7 Days Chengdu Pandas & Xian Terracotta Warriors Encounter

Nihao! Welcome to Chengdu, the Hometown of Giant Pandas! Your private driver and guide will be ready for you when you arrive in Chengdu. Enjoy a trouble-free transfer to your hotel. The rest of today is yours to relax in panda city on your own.

Arrival Ideas:
Chengdu is well connected by air and high-speed rail. There are two airports - Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport operating many international and domestic airlines. Travelers can go to Chengdu by air from most cities in China, like Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian, Guilin, Hangzhou, Kunming, Lhasa, Lanzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen, Guiyang, Chongqing… In addition, travelers can take high speed train to Chengdu from Xian (3-4 hours), Chongqing (1.5-2 hours), Guiyang (3.5-4.5 hours), Kunming (6-6.5hours), etc.

Free Time Ideas:
You are welcome to ask your tour guide for some useful tips to spend your free time based on your time and interest.

After breakfast, you are going to fulfill your panda dream with a 17-kilometer drive to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Also called Chengdu Panda Base, accommodated over 100 pandas, it is the base with the largest population of captive giant pandas in the world. You will see giant pandas of different ages there. It’s great fun to watch them playing, eating, climbing, sleeping… If you come in autumn, you will have the chance to see the pink newborn giant panda cubs in the Sunshine Nursery House and the Moonlight Nursery House. Besides giant pandas, you can also meet the cute red pandas walking by your side in the Red Panda Playgrounds. Then follow your guide to discover more about panda’s secrets through the Panda Museum. (Note: Pandas like cool weather, so we advise you to arrive there early as pandas are more active in the morning.)

Later, be transferred to the best preserved Buddhist monastery in Chengdu - Wenshu Monastery to feel the peaceful atmosphere. Pay a visit to Chengdu’s Renmin Park to witness the city’s leisurely lifestyle and how the local people are doing. Order a cup of fragrant green tea while sitting in the time-honored tea-house, chat with your friends and see local playing mahjong and having fun. After that, return to Chengdu downtown for an relaxing stroll at Jinli Old Street. With a history over 1,800 years, it showcases the profound cultures of Ancient Shu Kingdom. Take a nice walk on the traditional stone-paved street full of delicious local snacks, delicate artifacts, interesting folk shows, etc. (Optional Activity: Try some local spicy dishes such as chuanchuan, dandan noodles, or even get out of your comfort zone and try some rabbit's head!)

Recommended Optional Evening Activities:

1)Watch a wonderful Sichuan Opera performance which includes face changing, spitting fire, hand shadows, puppet show, dancing, singing and acrobatics. (usually from 20:00 to 21:30).
2)Appreciate the city’s night view by boat (30mins) along the Jinjiang River, which winds through central Chengdu. ( 18:00~23:30)

In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel, then be driven about 2 hours from Chengdu to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site - Leshan Giant Buddha which is the largest and tallest stone-carved statue of Buddha in the world. Standing at the confluence of two rivers, the extraordinary, monumental 1200-year-old Buddha image at Le Shan is carved directly into the rock face. The monument stands 71m (233ft) tall and 28m (92ft) wide making it the largest ancient Buddha in the world. His shoulders span 28m, and each of his big toes is 8.5m long. His ears are 7m. He is indeed grand. There is a local saying: "The mountain is a Buddha and the Buddha is a mountain".

You will walk down and up and watch the Buddha from a very close distance. It allows you to see each part of Leshan Giant Buddha closely and presents you with a surprising experience with many ancient Buddhist temples, sculptures, caves and religious relics on the way up to mountain top near the head of the Buddha. (Recommended Optional Activity: The plank pathways are steep and narrow. If it is not convenient for you to walk, you can take a cruise to get a panoramic view and fully appreciate this Buddha’s magnitude on the river.)

Later you will be driven about 45 kilometers to Baoguo Temple, which is the biggest temple of Mount Emei at the mountain foot. After tour, drive to check in at your hotel and have a good rest.

You will spend a full day visiting Mount Emei, which is one of the World Heritage Sites for both cultural and natural heritages. Mount Emei is one of the four famous sacred Buddhist mountains in China, with numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries. Beyond its rich cultural heritage, the mountain also stands on the edge of the eastern Himalayan highlands and hosts a diverse range of plants and animals and amazing natural scenery.

You will take a relaxing way to visit Mount Emei by sightseeing bus+hiking+cable car. Tourist Center - Sightseeing Bus to Leidongping( about 1.5~2 hours) - Walk 30mins to Jieyin Hall - Go up to Golden Summit by cable car(5mins) - Sightseeing in Golden Summit - Ascend the Mountain in the Same Way.

It will help you save energy and focus on the highlights of Mount Emei. The Golden Summit is an extravagance of natural wonders and Buddhism spiritualism, which comprises of four marvelous spectacles of Sunrise, Cloud Sea, Buddhist Light and sacred lamp. You can stroll around the Golden Summit to explore Buddhist architecture and tradition, and enjoy a panoramic view of Mount Emei and surrounding. If weather permits, you will have luck to enjoy its magnificent wonder of Cloud Sea.

After the tour, your guide and driver will escort you back to the hotel in Chengdu.

This morning you can explore Chengdu freely. Then your guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and you will be escorted to train station for your high speed train to Xian (about 3.5 - 4.5 hours).

Welcome to Xian, the capital of 13 ancient China dynasties! Upon your arrival at the train station, the tour guide and driver will greet you at the exit, and then take you to visit Shanxi History Museum. Regarded as “the Pearl of ancient dynasties and house of Chinese treasures”, it has collections of 130,000 historical artifacts, showing visitors a miniature overview of thousand years of Chinese history and the splendid ancient cultures of old times. Enjoy the educational visit while exploring historical relics ranging from bronze ware from the Western Zhou Dynasty, and terracotta figures, to gold and silverware and murals discovered in Tang tombs. Later, pay a visit to the Tang-style Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the landmark of Xian situated in the Da Ci’en Temple. After the tour, you will be escorted to the hotel in Xian downtown area.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. Drive about 40km (about 1 hour) to uncover one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world - the Terracotta Army Museum, which was built by the first emperor of China - Qin Shihuang to protect him in his afterlife. There are about 8,000 vivid life-size Terracotta Warriors found so far. First, pay a visit to the largest and most imposing pit which is believed to contain over 6,000 terracotta figures of soldiers and horses. You will be amazed by the subterranean life-size army of thousands silently standing and guarding the emperor and also be awed by the fabulous artistic skills of ancient Chinese artisans. Next, move to another pit where you can feast your eyes with around 1300 warriors and horses. You can get to examine the ancient army array by visiting the kneeling and standing archers, the chariot war array and numerous troopers holding weapons, etc. (Note: If you are interested, you can learn how to make a mini terracotta warrior.)

After lunch, drive back downtown to visit the Ancient City Wall (also known as the Fortification of Xian). The city wall is a kind of defensive structure in Ancient Times and represents one of the oldest, largest, and best-preserved Chinese city walls. Spend some time leisurely walking on the wall and enjoy its inner and outer walls, watchtowers, and moat, and have panoramic views of modern Xian.

Late in the afternoon, go to explore the vivid local life when you go to wander happily around the bustling and lively Muslim Quarter. It is a paradise mixed with different local snacks and Muslim culture.

Today is free for you to explore the ancient city until our guide transfer you to train station/airport for departure.

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!