Guide to Visiting Giant Pandas in Chengdu - Best Places, Routes

Highly Recommended Places to See Giant Pandas

Top 1: Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (Xiongmao Jidi)

Boasting the most abundant amount of giant pandas, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is a paradise for panda fans. Located in downtown Chengdu, you can get to Chengdu Panda Base easily, which is very convenient for travelers with limited time.

Please get to the base at the opening time to avoid the large crowds which swell by 10 am. The early hour visit will ensure that you see the pandas at their most active. You will get to see some newborn pandas in incubators, cubs running around and playing, as well as sub-adults. The humidity and heat can be brutal on both humans and pandas, thus another reason to get in early before the pandas go inside.

• Location: 1375 Xiongmao Ave, Chengdu, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, 610016

• Entrance fee: Adult - 52 yuan; Child - 27 yuan

• Opening hours: 7:00am to 5pm

• Visiting duration: half a day

• How to get there: There are 4 ways from downtown to get to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

  1. By Tourist Bus (from Kuai Zhai Alley to panda base)

  There are tourist buses running between Panda base and Kuai Zhai Alley (宽窄巷子) every day. Buses from Kuai zhai alley to the base running from 08:30 to 14:30, departs every hour; buses return from the base running from 09:30 to 17:30,depart every hour.
  

  2. By Metro

  For tourist based in downtown area, it's easy for you to hop on line 2 at the Tianfu Square(天府广场), afterwhich you should change to line 3 at the Chunxi Rd Station(春熙路站). After 7 stop later, you should get off at the Xiongmao Avenue Station(熊猫大道站)，then take public bus 198/198A to get reach the base.

  3. By Public Bus

  You can take a bus in downtown to Zoo Bus Stop, and then transfer to Bus 87, 198A/198 to Panda Base Bus Stop. The trip will take an estimated 1 hour and 30 minutes. Or Take Bus 60 from Xinnanmen Tourism Coach Station and get off at Longqing Road Shulong Road. Then walk along the Panda Avenue for about several minutes to the panda center.
  

  4. By Taxi

  Taking a taxi from downtown to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding will charge you about RMB 50 regardless of traffic jam. The information is provided for your reference only. 

Top 2: Dujiangyan Panda Base of the Giant Panda Research Center

The Dujiangyan Giant Panda base is located in Shiqiao (Stone Bridge) Village of Qingchengshan Town. The Dujiangyan Panda Base covers an area of about 51 Hectares (126 acres), and enjoys a favorable climate and natural environment with vast bamboo forest coverage and lovely scenic surroundings. 

Located 67 kilometers away from Chengdu and the nearby Mount Qingcheng, Dujiangyan Panda Base and Center for Disease Control is quieter and more beautiful than Chengdu Panda Base. Less crowded than other locations and set in a beautiful location surrounded by wild bamboo you can get close to the pandas. It's a great place to interact with pandas. 

• Location: Shiqiao Village, Qingchengshan Town | Dujiangyan city, Chengdu 611830, China

• Entrance fee: Adult from 53 yuan

  Opening hours: 7:30am to 4:30pm

  Visiting duration: one day

  How to get there: There are 2 easy ways from downtown to get to Dujiangyan Panda Base of the Giant Panda Research Center.

  1. Intercity High Speed Train
  

  Take Intercity High Speed Train in Chengdu Railway Station and get off at Mt. Qingcheng Railway Station. Then take bus line 102 to Xiongmao Jikong Zhongxin and you will see the base.

  2. By Bus

  Take a bus from North City Bus Station, Airport Bus Station, or Xinnanmen Bus Station to Dujiangyan. Then, take bus line 102 to Xiongmao Jikong Zhongxin and walk to the base.

After visiting Dujiangyan Panda Base of the Giant Panda Research Center, you can also go to Panda Valley. Panda Valley is about 50 kilometers away from downtown Chengdu and is near Dujiangyan Panda Base. This panda center focuses on training pandas to return to the wild. There are only a few visitors, no need to queue. You can see pandas on both sunny and rainy days. 

Top 3: Bifengxia Giant Panda Base

Nearest large town is Ya'an about 16km away. Located in the Bifengxia Scenic Area, the Giant Panda Base has an open forest scenery and beautiful natural scenery. It is a cool place for summer leisure and summer, and also provides a good environment for the life of giant pandas.

After the Wenchuan earthquake, many injured giant pandas in Wolong were sent here for wild training. Here, the panda is divided into three areas, namely, the returning giant panda, the young panda, and the adult panda area. The pandas are mostly lazy and stay in the tall trees, which is very cute. It is quite tired to walk, but there is a shuttle bus in the scenic area, which is very convenient.

• Location: Bifeng Gorges Scenic Resort, Yucheng District, Ya'an 625000, China

• Entrance fee: Adult from 85 yuan

  Opening hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm

  Visiting duration: one day

  How to get there: There are 2 ways  by bus from Chengdu to Bifengxia Giant Panda Base.

  1. by bus from Xinnanmen Bus Station in Chengdu

  Take a bus from Xinnanmen Bus Station in Chengdu to Bifengxia. Buses leave every 35 minutes from 07:00 to 19:30. It takes about 2 hours. The buses actually arrive at Ya'an Tourism Bus Station. There you can take minibus to the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base. It takes 25 minutes.
  

• 2. by bus from Shiyangchang Bus Station in Chengdu
  

  Take regular bus from Shiyangchang Bus Station in Chengdu to Ya'an. Buses depart from 07:25 to 19:00. Actually they arrive at Ximen Bus Station. Therefore, you should take a taxi to Ya'an Tourism Bus Station and then change minibus to the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base.

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