How to Enjoy Your Own Panda Tour in Chengdu – A cuddle-a-panda holiday!
One of the green tourist attractions in Chengdu, pandas, are just delightful. Pandas are more than just a tourist attraction; China uses them as a cultural symbol, and there’s even a term for that: Panda Diplomacy. If you are in China, you must make your way to Chengdu to see these beautiful animals. And here’s how you can do your own panda tour in Chengdu.
Panda | Image by Pascal Müller via Unsplash
A little more about seeing pandas in Chengdu
Wondering about where to go to see pandas? Of course, the Giant Panda Breeding Centre is at the top of the list. The place is about 35 minutes from Ascott Raffles City Chengdu – the centre is a popular attraction, so you’ll find several Chengdu holiday apartments within the vicinity.You can easily take the bus to get here, but the best thing to do is to take a taxi or an Uber; taking a taxi from the city centre can cost you about USD 20.Inside the centre is a massive educational facility that will teach you everything you need to know about pandas. One of the best things about the Giant Panda Breeding Centre is that it attempts to create an environment identical to their natural habitat so that the pandas don’t feel out of place.The place is open from 7.30 AM to 6 PM. The best time to visit, however, is in the morning. Pandas are exceptionally lazy, and they hate moving around, but this changes when it’s feeding time, which occurs in the morning.You can also bring your camera to take pictures of these beautiful creatures.
Wolong Panda Centre
Located about two hours from Chengdu, Wolong Panda Centre is larger than the Giant Panda Breeding Centre but not as popular due to the distance. Also, the earthquake in 2008 damaged the facility considerably. However, the scenery here looks less artificial and is much more beautiful than that of the breeding centre. Also, this might be the only place where you can take a picture with a panda.You can take the bus to get here, but it will be a long and sometimes uncomfortable journey. Alternatively, you can take a taxi.
Dujiangyan Panda Base
A UNESCO World Heritage site, Dujiangyan, is another place to see pandas. The place also has an ancient irrigation system that has been working since the 3rd century; it’s about 2,000 years old. If you get here to see pandas, make sure you have an extra day or two on your timetable to explore the surroundings - Mount Qingcheng is a must-see.Dujiangyan Panda Base is a 90-minute journey from the city, so you won’t find many crowds here. This is one of the best places to spend some quality time with friends and family in a setting so beautiful.
Cuddling with pandas
This has been one of the main drawcards for tourism in West China. Most tourists visit the region hoping to cuddle a panda cub and take a picture. This was not an expensive activity a few years ago – it was only about USD 40 – but it’s become quite expensive and sometimes unavailable too. At present, the activity costs about USD 500; this is just to hold a cub and get your picture taken, which, by the way, won’t take more than a few minutes.It is not always possible to cuddle pandas due to various reasons. For instance, if there’s a contagious disease among the pandas, the staff won’t let you near them. This is done for your own good, so you should heed their advice.
Best time to visit Chengdu
There are two tourist seasons:
- March to June
- September to November
These are peak seasons, so expect large crowds, and the accommodation rates go high too. But the weather is excellent during these months.
