Some people say they come to Chengdu for three days during the National Day, but they may actually arrive in the afternoon of the first day and have to go to the airport in the evening of the third day. The real full travel time is only more than one day; some people stay in Chengdu for five days and can leave directly from the hotel in the morning and return to the original hotel in the evening.
Therefore, the route should not only look at "a few days", but also the arrival time, return time, reserved attractions, and whether the travel companion prefers cities, food, history, or natural scenery. Put these together first, so that your schedule will not be rushed every day.
For three complete travel days, you can arrange one day in Chengdu city, one day at the Panda Base plus Sanxingdui, and one day at Dujiangyan plus Qingcheng Mountain; for five complete travel days, you can add Leshan and Mount Emei. The National Day in 2026 will be from October 1st to 7th. Scenic spot reservations and return times will be determined first, and other content will be adjusted around them. Private private charters can transfer from hotels, airports or high-speed rail stations. The driver will wait in advance and can flexibly connect according to the reservation time and traffic conditions on the day.
First confirm whether it is a "three-night stay" or three full days of travel
If the three days also include arrival and return, it is more suitable to stay in the city for one day, and then choose a surrounding route from the Panda Base, Sanxingdui, and Qingcheng Mountain in Dujiangyan. Three complete days of travel is more suitable for one day each for the city, ancient Shu civilization and landscape.
For five full days of travel, you can add Leshan or Mount Emei in addition to Chengdu’s classic routes; when taking the elderly and children, you can also leave room for rest. The route is not a fixed tour period and can be adjusted based on flights, high-speed rail, tickets and the physical strength of the companions.
Chengdu city, Panda Base plus Sanxingdui, Dujiangyan plus Qingcheng Mountain, each going in one direction for three days.
Leave one day in the city and choose one of the two surrounding routes to avoid rushing on the last day.
In addition to the Chengdu classic combination, Leshan and Emeishan are arranged for two consecutive days.
Reduce the number of attractions and leave room for walking, eating, resting, and getting on and off the bus.
Three-day classic version: Chengdu, ancient Shu civilization and landscape each have one day
On the first day, you can arrange to visit People’s Park, Kuanzhai Alley, Wuhou Temple or Jinli, and eat Sichuan cuisine or hot pot in the evening. Depending on the location of the hotel, the order of attractions can also be adjusted; if you like a slower pace, choose People's Park plus a cultural attraction.
The next day is usually scheduled to visit the Panda Base and Sanxingdui Museum. Generally, we will visit pandas in the morning and Sanxingdui in the afternoon, but the final order depends on the actual reservation time, hotel location and day arrangements of both parties. Both places require a lot of walking. When taking the elderly and children, you can skip a few spots and leave enough time for lunch and rest.
On the third day, we headed from Chengdu hotel to Dujiangyan and Qingcheng Mountain. Two attractions can be arranged in one day, but the pace must be controlled according to the return time; if you have to catch a flight or high-speed rail in the evening, you can only choose one of them, so as not to worry about time on the last day.
| date | classic arrangement | Highlights of the day | end location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Chengdu city tour and food | Adjust by arrival time and hotel location | Hotel or dinner location |
| Day 2 | Panda Base + Sanxingdui | Connect the appointment time slots on both sides | Chengdu Hotel or Restaurant |
| Day 3 | Dujiangyan + Qingcheng Mountain | Combining physical strength and return time | Hotel, airport or high-speed rail station |
Five-day classic version: The first three days remain unchanged, and then extend to Leshan and Mount Emei
Five days can be arranged into 1 day in Chengdu, 1 day in Panda Sanxingdui, 1 day in Dujiangyan Qingcheng Mountain, and 2 days in Leshan Mount Emei. On the fourth day, we depart from Chengdu to visit the Leshan Giant Buddha, and then go to Mount Emei for accommodation; on the fifth day, we focus on visiting Mount Emei, and then return to Chengdu hotel, airport or high-speed rail station.
If you want to go to the Golden Summit of Mount Emei, you need to set aside complete time for the scenic sightseeing bus, cableway and walking. If you return early in the day, you can choose a lower mountain area or shorten your tour. If you are afraid of changing hotels, taking the elderly and children, or if you prefer to explore Chengdu slowly, you can also change the fourth day to a one-day round trip from Leshan, and leave the fifth day for Chengdu food, museums and the return trip.
| date | route | Arrange ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Chengdu City and Food | Choose one or two places based on your arrival time, don’t try to see them all in one visit |
| Day 2 | Panda Base + Sanxingdui | The driver will pick you up from the hotel around the scheduled time slot |
| Day 3 | Dujiangyan + Qingcheng Mountain | Departure time can be early or late, and the tour scope can be adjusted according to physical strength |
| Day 4 | Chengdu → Leshan Giant Buddha → Emeishan Accommodation | After the tour, continue to your next night's accommodation |
| Day 5 | Mount Emei→Chengdu or return location | Decide whether to visit Golden Summit or Low Mountain Area based on return time |
There is no need to grab a bunch of tickets at the same time, you can confirm them in order
First confirm the arrival and departure time of the plane or high-speed rail to determine how long you can play on the first and last days; then look at the fixed reservation time slots at the Panda Base and Sanxingdui, etc., and determine the order of departure on the day after getting the tickets; and then determine the accommodation node when walking continuously to Leshan and Mount Emei.
As of verification on August 4, 2026, the public ticketing page of the Panda Base shows that online real-name reservations are implemented except for some people who are exempt from reservations, and tickets can be booked 14 days in advance; the official ticketing page of Dujiangyan Qingcheng Mountain indicates that the passenger flow is large during holidays, and online reservations can be made in advance. Please check Sanxingdui reservation information from the museum’s official channels.
- Book your flight or high-speed rail time to and from Chengdu first;
- Confirm again the fixed reservation attractions such as Panda Base and Sanxingdui;
- Determine accommodation points during continuous cross-city tours;
- Finally, add city attractions and dining, leaving room for adjustments to weather and physical strength.
Arrange the route during the National Day, leaving a little margin for both the journey and the return trip
The specific traffic flow, temporary control and scenic area reception measures during the festival will usually not be clearer until closer to the holiday, so there is no preset how long a certain road will be blocked. A day or two before departure, combined with the official announcement and real-time navigation review, will be closer to the situation on the day.
When you have to catch a flight or high-speed train on the last day, you can reduce the number of distant attractions to allow time for entry, check-in and luggage. Please specify your flight, train number and luggage in advance, and the destination can be directly arranged to be the airport or high-speed rail station.
| Easy to get stuck | How to leave margin on the route | How to connect with private charter |
|---|---|---|
| Reservation time for scenic spots is fixed | Make sure to make reservations for scenic spots first and do not temporarily add long-distance content in front of you | Determine the pick-up time based on hotel location, reservation time and traffic conditions |
| Concentrated traffic around popular scenic spots | Don’t squeeze two attractions in opposite directions on the same day | Communicate in advance about legal and convenient transfer points |
| Hotel and restaurant parking conditions vary | Routes retain room for adjustment | Vehicles are connected according to on-site traffic and parking management requirements |
| Need to return on the last day | Reduce distant attractions | Finally, send it directly to the airport or high-speed rail station |
National Day private charter, the convenience is that it departs from where you really need it every day
The driver can transfer from hotels, B&Bs, airports, high-speed rail stations or other agreed locations, and arrive in advance as scheduled. Guests can get on the bus when they are ready, without having to carry their luggage to a fixed meeting point; at the end of each day, they can also be sent back to the hotel, to a restaurant, to the next hotel or to the return location.
The departure time is arranged based on the tickets and guests' schedule. If you want to see the pandas early, you can leave early. If you are tired the day before, you can also adjust the pace according to the reservation. When the weather, physical strength, or temporary management changes, keep the reserved and most wanted content first, and then coordinate other nodes.
Depart from hotels, B&Bs, airports or high-speed rail stations, and finally deliver to the actual location of need.
Arrange your daily departure time around scenic spot reservations, schedules, and return trips.
When changing hotels, you will continue to be picked up and dropped off by the same car, and the driver will assist with loading and unloading ordinary luggage.
Assist in opening and closing car doors, and allow enough time for getting in and out of the car and resting when the elderly and children are traveling together.
Choose safe and convenient transfer points within the limits allowed by road and scenic area management.
The driver can provide suggestions based on familiarity with the area, and the guest can choose according to taste and budget.
The car model not only depends on the number of people, but also the luggage and long-distance space.
Three or four people carrying multiple large boxes may need the trunk more than five people traveling lightly; when it is nearly full, you should also reconfirm the actual luggage space of the MPV. Children's items, strollers and multi-day luggage should all be factored in ahead of time.
The National Day fee will be affected by factors such as car model, date, number of days of use, daily route, waiting time, parking and passing, and cross-city accommodation nodes. Please clearly state the date, number of people, luggage and where you want to go. The team can first recommend a car model and route, and then confirm the price range.
| Peer situation | Car models to consider | Confirm key points |
|---|---|---|
| 1-4 people, less luggage | Five-seat sedan or SUV | Luggage, child seats and long-haul space |
| Family or small group of 1-6 people | GL8, Odyssey and other MPVs | Re-check large luggage and carts when seats are full |
| Multiple families or multi-person teams | Coaster, minibus or bus | Accurate headcount, baggage area, parking and daily routes |
Some frequently asked questions
With only three days, can we go to the Panda Base, Sanxingdui, Dujiangyan and Qingcheng Mountain?＋
If there are three complete travel days, you can combine one day in the city, one day in Panda Sanxingdui, and one day in Qingcheng Mountain in Dujiangyan. If the three days also include arrival and return, it is more suitable to choose one of the two peripheral routes.
When planning a day at the Panda Base and Sanxingdui, where do you usually go first?＋
Generally, priority will be given to seeing pandas in the morning and visiting Sanxingdui in the afternoon, but the final order depends on the actual reservation time, hotel location and day arrangements of both parties.
Do I need to leave very early to go to Dujiangyan and Qingcheng Mountain on National Day?＋
If you want to leave more complete time for both attractions, you can leave early; if you want to get enough sleep, you can leave later, and then use your physical strength to shorten the tour scope of one of the attractions. There is no unified meeting time for private charters.
Is it necessary to stay one night in Mount Emei during the five-day route?＋
no. Staying one night can save you a round trip; if you don’t want to change hotels, you can choose a one-day round trip from Leshan and leave the fifth day to Chengdu or return.
What should I do if I don’t have a reservation for the scenic spot tickets before departure?＋
First, regroup from the direction of reserved attractions, urban culture, food or other areas with spare tickets, and pay attention to ticket refunds, waitlists or the latest arrangements through the official channels of the scenic spots.
Can I send it directly to the airport or high-speed rail station on the last day?＋
Yes. Inform the flight, train number, departure location and luggage status in advance. The route will leave room for the return journey and will eventually be sent directly to the agreed airport or high-speed rail station.