How to get around Chongqing, the 3D city

Quick answer

In Chongqing, measure distance in floors, not metres. Two streets that sit side by side on the map can be more than ten storeys apart. The Yuzhong peninsula is worth walking, but follow a set route that runs downhill, and don't take shortcuts off the map. A taxi saves you most of the stairs, as long as you tell the driver which level to stop at.

Why the map misleads you in Chongqing

• The same building has more than one "ground floor". Hongya Cave has 11 floors between Jiabin Road on the river and Cangbai Road at the top, and both ends open onto a street. Kuixinglou's main square is outside its 9th floor, level with the street, and the sky bridge from it leads to the 22nd floor of the tower next door. Baixiangju is 24 storeys with no lift, and different blocks open onto different streets.
• Navigation apps can't tell levels apart. Your phone says you've arrived, but you may be on the roof of the place, or on another road below it.
• Most shortcuts are stairs. Two points look close in a straight line, but there is often a flight of uphill steps between them.

Can a taxi keep you off the stairs? Yes, if you say which level

Show the driver the Chinese name. It works better than English. When you call a car, ask to be dropped at the upper level, and call again from the lower level when you're done.

On public-holiday evenings, Cangbai Road, Jiabin Road and Qiansimen Bridge around Hongya Cave can have temporary traffic controls, and cars often can't stop at the door. On those days, get out around Jiefangbei and walk. It takes about 10 minutes.

Two downhill routes across the Yuzhong peninsula

The times below are flat-ground map times. Chongqing has slopes and steps, so allow a few extra minutes for each leg.

Route 1: the Jialing River side, at dusk, for the lights

1. Jiefangbei to Kuixinglou: about 540 metres, about 8 minutes on the flat. Stand on the square outside the 9th floor and look at the two sky bridges, more than 60 metres above the ground.
2. Kuixinglou to the Cangbai Road entrance of Hongya Cave: about 10 minutes on the flat. Go in at the 11th floor from Cangbai Road.
3. Hongya Cave 11th floor to Qiansimen Bridge: from the 11th-floor level, walk towards the bridge and go down a short flight of steps onto it. The footpath is about 2.5 metres wide and open in the evening. Look back at Hongya Cave lit up. This is the best angle on the whole building. On crowded nights one end of the bridge may be exit-only. Follow the signs and walk round to the other end to get on.
4. Back at Hongya Cave, wander down floor by floor to the riverside at the 1st floor. There are sightseeing lifts and escalators inside, so take them if you'd rather not climb back up.
5. Hongya Cave 1st floor to Chaotianmen: about 1.3 kilometres, about 18 minutes on the flat. This is where the two rivers meet.

For light times, see our Hongya Cave guide. Since 3 September 2026 the lights have been on from 19:30 to 23:00, and the times change a few times a year. Walking adds up to about 50 minutes. With browsing and the lights, allow 2 to 3 hours.

Route 2: the Yangtze side, by day, for the old town

1. Jiefangbei to Jiaochangkou: about 480 metres, about 6 minutes on the flat.
2. Shibati: walk downhill all the way from Jiaochangkou to Houci Street, about 800 metres, about 11 minutes on the flat. Shibati is a stepped street about 400 metres long with more than 200 stone steps. It reopened after a rebuild just before National Day 2021. The line of the steps is old, and the houses are new. Free, no booking.
3. At the bottom, pick one. Done walking: call a car on Houci Street and head back to Jiefangbei. Still walking: follow the road below for about 1 kilometre, about 13 minutes on the flat, to the Kaixuan Road Lift. It is China's first city passenger lift. It lifts you 32.5 metres in one go, from Kaixuan Road in the lower town back up to Xinhua Road in the upper town. One way costs 1 yuan.
4. To cross the river, go to Xiaoshizi. The north station of the Yangtze River Cableway is at 151 Xinhua Road, about 20 metres from Exit 5B of Xiaoshizi metro station. One way costs 30 yuan and takes you to the south bank.
5. To see Baixiangju, go in from Jiefang East Road at the top and walk down through the building and Baixiang Street to the Yangtze riverfront road. Then walk about 550 metres, about 7 minutes on the flat, to the Huguang Guild Hall.

Note: Baixiangju is a residential building, and people live there. When it's busy, the community admits visitors in groups. Keep your voice down inside and don't photograph residents' doors.

Walking adds up to about 40 minutes. With browsing, allow most of a day.

Older travellers, children and anyone with bad knees

• Walk downhill only. Leave the uphill parts to a car or a lift.
• Lifts you can use: the sightseeing lifts inside Hongya Cave and the Kaixuan Road Lift.
• Shibati: down only. Baixiangju: in at 15, out at 1.
• For more detail, see our Chongqing for seniors and Chongqing with kids guides.

Three ways not to get lost

1. Don't use Google Maps. Its data in China is incomplete. Use Apple Maps, which uses Amap (Gaode) data in China, or use Amap itself.
2. When you go into a building, ask which floor leads out to the road you want. Staff in the shops will know.
3. Follow metro exit numbers. Chongqing stations often have a dozen or more exits, and the wrong one can put you on a different level of road. For example, the Yangtze River Cableway is right by Exit 5B of Xiaoshizi station.

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