Plan Chengdu → Chongqing, 9 days
This is a plan for a trip that has not happened yet. It will become the trip write-up afterwards.
At a glance
- Dates: Fri 2026.12.25 – Sat 2027.01.02
- Group: the Kaan Family, 7 people. Wyn, Wyn’s parents, Bryon, Meredith, Kj and Wonbo
- Route: Singapore → Chengdu (4 nights) → high-speed train → Chongqing (3 nights plus the last day) → Singapore
Flights (booked)
This leaves in the early hours after New Year's Day. Head to the airport around 22:30 on 1/1.
- Wyn, her parents, Bryon, Meredith and Kj arrive in the morning, and Wonbo joins that night.
- Wonbo’s ticket (CA404) includes one 23kg checked bag.
Itinerary
-
Day 1Fri 12/25
Chengdu Confirmed
- 06:55Kaan Family lands at Tianfu Airport (about 1.5 hours to town)
- 10:00Hotel, drop off luggage
- 11:00Chunxi Road, Taikoo Li and IFS
- 15:00Hotel check-in and rest
- 18:00Kuanzhai Alley and dinner
- 21:05Wonbo lands at Tianfu and heads to the hotel
-
Day 2Sat 12/26
Chengdu Day trip Confirmed
Klook small-group tour, about $65 per person, Chinese-speaking guide
- 08:30Pickup at the hotel
- 10:30Dujiangyan Panda Base
- 13:00Lunch (own expense)
- 14:00Zhongshuge Bookstore
- 14:30Dujiangyan Scenic Area (the ancient irrigation system)
- 17:00Yangtianwo Plaza
- 17:30South Bridge: Nanqiao "blue tears" lights, Guankou Ancient Town, Xijie Alley
- 20:30Return to Chengdu
- 22:00Back at the hotel
-
Day 3Sun 12/27
Chengdu Day trip Confirmed
Klook tour, about $99 per person with lunch and snacks, Chinese-speaking guide, coach
- 06:00Hotel pickup
- Leshan Giant Buddha and Mount Emei
- 19:00Back at the hotel
-
Day 4Mon 12/28
Chengdu Dinner show Confirmed
- 09:00People's Park
- 10:30Wuhou Shrine, dedicated to Zhuge Liang
- 12:00Lunch and Jinli Ancient Street
- 15:00Dongjiao Memory: old factory buildings turned into shops, cafes and live music venues
- 17:00Hong Ding Yan hot pot dinner show (arrive early for hair and makeup)
-
Day 5Tue 12/29
Chengdu → Chongqing Travel Confirmed
- 12:00Transfer to Chengdu East station
- 13:32Train G8621 to Chongqing, first class
- 15:13Arrive Chongqing North station
- 16:00Transfer to the hotel
- 17:00Jiefangbei and Hongya Cave
- 19:00Suggested: dinner near Jiefangbei, then Hongya Cave lit up, best seen from Qiansimen Bridge
-
Day 6Wed 12/30
Chongqing Draft
From Mum's outline: Liziba, Ciqikou and a river cruise
- 09:30Liziba station: watch the monorail run through the building from the viewing platform
- 11:00Metro to Ciqikou Ancient Town, lunch and snacks (Chen Mahua twists)
- 14:30Back to the hotel to rest
- 16:30Yangtze River Cableway across the river
- 17:30Raffles City Exploration Deck at Chaotianmen for sunset
- 18:30Dinner near Chaotianmen
- 19:30Two Rivers night cruise from Chaotianmen (about 1 hour)
-
Day 7Thu 12/31
Chongqing New Year's Eve Draft
From Mum's outline: Gong Yan palace banquet and New Year's Eve
- 10:00Three Gorges Museum, with the People's Great Hall across the square (indoors, flat and warm)
- 12:30Lunch: Chongqing noodles
- 14:00Rest at the hotel before the late night
- 17:00Gong Yan (Li Yan Ba Guo) palace banquet: dinner and a dance show, costumes optional. Check the session time when booking
- 21:30Walk to Jiefangbei for the countdown
-
Day 8Fri 1/1
Chongqing Draft
From Mum's outline: relaxed day and farewell dinner
- 10:00Sleep in, check out and leave bags at the hotel
- 11:00Brunch: Chongqing noodles
- 12:30Shancheng Alley: old hillside lanes with river views, at an easy pace
- 15:00Cafe, shopping or rest around Jiefangbei
- 16:30Nanshan Yikeshu viewpoint at sunset as the city lights up (by car)
- 19:00Farewell dinner
- 22:30Collect bags, leave for Jiangbei Airport T3
-
Day 9Sat 1/2
Chongqing → Singapore Home Confirmed
- 02:35SQ819 departs
- 07:50Land in Singapore
- Chengdu (12/25–12/29) is Mum’s plan and confirmed. The Chongqing days follow Mum’s outline, with times and stops filled in as a draft to discuss.
- 12/26 → 12/27: the Dujiangyan tour gets back around 22:00 and the Leshan pickup is at 06:00, so it’s an early night.
- 12/27: the Leshan cliff stairs are steep with long queues; the river boat view is easier for anyone who’d rather not climb.
- 12/28 Hong Ding Yan: it’s hot pot, so when booking ask for a non-tallow pot or dishes without beef for Wyn’s mum.
- 12/31: the countdown at Jiefangbei is extremely crowded and the streets around it close to traffic. Pick a meeting point in case the group gets separated.
- 12/28 and 12/31 are both dinner shows: you eat while actors perform. At both, costumes, hair and makeup are an optional extra on top of the dinner, so the family could dress up at one and just watch at the other.
Sights
Each card links to reviews and photos on TripAdvisor, background on Wikipedia, and a Google Maps search with more reviews and photos.
Chengdu
Shopping
Chunxi Road, Taikoo Li and IFS
The main shopping streets, with the giant panda climbing the IFS building.
Old town
Kuanzhai Alley
Restored Qing-dynasty lanes with snacks, shops and teahouses.
Pandas
Dujiangyan Panda Base
A quieter panda centre in the hills outside Chengdu, on the 12/26 tour.
UNESCO
Dujiangyan Irrigation System
A 2,000-year-old irrigation system that still waters the Chengdu plain.
Night view
South Bridge and Guankou Ancient Town
A covered bridge and old town by the river, lit up at night.
UNESCO
Leshan Giant Buddha
A 71m Buddha carved into a riverside cliff. The river boat is the low-stairs way to see it.
UNESCO
Mount Emei
One of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains, with temples, forest and monkeys.
Park
People's Park
Sip tea at Heming Teahouse and watch locals dance, sing and play mahjong.
Temple
Wuhou Shrine
The Three Kingdoms memorial temple to Zhuge Liang, next to Jinli.
Old town
Jinli Ancient Street
Lantern-lit lanes with snacks and souvenir shops.
Creative park
Dongjiao Memory
An old factory district turned into shops, cafes and live music venues.
Dinner show
Hong Ding Yan
Hot pot dinner with a 100-minute show (face-changing, dances, live guzheng). Hanfu, hair and makeup are optional extras. Around ¥500 per person; book ahead.
Trip.com reviewsTrip.com bookingDinner show guideGoogle Maps
Chongqing
Landmark
Jiefangbei
The city-centre monument and pedestrian area, and the New Year countdown spot.
Night view
Hongya Cave
Stilted buildings stacked up the cliff, lit gold at night.
Only in Chongqing
Liziba Station
The monorail that runs straight through a residential building.
Old town
Ciqikou Ancient Town
An old river port with snack streets and Chen Mahua shops.
Ride
Yangtze River Cableway
A cable car straight across the Yangtze with skyline views.
View
Raffles City Exploration Deck
The glass skybridge on top of Raffles City at Chaotianmen, over the meeting of the two rivers.
Night cruise
Two Rivers night cruise
An hour on the river past the lit-up skyline, leaving from Chaotianmen.
Museum
Three Gorges Museum
History of Chongqing and the Three Gorges, opposite the People's Great Hall.
Dinner show
Gong Yan (Li Yan Ba Guo)
Palace-style set dinner (about 90 minutes) with dance and music on a stage around the tables. Costumes, makeup and hair are optional extras.
Old lanes
Shancheng Alley
Restored hillside lanes with cafes and river views. An easy walk.
Night view
Nanshan Yikeshu viewpoint
The classic lookout over the whole Chongqing skyline at night.
Where to eat
Wyn’s mum can’t eat beef or cheese, and Wonbo can’t eat shellfish. Famous places are still on the list, with what to watch out for; whoever can’t eat a dish just orders something separate. Seven people need a big table, so book popular places ahead or arrive at opening time. Each card links to reviews and photos; for chains the link is one branch, so pick the most convenient one. Check opening hours and locations again before the trip.
What to watch out for in Sichuan food
- Hotpot and chuanchuan broth: red Chongqing-style broth is made with beef tallow (牛油), and at the famous places that broth is the dish. As Wyn put it, asking them to swap it is like ordering bak kut teh with hot water instead of the soup and fish instead of pork. So don’t ask for a different broth. Pick places that offer a split pot (鸳鸯锅) as a normal menu item, and Wyn’s mum eats from the mushroom or tomato side. In Chengdu, some places also serve a red broth made with rapeseed oil (菜籽油) as their own recipe; that one is fine.
- Mapo tofu: the original recipe uses minced beef. Ask for pork, or pick another dish.
- Beef dishes: maodu (毛肚, beef tripe), maoxuewang (毛血旺) and fuqi feipian (夫妻肺片) all contain beef or offal.
- Shellfish: avoid huajia (花甲, spicy stir-fried clams, common at night markets), clams (蛤蜊), scallops (扇贝) and oysters (生蚝).
- Cheese: rare in Sichuan cooking, but cheese foam (芝士) is common on desserts and milk tea these days.
Chengdu
Hotpot
Da Long Yi (大龙燚)
One of Chengdu's best-known hotpot spots, famous for a very spicy broth.
Beef-tallow broth
The tallow broth is the whole point here. Order a split pot (鸳鸯锅), a normal menu item, and Wyn's mum eats from the mushroom or tomato side.
Hotpot
Shu Daxia (蜀大侠)
A big chain, so a table for seven is easy to get.
Beef-tallow broth
Check the menu for a split pot or a non-tallow broth they already serve; don't ask them to change their red broth.
Chuanchuan skewers
Yulin Chuanchuan (玉林串串香)
Chengdu-style skewers you pick yourself and cook in the broth.
Beef-tallow broth
You choose every skewer, so skipping beef is easy. The broth is still tallow and there's usually no split option, so Wyn's mum may want to sit this one out.
Sichuan dishes
Ma Wangzi (马旺子)
A polished Sichuan restaurant with private rooms, good with parents.
Beef dishes
Skip the beef dishes and order chicken, pork and tofu.
Sichuan dishes
Chen Mapo Tofu (陈麻婆豆腐)
Where mapo tofu was invented.
Beef dishes
Mapo tofu is made with minced beef, so Wyn's mum orders other dishes here.
Snacks
Long Chaoshou (龙抄手)
A long-running wonton shop on Chunxi Road. Good for trying many small snacks.
All clear
Snacks
Zhong Dumplings (钟水饺)
Pork dumplings in a sweet and spicy sauce.
All clear
Adventurous
Shuangliu Laoma Rabbit Heads (双流老妈兔头)
Spicy rabbit heads that locals have with beer. Worth trying once.
All clear
Chongqing
Hotpot
Peijie Hotpot (佩姐老火锅)
One of Chongqing's most famous hotpot restaurants. Expect a long queue.
Beef-tallow brothBeef dishes
Classic Chongqing beef-tallow hotpot with beef tripe (毛肚) as the signature. Go only if they do a split pot; otherwise it's a night out without Wyn's mum.
Hotpot
Dongting air-raid shelter hotpot (洞亭火锅)
Hotpot inside old air-raid shelter caves, a uniquely Chongqing atmosphere.
Beef-tallow broth
Mostly tallow broth too. Check that they have a split pot before going.
Jianghu home-style dishes
Taoranju (陶然居)
Chongqing home cooking such as laziji (辣子鸡, chili-fried chicken). Has large round tables.
All clear
Just skip the beef dishes when ordering.
Noodles
Huashi Wanza Noodles (花市豌杂面)
Chongqing noodles topped with peas and minced pork. A good breakfast.
All clear
Noodles
Haoyoulai Suanlafen (好又来酸辣粉)
Sour and spicy sweet-potato noodles near Jiefangbei.
All clear
Street food
Bayi Food Street (八一好吃街)
A food alley next to Jiefangbei for grazing on a bit of everything.
ShellfishCheese
Spicy stir-fried clams (花甲) are everywhere (Wonbo skips them), and cheese-topped snacks too (Wyn's mum skips those).
Snacks
Chen Mahua (陈麻花)
Ciqikou's famous fried dough twists. Good as gifts too.
All clear
Show this when ordering
我们有人不吃牛肉、奶酪和贝类（蛤蜊、花甲、扇贝）。
请问哪些菜没有这些？火锅要鸳鸯锅。
Some of us can't eat beef, cheese or shellfish (clams, scallops). Which dishes don't have these? For hotpot, a split pot please.
Where to stay
- Chengdu (12/25–12/28, 4 nights): around Chunxi Road and Taikoo Li, on metro lines 2 and 3.
- The Kaan Family drop off luggage at 10:00 and check in at 15:00, so ask the hotel to hold bags that morning.
- Chongqing (12/29–12/31, 3 nights): around Jiefangbei and Hongyadong, within walking distance after the countdown.
- 1/1: check out, leave the bags at the hotel, and head to the airport at night. To shower and rest before the red-eye, consider booking the night of 1/1 too.
- For seven, book 3–4 rooms or a serviced apartment. In China only places registered to host foreign guests can take foreigners, so confirm that before booking.
Getting around
- Tianfu Airport → central Chengdu: about 1.5 hours. The Kaan Family will have a lot of luggage, so a pre-booked van pickup is easiest. Wonbo takes a taxi or Didi at night.
- Chengdu → Chongqing high-speed train: G8621, 13:32 Chengdu East → 15:13 Chongqing North, first class. Book with passports on the 12306 app or Trip.com, and buy all seven tickets in one order to sit together.
- Downtown Chongqing → Jiangbei Airport T3: about 40 minutes by taxi or Didi. The metro stops before midnight, so go by car at night.
- In the cities: the metro is easiest. A taxi or Didi takes four, so split into two cars or call a 6–7 seater.
To do
- Flights: Wonbo’s CA404 out and SQ819 back are booked
- Kaan Family (6) on SQ846 out; confirm all seven are on SQ819 back
- Entry rules: check the current visa-free entry policy (dates and eligible passports) before departure
- Book hotels (foreign guests accepted; extra night on 1/1?)
- Airport van pickup for the Kaan Family on the morning of 12/25
- Klook tours: Dujiangyan (12/26) and Leshan + Mount Emei (12/27)
- Hong Ding Yan dinner show for 12/28 (book ahead)
- Train G8621 Chengdu East → Chongqing North, first class, 12/29
- Gong Yan banquet for 12/31, and the night cruise for 12/30
- Link a foreign card to Alipay and WeChat Pay
- Data: roaming or a travel eSIM (KakaoTalk, WhatsApp and Google keep working)
- Winter clothes: 5–10°C during the day, damp, and indoor heating is weak
- Spice level: ask for “weila (微辣, mildly spicy)” when ordering
Still to decide
- Chongqing days (12/30–1/1): go through the draft with the family
- Two dinner shows (Hong Ding Yan 12/28, Gong Yan 12/31): keep both, and which one to dress up for
- Whether to keep a hotel room on 1/1 to rest before the red-eye