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CWE-NAT-8D · Nature Route

Chengdu + Guilin
8-Day Nature Route

Chengdu Guilin & Yangshuo

Pandas at sunrise, Sichuan hotpot at sunset. Li River through misty karst peaks. 1,000-year-old rice terraces. This is the China that takes your breath away — nature, food, and culture at a relaxed pace.

🐼 Giant Pandas 🫕 Sichuan Hotpot 🏔️ Karst Mountains 🛶 Li River Cruise 🌾 Rice Terraces
8
Days
2
Regions
7
Nights
1
Flight
◆ Chengdu + Guilin Pricing
Couple
$2,199
per person
Solo
$2,899
per person
5-Star Upgrade
$3,299
per person
  • 7 nights 4-star hotel (5-star upgrade available)
  • Private English-speaking guide — all 8 days
  • Domestic flight Chengdu → Guilin + all transfers
  • Giant Panda Base early entry tickets
  • Leshan Giant Buddha boat + entrance
  • Li River cruise · Longji Rice Terraces entrance
  • Sichuan cooking class · Tea ceremony
  • 24/7 WhatsApp concierge
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Stripe secure · 30% deposit · Free cancellation 45 days
Day-by-Day

Your 8-Day Journey

🐼 Chengdu · Days 1–4
Day1Chengdu
Arrive Chengdu — Welcome to Panda Country
Airport Transfer · Hotel · Welcome Hotpot Dinner
Arrival
Private Airport Transfer
Your guide meets you at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport. Private vehicle to hotel. Welcome kit: SIM card, city map, snack pack, and a rundown of the week ahead.
PM
Check in & Rest
Settle into your hotel in central Chengdu. The Taikoo Li area is walkable for those with energy — boutiques, coffee shops, and the ancient Daci Temple sit side by side.
4-Star · Central Chengdu
7:00 PM
Welcome Dinner — Sichuan Hotpot
The meal that defines Chengdu. Bubbling red chili oil, Sichuan peppercorns, and dozens of ingredients you cook yourself. Your guide takes you to a local favorite (not a tourist trap) and walks you through the ritual: split pot, dipping sauces, ingredient order. Order the 鸳鸯锅 (half spicy, half mild).
✦ Curated Dining
Day2Chengdu
Giant Pandas & Tea Culture
Panda Base · People's Park · Jinli Ancient Street
7:30 AM
Giant Panda Breeding Research Base
Early arrival during feeding time — pandas are most active before 10 AM. Watch baby pandas tumble, adults demolish bamboo, and red pandas dart through treetop walkways. Your guide explains the conservation program. 2–3 hours.
✦ Early Entry
PM
People's Park — Traditional Tea House
Experience Chengdu's legendary slow pace. Sip jasmine tea in bamboo chairs while locals play mahjong, practice tai chi, and debate. Optional: ear-cleaning experience — a bizarre and beloved Chengdu tradition performed with tuning-fork-like instruments.
Included Experience
Evening
Jinli Ancient Street
Lantern-lit Qing Dynasty street with snacks, crafts, and Sichuan opera face-changing (变脸) performance. Performers swap colorful masks at lightning speed. Street food highlights: sweet potato noodles, spicy rabbit heads (for the brave), and san da pao (glutinous rice balls).
Day3Chengdu
Leshan Giant Buddha & Cooking Class
Day Trip · Boat Cruise · Sichuan Cooking
8:00 AM
Leshan Giant Buddha — Day Trip
The world's largest stone Buddha — 71 meters tall, carved into a cliff face in 713 AD. Boat cruise for the iconic river-level view, then walk the steep stairways alongside the statue for a sense of its staggering scale. 2-hour drive each way from Chengdu.
✦ UNESCO World Heritage
4:00 PM
Private Sichuan Cooking Class
A local chef teaches you to make mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, and kung pao chicken from scratch. Market visit for fresh ingredients, hands-on wok cooking, then eat your creations. Take the recipes home — impress everyone back in America.
Included Experience
Day4Chengdu → Guilin
Free Morning — Fly to Guilin
Wenshu Monastery · Flight · Arrive Yangshuo
AM
Wenshu Monastery (Optional)
Chengdu's most important Buddhist temple. Serene courtyards, incense smoke, and a famous vegetarian restaurant inside the complex. Or: sleep in and enjoy a final Chengdu breakfast — jianbing from a street vendor and a soy milk.
PM
Fly Chengdu → Guilin
1h 50m flight. Private transfer from Guilin airport to Yangshuo (1.5 hours through increasingly dramatic karst scenery). As the mountains appear, you'll understand why artists have painted this landscape for 2,000 years.
Evening
Check in Yangshuo — Karst Mountain Views
Your hotel sits among limestone peaks and rice paddies. Watch the sunset paint the karst mountains gold and pink from your balcony. Welcome beer fish dinner — fresh Li River fish braised in local beer.
4-Star · Yangshuo Riverside
Chengdu → Guilin · Afternoon Flight
1h 50m · Private transfers both ends · Included in package
🏔️ Guilin & Yangshuo · Days 5–8
Day5Guilin
Li River Cruise — The Iconic Journey
4-Hour Cruise · Fishing Villages · Karst Peaks
8:30 AM
Li River Cruise — Guilin to Yangshuo
4 hours through the most photographed landscape in China. Towering karst peaks emerge from morning mist. Water buffalo graze on riverbanks. Cormorant fishermen glide past on bamboo rafts. The scene on the ¥20 bill appears around a bend — your guide will point it out. Lunch on board.
✦ Highlight Experience
PM
Yangshuo West Street
Stroll the lively pedestrian street lined with cafes, shops, and street performers. Pick up hand-painted scrolls, jade pieces, or silk fans as souvenirs. The vibe is backpacker meets boutique — chilled and international.
Evening
Impression Liu Sanjie (Optional)
Directed by Zhang Yimou (Beijing Olympics opening ceremony), this outdoor light show uses the Li River as its stage with 600+ performers, karst mountains as backdrop, and synchronized lighting. Spectacular if available.
Optional Add-On
Day6Guilin
Longji Rice Terraces — Minority Villages
Rice Terraces · Zhuang Village · Traditional Lunch
8:00 AM
Longji (Dragon's Backbone) Rice Terraces
1,000-year-old terraces carved into mountainsides. The cascading layers are breathtaking — green in spring/summer, golden in autumn. Moderate hike (2–3 hours) through Zhuang and Yao minority villages with traditional wooden houses. Cable car option available for less walking.
✦ Included Attraction
12:30 PM
Traditional Minority Lunch
Lunch in a Zhuang village home — bamboo rice, mountain vegetables, and local tofu cooked over wood fire. The Zhuang women are famous for their incredibly long hair, washed with rice water.
Included Meal
PM
Return to Yangshuo
2-hour drive back through rural Guangxi. Arrive in time for a relaxed evening. Optional spa at your hotel, or wander Yangshuo's evening food market for grilled river fish and tropical fruit.
Day7Yangshuo
Countryside Adventure — Farewell Dinner
Cycling · Bamboo Raft · Moon Hill · Farewell
AM
Yangshuo Countryside Cycling
Cycle through rice paddies with karst mountains towering on every side. Pass through tiny villages where farmers wave, water buffalo cross the road, and the air smells like jasmine. The most Instagram-worthy cycling route in China. E-bikes available.
Included Activity
11:00 AM
Yulong River Bamboo Rafting
Drift down the serene Yulong River on a traditional bamboo raft. No motor, no crowds — just you, your guide, and the sound of water against bamboo. The karst reflections in the still water are mesmerizing.
✦ Highlight Experience
PM
Moon Hill Viewpoint
Short hike (20 min) to Moon Hill — a natural limestone arch in a karst peak. The panoramic view from the top is one of the best in Yangshuo. Optional: rock climbing on the karst cliffs (Yangshuo is Asia's top climbing destination).
7:00 PM
Farewell Dinner — Riverside Restaurant
Beer fish, steamed river shrimp, and Guilin rice noodles at a riverside restaurant with karst mountain views illuminated by moonlight. The perfect ending to 8 extraordinary days. Zàijiàn — until next time.
✦ Farewell Dining
Day8Departure
Departure from Guilin
Morning Free · Airport Transfer · Zàijiàn!
AM
Morning at Leisure
Sleep in, take a final walk among the karst peaks, or enjoy breakfast with a view. Your guide assists with last-minute souvenir shopping or packing.
Transfer
Private Transfer to Guilin Airport
1.5-hour scenic drive from Yangshuo to Guilin Liangjiang International Airport. Your guide assists through check-in. Connect to your international flight home, or extend your trip to Shanghai or Beijing.
What's Included

Everything in Your Package

7 Nights 4-Star Hotels
Central Chengdu (3 nights) + Yangshuo riverside (4 nights). 5-star upgrade available.
Private English Guide — 8 Days
Licensed, fluent guide for the entire trip. Handles logistics, translates, makes every site unforgettable.
Domestic Flight + All Transfers
Chengdu → Guilin flight. Private airport pickups/drop-offs. All in-city transport.
All Attraction Tickets
Panda Base, Leshan Buddha (boat + walk), Li River cruise, Longji Rice Terraces.
Curated Dining Experiences
Welcome hotpot, minority village lunch, farewell riverside dinner. Cooking class included.
Activities & Experiences
Sichuan cooking class, countryside cycling, bamboo rafting, tea ceremony, Moon Hill hike.
24/7 WhatsApp Support
Real-time human support throughout your trip + pre-departure digital setup guide.
Pre-Trip Preparation
Visa checklist, Alipay/VPN setup walkthrough, packing guide, restaurant recommendations.
Not Included

Ready for Pandas & Karst Mountains?

Every itinerary is fully customizable. Add cities, swap hotels, extend days. Free quote in 24 hours.

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Questions

Chengdu + Guilin FAQ

When is the best time for this route?+

March–May (spring: lush green terraces, comfortable weather) and September–November (autumn: golden rice harvest, clear skies). Summer is hot and rainy; winter is cool but uncrowded. Pandas are active year-round.

Is this itinerary good for families?+

Excellent for families. Pandas, cycling, bamboo rafting, and cooking class are all family favorites. We adjust pace for children. The Leshan Buddha hike can be swapped for a boat-only option. Kids under 12 get discounted pricing.

How physically demanding is this trip?+

Moderate. The Longji Rice Terraces involve 2–3 hours of walking on uneven steps (cable car alternative available). The Leshan Buddha has steep stairways. Cycling and bamboo rafting are gentle. We customize difficulty based on your fitness level.

Can I combine this with Beijing or Shanghai?+

Absolutely. Add 3 days for Beijing (Great Wall + Forbidden City) or 2 days for Shanghai (Bund + French Concession). Or do our Luxury 12-Day which covers all 5 cities. We customize any combination.

How spicy is Chengdu food?+

Very — but manageable. We arrange split-pot hotpot (half spicy, half mild) and guide you to dishes at your comfort level. Many Chengdu dishes aren't spicy at all. Your guide translates all menus and flags spice levels. You'll be fine — and probably converted to a Sichuan food lover by Day 3.

What's the 5-star upgrade option?+

Upgrades Chengdu to The Temple House (Swire Hotels, restored Qing Dynasty courtyard) and Yangshuo to Banyan Tree Yangshuo (private balconies facing karst peaks, infinity pool). Both are among Asia's finest boutique hotels. +$1,100/person from the standard rate.

◆ About ChinaWithEase — Trust & Expertise

This itinerary is designed by ChinaWithEase — Americans with 10+ years living in Chengdu, Guilin, and across China. Every hotel, restaurant, and experience is personally vetted. 500+ travelers served.

Contact: hello@chinawithease.com · WhatsApp: +1 (406) 479-0215

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