3 Days In Chengdu, China: Pandas, Ancient Streets, and Royal Banquets

Planning a trip to Chengdu to see the pandas but have NO idea what else to do with your time there?

Welcome to the club. We were in the same boat. In fact, I think most people end up in the same boat when planning a larger trip across China. China travel research is TOUGH.

When I first started mapping out my own 3-week trip to China, I was stumped on Chengdu—see the pandas, eat some hot pot… what else? The internet wasn’t giving me much.

I then teamed up with my parents (who had access to all kinds of Chinese websites and since they could understand both Cantonese and Mandarin, watched a bunch of Chinese YouTube videos too) to craft the most fun 3-day itinerary for Chengdu out there.

Now, we’re not museum buffs or temple-hoppers, so you won’t find a ton of that here. One or two here and there, yes, but there’s a lot more to do in Chengdu than that.

Instead, we leaned into immersive experiences, shows, aimless walks through fascinating neighborhoods, and soaking in the local culture of the city.

Yes, we experienced pandas, but we also enjoyed ancient streets, trendy/artsy areas, a slice of local life, and even a royal banquet!

Chengdu turned out to be a city that surprised and delighted us at every turn. Follow this itinerary to experience for yourself why we all left as Chengdu superfans!

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Get Oriented: Chengdu, China

Here’s a quick overview of Chengdu to help you get oriented:

• City Layout: Chengdu is structured around a series of “rings” (like concentric circles), with the city center at Tianfu Square. The First Ring Road surrounds the immediate downtown area, while the Second, Third, and Fourth Ring Roads encircle progressively larger parts of the city. Most attractions are within the Second or Third Ring Roads.
• Travel Times: Driving from one end of the city to the other (Fourth Ring Road area) can take about 1 to 1.5 hours depending on traffic. The city is pretty dang large!
• Walkability: Chengdu’s central areas, like Chunxi Road or Kuanzhai Alley, are walkable and well-connected by metro. But many of the city’s big attractions (like the Panda Base or Sanxingdui Museum), are further out, so there are times where you’ll need to rely on taxis, rideshare, or shuttle buses.
• Where to Stay: The area around Chunxi Road or Tianfu Square is the most convenient for public transportation (metro lines converge here). This is the heart of the city, with easy access to restaurants, shopping, and sights.
• Getting Around: While Chengdu’s metro system is clean and efficient, we didn’t take the metro at all during our trip. Didi (China’s Uber) is super cheap and much more convenient, especially if you’re traveling with older parents, children, or carrying lots of luggage. For short trips, expect to pay around 15–20 RMB (under $3 USD).
• For Restaurants: Download Dazhong Dianping, aka the Yelp of China. Get the app so you can read reviews for establishments, see star ratings and pictures, and get the addresses of the places I recommend in this guide.
• How To Book Advance Tickets: For Chengdu, I used Trip.com to book all of our attraction tickets. We also booked all of our train tickets + some hotels through this site. Trip.com is also a really good place to read user reviews before committing to any paid attraction.
• Get familiarized with how China works before diving into this travel guide. Here are 30 essential things to know about China before your trip.

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Day 1 In Chengdu, China

For Day 1, I’m going to assume you don’t have a full day (we didn’t either since we were arriving after a 3-hour train ride from Xi’an). You’re likely arriving by train or by flight, in which case your first stop will be to drop off your bags at your hotel.

Our hotel recommendation: Chengdu Tibetan Hotel

Chengdu Tibetan Hotel is a 5-star gem that completely blew us all away. This was hands-down our favorite stay during three weeks in China. Plus, the price was too good to be true for the hotel quality and service we received!

From the free welcome tea to turndown service with nightly dessert to the massive breakfast buffet (included with your stay and easily worth at least $25 USD per person elsewhere), everything here screams luxury with a touch of Tibetan warmth.

We booked our rooms on Booking.com for under $85 per night, and honestly, we’d go back to Chengdu just to stay here again.

Explore the New Century Global Center

Next, head to the New Century Global Center, the largest building in the world by floor area.

This place is so big it has its own weather system inside (seriously). You’ll find an indoor water park, a hotel, an ice rink, arcades, shops, restaurants, food courts, and more. It’s like a city in a single building and worth visiting just to say you’ve been in something this massive.

We didn’t necessarily go there to get any specific shopping done–we just wanted to walk through it for ourselves.

We visited on a Monday night and it was surprisingly quiet there, which was a refreshing change from the crowds we faced nearly everywhere when we were in Xi’an and Shenzhen.

Have dinner at New Century Global Center

For dinner, we kept it light on spice with southern Chinese cuisine at Green Tea, located in the mall. My family and I are wimps when it comes to the fiery flavors of Sichuan, so this Cantonese spot was a lifesaver.

Everything we tried was fresh, flavorful, and reasonably priced—a great option for anyone not ready to dive headfirst into Chengdu’s Sichuan-style heat. We especially loved the shrimp and vermicelli dish we ordered!

OTHER DINNER OPTIONS: If you are looking for true Sichuan food, just take a loop around the floors of the mall that have restaurants to find one that interests you. There was also a Peking duck restaurant that we almost ate at too!

Don’t let the term “mall food” fool you—this isn’t at all like the sad lineup of food options offered at USA malls (Sbarro, Hot Dog on a Stick, and other uninspired fast food you might be used to).

In China, mall dining means full-on, beautifully designed restaurants that just happen to be housed alongside shopping and entertainment.

For something more casual, head to the basement level for the food court area. The options down there are counter-service and more affordable, but still super varied. We explored this area after dinner to grab some dessert before we headed out.

Stroll Through Jinli Street at Night

Cap off your first day with a visit to Jinli Street, a lively and atmospheric spot that’ll make you feel like you’ve been transported back in time. It’s an especially pretty spot to visit at night.

Known as the “First Street of the Shu Kingdom,” this 350-meter-long lane is steeped in history dating back to the Qin Dynasty (221 BC) and was once a hub for ornate cloth trading.

Walking along the main pedestrian area, you’ll see rows of tea houses, souvenir shops, and food stalls all designed in the classic Qing Dynasty architectural style. The many glowing red lanterns will be hard not to swoon over.

The streets are buzzing with activity—store owners beckoning you to try their snacks, folk artisans crafting paper-cut art, creating lifelike clay figurines, and maybe even performing shadow puppetry. You might even spot people enjoying an ear cleaning session, a unique Sichuan tradition.

If hunger strikes, you’ll find local snacks like sticky rice balls, sesame desserts, dumplings, sweet dried persimmons, or the famed San Da Pao (a treat of mochi-like sticky rice, brown sugar, sesame, and beans).

During our own stroll, we got a San Da Pao to share (the old man pounding mochi outside was invitation enough) and bought a bunch of peanut candy and beef jerky to enjoy later.

All in all, Jinli Street is a great place to walk off dinner, soak in Chengdu’s old-world charm, and maybe even pick up a trinket or two!

👉 Pro Tip: Don’t arrive at Jinli Street too late because the businesses start to pack up for the night around 9:45 to 10 pm.

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Day 2 In Chengdu, China

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

Let’s be real: the pandas are why you came to Chengdu, right? You’ll wanna get this done bright and early!

Just 10 km (6 miles) from downtown, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is Chengdu’s hottest attraction.

This lush sanctuary was designed to mimic the natural habitat of giant pandas, giving them the best environment to thrive. Home to over 100 pandas, including playful panda cubs and the TikTok-famous duo Hehua and her sister, it’s the ultimate spot to see China’s national treasures up close.

The highlight for us was the baby panda area, where the little ones crawl, tumble around, or nap in the cutest positions imaginable. They don’t have to do anything; you don’t even need to see their faces — their mini size is cute enough to make you cry!

If your mission is to see Hehua (her common name is Huahua), you’ll need to be patient and get in line with the rest of her fans. We learned that she’s unique because of her raindrop-shaped black fur around her eyes and her stubby body shape. She and her sister are also super goofy, which is one of the reasons they’ve become internet sensations!

The line to see them is by far the longest in the park. You basically wait 1-2 hours for a total of 3 minutes in the viewing area, but they might or might not be doing anything interesting.

Don’t skip the red pandas while you’re here—these raccoon-like creatures deserve some love too. Plus, the viewing areas are much less crowded.

You can buy your timed tickets in advance on Trip.com (this is where we bought our tickets too). We recommend getting tickets for the morning visit.

Entry is free for kids under 6 (book tickets in advance), and seniors over 60 can waltz in without reservations by showing their passports.

👉 Pro Tip: Get there early! Pandas are most active in the morning, and this is your best chance to see them eating or playing instead of snoozing. When we got there (around 9:30 am) some were still eating, but a lot of them were getting ready to nap, so we ended up seeing a lot of sleeping pandas and panda butts.

Sanxingdui Museum

After you’ve had your fill of panda cuteness, call a Didi car and make the hour-long drive to the Sanxingdui Museum, where history takes a turn for the strange.

I personally like to call this attraction the “alien museum” because of all the mystery and allure that surrounds this discovery.

This museum showcases artifacts from the ancient Shu civilization, dating back an incredible 4,000 years. The Sanxingdui site was first discovered in 1929, and its most famous cultural relics were all excavated in 1986.

Unlike anything else in Chinese archaeology, the relics here have a style all their own—think oversized masks with bulging eyes, mysterious bronze trees, and figures that look like they belong in an alien sci-fi movie.

When the site was first discovered, the relics were so unusual that people speculated that they belonged to a race of aliens (this has since been refuted by experts).

The museum is well-organized, with over 1,500 relics. It’s truly quite crazy how many statues/heads are on display.

While the objects themselves are super interesting to look at on your own, I’d recommend opting for an actual tour guide.

Skip the lackluster audioguide (trust me, the audioguide was so freakin’ boring and hard to follow with hardly any storytelling whatsoever — we thought it was a total waste of money). Spring for a live tour guide instead.

They’ll provide the context and cohesive storytelling that makes these ancient artifacts come alive. Tour guides are available onsite in the same area where you rent audioguides.

Again, you can purchase your tickets on Trip.com ahead of time.

(As with most advance ticket purchases, buying tickets on the official site is too much of a hassle without a Mainland China phone number. We tried and failed, and ended up buying on Trip.com.)

Explore Kuanzhai Alley at night

After finishing up at the museum, head to Kuanzhai Alley, or “Wide and Narrow Alley”. This is one of Chengdu’s most famous historical blocks.

Similar to Jinli Street, Kuanzhai Alley is a good place to stroll, try some local food, shop for souvenirs, and get a taste of local culture.

While it’s been revamped for tourists, it still feels like a stroll back in time. The area is divided into Wide Alley, with the most intact Qing Dynasty buildings; Narrow Alley, which mixes late Qing, early Republic-era, and even early Western-style architecture; and Well Alley, where you’ll find snacks, folk crafts, and street performances.

When we visited, we wandered through the alleys and saw everything from teahouses to dessert shops to boutique shops selling embroidery and bamboo crafts, plus some more modern establishments (like POPMART and Starbucks).

We found Kuanzhai Alley to be super fun to stroll around (even more fun than Jinli Pedestrian Street) because of how beautiful all the buildings were. The content of the shops were all different too — some of them focused on traditional crafts, others were artsy, some were cafes, others were hotpot restaurants.

I’d give yourself 3-4 hours to explore, watch a face-changing show, and eat in this area. The shops usually close around 10 pm.

Watch a face-changing show

Face-changing, or “bianlian,” is a special part of traditional Sichuan opera where actors magically switch masks in the blink of an eye to show different characters.

This art used to be a closely guarded family secret, but now you can catch these performances all over China. In Chengdu, face-changing shows happen daily at traditional teahouses and opera theaters–and Kuanzhai Alley is the place to witness a face-changing show for yourself.

While the Shufeng Yayun Sichuan Opera House is the most recommended venue, there are actually plenty of other establishments in Kuanzhai Alley that put on these shows. In fact, the smaller, more casual venues charge much less.

We ended up stumbling into a random opera house where the show had just started — thank gosh my parents speak Mandarin fluently!

Our admission came with a table for us to sit at (no tea or any other extras included, though tea and snacks were available at an extra fee).

The shows typically combine a few acts of traditional opera, comedy skits (which you probably won’t fully get unless you speak Chinese), and the highlight: face-changing.

The face-changing scenes were way more fun than I expected! With a quick flick of their heads or a dramatic wave of their sleeves, the performers’ masks change in the blink of an eye!

At some point, they even went into the audience and did their face-changing tricks with some audience participation. The masks have super bright colors and expressive patterns, so it was nice to see them closer up.

👉 FOR EVEN MORE FUN: Many of these opera houses offer the chance to dress up in traditional opera fashion! You can dress up in costume and let a professional put theater makeup on your face too. You’ll look just like one of the actors in the show.

Try Sichuan hotpot for dinner

We ended up eating dinner in the Kuanzhai Alley area at 小龙翻大江文化火锅, a Sichuan hotpot place. We were originally drawn in by the traditional architecture of the building… and a giant dragon head at the entrance.

The food ended up being delicious, and we ordered a set menu off Dazhong Dianping (China’s version of Yelp) to avoid stressing over what to order—essential for us as Sichuan food noobs!

This restaurant does offer a free face-changing show during dinner (likely around 6-7pm), but unfortunately, we showed up too late for the last performance of the night. Still, the experience was worth it for the old-world atmosphere and the bold, spicy flavors.

In the end, we survived our Sichuan hotpot meal!

👉 Pro Tip: Can’t handle the spice of Sichuan hotpot? The soup pot has a divider: one for the Sichuan spicy soup and another soup base of your choice. We ended up going with a tomato-based soup which was not spicy at all.

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Day 3 In Chengdu, China

The first portion of Day 3 will be a walking route from the hotel over to Wenshu Monastery and then to People’s Park. After that, you’ll be getting around by car (or public transportation if you prefer) since the spots following People’s Park are a bit further out.

Gong Ting Gao Dian (Royal Bakery)

If you’re starting your morning walk from Chengdu Tibetan Hotel (or another hotel nearby), the unassuming Gong Ting Gao Dian Bakery is one of the first things you’ll pass on your way to Wenshu Monastery.

This humble bakery is one of Chengdu’s oldest bakeries and is known for its centuries-old recipes. The pastries they sell here are apparently what royalty used to eat back in the day (hence their name). They’re especially known for their Napoleon cake and their salt and Sichuan pepper cookies.

Don’t be fooled by the mundane exterior—their pastries are worth a try and best of all, they are so cheap!

Our Didi driver recommended this bakery to us, who noted how famous it was. Every time we passed by it by car, we saw long lines. On the morning of our walk, we came across it with NO line. About 5 minutes after we ordered, a line started forming. We had just beat the crowds!

They sell their pastries by the kilo, not by piece. We ordered a few items by piece and the lady was quite frustrated by us as she wasn’t exactly sure how to charge us, lol.

Pro Tip: If you don’t pass this location, there’s another branch closer to Wenshu Monastery. Just be prepared for potentially longer lines at that one—that area sees way more foot traffic than this location.

Wenshu Monastery

Continue the morning’s peaceful stroll to Wenshu Monastery, Chengdu’s largest and best-preserved Buddhist temple.

Originally built during the Tang Dynasty and reconstructed in 1706, this active monastery offers a mix of beautiful architecture, cultural relics, and local life. You’ll likely see monks and locals praying, chanting, and lighting incense while you’re there.

Inside, you’ll find over 300 Buddha statues crafted from iron, bronze, stone, wood, and jade, alongside paintings and calligraphy in the Sutra-Preservation Pavilion. With that said, the monastery grounds have a lot of other stuff to see.

Check out all the different buildings and courtyards on the property, including the backyard garden. During our visit in late November, there were golden ginkgo leaves carpeting the ground—a quiet, almost magical escape from the rest of the city.

The exit gate leads you to a picturesque pedestrian street lined with pop-up vendors, local restaurants, and a lot of cute shops.

Unlike many other temples, Wenshu feels refreshingly untouristy. With free entry and plenty of little pathways and courtyards to wander, Wenshu Monastery is worth checking out if you’re in the area.

While we didn’t consider it a must-see (as many other travel guides make it seem like), it sure was a relaxing start to our morning.

Having said that, the streets surrounding Wenshu Monastery were our favorite — we’d return to the area just to enjoy the beautiful Chinese architecture, local shops, and tree-lined streets!

Have tea at People’s Park

After soaking up the tranquility of the monastery, walk over to People’s Park for a change of pace — to experience the everyday life in Chengdu like the locals do.

Start by grabbing a table at one of the park’s many teahouses and sip tea like a local while watching seniors chat, play cards, or just enjoy the late-morning atmosphere.

You can order tea from the staff; they’re constantly walking around with menus. We ordered one cup of tea per person (the one pictured here is a chrysanthemum flower tea).

My cousin really wanted to go for the snack platter set menu, but since we had our pastries from Gong Ting Gao Dian from earlier, my parents vetoed his suggestion.

In case you’re interested, the tea set with snacks comes with tea, tangerines, sweet potatoes, corn, nuts, and a couple of sweet treats to enjoy with your tea too. It was so cute to see so many of these sets throughout the courtyard!

While we did not opt for the tea set, we did opt for the sifu tea master. The tea master basically walks around and does all kinds of crazy moves with a long-spouted teapot.

If you opt for this experience, they will come by and fill your tea (in kungfu-like fashion) a total of 3 times.

Take a loop through the park

After enjoying some tea and snacks, take a loop around the rest of the park.

Don’t skip this one! The park is buzzing, and I mean BUZZING, with elderly activity: expect to see groups of people dancing, singing, or doing choreographed arm exercises to pop music!

My mom, like the Zumba enthusiast she is, couldn’t resist joining an exercise dance group for a quick five minutes of fun—she looked like she’d stay all day if we let her.

Honestly, we spent so much more time at People’s Park than we expected — there was just so much to see. We explored the bonsai garden, then the chrysanthemum garden, and then wandered over to the matchmaking corner, where parents post profiles of their children in hopes of finding a match.

We spent a solid 10 minutes reading profiles for kicks—one man insisted he didn’t want a wife who played mahjong all day, which cracked us up.

Explore the Eastern Suburb Memory area

From People’s Park, go ahead and call a Didi to get to the next stop–Eastern Suburb Memory. This ended up being one of my favorite areas of Chengdu!

This industrial area, once home to the Hongguang Valve Factory of the 1950s, has been transformed into a hub of creativity and innovation. Yep, it’s one of those artsy industrial areas.

You’ll see the towering industrial chimneys, old pipelines, and steam locomotives of the old factory days alongside all kinds of hip and trendy establishments.

Today though, it’s buzzing with activity. Music festivals, digital art museums, trendy shops, colorful graffiti, restaurants, dessert shops, and cool photo ops complement the industrial skeleton of the past.

The whole area is cool, young, and super energetic—everything I love about a walkable neighborhood!

I really enjoyed walking through the stationery shops and panda-themed gift shops, as well as checking out all the different restaurants here (we came across a camping-themed hotpot restaurant, how fun)!

We bought a couple of unique items to bring home as souvenirs at Melooo and ended up buying a couple of pastries/buns at Shan Bakery. Highly recommend, they were delicious!

If you’re into art, music, or fashion, you’re gonna like this area a lot.

Dine as the royals do at Shuyanfu

Let me get to the real reason why we ended up at Eastern Suburb Memory….

Chengdu people really know how to have fun because Shuyanfu was one of the most enjoyable things I did in Chengdu! For dinner on our last night in Chengdu, we treated ourselves to a royal experience straight out of ancient China.

To quickly sum it up before I dive into all the goodness, Shuyanfu is a dining experience that combines an 8-course Chinese royal banquet with a Han Dynasty-inspired show.

Even as someone who barely understands Mandarin, it was still fun to watch! There’s enough dancing, acting, and lip-syncing to still enjoy the show despite not understanding the language.

After each performance, your private server (also in costume!) delivers the next dish. By the end of the 1.5-hour experience, you’ll have sampled more than 8 courses, which doesn’t even include the appetizers and desserts that sit prettily at your table from the start.

The menu changes seasonally, so what’s pictured here is from their autumn menu.

My favorite part? Feeling like absolute royalty as the servers brought us dish after dish with the best service, all while the actors enchanted us with their artistry.

While you’re here, take lots of pictures! It’s such a unique experience, and photo ops are aplenty.

After experiencing it for ourselves, we recommend arriving at least 15 minutes early to check in, use the restrooms, settle in, enjoy the welcoming appetizers, and explore the space before the show begins.

You can opt for standard seats (498 RMB | $68 USD) or VIP seats (598 RMB | $82 USD).

If I could do it all over again, I’d book earlier so I could snag VIP seats or standard seats in the second row. We were seated in the third row since we had booked just 2 days ahead of time.

You can book advance tickets on Trip.com here. Book early because it’s a full house at almost every show!

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