Pandas, a cliff-carved Buddha and a sacred mountain above the clouds — Sichuan’s big three, at your own pace. One private car and driver for the whole trip, hotels booked around a route that actually flows, and zero forced shopping stops.

The core plan below takes three days. Squeeze it to two or stretch it to four with the optional modules — most families settle on three.

Only have one day in Chengdu? See our Chengdu 1-day route instead.

Route Summary

• Duration: 2–4 days, same car and driver throughout
• Pickup: any Chengdu hotel, Tianfu (TFU) or Shuangliu (CTU) airport
• Best for: families, first-time Sichuan visitors, food lovers
• Vehicle: 5-seat sedan/SUV or 7–9 seat MPV — the MPV is the popular choice for multi-day trips with luggage
• Price: quoted by days, route and vehicle — send us your dates for a quote

Core Itinerary (3 Days)

Day 1 — Chengdu: pandas and the slow life

Early pickup for the Panda Base at opening time (the cubs are only lively at breakfast). Late morning at Wenshu Monastery and its teahouse, afternoon between People’s Park (bamboo chairs, ear cleaning, mahjong) and the Kuanzhai Alleys, evening at Jinli Street with a proper hotpot dinner — your driver knows which places do honest mild pots.

Day 2 — Leshan Giant Buddha, overnight at Mount Emei

Two hours south to Leshan: see the 71-meter Buddha from the river boat (no stairs, full view) or the cliff walkway, then a short drive to Emei town for the night — hot-spring hotels here are the reward for a day well spent.

Day 3 — Mount Emei, return to Chengdu

Up the mountain by park shuttle and cable car to the Golden Summit at 3,079 m: the ten-direction Buddha statue floating above a sea of clouds on a clear morning. Watch your snacks — the mountain’s monkeys are professional thieves. Back in Chengdu by evening, or drop-off at the airport/rail station.

Optional Modules

• + Sanxingdui Museum (half–full day): the eerie 3,000-year-old bronze masks that rewrote Chinese history — 1.5 hours north, pairs well with a final morning.
• + Dujiangyan & Qingcheng Mountain (1 day): the 2,200-year-old irrigation wonder plus a Taoist mountain stroll.
• − Short on time: drop Emei, do pandas + Leshan as our 1-day route and keep Day 2 for the city.

Where You’ll Sleep

Night 1 in Chengdu (your hotel or we suggest well-located ones), Night 2 in Emei town — we book foreigner-friendly hotels and time everything so you never repack in a rush. Luggage stays safely in the car between cities.

What’s Included / Not Included

Included: vehicle + driver for all days, fuel, tolls, parking, driver’s meals and lodging.

Not included: your hotels (we’ll recommend and can book), attraction tickets and meals. We handle the timed-entry bookings — Panda Base and Emei cable cars matter in peak season.

Practical Tips & FAQ

Is Mount Emei hard work?

Not the way we do it: shuttle + cable car handle the climbing, and the summit boardwalks are gentle. Bring a warm layer — the top is 2,500 m higher than Chengdu — and hold your phone tight around monkeys.

Best season?

March–June and September–November are ideal. Summer is green but hazier; winter brings snow-covered summit views and quiet trails (rent crampons on site for a few yuan).

Can grandparents and toddlers manage this?

Yes — this is our most family-adjusted route: boat instead of stairs at Leshan, cable cars at Emei, and the car resets everyone between stops. Tell us ages and we’ll pace it.

How to Book

Send us on WhatsApp: dates, how many days you want, traveler count + kids’ ages, luggage, and what you must see. You’ll get a route plan and quote, usually within the hour.

Get a quote now — or browse Chengdu car service and more China routes.