Chongqing + Chengdu 8 Days 7 Nights Travel Review
Real Experience | Tips to Avoid Pitfalls | Itinerary Reference | Must-Eat Food List
Our trip to Chongqing and Chengdu in China was absolutely unforgettable—not only because of the breathtaking scenery, but also because we basically ate nonstop the whole way!
From Chongqing’s spicy hotpot, noodles, and rustic “jianghu” dishes, to Chengdu’s skewers, rabbit head, and refreshing ice jelly, every meal was a fiery and numbing flavor explosion—a real feast for the taste buds.
Below I’m sharing our food-hunting list + the full 8-day, 7-night itinerary based on our actual experience. Hopefully this helps you avoid common tourist traps and enjoy more authentic local flavors. Also, we’d love to recommend a wonderful local guide, 梦梦, who made our trip much easier.
This whole journey cost us just over 3000 RMB per person. We ate our way through hotpot and skewers, admired stunning riverside views and ancient streets, visited the panda park and historic alleys in Chengdu. It was the perfect mix of delicious food, stunning scenery, and heartwarming moments.
So how exactly did we plan this cost-effective trip? Here’s how we decided on our travel style:
Chongqing and Chengdu are both very popular destinations in China, with attractions fairly concentrated and public transport quite convenient. On the surface, it seems like “do-it-yourself travel + public transit” would be enough. But after experiencing it ourselves, I’d actually recommend hiring a reliable local guide to show you around (that’s what we did). Here’s why:
1. Time-saving & hassle-free
No need to spend hours searching for itineraries, tickets, or routes. Popular attractions like the Yangtze River Cableway, Wulong Karst, or Chengdu Panda Base often have limited daily entries. Our guide 梦梦 helped us book tickets in advance—no stressful online reservations.
2. Avoid tourist traps
At places like Hongya Cave, Ciqikou Old Town, or Chengdu’s Wide & Narrow Alleys, it’s easy to end up with overpriced touristy snacks. 梦梦 knew the local spots and took us straight to authentic and reasonably priced restaurants—no wasted money.
3. Discover hidden gems
Without a guide, you’d just take photos and leave. But 梦梦 showed us the best viewpoints, told us fascinating stories, and even helped with group photos. At Qingcheng Mountain, for example, she recommended a quiet hiking path away from the crowds—it was so much more peaceful.
4. Better food recommendations
With countless hotpot restaurants, skewers, rabbit head, and noodle shops, it’s overwhelming to choose. 梦梦 took us to local-favorite spots with long queues but worth the wait. Since some of us couldn’t handle too much spice, she even arranged a mild hotpot option—super thoughtful.
5. Smooth transportation
The high-speed train between Chongqing and Chengdu takes only 2.5 hours, but getting between city attractions can be tricky. With our guide organizing private transfers, we didn’t have to haul luggage around or worry about taxis. It was especially convenient for our group with kids and older family members.
So if you’re planning a trip like ours, having a local licensed guide arrange your tickets, hotels, transport, and food makes your trip both easy and flexible. I strongly recommend our amazing guide 梦梦. She made the whole experience feel as comfortable as being at home.
Her contact (WhatsApp): 17780239985
Our Chongqing + Chengdu 8-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Chongqing – Hotel near Jiefangbei
Arrived at Jiangbei Airport, where the driver greeted us with a sign. He said, “Welcome to the 8D magic city!” 梦梦 arranged our hotel near Jiefangbei (super convenient for walking around). After dinner, she took us to Hongya Cave. At night, the stilted buildings lit up beautifully along the river—a perfect photo spot.
Day 2: Exploring Chongqing city highlights
She guided us on a classic “avoid-the-crowds” city tour: Ciqikou Old Town, Liziba train station where the monorail goes through a building, Eling Factory, the Yangtze Cableway, a night cruise on the Two Rivers, and finally Hongya Cave’s night view again. Instead of rushing us, she timed everything perfectly to skip the busiest hours. For example, at Liziba, she didn’t just let us snap photos—she took us on the train itself to experience the thrill of passing through a skyscraper.
Day 3: History and modern vibes
We started with Bai Gongguan and Zhazidong, former wartime prisons that were haunting and powerful reminders of history. Afterward, 梦梦 led us to Jiefangbei downtown, where the atmosphere switched instantly from solemn history to modern city buzz. Dinner was at Pei Jie Hotpot—famous in Chongqing. Since we couldn’t all handle spicy food, she arranged a “yuan yang” (half-spicy, half-mild) pot. Perfect!
Day 4: Wulong – Fairy Mountain
We drove out to Wulong Karst to see the massive Tian Sheng San Qiao (Three Natural Bridges), filming site for Curse of the Golden Flower and Transformers 4. The scenery was jaw-dropping. In the afternoon we headed to Fairy Mountain—lush green meadows that felt like Switzerland.
Day 5: Gongtan Ancient Town – Wujiang Gallery – Chiyou Jiuli City
Breakfast, then off to Gongtan Ancient Town, known as the “Pearl of Wujiang.” Lunch was a traditional Tujia family-style meal: smoked pork, chicken stewed with soybeans, all using mountain ingredients—flavorful and rustic. We loved it!
Day 6: High-speed train to Chengdu – Wide & Narrow Alleys + Jinli Street
After breakfast, we took the high-speed train to Chengdu (2.5 hours). Checked into a downtown hotel, then explored Wide & Narrow Alleys and Jinli Street. The historic alleys were full of sugar painting artists, Sichuan opera face-changing, and lively street performances.
Day 7: Chengdu Panda Base + Dujiangyan
Morning at the Panda Breeding Base—adorable baby pandas everywhere. Afternoon visit to Dujiangyan Irrigation System, a 2000-year-old waterworks that is still operating today. Standing at the Fish Mouth levee was awe-inspiring.
Day 8: Departure from Chengdu
梦梦 dropped us at the airport. With hearts full of spicy flavors and unforgettable memories, we flew back home.
That wraps up our 8-day, 7-night trip through Chongqing and Chengdu. It was filled with scenery, food, and countless surprises. Huge thanks to 梦梦 for her careful planning—every ticket, hotel, and transfer was handled smoothly, so we could focus fully on enjoying the journey. That’s why I strongly recommend traveling with her if you’re visiting this region.
If you’re planning a trip to Chongqing or Chengdu, I truly suggest contacting 梦梦—she’s reliable, caring, and will make your trip worry-free.
WhatsApp: 17780239985 或 Wechat :SC8896599
评论
Where is the best place to stay in Chongqing?
@catherine lie Do many attractions in Chongqing not require entrance fees?
@Anna NAME recommended us a hotel on Nanbin Road. If you want convenient shopping, you can choose a hotel near Jiefangbei.
This is the hotel 梦梦 booked for us in advance. The night view is very nice.
@LIM TING TING Yes, many attractions in Chongqing city do not require tickets, just like shopping. Wulong and Fairy Mountain are required, and the scenery is also very good. It is worth recommending
@catherine lie Thank you. I have contacted 梦梦. You are very helpful. Thank you for your recommendation. Your photos are also very good.
@catherine lie Can we start from Chengdu? We only have 4 days.
My best friend and I are leaving for Malaysia on September 2nd. Are there any travel companions?
Last year, we also traveled to Sichuan. We originally planned to do our own online travel guide, but there was so much information that the longer we looked, the more confused we became. Then someone recommended 梦梦, saying she was attentive and responsible, so we added her on WeChat to give it a try. We discovered she specializes in hosting overseas Chinese and has a good reputation.
She helped us recommend and customize our itinerary based on our needs. We provided a one-on-one consultation, and the arrangements were thoughtful and reasonable. We even got a discount when booking in advance, which made the entire trip very stress-free and easy. The six-day trip was reasonably priced per person, and we were very satisfied with the overall experience. Western Sichuan is highly recommended; the scenery is breathtaking.
Day 1: Arrive in Chengdu. Driver picks you up from the airport/train station. Check in to a hotel near Chengdu’s popular food streets (around Jinli, Chunxi Road, and Wide & Narrow Alleys).
Day 2: Chengdu – Ya’an – Erlang Mountain – Luding Bridge – Kangding – Muya Holy Land – Overnight in Xinduqiao.
Day 3: Xinduqiao – Gao’ersi Mountain – Kazila Mountain – Litang – Maoya Grassland – Overnight in Shangri-La Town.
Day 4: Full-day tour of Yading Scenic Area: Chonggu Monastery – Zhaguanbeng – Luorong Pasture – Five-color Lake – The Three Sacred Mountains (Mount Xiannairi, Mount Yangmaiyong, Mount Xiaruoduoji) – Overnight in Daocheng.
Day 5: Daocheng – Powa Mountain (Red Earth Valley, Poplar Forest) – Red Grassland – Yajiang – Overnight in Xinduqiao.
Day 6: Xinduqiao – Return to Chengdu.
So it is really worth recommending. If you want to travel to Sichuan and Chongqing, you can contact 梦梦 梦梦's contact information: (WeChat): SC8896599
What the original poster said is true. I went to China before and foolishly bought plane tickets with my friends. It happened to be a Chinese holiday and most hotels were fully booked. I had to spend double the money to find a small hotel to make do. Next time, I must find a reliable tour guide to help me book everything before going, otherwise it would be too tiring.
@Julian There are only two of us. Can 梦梦's family join the group?
@yvonne Yes, we joined 梦梦's tour group. If we were to travel in western Sichuan, the cost of renting a car for two people would be too expensive, so we chose 梦梦's small private tour group. It's really good, you can also contact 梦梦
This is a very detailed guide to Chongqing and Chengdu! I followed this route last year and it was a really great experience. Especially the night view of Chongqing, with its bright lights, it was so beautiful that I couldn't take my eyes off it, and the snacks in Chengdu. They are all very good and worth recommending.
This 4-day, 3-night trip to Chongqing was arranged by 梦梦, a friend who recommended it to me. It was a total hassle-free experience: 24-hour transfers, hotel accommodations, tickets, meals, and transportation were all included for a very reasonable price. The service was truly attentive and thoughtful, and traveling with children was a breeze.
We also included a day to visit a lesser-known attraction, creating a "group tour + independent travel" experience that was both hassle-free and flexible, while keeping costs under control. Overall, we visited all the attractions we wanted to see and were very satisfied with the experience.
I have to say, finding the right person really makes traveling easier. Youyou helped us plan our trip this time, which made us feel very reassured and happy. I sincerely recommend it to everyone. 梦梦's contact information: (WeChat): SC8896599 or (WhatsApp): 17780239985
@Ch Lim It should be possible, 梦梦 is from Chengdu, so you can ask yourself