Tips for first time travel to Chengdu, Chonqing, and possibly one more city?
Hi everyone! I'll be visiting China, on my own, for the first time, in the last 2 weeks of Oct 2026 and have about 9 solid days. I definitely want to visit Chengdu and Chongqing, and a 3rd city that is in the area, if possible Other than that, I'm really clueless on how to start. For example, do I go Chengdu first, then Chongqing, or vice versa. Which airport in Chengdu should I fly to? etc.
I've been combing through Reddit posts but the amount of information is overwhelming, and not all are relevant to my ideal vacation, so if y'all can provide me guidance and tips, I would be most grateful.
What I'm looking for in this vacation is:
- slow paced
- lots of exploring, especially areas with beautiful scenery
- want to soak up the culture of China and learn new things and lifestyle
- to be able to play pickleball with some locals or expats there! (haha purely optional though - I just love the game)
What I'm not looking for:
- pandas (haha I know quite counterintuitive since I'm going Chengdu, but I really have no interest in that animal.
To be frank, I don't know enough to really know what I want - and not want - out of trip yet, so will update my posts as I research more.
Thank you all in advance! 😃