Sichuan Walking Tour - 5 Days

This is a gound tour. Please remember to have a day pack with you to take necessary items for each day's visit, sometimes including packed lunch or snacks for yourself, drinking water recommended 1L minimum, sunglasses, rainproof, warm-keeping clothes and hat, sun block and lip oil, etc.

SIn the morning we will start from Chengdu after breakfast and drive for around 2.5h to Yaan Bifengxia Panda Base for today’s trip. Yaan Bifengxia Panda Base is one of the 6 panda bases in/around the city of Chengdu. Bifengxia means Gorge of Green Hills, it is also a tourist attraction that has gorge and waterfall scenery that share the same natural environment with the panda base itself. Bifengxia Panda Base is home to around 30 to 40 pandas in total. It is a less-touristy panda base comparing to the other ones near the city of Chengdu. We will spend 2 hours watching the pandas and panda cubs by the panda base in Bifengxia and then check out the panda base and do the hiking of Bifeng Gorge. The walking is on paved stairs for total around 7km to finish the circuit trail with views of waterfalls, small rivers, cliffs and forests. Bifeng Gorge is a typical landscape of subtropical rainforest in China. The stairs are not steep but can be damp. Normally one starts by the panda base and walk down to the bottom of the valley then follow the river down and then up. Coming up the valley you can use an elevator by the end of hiking.

Afterwards we will drive for around 2.5 hours to Yaan and sleep for overnight.

Total driving 5h, total visiting 2+5h, walking 7-8km paved trail & stairs, moderate pace;

Overnight altitude at 800m, highest altitude at 1100m.

In the morning after breakfast we will drive in to one of the most wild valleys of Giant Panda habitat by White Bear Valley to do a full day hiking. “White Bear” is giant panda and a name called by local people of the black and white panda. This valley is one of the places where local rangers walk and saw giant pandas in the wild from time to time although the chance is very low if we are there just for one day. Despite the walking in the actual panda reserve, we shall also have good views of river gorges and mountain landscape. The walking will be along the valley in and out same way in very quiet and protected nature. We shall start by around elevation of around 2500m and walk to around 2800m and go back. This elevation range is the perfect elevation for arrow bamboos and where pandas roaming for food. In spring time the giant panda will go through mating season by late March and April. In May panda mother will be showing her baby how to do climbing. In summer time by late Jun and July the giant pandas will be looking for the delicious bamboo shoots. It will be super lucky to spot a panda in the wild but this place is one of the best places to do so.

After the hiking we will then drive out for around 2 hours and go check in to hotels.

TTotal driving 1+3h, total visiting 5+h, walking 7-8km unpaved track and trail, moderate pace;

Overnight altitude at 600m, highest altitude at 2800m.

Today is a full day hiking Labahe Reserve to its higher and core areas.

We will start from our hotel after breakfast and drive for around 1 hour and arrive Labahe and check in. Then go to the tourist bus station by using the park tourist park to go to the higher part of Labahe after 9am. Arrive at the higher part by the cable car station at around 2700m we will then start our hiking down from there on the road in nature. Animal lovers may consider to walk around the bus terminal and stay around for longer time for high chance of sighting Red Pandas in the season of August to February, or May to June.

Optionally we may consider to use the cable car to go up to the top of mountain called Jiaoshan. In some seasons the cable car may involve long time waiting due to not enough people so may need to wait til a cable car is full. After the cable car we will arrive the top of the mountains at 3500m and from there it is around 2km walking up to 3750m by the very end of paved boardwalk. The walking on this part above 3500m can be strenuous due to higher altitude. Although in good weather days the views are amazing that one can often see cloud below you and more mountains sometimes covered in snow. In spring season in April, May and June there is a high chance of spotting Chinese Monal at this altitude. After this part of hiking go back the same way and use cable car to go down the mountain. From the cable car it is also a great place for spotting wildlife since it’s in a higher position over the canopies and trees.

From the upper bus terminal walking down will involve walking on road for some part but mostly will be quiet and scenic. The highlight part is the “Panda Trail” that goes in to the forest and include the Red Rock trail in to the valley. This part of hiking is mainly on unpaved road and plank or boardwalk with normally no people and complete wild forest and valley views with chance of spotting Red Panda, Lady Amherst's pheasant, Tibetan Macaque, Samber Deer and also chance of Sichuan Takin and other forest and bush birds.

Today’s walking is also flexible that the higher part of the hiking is skippable if one worries the higher part altitude is too high. After the hiking we will then drive out of the reserve and continue drive for around 1 hour to the Luding and stay there for the night.

Total driving 2h, total walking 12+km, paved trail & stairs, moderate pace;

Overnight altitude at 1400m, highest altitude at 2700m (optional to 3750m).

Start from hotel and drive for around 1 hour and arrive Hailuogou Glacier Park and visit Hailuogou Glacier Park from the base by using tourist bus riding for about 40 minutes to get to near Camp 3.

Afterwards we will drive for around 2 hours to Dujiangyan and sleep for overnight.

Tourist bus will send you directly to Camp 3 and the walk is from camp 3 to the Glacier by the Glacier Caves for around 2.5km total single way. This 5km we can use a golf car service provided by the park to save time and the walking. Afterwards if time allows we can consider to walk from Camp 3 and to Grass Pond for another 5km in the primitive forest by the elevation of 2900m and 2700m.

Optionally if higher elevation is acceptable then one can before all hikings we first use cable car to get to Camp 4 to see the grand ice fall of Minya Konka before a short walk to the Red Rocks. Camp 4 is the highlight and also the highest where visitors can get to of Hailuogou Glacier Park. It is where we can see the highest peak of Minya Konka Range, the mountain range where Hailuogou Glacier comes from. The highest peak of Minya Konka is called Mt. Gongga, a mountain that is 7556-m above sea level, being the easternmost 7000er on earth. Although from Camp 4 Mt. Gongga is not very prominence because it is very far away but the glacier coming from it is amazing. There are also other mountains to see in Hailuogou including Mt. Jinyin (Mountain of Gold and Silver), Mt. Sanlian (Mountain of 3 Summits). Camp 4 is around around 3500m some may feel uncomfortable at this height.

After the visit and hiking we will then use tourist bus and come down the mountain and check in to hotel. Note tonight we will be staying at a hot spring hotel that one can enjoy a hot spring so please plan your time properly if you want to do this and have sufficient time for this.

(Today we also have the option to walk the wild valley of Nanmenguan or Yazigou for travelers who prefer less established/touristic places such as Hailuogou. But the other valleys with less /zero visitors may have accessibility issues in some seasons so please consult with us first if you want to try this option.)

Total driving 2h, total walking 10+km, paved trail & stairs, easy pace;

Overnight altitude at 1600m, highest altitude at 2900m (optional to 3500m).

Today is a day exploring one of the most stunning panoramic view locations of Minya Konka Range by the east above the valley. Starting by hotel and drive for around 1.5h up to the mountain and then switch to a local ATV and ride up to the top of mountain at 3100m and walk around the top below 3300m with stunning views of Minya Konka east face in the morning time while the sun still shines on this side. In cloudy or foggy seasons one should also have chance of seeing the sea of cloud under our feet. Normally it has higher chance of clear weather from October to the next April and the rest of the year the cloud and fog may happen more often but with still chance of good weather.

The walking is at the top at around 3100m with total distance of around 2km. After the top we will then choose to walk down for around 8km with good views of the mountains and valley. We shall start to drive back to Chengdu before 3pm in the afternoon and arrive in Chengdu by around 6pm.

(This place will also have other travelers and visitors. Today we also have the option to walk the wild valley of Lamoshe North for travelers who prefer less established/touristic places such as the planned place. But the other valley with zero visitors may also have accessibility issues in some seasons so please consult with us first if you want to try this option.)

Total driving 2+3h, total walking 8+km, paved trail & road, easy pace;

Highest altitude at 3200m (optional to 3300m).