Chengdu in 4 Days
Discover Chengdu’s Flavors, Culture and Pandas
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Sichuan’s Spicy Capital, Served Properly.
2 nights at 4-star hotel, 1 night at a boutique guesthouse.
All tickets & activities: Panda Research Base, Leshan Giant Buddha, and more.
All tickets & activities: Great Wall, Forbidden City, and more.
All meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks.
Ground transportation by private van.
Airport pick-up & drop-off.
English-speaking expert guide.
A slower look at Chengdu’s local streets, stories, and dishes.
As the backbone of Sichuan cuisine, Chengdu has been a UNESCO City of Gastronomy for over a decade. From dandan noodles and hotpot to giant pandas and the Leshan Giant Buddha, experience why Chengdu and Sichuan cuisine are famous around the world.
Trip Details
This Trip is Best For
Perfect for those looking to explore Sichuan cuisine, visit iconic sites like the Giant Panda Research Base and Leshan's Giant cliff-side Buddha, and still have time to enjoy hotpot, teahouses, alleyways, and local neighborhoods at a relaxed pace.
Trip Type & Size
Select a scheduled group departure for group sizes between 4-10 guests, or schedule a private trip just for you on the dates of your choice.
Trip Length
4 days / 3 nights
Price
Join-in departures start from $795 USD per person. Private trip quotes are determined based on your group size and requests.
Deposit
$300 USD per person to secure your spot.
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Includes
2 nights at a 4-star hotel located in the heart of Chengdu and 1 night at a boutique guesthouse in Leshan. Includes all meals with soft drinks and local beer, all entrance tickets and activities, private ground transportation throughout the trip, airport transfers upon arrival and departure, and an expert local guide.
Food Highlights
Taste your way through the birthplace of Sichuan cuisine with dandan noodles, local wontons, bubbling hotpot, mapo tofu, twice-cooked pork, Chengdu street food, and authentic fly restaurants. In nearby Leshan, dive into one of China's great food cities with chuan chuan, local roast duck, and regional specialties loved by generations of Sichuan locals.
English-speaking Guide
Each trip is led by an expert Lost Plate guide who knows Chengdu's landmarks, cuisine, history, and hidden alleys inside out.
Upcoming Group Departures
$300 USD deposit per person
Private Trips
Your group, your dates. Direct access to your personal travel advisor.
Where You'll Go
Day
Description
1
Evening Food Tour by Tuktuk
2
Sichuan Cooking Class, Local Teahouse, Hotpot Dinner
3
Giant Panda Base, Fly Restaurant, Drive to Leshan
4
Giant Buddha, Leshan Food Crawl
Day by Day Itinerary
01 Evening Food Tour by tuktuk
Arrival & Check-In: Airport pick-up is included from Chengdu’s Shuangliu (CTU) or Tianfu (TFU) airport, or one of Chengdu’s high-speed railway stations.
Evening Food Tour by Tuktuk: Kick off the trip with a deep dive into Sichuan cuisine. Our tuktuks will take you to try all of Chengdu’s culinary highlights including popular street food, dandan noodles, local wontons, and a huge selection of Sichuan classic dishes.
02 Cooking Class, Teahouse & Hotpot
Cooking Class: Spend the morning at the Sichuan Cuisine Museum. Explore the museum before participating in a cooking class where you will learn to prepare 3 dishes, which you’ll enjoy for lunch.
Local Teahouse: Travel to the city’s outskirts to a special teahouse that hasn’t changed for decades. Experience a staple of Chengdu culture and enjoy a cup of tea with locals like they have their entire lives.
Hotpot Dinner: This tradition is almost 3,000 years old, and the best way to enjoy it is with as many people as possible (aka as many dishes as possible).
Free Time: Feel free to explore Chengdu’s Narrow Wide Alley after dinner to do some shopping or grab a drink in a courtyard pub.
03 Giant Panda Base, Fly Restaurant & Drive to Leshan
Giant Panda Research Base: Start the day by visiting this beautiful park that covers over 400 acres and provides a natural habitat for Giant Pandas and red pandas with countless viewing platforms to see all shapes and sizes.
Chengdu Fly Restaurant: Don’t be put off by the name, this is the name locals have coined uber-authentic eateries that serve Sichuan staples like Mapo Tofu and Twice-cooked Pork…and this is our favorite spot!
Drive to Leshan: This town is famous for its Giant Buddha, but we think the food is a real highlight! After checking in to our guesthouse for the night, we’ll head out for dinner and then have some free time.
04 Leshan Giant Buddha, Food Crawl
Giant Buddha: Visit Leshan’s famous Buddha carved into a 71 meter riverside cliff at the intersection of three rivers. Learn the story behind how this Buddha allowed an ancient town to trade its culinary specialities with the world by bringing calm to the turbulent waters.
Leshan Food Crawl: Enjoy a multi-stop lunch that features the best of this foodie city including chuan chuan, a local style of skewered meat and veggies served in a communal pot of homemade chili sauce.
Airport Transfer: Drop-off is included to Chengdu’s Shuangliu (CTU) airport or one of Chengdu’s high-speed railway stations.
Where You'll Stay
View
Description
Ascott Raffles City
View
Description
ShanShui S Hotel
The itinerary and hotel selections are subject to adjustments based on seasonality and local operations.
Upcoming Group Departures:
$300 USD deposit per person
Private Trips
Your group, your dates. Plan it with our travel advisor.
Group Size
Small groups of 4-10, or contact us to ask about a private trip
Accommodations
Two nights in a 4-star hotel in the center of Chengdu. One night in a local guesthouse in Leshan.
Inclusions
- 3 Nights Accommodations
- All Meals, Including Soft Drinks & Beer
- All Tickets/Entrance Fees
- Transportation, Including CTU Transfers
- English Speaking Lost Plate Trip Leader
- China Travel Guide PDF
- Online Pre-trip Briefing & Q&A Session
Highlights
- Giant Panda Research Base
- Leshan Giant Buddha
- Local Tea House
- Evening Food Tour by Tuktuk
- Sichuan Cooking Class
Private Trips
Your group, your dates. Plan it with our travel advisor.
