3 Days Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou High Speed Train Tour

On this day, you will be escorted to Chengdu East Railway Station for a high-speed train to Huanglong Jiuzhai Station (about 1.5-2 hours). Upon arrival at Huanglong Jiuzhai Station, the local guide and driver will meet you there and escort you to Huanglong National Park, about 27 km away, with a 30-40 minutes' drive.

Huanglong National Park is a stunning valley with terraces of colored limestone ponds in blues, greens, oranges, yellows, and white. Huanglong, which means “Yellow Dragon”, got its name for its special geographical features. Seen from a distance, Huanglong's numerous travertine formations look like an enormous golden dragon arching across the valley, winding its way between the snowy mountain peaks. Huanglong Valley is also renowned for its superlative scenery of snow-topped mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, virgin forests, wild animals, etc. The area, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, has been called a "World Wonder" and "Fairy Land on Earth."

Instead of a 6-hour hike, you are suggested to take a quick cable car directly to the top and then walk down the valley to enjoy the scenery (usually 3 to 4 hours). Walking down the mountain, you can see the main sites of Honglong Monastery, Five-Colored Ponds, Mirror Ponds, Welcoming Guest Ponds, a waterfall, as well as some temples and caves.

At the top (3556 m) of the valley lies the best highlight - Five-Color Ponds, consisting of almost 700 ponds of different sizes, shapes, and colors. It is well arranged and noted for the most graceful, bright, and distinct colors. Cobbles on the bottom shape into prisms of clearly visible chromatism between the texture and water plants. Water in the pools overflows, which makes all the colorful pools look like pieces of azure green jade plates from a distance.

After sightseeing, you will leave the park and drive for about 2 hours (104km) to Jiuzhaigou to check in at your hotel.

Useful Tips for Visiting Huanglong National Park:

1. The altitude of Huanglong is higher than that of Jiuzhaigou, ranging from 3,200 to 3,600 meters (10,500 to 11,800 feet), which may cause high altitude sickness for some travelers. You'd better avoid any strenuous exercises. It is recommended to prepare an oxygen bottle, or there are also many oxygen stations in the park.

2. The Huanglong cable car is closed in winter.

After breakfast at your hotel, set out for a full-day exploration of Jiuzhaigou National Park. Your guide will accompany you to hop on a sightseeing bus to enter the park and explore the fairyland landscape of Jiuzhaigou.

With some of the most beautiful and inspiring scenery on earth, Jiuzhaigou was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and is even one of China's most enchanting attractions. Jiuzhaigou (literally "Nine Settlement Valley") takes its name from the nine Tibetan settlements along its length, which is most renowned for its bluer-than-blue lakes, rushing waterfalls, colorful forests, and deep woodlands backlit by snowy mountain ranges.

The park is a Y-shaped valley with three main sections: the Zechawa, Rize, and Shuzheng valleys. The relaxing and wise way to visit is to take advantage of the sightseeing bus. There are sightseeing buses running from the entrance to the three valleys. Travelers hop off the bus, walk along wooden plank roads to enjoy the sights, then hop on another bus to the next attractions. Our tour guide will design a smart route according to your time, energy, and crowd level, and accompany you to explore the essence of Jiuzhaigou at a comfortable pace.

The classic visiting route is to take a sightseeing bus to Nuorilang Waterfall. After that, take a bus to Zechawa Valley. From there, have a short hike to Five-Flower Lake and Pearl Beach. Then move to Rize Valley to visit Panda Lake, Five Flowers Lake, Pearl Shoal, Mirror Lake, etc. Lastly, return to Nuorilang. Rest at the joining point of the "Y" - Nuorilang Tourist Center. After a good rest, spend your time visiting Shuzheng Valley. Then descend along Shuzheng Valley to the park entrance and enjoy the great natural scenery interspersed with traditional Tibetan villages, etc., on the route.

Useful Tips for Visiting Jiuzhaigou Valley:

1. Get to the park earlier to escape the crowds of tourist groups.

2. Wear comfortable walking shoes or hiking and trekking shoes.

3. Dining options inside the park are limited and expensive. Buffet lunch is provided at Nuorilang Restaurant (the only restaurant in the valley). If you bring your own food, you can picnic far away from the masses and avoid spending too much time at the busiest points.

After breakfast, your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel and accompany you to the train station or airport for your train or flight to your next destination.

Trip Extension Ideas: If you want to explore Sichuan or China and other Asia destinations rather than return home right away, we would be glad to assist you with an extension trip. Feel free to tell us your ideas!

Thank you for choosing Asia Odyssey Travel for your China tour, and we are always here working for you and hope to see you again for your next trip to China/Asia. Safe journey!