Southwest Deep-Dive: Mountains & Hotpot
Chengdu, Chongqing, Guizhou villages and Kunming — pandas, peaks, spicy food, and the China most visitors never see.
- Pace
- Slower: 4 bases, 3+ nights each. Mountains and altitude in Guizhou; bring layers.
- Budget
- ¥500–800 (southwest is cheaper than the coast).
- Best for
- Second visit, or first-timers who prefer mountains and food over skyscrapers. 10–16 days.
- Day 1–3Chengdu
Pandas and teahouses
Day 1: People's Park teahouse + hotpot (Haidilao is the easy entry). Day 2: Panda Base at 8am sharp (they're awake), then Kuanzhai alleys, Sichuan opera face-changing at night. Day 3: Leshan Giant Buddha day trip (1h by train) or Dujiangyan.
- Day 4–5Emeishan / around
Sacred mountain
Overnight at Emeishan: cable car to Golden Summit sunrise above the clouds, monkeys on the trails. Or swap in a slow day of Chengdu park life — this itinerary forgives.
- Day 6–8Chongqing
Cyberpunk city
Bullet train 1.5h. Day 6: Liziba train-through-building + Hongya Cave at night + xiaomian noodles. Day 7: Ciqikou old town, Yangtze cableway, hotpot on a cliff terrace. Day 8: Wulong Karst day trip ( Transformers scenery).
- Day 9–11Guizhou (Guiyang + villages)
Waterfalls and Miao villages
High-speed rail into the mountains. Huangguoshu waterfall, then Zhaoxing or Langde Miao village — wooden houses, rice terraces, hospitality that hasn't been tour-ified. Homestays here are the trip highlight for most people.
- Day 12–14Kunming / Dali
Eternal spring
Rail to Kunming; optional Dali extension (old town + Erhai lake cycling). Day 14: fly out of Kunming, or ride the new rail to Laos if you're continuing south (a genuinely great overland exit).
Before you lock this in
Read the visa guide (entry rules), thetrain booking guide (15-day booking window), and thereservations guide (Forbidden City sell-outs). Then run thepre-flight checklist.