Tianfu Square
First-timersThe centre, with the metro.
Chengdu city guide
Things To Do In Chengdu
Giant pandas, fiery Sichuan food, teahouses in the park and a famously relaxed pace. China's most liveable big city, and a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
11
Hostels in the city
9.4
Average, from 5,054 reviews
71 m
The Leshan Giant Buddha
2010
UNESCO City of Gastronomy
Opening
When the pandas are active
Pandas, pepper and teahouses
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province and famous across China for its easy-going life. People spend afternoons in teahouses, playing mahjong in the parks, and eating some of the spiciest and most numbing food in the world, flavoured with Sichuan pepper.
It is also the home of the giant panda, and the breeding centre on the edge of the city is the best place in the world to see them.
Chengdu is the gateway to western Sichuan and Tibetan areas, and to the Leshan Giant Buddha. Three days is right.
Where to stay
Around Tianfu Square and Chunxi Road is the modern centre, with the metro and shopping. Wenshu, near the Wenshu Monastery, is quieter and more traditional, with teahouses and lanes. Kuanzhai Xiangzi, the Wide and Narrow Alleys, is a restored historic area with bars and restaurants.
Wenshu
AtmosphereNear the monastery, with teahouses.
Kuanzhai Xiangzi
NightlifeThe restored Wide and Narrow Alleys.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 4 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Chengdu
Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan, is a relaxed city famous for giant pandas, teahouses and some of the spiciest food in China; UNESCO named it a City of Gastronomy in 2010.
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is the classic visit: go at opening, around 7.30am, when the pandas are fed and most active; by the afternoon they are mostly asleep. Book tickets online.
Spend an afternoon in a teahouse in People's Park, where locals drink tea, play mahjong and have their ears cleaned. The Wenshu Monastery, a working Buddhist temple, has a vegetarian restaurant and teahouse. Kuanzhai Xiangzi has restored Qing dynasty alleys.
See a Sichuan opera show, with face-changing performers who switch masks in a split second.
The Leshan Giant Buddha, 71 metres tall and carved into a cliff in the eighth century, is an hour away by high-speed train. Mount Emei, a sacred Buddhist mountain, and Dujiangyan, an ancient irrigation system still in use, are both UNESCO-listed.
Free things
Free things to do in Chengdu
People's Park and its teahouses are free to enter; a cup of tea is a couple of euros. The Wenshu Monastery is free or almost free, and so is wandering Kuanzhai Xiangzi and the city's parks.
Watching the dancing and mahjong in the parks costs nothing.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Chengdu
Sichuan food is famous for mala, the numbing heat of Sichuan pepper combined with chilli. Hot pot, a bubbling pot of spicy broth in which you cook meat and vegetables, is the city's essential meal; order a split pot with a milder side if needed.
Mapo tofu, kung pao chicken, dandan noodles and chuanchuan, skewers cooked in spicy broth, are everywhere. Tianshui mian, sweet water noodles, and dragon wontons, longchaoshou, are local snacks.
A street meal is €2 to €5; hot pot €10 to €20.
Nightlife
Going out in Chengdu
Chengdu has a lively nightlife: bars and clubs around Jiuyanqiao on the river, Kuanzhai Xiangzi's bars, and late-night hot pot and skewers.
A beer is €2 to €5.
Getting around
Getting around Chengdu
Chengdu has two airports: Shuangliu, closer to the centre, and Tianfu, further out; both connect by metro.
The metro covers the city, and Didi is cheap. The panda base is reached by metro and a short taxi, or direct buses.
High-speed trains reach Leshan in about an hour, Chongqing in about an hour and a half, and Xi'an in about three.
Costs
What Chengdu costs
Chengdu is cheap for a big Chinese city. Dorms start around €10 and a careful day is €30 to €45.
The panda base is about €7, the Leshan Giant Buddha about €10, and a Sichuan opera show €15 to €30. Tea in a park is a couple of euros.
The currency is the yuan (CNY), at roughly 8 yuan to the euro; prices here are euro equivalents. Almost everyone pays by phone: set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you arrive, and carry some cash as a backup.
Safety
Staying safe in Chengdu
Chengdu is very safe.
Sichuan food can be extremely spicy; say 'bu la' for not spicy, or 'wei la' for mild. Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked; use an eSIM with international roaming, and Amap or Baidu Maps for directions. Carry your passport: it is needed for trains, hotels and many sights, which are booked by real name.
Many nationalities can now enter China visa-free for up to 30 days, under a scheme extended to the end of 2026, and 240-hour visa-free transit covers many more; check the rules for your passport before you travel.
Emergency: 110 police, 120 ambulance, 119 fire.
Day trips from Chengdu
The Giant Buddha, a sacred mountain and an ancient irrigation system.
Leshan Giant Buddha
A 71-metre Buddha carved into a cliff.
Mount Emei
A sacred Buddhist mountain.
What's on
What is on while you are there
The Lantern Festival lights up the city after Chinese New Year.
1–11 October
Joker Xue
Joker Xue brings a theatrical concert experience to Chengdu's Sports Park, where dramatic themes of transformation and power play out through light, shadow, and…
10 October
Chengdu Rongcheng vs. Tianjin Jinmen Tiger
Chengdu Rongcheng takes on Tianjin Jinmen Tiger at the Phoenix Mountain Sports Center in a Chinese Super League clash between two ambitious clubs. Chengdu,…
24 October
Chengdu Rongcheng vs. Dalian Yingbo
Chengdu Rongcheng faces off against Dalian Yingbo in this Chinese Super League matchup at the Phoenix Mountain Sports Center. Both clubs bring international flair…
26 October
Chengdu Marathon
The Chengdu Marathon draws runners from around the globe to race through a city where modern energy and deep-rooted traditions share the streets. Starting…
2–4 October
Kaixin Mahua’s Comedy Chuma
A workplace slacker who moonlights as a spirit medium, a wealthy clan fighting over inheritance, and a quota-chasing magistrate collide in this slapstick comedy…
3 October
The Little Match Girl:
A family stage play brings "The Little Match Girl" to life with a heartwarming twist, transporting young audiences to the fantastical kingdom of Princess…
3–5 October
Li Jian
Li Jian continues his musical journey with the "Everything Flourishes" Encore tour, featuring newer works like "Wherever One Goes" and "Home Under the Starry…
6–7 October
Adorable Miracle
A fairy tale world has lost its color, and it takes two brave characters Pleasant Goat and Happy from the "Greater Bay Chicken" IP…
Hostels
Where to stay in Chengdu
The top-rated places to stay in Chengdu right now, live from Hostelworld.
When to go
March to June and September to November. Summers are hot and humid. Avoid Golden Week (1–7 October) and Chinese New Year if you can, when the whole country travels.
Jan
Cold and grey
Feb
Lantern Festival
Mar
Spring
Apr
Excellent
May
Excellent
Jun
Hot
Jul
Hot and wet
Aug
Hot and wet
Sep
Good
Oct
Golden Week crowds
Nov
Good
Dec
Grey
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. Chengdu is often grey.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in yuan locally; these are euro equivalents.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Chengdu travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
When should I see the pandas?
At opening, around 7.30am, when they are fed and active.
Is the food very spicy?
Often; say "bu la" for not spicy or "wei la" for mild.
What is face-changing?
A Sichuan opera art where performers switch masks in a split second.
How do I get to Leshan?
By high-speed train, about an hour.
How many days do you need?
Three.
When is the best time to visit?
March to June and September to November.
Do I need a visa?
Many nationalities can enter visa-free for 30 days until the end of 2026; check your passport.
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