Chengdu · Leshan · Zigong — A 6-Day Sichuan Discovery

Six Days, Three Cities, One Sichuan

Sichuan is rarely just one place — it is a mood that shifts from one valley to the next. In six easy days this private journey follows the province’s golden thread: the panda-cuddling, tea-sipping ease of Chengdu, the riverside serenity and thousand-year Buddha of Leshan, and the salt, lanterns and dinosaurs of Zigong. No leg of the drive runs longer than about two hours, so the whole family — young and old alike — can keep up, while every evening promises a different bowl, a different glow, and a different side of the “real Sichuan.”

Day 1: Arrive & Taste Chengdu

Land in Chengdu, settle in, and ease into the city’s famously gentle pace with a wander through the Kuanzhai Alleys or the lantern-lit lanes of Jinli. The day closes the only proper way — an authentic Sichuan hot pot, where the fiery broth is a rite of passage and the yin-yang pot your safety net.

Day 2: Pandas, Tea & Face-Changing

An early start for the morning the kids will never forget: the Giant Panda Base, where the pandas tumble and munch at their most playful. After a Sichuan lunch, the afternoon turns deliciously idle — covered-bowl tea and the legendary “Chengdu slump” in People’s Park, a proper Chinese massage, then a VIP seat for the Shu Feng Ya Yun Sichuan Opera, face-changing and all.

Day 3: The Giant Buddha by River

Say goodbye to Chengdu and drive about two hours to Leshan. There, a river cruise reveals the full face of the world’s largest carved Buddha — no uphill trek required. As dusk falls, Suji Old Town charms with its bridges and canals, and a steaming bowl of authentic qiaojiao beef warms you from the inside.

Day 4: A Steam Train into Old Sichuan

Board the Jiayang steam train in a private cabin and chug through farmland and forest, then step back half a century at the nostalgic Bagu People’s Commune. The afternoon unwinds with tea in Luocheng Old Town, whose legendary “boat-shaped” street has drawn leisurely crowds for generations.

Day 5: Salt, Lanterns & Dinosaurs

Cross into Zigong, the city of three calling cards. In lantern season (roughly Jan–May), pair the Salt Industry Museum and Shenhai Well with a yanbang-cuisine dinner and the “finest lanterns under heaven.” Year-round, the Dinosaur Museum — built right over a fossil site — and the Ziliujing old street keep Zigong glowing after dark.

Day 6: Home, if You Can Leave

After a lazy breakfast, a private transfer returns you to Chengdu (about 2–2.5 hours) and on to Tianfu or Shuangliu Airport. Book an afternoon flight, so the farewell never feels rushed.

What’s Included

A private car and English-speaking guide for all six days, the Leshan Giant Buddha river cruise, the Jiayang steam train ride, Sicuan Opera VIP seats, five nights in centrally located hotels, daily breakfast with selected lunches, and every transfer including airport pickup and drop-off. Reservations, queues and cross-city hops — all handled, so the journey stays as relaxed as the province itself.

Pricing

Price available on request — including hotel upgrades and optional add-ons such as Mount Emei.

Six days. Not too long. But just enough to taste, see and feel the very best of Sichuan — pandas, a giant Buddha, a steam train and China’s most dazzling lanterns.