China

We arrived in Chongqing by high-speed train from Chengdu, and the difference was immediate. Chengdu had felt relaxed and approachable, while Chongqing greeted us with towering skyscrapers, dramatic bridges and some of the most unusual architecture we’d ever seen. It felt bigger, busier and, at first, much more intimidating.

Like many people, we’d seen countless videos of Chongqing on social media before our trip. We wondered whether the city could really live up to the hype.

Spoiler Alert: It absolutely did!

Why visit Chongqing

Chongqing is quite unlike anywhere else we’ve visited. Towering skyscrapers, layered roads, neon lights and incredible food combine to create one of the most fascinating cities in China. While the skyline is spectacular, what really makes Chongqing special is exploring everything in between.

Once the sun goes down, the city transforms. Neon lights reflect off the rivers, bridges light up across the skyline and the whole place feels like something from a futuristic film. But Chongqing is much more than just a city to photograph.

If you love unusual architecture, incredible food and cities that challenge your sense of direction, Chongqing should be high on your list. You’ll also find peaceful parks, historic streets, scenic viewpoints and some of the best hot pot we’ve ever eaten.

What makes Chongqing so extraordinary is its geography. Built where the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers meet, the city rises sharply from the water instead of spreading neatly around it. Hills, bridges, cliffs and steep streets shape everything, creating a place that feels stacked rather than simply built.

That vertical layout makes Chongqing unlike anywhere else we’ve been. Roads pass above and below each other, buildings open onto different streets at different floors, and metro lines burst out of apartment blocks. A short route on the map can turn into staircases, lifts, flyovers and sudden viewpoints, with the city constantly shifting around you.

It’s confusing, exhausting and completely brilliant. Even with navigation apps, we often found ourselves stopping to work out whether we needed to go left, right, up or down. Chongqing isn’t just big; it’s layered, chaotic and alive in a way that makes simply walking through it feel like an adventure.

Where to stay in Chongqing

We stayed at Chongqing Jiefangbei Hongya Cave Houju High-altitude River-view Hotel, on the 46th floor of a high-rise in the heart of Jiefangbei, Chongqing’s city centre.

Staying in Jiefangbei turned out to be the perfect base. Hongyadong, Bayi Road Food Street, Nengren Temple and several metro stations were all within walking distance, making it easy to explore the city.

The hotel itself offered excellent value for money. Our room overlooked the city skyline, and waking up to panoramic views from the 46th floor was a real highlight of our stay. The room was modern, comfortable and quiet despite being in one of Chongqing’s busiest districts.

We’d happily stay here again and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it if it’s your first visit to Chongqing.

Things to Do in Chongqing

Explore Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street

This is the heart of modern Chongqing and the area where we based ourselves. Expect huge shopping malls, neon lights, street food and plenty of people. It’s a great place to get your bearings and a good starting point for exploring the city.

Visit Nengren Temple & Try a Fortune Coffee

Just next to our hotel, Nengren Temple is a small Buddhist temple tucked between Chongqing’s towering skyscrapers. It’s easy to miss, but definitely worth a stop if you’re exploring the Jiefangbei area.

Before entering the temple, stop at Nengren Coffee. Rather than simply choosing a drink from the menu, you’re invited to draw a traditional fortune stick first, and your fortune determines which coffee you receive. The beans are blessed by the monks, making it a unique coffee experience. We were also greeted by the temple’s resident cat, who seemed perfectly at home sleeping on the counter.

After our coffee, we explored the peaceful temple grounds. It’s very small and only takes around 15 minutes to wander through, but it provides a lovely contrast to the busy streets outside and is a reminder that Chongqing isn’t just about skyscrapers and neon lights.

Wander Around Daijia Alley

Located just above Hongyadong, Daijia Alley is a lively hillside neighbourhood filled with cafés, restaurants and small shops. As you wander through the streets, you’ll come across several viewpoints overlooking the Jialing River and Hongyadong, offering a different perspective of one of Chongqing’s most famous landmarks.

Visit Hongyadong (Our Honest Thoughts)

Hongyadong is Chongqing’s most famous landmark, and it’s especially impressive once the lights come on after dark. Unsurprisingly, it’s also one of the busiest places in the city.

Rather than joining the crowds directly in front of the complex, we chose to admire it from two different viewpoints. The first was from Daijia Alley, which gives you a side view over Hongyadong and was noticeably less crowded than the main entrance. Later, we crossed the river to the large viewing area by the waterfront. There was plenty of space, benches to sit on and a much more relaxed atmosphere, so we could simply enjoy the skyline without squeezing through crowds or waiting for a photo.

If you love being in the middle of the action, you’ll probably enjoy exploring Hongyadong itself. But if you’re anything like us and prefer to take it all in from a quieter spot, we’d recommend one of these viewpoints instead.

Visit Kuixinglou Square

This is one of the best places to experience Chongqing’s incredible elevation changes. You arrive feeling like you’re standing at street level, but after walking across the square, you suddenly find yourself on the 22nd floor of the building opposite. It’s one of those places that perfectly explains why Chongqing is often called China’s “8D city”.

Watch the Metro Pass Through a Building at Liziba

Liziba is another of Chongqing’s famous sights, where the metro appears to pass straight through the middle of an apartment building. It’s another one of those places you’ve probably seen countless times on social media.

The official viewing platform was packed when we visited, so instead we headed to a quieter viewpoint in a nearby residential neighbourhood, about a 10 minute walk up the hill from the back of the metro station. There were only a handful of other people there, and we actually preferred it. We still had a great view of the train passing through the building, but without having to fight through the crowds.

For a quieter angle, walk towards Datianwan Primary School / 大田湾小学 and look for Lansheng Pavilion / 揽胜亭, a small viewpoint around 10–12 minutes from Liziba Station. It gives you a wider view of the train curving through the hillside, rather than just the classic “train through the building” shot.

Directions:

1. Take Chongqing Rail Transit Line 2 to Liziba Station.
2. Use Exit 2.
3. Walk about 600m uphill towards Datianwan Primary School (大田湾小学)
4. Near the school area follow the road down between the apartment blocks to the Lansheng Pavillion
5. Be respectful — it’s near a school/residential area, so don’t block paths or film people.

If you’re planning to visit Liziba and don’t like crowds, we’d definitely recommend looking for one of the nearby viewpoints rather than heading straight to the main platform.

From Liziba, we walked to Testbed 2 before continuing on to Eling Park. It made for a nice route, taking us from one of Chongqing’s most famous sights to a quieter creative district before ending the afternoon surrounded by greenery.

Visit the Chongqing Testbed 2 (TESTBED2) Art District

If you’re walking from Liziba to Eling Park, you’ll pass Testbed 2, a former industrial site that’s been transformed into a creative district with galleries, cafés, exhibitions and colourful street art.

We stopped for a wander, it wasn’t one of our favourite places in Chongqing. It felt a little too curated and touristy for our tastes, lacking the authentic creative atmosphere we’d hoped for. That said, it’s an easy stop along the route and worth a quick look before continuing to Eling Park.

Relax in Eling Park

After tackling countless hills and staircases on our walk from Liziba, Eling Park was a welcome place to relax and escape the bustle of the city. One of the city’s oldest and greenest parks, it’s the perfect place to slow down and experience a different side of the city.

We spent a couple of hours wandering through the leafy gardens, watching locals playing mahjong, friends chatting and groups of young adults dressed in elaborate traditional Chinese outfits having professional photos taken. It felt like a place where people came to enjoy the afternoon rather than simply tick off another attraction.

There are several teahouses dotted throughout the park, and we stopped at Goose Ling Leisure Tea Center for a fancy pot of tea and desserts. It had a wonderfully traditional atmosphere and was the perfect place to sit back, relax and soak up the surroundings before continuing our walk through the park.

If you’re looking for a break from Chongqing’s fast pace, Eling Park is one of the best places to experience local life.

Watch Sunset from Liangjiang Pavilion

If you’re visiting Eling Park, stay until sunset and climb the tower for panoramic views across Chongqing. Watching the city gradually light up as the sun set over Chongqing was a great way to end the day.

Visit Laojundong Taoist Temple

Perched high on the hillside, reaching the temple involves plenty of uphill walking, and once inside you’ll continue climbing staircases that wind their way through the temple complex. It might leave you a little out of breath, but the views over Chongqing are more than worth the effort.

Despite being relatively close to the city centre, it felt peaceful and far removed from the crowds below. We loved wandering through the temple grounds, exploring the different halls and terraces, and taking in the panoramic views over the skyline. If you’re looking to experience a quieter, more traditional side of Chongqing, this is a place we wouldn’t miss.

Explore Huangjueya Old Street

Just a short distance from Laojundong Taoist Temple, Huangjueya Old Street has a completely different feel to central Chongqing. Although it’s still a popular area, it was much quieter than places like Hongyadong and Jiefangbei. Traditional buildings sit alongside cafés, coffee shops and plenty of greenery, making it an enjoyable place to spend a slower afternoon.

We wandered through the streets, stopped for coffee and simply enjoyed exploring without any real plan. If you’re looking for a break from Chongqing’s busiest attractions, it’s well worth making the trip.

Experience Chongqing After Dark

If there’s one thing you shouldn’t miss, it’s seeing Chongqing after sunset. The neon skyline, illuminated bridges and reflections on the rivers completely transform the city. This is when Chongqing really earns its “cyberpunk” reputation.

Wander the Multi-level Streets

One of the best things to do in Chongqing isn’t a specific attraction at all. Spend time simply walking. You’ll constantly discover roads above roads, staircases disappearing between buildings, hidden viewpoints and entrances on completely different levels. Getting slightly lost is part of the experience.

Where to eat in Chongqing

Chongqing is famous for one thing above all else: hot pot. Rich, spicy and packed with dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns, it’s one of the city’s signature dishes and something every visitor should try. If you’re not used to spicy food, don’t worry. Most restaurants also offer a yin-yang pot, combining the traditional spicy broth with a milder option.

Beyond hot pot, you’ll find everything from street food stalls and noodle shops to barbecue restaurants and late-night eateries. Here are a few places we think are worth adding to your itinerary.

Eat Hot Pot in a Former Air Raid Shelter

Chongqing is famous for its Bomb Shelter hot pot restaurants, and this is one of the most unique places to try the city’s signature dish. Underground Zhicheng Old Hot Pot is set inside a former World War II air raid shelter, where diners eat beneath vaulted concrete tunnels that were built to protect the city’s residents.

The setting is unlike any typical restaurant anywhere. Long bunker corridors lead to different dining areas, while the exposed concrete walls have been left largely untouched. It’s busy, full of locals and a fascinating place to experience Chongqing’s hot pot culture.

If you’re deciding between a standard hot pot restaurant and an air raid shelter, we’d recommend trying the latter. It’s a dining experience that’s absolutely unique to Chongqing.

How to Get to Underground Zhicheng Old Hot Pot by Metro

The nearest metro station to Underground Zhicheng Old Hot Pot is Hongtudi Station / 红土地站, served by Chongqing Metro Line 6 and Line 10.

Take the metro to Hongtudi Station, then use Exit 1A. From there, walk along Wuhong Road / 五红路 towards Longtou Temple Park / 龙头寺公园. The hot pot restaurant is inside the underground shelter complex near the south side of Longtou Temple Park, around a 5–10 minute walk from the station.

Bayi Road Food Street

Just a short walk from our hotel, Bayi Road Food Street is packed with food stalls, noodle shops and traditional restaurants serving everything from grilled skewers and dumplings to spicy Sichuan dishes.

We found ourselves returning several times during our stay, whether it was for a quick bowl of beef noodles, street food or dinner. Even if you don’t have a particular restaurant in mind, it’s a great area to wander and choose somewhere that catches your eye.

Hesi Chongqing Noodles

If you’re looking for a quick, affordable meal, Hesi Chongqing Noodles is a great choice. Just a short walk from Bayi Road Food Street, it’s a popular local spot serving traditional Chongqing xiaomian (small noodles).

We stopped here for lunch and it was one of those simple restaurants that does one thing really well. If you’re keen to try a classic bowl of Chongqing noodles without spending much, this is an easy place to start. 

Go Nanshan Night View Hot Pot Park

After exploring Huangjueya, we took a local bus further into the Nanshan hills and walked uphill for around five to ten minutes to Go Nanshan Night View Hot Pot Park. The restaurant is built across several terraces on the hillside, with outdoor tables overlooking Chongqing’s skyline.

We arrived while it was still light and stayed as the city lit up below us. Despite the impressive setting, it didn’t feel particularly touristy when we visited, and most of the other diners appeared to be local families and groups of friends. The hot pot was excellent, and watching the lights come on across Chongqing made it a memorable way to end the evening.

Chinese name: 去南山夜景火锅公园
Address: 南山街道真武山88号, Nan’an District

Sanmao Impression Café

If you’re exploring Huangjueya Old Street, Sanmao Impression Café is a great place to stop for a coffee and a break. Located beside Sanmao’s Former Residence, the modern café has floor-to-ceiling windows, several levels of seating and a large outdoor terrace surrounded by trees. We sat outside with a coffee before continuing our walk through the Nanshan hills, and it was the perfect place to slow down for a while.

How to Get to Chongqing

Chongqing is well connected by both high-speed rail and air, making it an easy city to include in a China itinerary.

We travelled to Chongqing by high-speed train from Chengdu, a journey that took around two hours. The trains are fast, comfortable and run frequently throughout the day, making this one of the easiest routes in China.

We flew out of Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG), which is well connected to destinations across China and internationally. The airport is easy to reach by metro, taxi or ride-hailing apps such as Didi.

One thing to be aware of is China’s power bank regulations. On domestic flights, airport security may confiscate power banks that don’t display a valid CCC (China Compulsory Certification) mark, even if they’re perfectly legal in your home country. We nearly lost both of ours before our flight to Shanghai and thought we’d have to leave them behind. Fortunately, a member of staff took pity on us and offered to arrange shipping to our hotel instead. She organised everything, we transferred a small fee to the courier, and two days later both power banks arrived safely at our hotel in Shanghai.

In our case, this wasn’t an official airport service. However, some airports in China now do offer power bank shipping, so if you find yourself in the same situation, it’s definitely worth asking before handing yours over.

How Many Days Do You Need in Chongqing?

2 Days

Two days is enough to experience some of Chongqing’s main highlights, but it will feel quite busy. You could explore the streets around Jiefangbei, visit a temple, ride the metro, eat hot pot and street food, and see the city from one or two viewpoints, but you’ll need to keep the pace moving.

3 Days

We spent 3 nights in Chongqing, which felt like a good amount of time for a first visit. It gave us enough space to explore the bustling streets around Jiefangbei, visit temples, wander through Huangjueya Old Street, ride the metro, eat plenty of hot pot and street food, and see the city from several viewpoints without feeling like we were racing through it.

4+ Days

If you have four days or more, we’d recommend using at least one of them for a day trip outside the city. Wulong Karst National Geology Park is one of the most popular excursions from Chongqing, known for its dramatic limestone landscapes, natural bridges and filming locations from Transformers: Age of Extinction. It’s somewhere we would have loved to visit ourselves but simply didn’t have enough time.

Getting Around Chongqing

Despite its size, we found Chongqing surprisingly easy to get around. Between the metro, buses and Didi, we never had any trouble reaching the places we wanted to visit.

If you’re travelling in China for the first time, it’s worth setting up your essential apps before you arrive. We’ve covered the ones we actually used in our best apps for visiting China guide, including Alipay, Didi, maps, translation and transport tools.

Metro and bus

Chongqing has an extensive metro network that connects many of the city’s main attractions. We used it throughout our stay and found it to be clean, efficient and easy to navigate, even as first-time visitors.

We also caught local buses several times, particularly when exploring the Nanshan area. Some places simply aren’t served by the metro, and the buses were just as easy to use.

We set up a Chongqing Transport Card in Alipay, which allowed us to pay for both buses and the metro by simply scanning our phone.

Didi

For longer journeys or when we wanted the easiest option, we used Didi, China’s equivalent of Uber. It was affordable, reliable and easy to book through the Alipay app. We found it especially useful late in the evening or when travelling to places outside the city centre.

Walking

Although many of Chongqing’s attractions are within walking distance of each other, don’t expect a flat city. Chongqing is built across steep hills, and even short walks can involve hundreds of steps, long escalators and surprisingly steep climbs. By the end of the day, your legs will certainly know they’ve had a workout.

Navigation can also be confusing at first. The city is built on multiple levels, so your map might tell you your destination is only 50 metres away, while in reality it’s several storeys above or below you. Give yourself a little extra time when walking, especially if it’s your first visit.

Best Time to Visit Chongqing

We visited Chongqing in September and found it very hot and humid. The combination of high humidity and the city’s steep hills made exploring on foot more challenging than we expected. We often found ourselves stopping to catch our breath after climbing some of the city’s endless staircases.

If you’re planning to spend a lot of time walking, spring (March to May) and autumn (October to November) generally offer the most comfortable temperatures. That said, Chongqing is a year-round destination. Summer brings lush greenery and dramatic thunderstorms, while winter is known for the low cloud and mist that earned the city its nickname, “The City of Fog.”

Practical Tips for Visiting Chongqing

• Don’t underestimate the hills. We regularly found ourselves stopping halfway up staircases to catch our breath, especially in the September heat and humidity.
• Allow extra time to get around. Distances on the map can be deceptive. Your destination might be directly above or below you, rather than across the street.
• Use the metro or buses when you can. It often saves time compared with walking, especially if you’re moving between different levels of the city.
• Choose your hotel location carefully. Staying near Jiefangbei made it easy for us to walk to many attractions and restaurants while still having good metro connections.

Internet, Payments and Apps

Most businesses in Chongqing are cashless, so it’s worth setting up Alipay and WeChat before you arrive. We used it throughout our stay for public transport, Didi rides and paying in restaurants and cafés.

You’ll also need an eSIM or VPN if you want to access Google services and other blocked websites. We cover everything you need to know, including the apps we used every day, in our Complete Guide to the Best Apps for Travelling in China.

Final Thoughts on Visiting Chongqing

We only spent three nights in Chongqing, but it was enough to understand why so many people rave about it. There were still plenty of places we didn’t have time to visit, especially Wulong Karst National Geology Park, which gives us a good excuse to return. If you’re looking for a city that’s completely different from anywhere else in China, Chongqing deserves a place on your itinerary.

Chengdu was our first introduction to China. China had been on our travel wish list for years, but between visa requirements and uncertainty about how difficult it would be to travel there, we kept putting it off. When China introduced visa-free entry for our passports, we finally decided it was time.

Arriving in Chengdu, we were nervous. Immigration took around an hour as officials carefully checked our documents and even called our hotels to confirm our bookings. Nobody smiled, nobody explained what was happening, and we spent the entire time wondering whether we would actually be allowed into the country.

As soon as we cleared customs, our assumptions about China started to unravel. A security guard warned us away from an unofficial taxi driver, and while walking towards the train station two young men approached us with a camera. They asked if they could drive us into the city for free in exchange for filming a short interview for their YouTube channel.

My first instinct was that something felt suspicious. Sam’s first instinct was to jump in the car.

Thankfully, it turned out to be completely genuine. Interviewing foreign visitors is a popular type of content on Chinese social media, and what started as a chance encounter became one of our favourite memories from Chengdu. We ended up spending more time with them during our stay and it completely changed our first impression of China.

Looking back, Chengdu was the perfect introduction to the country. Relaxed, welcoming and full of surprises, it quickly became one of our favourite cities in China.

It was also the least touristy place we visited in China. Compared to Shanghai and even Chongqing, we saw very few foreign visitors during our time there. Most of the people we met were Chinese tourists or locals going about their daily lives. For us, that made the experience feel much more authentic and gave us a glimpse of a side of China that many international visitors never see.

Why Visit Chengdu?

Chengdu is one of the homes of the giant panda, and visiting the pandas is undoubtedly the city’s most famous attraction. It’s well worth doing and one of the highlights of any trip to China.

However, the pandas aren’t the main reason we enjoyed Chengdu so much.

What stood out most to us was the atmosphere and the people. Chengdu felt noticeably more relaxed than the other Chinese cities we visited. We were invited by complete strangers to share food and drinks despite us speaking no Chinese and them speaking very little English. Time and time again people went out of their way to help us, making us feel genuinely welcome.

We loved the mix of old and new. In the same day, you can explore modern shopping districts, visit historic temples and spend hours wandering through traditional neighbourhoods. Despite being a city of more than 20 million people, we were always able to find quieter corners away from the crowds.

One thing that made us smile was how much Chengdu embraces its giant pandas. They aren’t just found at the Chengdu Research Base, but throughout the city. We spotted panda statues, murals, souvenirs and artwork around almost every corner, with the giant panda climbing the side of the IFS shopping centre becoming one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

In the evenings, locals gathered in parks and public squares to dance, play games and socialise. There was a sense of community and everyday life that made Chengdu feel different from what we experienced in Shanghai and Chongqing.

Food is another reason to visit Chengdu. The city is famous for its Sichuan cuisine, from hot pot and mapo tofu to countless street food stalls and local restaurants. Even if you’re not usually a fan of spicy food, trying the local dishes is a big part of the experience.

Chengdu is equally well positioned for exploring the surrounding area. Whether you’re visiting the giant pandas, heading to nearby ancient towns or continuing deeper into Sichuan Province, the city makes a convenient and enjoyable base.

Where to stay in Chengdu

Chengdu offers everything from luxury hotels to budget-friendly guesthouses, but for most visitors, staying around People’s Park, Tianfu Square or Kuanzhai Alley provides the best balance of sightseeing, restaurants and transport. We stayed at The Hidden House (Cheng Du Kuanzhai Alley People’s Park Subway Station Branch), a peaceful boutique hotel tucked away on a quiet street just a 5 to 10-minute walk from People’s Park, Kuanzhai Alley and the nearest metro station. It’s a great hotel to stay in the city, combining a tranquil courtyard setting with an excellent location for exploring the city on foot. 

Things to Do in Chengdu

Visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

If there’s one attraction you shouldn’t miss in Chengdu, it’s the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Seeing giant pandas was the main reason we travelled to Chengdu, and it completely lived up to our expectations. Alongside the giant pandas, you’ll also have the chance to see the playful red pandas, which were just as entertaining.

Best time to visit: Arrive when the park opens. The pandas are most active during the cooler morning hours before settling down for a long nap. It’s also the least busy time of day. We arrived at opening, and it was still busy, especially by the “famous” panda enclosures and the baby pandas, which we skipped completely due to the queue.

How long to spend there: Allow around 3 to 4 hours to explore the park without rushing.

👉 Read our complete Chengdu Panda Base Guide for everything you need to know, including tickets, transport, opening times, the best route around the park and our top tips for making the most of your visit.

Relax in People’s Park

If you want to experience everyday life in Chengdu, spend a couple of hours exploring People’s Park. We visited on a Saturday and it was full of local families enjoying the weekend together, giving the park a lively and welcoming atmosphere.

The park itself is beautiful, with tree-lined paths, lakes and traditional gardens, but it was the people that made it memorable. As we wandered around, we came across dance performances, groups exercising, musicians, people playing mahjong and friends relaxing over tea. Everywhere we looked, there was something happening.

We’d recommend allowing 1 to 2 hours to explore the park at a relaxed pace. It’s one of the best places in Chengdu to slow down, people-watch and experience the city’s famously laid-back culture.

Visit Wuhou Shrine

Wuhou Shrine was one of our favourite places in Chengdu. Dedicated to the famous strategist Zhuge Liang and the Three Kingdoms period, it’s one of the city’s most important historical sites, but you don’t need to know much about Chinese history to appreciate it.

The entrance was quite busy when we arrived, but as we wandered further into the complex, the crowds quickly disappeared. We found ourselves strolling through peaceful courtyards, beautiful gardens and pathways lined with towering cypress trees. The combination of traditional architecture, colourful red buildings and quiet surroundings made it one of the most relaxing places we visited in Chengdu.

We’d recommend allowing 2 hours to explore the shrine and its gardens. Whether you’re interested in history or simply looking for a beautiful place to escape the city’s busy streets, Wuhou Shrine is well worth adding to your Chengdu itinerary.

Explore Chunxi Road – shopping

For a completely different side of Chengdu, head to Chunxi Road. This is the city’s modern shopping district, filled with huge shopping malls, international brands, restaurants and towering skyscrapers. It’s a great contrast to the historic temples and traditional parks found elsewhere in the city.

Even if shopping isn’t your thing, Chunxi Road is worth visiting for the atmosphere alone. The streets are busy from morning until late at night, with street performers, colourful billboards and plenty of places to stop for food or a coffee.

One of the biggest highlights is the IFS shopping centre, where you’ll find the city’s famous giant panda climbing the side of the building. It’s become one of Chengdu’s most recognisable landmarks and is a popular photo spot. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also visit the rooftop terrace behind the panda for a different perspective.

Wander Around the Guihua Lane Neighbourhood (桂花巷)

Just around the corner from where we stayed, the streets surrounding Guihua Lane became one of our favourite areas to explore in Chengdu. While it isn’t home to any major tourist attractions, it’s the perfect place to wander and experience a quieter, more local side of the city.

We loved walking through the surrounding streets, discovering independent cafés, local restaurants and small shops tucked away between the tree-lined avenues. Compared to the busy shopping district around Chunxi Road, this neighbourhood felt much more relaxed and gave us a glimpse into everyday life in Chengdu.

If you have a couple of spare hours, we’d recommend putting away the map and simply exploring the area at your own pace. Some of our favourite moments in Chengdu came from wandering these streets without any particular destination in mind.

Where to eat in Chengdu

Chengdu is the birthplace of Sichuan cuisine, and after our visit it’s become one of our favourite cuisines in the world. The bold flavours, fragrant spices and famous numbing Sichuan pepper make every meal an experience. While there are countless dishes to try, some of the local specialities we think you shouldn’t miss include Sichuan Hot Pot, Dan Dan Noodles, Mapo Tofu, Kung Pao Chicken, and street snacks such as Tang You Guo Zi, Bo Bo Ji, Bing Fen and Dan Hong Gao. Even if you’re not usually a fan of spicy food, trying the local cuisine is an essential part of visiting Chengdu.

Be prepared for the spice! Sichuan pepper creates a unique tingling, numbing sensation that’s just as memorable as the heat.

Explore Wangping Street

One of our favourite food experiences in Chengdu was spending an evening exploring Wangping Street, one of the city’s best-known snack streets. Rather than wandering on our own, we had a local show us around, introducing us to dishes we almost certainly wouldn’t have ordered ourselves.

We sampled everything from freshly fried Tang You Guo Zi (sweet fried dough balls) and Dan Hong Gao (egg cakes) to Bing Fen (a refreshing herbal jelly dessert with brown sugar), cold noodles and cold jelly, traditional tea drinks, and sticky rice desserts served with rice wine and brown sugar. One of our stops was Simei Benben Chicken, where we tried Bo Bo Ji, a Chengdu speciality of cold skewers served in a spicy, aromatic broth. It wasn’t our favourite bite of the evening, but that’s part of travelling. You won’t love every local dish, and trying Chengdu’s famous specialities was an experience we wouldn’t have wanted to miss. Every stop offered something different, giving us a fantastic introduction to the flavours that make Chengdu one of China’s great food cities.

Explore the Yulin Neighbourhood

If you’re looking to venture beyond the main tourist sights, head to Yulin. This lively neighbourhood is one of Chengdu’s best food districts, packed with traditional Sichuan restaurants, hot pot, barbecue, cafés and late-night eateries. It was the same guy who gave us a lift from the airport when we arrived who later took us here, introducing us to one of his favourite neighbourhoods. We ended up having one of our favourite meals in all of China at a tiny dumpling restaurant, but despite our best efforts, we’ve never managed to find its name again. Sometimes the places without a name on your map become the ones you remember most.

How Many Days Do You Need in Chengdu?

We spent 3 nights in Chengdu, which gave us enough time to visit the city’s highlights, including the Giant Panda Base, People’s Park, Wuhou Shrine and several of Chengdu’s fantastic food districts. We could easily have stayed longer. Chengdu has a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere, incredible food and plenty of attractions both in the city and nearby, making it somewhere that’s easy to slow down and enjoy.

2 Days

If you’re short on time, two days is enough to see the Giant Panda Base and explore Chengdu’s historic centre, including People’s Park, Kuanzhai Alley and a few of the city’s famous food streets.

3 Days

We think 3 days is the sweet spot for most visitors. It gives you enough time to see the main attractions, enjoy Chengdu’s incredible food scene, and experience the city’s relaxed atmosphere without feeling like you’re constantly on the move.

4+ Days

If you have four days or more, there’s plenty to keep you busy. We would have loved to spend a day exploring Dujiangyan, visit the Dujiangyan Panda Base, and check out Dongjiao Memory, Chengdu’s creative arts and cultural district. With extra time, Chengdu also makes an excellent base for exploring more of Sichuan Province, whether you’re taking day trips or heading further afield to places like Mount Qingcheng, Leshan or Jiuzhaigou.

Practical Tips for Visiting Chengdu

Getting Around Chengdu

Getting around Chengdu is affordable and relatively straightforward. We mostly walked, caught local buses and used Didi, but the city also has a metro system.

Metro

Chengdu has an extensive metro network that connects most of the city’s major attractions. We didn’t end up needing it during our stay, but it’s widely regarded as one of the easiest and most convenient ways to get around the city, especially for longer distances.

Bus

We used the local buses several times during our stay. They took a little more planning than using Didi, but were inexpensive and a good way to get around. We set up a Chengdu Transport Card in Alipay, which allowed us to simply scan our phone on the bus.

Didi

For longer journeys or when we wanted the easiest option, we used Didi, China’s equivalent of Uber. It was affordable, reliable and simple to book through the Alipay or WeChat app.

Walking

Many of Chengdu’s attractions are close together, making the city enjoyable to explore on foot. We especially enjoyed wandering around People’s Park, Kuanzhai Alley, Wangping Street and the quieter streets around our hotel.

Best Time to Visit Chengdu

We visited Chengdu in September and found it hot and humid, although it certainly didn’t stop us from enjoying the city. If you’re planning to spend a lot of time exploring on foot, spring (March to May) and autumn (October to November)generally offer the most comfortable temperatures. That said, Chengdu is a year-round destination, with each season offering a different experience.

Internet, Payments and Apps

China is largely cashless, and Alipay and WeChat quickly became one of the most useful apps on our trip. Along with paying in shops and restaurants, you can also set up a local transport card for buses and the metro, allowing you to simply scan your phone when travelling instead of buying individual tickets. This worked seamlessly across several cities we visited in China.

Our hotel offered free Wi-Fi, but without a VPN we still couldn’t access many of the websites and apps we normally use. We used an eSIM with built-in access to blocked services, which meant we could browse as normal throughout our trip.

We also recommend downloading Didi for taxis and Google Translate (or your preferred translation app) before you arrive. For a full breakdown of the apps we found most useful, including maps, payments, transport and VPNs, read our complete guide to the best apps for travelling in China.

Final Thoughts on Visiting Chengdu

Chengdu was our first stop in China, and we couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to the country. We arrived expecting giant pandas, spicy food and a culture very different from our own, but what stayed with us most was the warmth of the people. Everywhere we went, people were welcoming, curious and happy to help, making us feel at home from the very beginning.

Of the three cities we visited in China, Chengdu ended up being our favourite. We loved its relaxed atmosphere, incredible Sichuan cuisine and the way modern city life blends seamlessly with peaceful parks, historic temples and traditional neighbourhoods. Despite being one of China’s largest cities, it never felt overwhelming.

We only spent three nights here, but left wishing we’d planned a longer stay. Next time, we’ll definitely use Chengdu as a base to explore more of Sichuan Province, and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend adding it to any China itinerary.