongside locals, watch (or play!) a game of Mahjong, and learn why tea has always been a staple of local culture. From volunteers to craftsmen with decades of history, this stop offers a window into the slow, social rhythms of Chengdu life.

Duration: approx 2 hours

Sit Down for Traditional Sichuan Hotpot

Finish your day with a bubbling Sichuan hotpot at a traditional restaurant near Wide and Narrow Alley. Cook fresh ingredients like tender beef, shrimp paste, and local specialties in a flavorful, spicy broth, with your guide helping you navigate the menu. Cool things down afterward with local desserts like bingfen, a refreshing jelly, or hongtang ciba, sticky rice cakes with brown sugar.

Table with hotpot and meat
Hotpot restaurant interior
Bubbling Hotpot

Wide and Narrow Alley

The tour ends near Wide and Narrow Alley following dinner at a local hotpot restaurant.

Plus More Surprises!

* This itinerary is subject to changes and adjustments based on daily vendor operations and availability, but it will always be fantastic.

Chengdu: Where Pandas, Tea, and Spices Meet.

As the heart of Sichuan culture, Chengdu is a city that invites you to slow down and savor life. Once the capital of the ancient Shu Kingdom, Chengdu has been a center of trade, craftsmanship, and cuisine for over 2,000 years. Its easygoing pace and rich history have shaped a food culture unlike anywhere else in China.

The signature mala flavor (aka numbing from Sichuan peppercorn and fiery from local chili) captures the city’s balance of heat and harmony. Between the playful pandas, the spice-filled kitchens, and the aroma of tea drifting from old teahouses, every stop we make reveals a new side of local everyday life.

Teahouse tables under trees
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Tour Highlights:

Giant Panda Eating Bamboo

Meet giant pandas of all shapes and sizes at Chengdu's famous Giant Panda Research Base.

Fly Restaurant Dishes

Enjoy authentic Sichuan cuisine at a lively local "fly restaurant."

Two cups of local tea

Discover Chengdu’s tea culture at a historic traditional teahouse.

Hotpot table with dishes

Dig into a bubbling Sichuan hotpot with fresh ingredients and bold local flavors.

Featured In:

“You won’t forget it after you try it.”

"We hop into tuktuks that whiz us around the neighbourhood."

Featured on National Geographic Logo

Eating Our Way Through Chengdu!

Chinese Street Food After Dark

Customer Reviews:

Frequently Asked Questions:

This tour includes the following:

  • Hotel pick-up
  • Entrance tickets to the Chengdu Panda Base
  • Authentic Sichuan lunch at a local restaurant
  • Traditional teahouse visit with tea
  • Sichuan hotpot dinner at a local restaurant
  • English-speaking expert Lost Plate guide
  • Ground transportation with driver
  • Bottled water throughout the day

The only items excluded during this tour are:

  • Hotel drop-off at the end of the day (the tour will end near Wide and Narrow Alley, so you have the flexibility to stay and explore the area)
  • Optional gratuity for your guide and driver if you wish to give them one

A lot! We don’t take what we eat throughout the day lightly (literally). You’ll start with a plentiful Sichuan lunch at a local fly restaurant, where you’ll try a variety of regional dishes. In the afternoon, relax with a cup of tea at a traditional Chengdu teahouse. For dinner, you’ll enjoy a traditional Sichuan hotpot, cooking a selection of fresh meats, vegetables, and local specialties in a bubbling broth. You may also get to try local desserts like bingfen, a refreshing Sichuan jelly, or hongtang ciba, sticky rice cakes with brown sugar.

All dietary requests must be communicated at the time of booking. When booking online, you will have the opportunity to let us know if you have any dietary requirements or special requests. Please use the following information to understand if this tour is right for you.

Vegetarians are welcome on this tour! Both our lunch and dinner restaurants offer vegetable-based dishes, and hotpot can be prepared with a selection of vegetables and other meat-free ingredients. Please let us know your dietary requirements in advance so we can make appropriate arrangements. This tour is not recommended for vegan or gluten-free travelers. Wheat products are commonly used in Sichuan cooking, including sauces like soy sauce, and suitable alternatives may be limited.

This tour also cannot accommodate severe allergies, as we do not have control over food preparation. Travelers who don’t eat nuts are welcome, but kitchens do use nuts and cross-contamination is possible.

If you have any questions not answered here, please contact us prior to booking.

Transportation throughout the day (including hotel pick-up, the Panda Base, lunch, the local teahouse, and dinner) will be done by private van transportation.

The drives to the Panda Base and teahouse are approximately 45 minutes each. Total time spent in the van throughout the day will be approximately 2–3 hours.

The most walking takes place at the Panda Base, where you’ll explore the grounds on foot to visit the different panda enclosures. The park has paved pathways, but some areas include slopes and stairs, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended. In the afternoon, you’ll visit a traditional teahouse, where there will be plenty of time to sit, relax, and enjoy the local atmosphere. Dinner takes place at a sit-down hotpot restaurant near Wide and Narrow Alley, where the tour will finish.

You should also be prepared to deal with whatever the weather throws at us – whether it’s hot sunshine, a chilly downpour, or anything in between.

There is no dress code for any of the attractions that we visit during this tour.

We recommend dressing for the weather and always have layers for varying conditions throughout the day. Comfortable, close-toed footwear that you are used to wearing all day is also important.

All of our tours are rain-or-shine, so we suggest you dress for the weather. In rare cases of extreme weather, your guide will cancel the tour and provide a full refund.

Chengdu has a humid subtropical climate, with hot and humid summers, cool and cloudy winters, and light rain or drizzle throughout much of the year.

Yes, this food tour can be booked privately, either for yourself or for a group or special occasion. We’ve hosted everything from birthdays and bachelor/ette parties to corporate events and school groups. Just let us know the date, time and group size, and we’ll handle the rest – including the itinerary, dietary restrictions, logistics, and even extras like birthday cakes or a bottle of bubbly.

We can accommodate groups of any size, splitting large parties into smaller groups if needed. The minimum charge for a private tour is typically equivalent to the cost of 6 adults. Typically, private tours with 8 or more people won’t incur an extra private tour fee. Contact us directly to get started!

There is no separate child pricing for this tour. All guests pay the same rate of $209 USD per person, regardless of age.

We welcome all travelers, but ask that guests use their own judgement to determine whether this tour is appropriate without impacting the experience of other guests. We do not recommend this tour for anyone who is unable to be on their feet for 2-3 hours at a time (including on uneven surfaces and climbing stairs), or requires mobility assistance such as a wheelchair or walker.

At the Giant Panda Base, the main paths are wide and mostly flat, but the park is large and spread out. An internal shuttle is available and recommended for anyone who prefers less walking.

Booking a private tour is always an option. This gives you some added flexibility during the itinerary to make sure you have extra time when needed during the day.

A photo of your passport details page will be collected prior to your tour. This is required when purchasing entrance tickets to the Panda Base. Ticketing rules at our destinations are strict, so pre-purchased tickets ensure a smooth entry without issues. 

You will also need to bring your passport with you on the day of the tour. 

Bookings canceled 48 hours or more before your tour are fully refundable (100% refund). Bookings canceled within 48 hours notice are not refundable. Tours cannot be rescheduled with less than 48 hours notice. 

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