Chengdu and Chongqing in one trip: how to plan it

Quick answer

Checked September 2026.

• How long: 5 to 7 days is right for a first visit. Chengdu 2 days, Chongqing 3 to 5.
• Which city first: start where your international flight lands, and leave from the other city.
• Train: Chengdu East to Chongqing West or Shapingba takes about 1.5 hours on most fast trains, and the fastest just over an hour. Second class is mostly 139 to 165 yuan and the price changes by train and by day.
• Dazu: Chengdu East to Dazu South is about 1 hour, so Dazu fits on the day you change cities.

Your two days in Chengdu

Day 1: pandas and old Chengdu

• Go into the Chengdu Panda Base as soon as it opens. Entry starts at 7:30 from March to October and 8:00 from November to February. The pandas are most active in the morning. After midday most of them are asleep, so go early.
• After lunch, Wenshu Monastery. Entry is free, and you can drink tea and have a bowl of vegetarian noodles inside.
• In the afternoon, Kuanzhai Alley.
• In the evening, the riverside at Jiuyanqiao, then barbecue and skewers on Wangping Street.

Day 2: Sanxingdui and the Three Kingdoms

• In the morning, the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, 75 to 90 minutes by car from the city. The bronze standing figure and the masks with protruding eyes stop most people in their tracks the first time. You really want someone explaining it. Our guide does this, so you do not need to hire one there.
• Back in the city, Wuhou Shrine in the afternoon. Jinli Street is right next to it and the lights come on in the early evening.
• Stay the night in Chengdu. No evening train.

On public holidays and weekends the Panda Base gets very crowded. Local visitors say you move along with the crowd and staff hurry you on if you stop for photos. On those days we swap Day 1 for Dujiangyan Panda Valley. It is quieter, you can see red pandas too, and the Dujiangyan irrigation system is on the way. Allow 2.5 to 3 hours for the drive there and back.

Tickets need booking ahead. The Panda Base only sells real-name tickets online, up to 14 days ahead. Sanxingdui and Wuhou Shrine also need booking. We book all of these for you.

The day you change cities: Chengdu, Dazu, Chongqing

• In the morning, take the high-speed train from Chengdu East to Dazu South, about 1 hour (for example, G3581 leaves at 9:30 and arrives at 10:32).
• Our Chongqing guide and car meet you at Dazu South station. Your bags go straight into the car.
• See the Dazu Rock Carvings at Baodingshan, about 2.5 hours.
• Drive into Chongqing. In the evening, see Hongya Cave lit up, from Qiansimen Bridge or the opposite bank, not from inside Hongya Cave.

How many days

5 days: Chengdu 2, Chongqing 3

1. Chengdu: Panda Base, Wenshu Monastery, Kuanzhai Alley, Jiuyanqiao in the evening
2. Chengdu: Sanxingdui, Wuhou Shrine and Jinli, stay in Chengdu
3. Train to Dazu South, Dazu Rock Carvings, drive into Chongqing, Hongya Cave at night
4. Chongqing: Yangtze River Cableway, the monorail through the building at Liziba, Ciqikou, Sichuan opera face-changing at the Huguang Guild Hall in the evening
5. Chongqing: Jiefangbei and Shibati, then to the airport for your flight

7 days: Chengdu 2, Chongqing 5

• Days 1 to 4 as the 5 day plan
• Day 5, Chongqing at a slower pace: Longmenhao Old Street, Xiahaoli, the Mountain City Trail, then a Two Rivers night cruise or the night view from the south bank
• Day 6: Wulong for the day. Three Natural Bridges and Fairy Mountain. In autumn and winter we leave at 7:00, because the park closes at 16:30
• Day 7: Jiefangbei and Shibati, then to the airport
• Dazu (Day 3) and Wulong (Day 6) have two city days between them, so you never have two long drives in a row

10 days: Chengdu 2, Chongqing 5, Zhangjiajie 3

• Days 1 to 6 as the 7 day plan
• Day 7: Jiefangbei in the morning, then the afternoon high-speed train from Chongqing East to Zhangjiajie, about 2 hours on the fastest trains
• Days 8 to 10: Zhangjiajie. See Chongqing to Zhangjiajie

Which city first

• Follow your flights. Start in the city you land in and finish in the city you fly out of. That way you never go back on yourself.
• If both work, start in Chengdu. Chengdu's two days are slower, which helps with jet lag. Chongqing is all hills and steps, and by then you are used to walking.
• Flying from Kuala Lumpur: AirAsia X flies direct to Chongqing. It takes about 4 hours 45 minutes, leaving Kuala Lumpur at 8 pm and landing in Chongqing at 00:45 (AirAsia website, checked September 2026, on sale until January 2027). If you land after midnight, the first night is just the airport pickup and your hotel, and the sightseeing starts the next day. In that case do Chongqing first and fly out of Chengdu.

The train between the two cities

• On the Chongqing side there are three main stations: Chongqing West, Chongqing North and Shapingba. On the Chengdu side almost every train uses Chengdu East.
• For the fastest trip, use Shapingba or Chongqing West. Most trains from there take just over an hour. Many trains from Chongqing North take about 2 hours.
• Second class is about 133 to 165 yuan. The price changes by train and by day (checked by our team, September 2026).
• To stop at Dazu on the way: Chengdu East to Dazu South is about 1 hour, with a few trains a day. It works well if you leave in the morning and reach Chongqing in the afternoon.

How we arrange it

• We arrange both cities, in one booking. Each city has its own local guide: a Chengdu guide in Chengdu and a Chongqing guide in Chongqing, each talking about their own city.
• On the day you change cities, your Chengdu guide sees you onto the train, and your Chongqing guide and car meet you at Dazu South. You never have to drag your bags around looking for a car.
• We buy the train tickets. Just send us your passport details.

Where each figure comes from

FAQ