4 Days Classic Leshan and Mount Emei Tour from Chengdu
Must-see & Must-do：
Highlight 1: Take a relaxing walk up to Golden Summit to enjoy the breathtaking landscapes of Mt. Emei – golden Buddha statue, bronze temples, cloud sea…
Highlight 2: Visit the world’s largest Buddha statue in Leshan, standing at an impressive 71 meters tall. Be awe-inspired by this monumental masterpiece, carved into a cliff face and overlooking the surrounding rivers.
Highlight 3: Get up close and personal with the cute and chubby pandas at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Witness their playful antics and adorable behaviors as you immerse yourself in their world.
Highlight 4: Be like a Chengduese, experience the “slow life” and “new life” of Chengdu in People’s Park and Kuanzhai Alley
Itinerary Quick Look：
Nihao! Welcome to Chengdu, the Hometown of Giant Pandas! Your private driver and guide will be ready for you when you arrive in Chengdu. Enjoy a trouble-free transfer to your hotel. The rest of today is yours to relax in panda city on your own.
Arrival Ideas:
Chengdu is well connected by air and high-speed rail. There are two airports – Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport operating many international and domestic airlines. Travelers can go to Chengdu by air from most cities in China, like Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian, Guilin, Hangzhou, Kunming, Lhasa, Lanzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen, Guiyang, Chongqing… In addition, travelers can take high speed train to Chengdu from Xian (3-4 hours), Chongqing (1.5-2 hours), Guiyang (3.5-4.5 hours), Kunming (6-6.5 hours), etc.
Free Time Ideas:
You are welcome to ask your tour guide for some useful tips to spend your free time based on your time and interest.
In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel, then be driven about 2 hours from Chengdu to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site – Leshan Giant Buddha which is the largest and tallest stone-carved statue of Buddha in the world. Standing at the confluence of two rivers, the extraordinary, monumental 1200-year-old Buddha image at Le Shan is carved directly into the rock face. The monument stands 71m (233ft) tall and 28m (92ft) wide making it the largest ancient Buddha in the world. His shoulders span 28m, and each of his big toes is 8.5m long. His ears are 7m. He is indeed grand. There is a local saying: “The mountain is a Buddha and the Buddha is a mountain”.
You will walk down and up and watch the Buddha from a very close distance. It allows you to see each part of Leshan Giant Buddha closely and presents you with a surprising experience with many ancient Buddhist temples, sculptures, caves and religious relics on the way up to mountain top near the head of the Buddha. (Recommended Optional Activity: The plank pathways are steep and narrow. If it is not convenient for you to walk, you can take a cruise to get a panoramic view and fully appreciate this Buddha’s magnitude on the river.)
Later you will be driven about 45 kilometers to Baoguo Temple, which is the biggest temple of Mount Emei at the mountain foot. After tour, drive to check in at your hotel and have a good rest.
You will spend a full day visiting Mount Emei, which is one of the World Heritage Sites for both cultural and natural heritages. Mount Emei is one of the four famous sacred Buddhist mountains in China, with numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries. Beyond its rich cultural heritage, the mountain also stands on the edge of the eastern Himalayan highlands and hosts a diverse range of plants and animals and amazing natural scenery.
You will take a relaxing way to visit Mount Emei by sightseeing bus+hiking+cable car. Tourist Center – Sightseeing Bus to Leidongping( about 1.5~2 hours) – Walk 30mins to Jieyin Hall – Go up to Golden Summit by cable car(5mins) – Sightseeing in Golden Summit – Ascend the Mountain in the Same Way.
It will help you save energy and focus on the highlights of Mount Emei. The Golden Summit is an extravagance of natural wonders and Buddhism spiritualism, which comprises of four marvelous spectacles of Sunrise, Cloud Sea, Buddhist Light and sacred lamp. You can stroll around the Golden Summit to explore Buddhist architecture and tradition, and enjoy a panoramic view of Mount Emei and surrounding. If weather permits, you will have luck to enjoy its magnificent wonder of Cloud Sea.
After the tour, your guide and driver will escort you back to the hotel in Chengdu.
After breakfast, you are going to fulfill your panda dream with a 17-kilometer drive to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Also called Chengdu Panda Base, accommodated over 100 pandas, it is the base with the largest population of captive giant pandas in the world. You will see giant pandas of different ages there. It’s great fun to watch them playing, eating, climbing, sleeping… If you come in autumn, you will have the chance to see the pink newborn giant panda cubs in the Sunshine Nursery House and the Moonlight Nursery House. Discover the charming panda stars at this base, such as Hua Hua, the most adored and celebrated panda who has captured the hearts of the nation, and Zhi Ma, the real-life inspiration behind the panda mascot of the World University Games. Besides giant pandas, you can also meet the cute red pandas walking by your side in the Red Panda Playgrounds. Then follow your guide to discover more about pandas’ secrets through the Panda Museum. (Note: Pandas like cool weather, so we advise you to arrive there early as pandas are more active in the morning.)
Later, pay a visit to Chengdu’s Renmin Park to witness the city’s slow lifestyle and how the local people are doing. Order a cup of fragrant green tea while sitting in the time-honored tea-house, chat with your friends and see locals playing mahjong and having fun. After that, take a relaxed stroll at one of the city’s “new old” walking streets – Kuanzhai Alley and feel the “new life” of Chengdu. An ancient block gathers buildings from the late Qing Dynasty, early Republic of China and the early western-style buildings. There are all kinds of Chengdu snacks, folk arts and crafts nightclubs, and coffee shops which makes it one of the most active places in Chengdu. (Optional Activity: Try some local spicy dishes such as chuanchuan, dandan noodles, or even get out of your comfort zone and try some rabbit’s head!)
After the tour, you will be transferred to the airport / train station for your flight or train to next destination or home.
Thank you for choosing HelloChinaTrip for your China tour, and we are always here working for you and hope to see you again for your next trip to China/Asia. Safe journey!
What’s Included
- Experienced drivers & air-conditioned vehicles
- Professional licensed English-speaking local guide
- Hotel accommodation with breakfasts
- Domestic flights (economy class) or high-speed trains (second class) listed in the itinerary
- Admission tickets, activities, meals listed in the itinerary
- Accident insurance
- Our service from tour planning, handling, operational and finishing your trip
What’s Excluded
- International airfares
- Entry Visa fees
- Personal expenses
- Single Room Supplement
- Recommended optional activities
- Arrival/departure flights or train on the first and last day
- Tips or gratuities for guides and drivers
Important Trip Notes for Booking a China Group Tour
How do I book a China group tour?
It is very simple to book a private China tour. Select the tour you are interested, and click “Make an Enquiry for Free”. Tell us your demands and likes while submitting the form. During this process, you don’t need to pay immediately. After sending us your requirements, one of our professional travel experts will get back to you within 0.5 to 24 hours. When all the information have confirmed, then you make the deposit. Please feel free to contact the travel expert directly if you have any questions prior to booking.
Extend Your China Tour
The above itinerary is the sample one that most travelers would go like that. The tour can be customized based on your likes, interests and budget. At the same time, if you want to extend this tour, just tell us your favored destinations and things to do. Our professional travel experts will redesign the trip totally for you and your group at the best price. Tell us your ideas now >>
Transportation
In a private tour, it means you will transfer to the tourist attractions in one city by private vehicle. The private car we selected is spacious, comfortable and air-conditioned. And the driver we use are very experienced. As for traveling between two destinations, we use domestic flights (economy seat) or high speed trains (second class seat, usually less than 6 hours). The local guides and drivers will pick you up at the airport/train stations, and escort you to the hotel.
Abigail Scott –
This 4-day journey felt custom-designed just for me. From the moment our private vehicle whisked us from Chengdu to the impressive Leshan Giant Buddha—walking the planked Nine-Turns route right next to the cliff—to enjoying a serene evening at Baoguo Temple, every detail was tailored to our rhythm. Riding the eco-bus and cable car up to Mount Emei’s Golden Summit with minimal lines, gazing at the Sea of Clouds, and exploring the thousand-year-old temples—all at a calm pace without the crowds—made the experience truly personal and unforgettable.
James Green –
What stands out most is how personalized this tour felt—our own private slice of Sichuan’s spiritual gems. We arrived at the Leshan Buddha before the big groups, taking our time to savor the colossal carving and the view from the boat below. At Mount Emei, we stayed flexible—enjoyed playful monkeys along the trail, took the cable car when it suited us, and soaked in panoramas of misty peaks from the Golden Summit without being rushed. Felt like a highly curated, private pilgrimage in nature.