My Grand Tour of China – Chengdu and the Giant Pandas

Our last bullet train journey taking us from Xi’an to the home of the Giant Panda Research and Breeding Centre which is Chengdu.

This was the only time we had to join the train with our own luggage. And we had to be quick as we only had 2 minutes to board the train. Bearing in mind people getting off and we had to get on with our main suitcase. Never the less Mark prepared us well and we all got on and no case left behind.

Once we reached Chengdu we were met by our next local guide Jack and taken to a hotel for our dinner. I was starting to notice the spices emerging by this point. The further South you head in China the spicier the food becomes.

After dinner we were taken for a half day tour of Kuan Zhai Alley then Jinli Street. Both sites were great for shopping, a beer or two and a great selection of ice cream. Just one of these places was enough to experience the local markets but all in all it was nice and i managed to pick up some panda souvenirs and chopsticks to take back home.

We checked into our hotel The Fairmont Chengdu. This hotel was amazing, one of the nicest hotels i have ever stayed in, just the standard rooms are unbelievable. So much space and excellent facilities.

Of course we had to press the many buttons in the room.

We headed out for a Sichuan meal at a lovely restaurant across the road a few minutes walk away.

After breakfast we were on our way to the Panda sanctuary. Jack had quite a few interesting facts for us on the way there. The pandas are most active in the morning after breakfast. I was so surprised to find how many we would see and how close we would see them. I didn’t need my camera lense as much as i though i would. Safe to say they were absolutely adorable. There were roughly about 40+ pandas there of different ages.

After a lovely morning at the sanctuary it was time to switch to a comfier coach and head on down to Chongqing to pick up our River Cruise for the Yangtze. The drive wasn’t great as there was an accident creating a lot of traffic and delayed us for what was already going to be a long journey. We made it in the end and managed to have a meal close by at a restaurant before joining the boat. Safe to say we were very tired and ready to sleep.

So next time i will tell you about our journey down a section of the Yangtze River.

For more information on a selection of our China packages please click below or call 0333 300 2656 –

The Grand Tour of China

China In Your Hands With Great Wall, Terracotta Army, Shanghai, Tokyo & Kyoto

China Vs Japan in the Fall

The Grand Tour of China 2021