How to Plan a Chongqing Tour

Surrounded by mountain ranges and the confluence of the Yangtze River and Jialing River around the downtown area of Chongqing, this city is often called a mountain and river city.  It is also impressive and unique with a long and rich history associated with the Shu Kingdom and famous for its food, especially the Chongqing hot pot. Read on to plan your visit to cover some of the best Chongqing attractions on your tour.

Places to stay in Chongqing

Catering to an increased number of visitors arriving in the city, there are numerous accommodation options available from basic accommodation facilities to globally renowned properties catering to different categories of visitors. The following are the best areas to find accommodation and be conveniently located to famous attractions and sites.Yuzhong District, Jiangbei District, Nan’an District and core Jiefangbei area.

Explore historical sites and awesome attractions 

With a plethora of historical sites and attractions in Chongqing, a few handpicked ones are listed below whilst many more are available if your stay is going to be a longer one.

Hongya Cave – Also known as Hongyadong is a noteworthy historical site as one of the ancient city gates of Chongqing. Situated in the Binjiang River area at the confluence of the two rivers, Yangtze, and Jialing, at present, this is a popular area visited by guests from apartments in Chongqing to admire the fine architecture and folk customs in the form of quaint stilted buildings, and commercial streets with antiques.

Ciqikou Ancient Town – This is a beautiful village surrounded by three mountains with a river and lake adding to the beauty. It was a business port during the historical era and had been popular for producing and selling porcelain. Even at present, there are porcelain items. Wooden crafts and clothing that visitors from hotels such as Ascott Raffles City Chongqing browse and even purchase as gifts for loved ones, and wind up the visit with a traditional meal.

Chongqing Luohan Temple – Built over 1000 years ago this fine Buddhist Temple is in Yuzhong District. It is outstanding with the long entranceway with rock carvings on either side.  A large hall contains sculptures of Buddhist Arahats and a large golden statue of the Lord Buddha. A lot of locals and visitors visit this fascinating temple.

Wulong Fairy Mountain National Park – Known as the No.1 Grassland in Southern China and dubbed as Eastern Switzerland, this scenic park belonging to the Wuling mountain range is in the Eastern part of Chongqing. The beauty of the highland landscape and encompassing scenery makes the visitors linger admiring the breathtaking sights and capturing many Instagram-worthy images.

Time of travel and duration of your stay

Blessed with a subtropical climate, Chongqing is best visited during the Spring (March to May) and Autumn (September to October) seasons as temperatures are cooler during these months making your visit a comfortable and enjoyable one. May to September is the rainy season.

Most visitors to Chongqing feel that at least a 4 to 5-day tour is enjoyable as it offers the chance to see more attractions and the pacing is not hectic as the distances to cover if you are venturing far from Chongqing are much greater.

Arriving in and travelling within Chongqing

International visitors can arrive in Chongqing by using a direct flight to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai or Xi’an and connecting to a domestic flight from such cities to Chongqing. They can even arrive from the above Chinese cities to Chongqing using the high-speed train instead of using a flight as there are 04 main railway stations in Chongqing.Once in Chongqing, the metro, bus, coach, or taxi are possible modes of transport to visit sites and attractions.