4 days / 3 nights
Start & End in: Chengdu (CTU)
From $795 USD per person
The Essentials:
As the backbone of Sichuan cuisine, Chengdu has been an UNESCO City of Gastronomy for over a decade. From local street food to roundtable hotpots, and giant pandas to cliff-side Buddha carvings, come experience why Chengdu and Sichuan cuisine are so famous around the world.
Price
Join-in trips start at $795 USD per person, which may increase slightly due to seasonality. You can browse the calendar for each trip’s specific price. A $300 USD per person deposit is required to reserve your spot. Click here for more pricing details.
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
Day to Day Itinerary:
This itinerary is subject to changes and adjustments based on seasonality and local operations.
Chengdu
Arrival & Check-In: Airport pick-up is available from CTU airport. Flight arrivals should be at or before 3pm.
Lost Plate’s Evening Food Tour by Tuktuk: Kick off the trip with a deep dive into Sichuan cuisine. Our tuktuks will take us to try all of Chengdu’s culinary highlights including popular street food, dandan noodles, local wontons, and a stellar selection of Sichuan dishes.
Driving: Approx. 30 mins from the airport to your hotel.
Hotel: 4-star hotel located in the heart of Chengdu.
Meals: Dinner
Chengdu
Giant Panda Research Base: Start the day by visiting this beautiful park that covers over 400 acres and provides a natural habitat for pandas and other rare animals like red pandas, plus countless viewing platforms to see all ages 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!
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 3000 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 experience what the city was like generations ago and grab a drink in a courtyard pub.
Driving: Short drives of no more than 30 minutes at a time around town.
Hotel: Same as previous night.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Chengdu > Leshan
Market Visit & Cooking Class: Spend the morning exploring our favorite local market market, try some snacks, and grab some ingredients used to cook a selection of Sichuan dishes – which you’ll learn to make during a cooking class in a local cooking studio.
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.
Driving: Approx. 2 hours from Chengdu to Leshan.
Hotel: Boutique guesthouse in Leshan.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Leshan
Giant Buddha: Visit Leshan’s famous Buddha carved into a 71 meter riverside cliff where the Minjiang, Qingyi, and Dadu rivers meet. Learn the story behind how this Buddha allowed an ancient town to trade its culinary specialities with the world by bringing calm to these turbulent rivers.
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 Drop-off: Will be provided to Chengdu’s CTU airport. Flight departures should be at or after 7pm.
Driving: 2-3 hours to Chengdu airport.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Must-See Tour Highlights:
Our founder hails from Chengdu and personally designed this trip, which includes all of Chengdu’s major highlights along with some favorite local spots she grew up going to.
The nature of this trip is relaxed. There are no long car rides over 2 hours, and no strenuous activities. The itinerary is quite packed, but there will be time to get off your feet.
Our trips are all-inclusive and do not have any shopping stops where you are obligated to purchase something. The only thing not included is your tourist visa, transportation to/from Chengdu, activities during your free time, and gratuities for your guide.
Where We'll Stay:
- Chengdu City Center (2 nights)
- Leshan (1 night)
Ascott Raffles City
ShanShui S Hotel
Accommodations may change based on group size and availability. If so, an equivalent will be used.
- Join-in trips require a minimum of 4 people to operate. You should only purchase your transportation to/from Chengdu after you receive a tour confirmation notice. Private tours (for an additional fee) are always an option if your join-in trip does not hit the minimum amount of people.
- A deposit of $300 USD per person is required to secure your spot. This deposit is non-refundable for any reason unless the trip is cancelled by Lost Plate due to the minimum group size not being met.
- Solo travelers not sharing a room will incur a single occupancy fee of $184 USD. See more details in our FAQ below.
- Payment of your remaining balance will be collected 14 days before the trip starts.
- If you need to cancel, the amount you have already paid cannot be refunded. This is because spots on each trip is limited, and because we arrange accommodations when you reserve your spot. You are able to transfer your spot to someone else.
- Payments can be made by credit card, WeChat, or Alipay.
Our founder hails from Chengdu and personally designed this trip, which includes all of Chengdu’s major highlights along with some favorite local spots she grew up going to.
The nature of this trip is relaxed. There are no long car rides over 2 hours, and no strenuous activities. The itinerary is quite packed, but there will be time to get off your feet.
Our trips are all-inclusive and do not have any shopping stops where you are obligated to purchase something. The only thing not included is your tourist visa, transportation to/from Chengdu, activities during your free time, and gratuities for your guide.
Where We'll Stay:
- Chengdu City Center (2 nights)
- Leshan (1 night)
Ascott Raffles City
ShanShui S Hotel
Accommodations may change based on group size and availability. If so, an equivalent will be used.
- Join-in trips require a minimum of 4 people to operate. You should only purchase your transportation to/from Chengdu after you receive a tour confirmation notice. Private tours (for an additional fee) are always an option if your join-in trip does not hit the minimum amount of people.
- A deposit of $300 USD per person is required to secure your spot. This deposit is non-refundable for any reason unless the trip is cancelled by Lost Plate due to the minimum group size not being met.
- Solo travelers not sharing a room will incur a single occupancy fee of $184 USD. See more details in our FAQ below.
- Payment of your remaining balance will be collected 14 days before the trip starts.
- If you need to cancel, the amount you have already paid cannot be refunded. This is because spots on each trip is limited, and because we arrange accommodations when you reserve your spot. You are able to transfer your spot to someone else.
- Payments can be made by credit card, WeChat, or Alipay.
