r/goChinaTrip

Hey! I would really appreciate any tips and honest feedback on the plan below. 😄

I’m travelling around China with my friends. On July 25th, we’re planning to go from Chengdu to Leshan to see the Leshan Giant Buddha from the boat only. After that, we need to take a train from Leshan to Chongqing at around 2:00 pm.

Our schedule looks like this:

06:40–07:10
High-speed train: Chengdu East → Leshan

07:50–08:15
Arrival in Leshan

08:15–08:35
Store luggage at Leshan Railway Station, or somewhere near the station

08:35–09:05
Take a Didi/taxi to the river cruise pier

09:15–10:15
Buy/collect tickets and take the boat cruise to see the Leshan Giant Buddha

10:15–11:30
Buffer time / coffee / quick lunch / start heading back toward the station

12:00–13:30
Comfortable buffer for collecting luggage and going through station security

Around 14:00
High-speed train: Leshan → Chongqing

I’ve done some research, and from what I’ve read, this plan seems doable. However, I’d also love to hear what you think.

Besides feedback on the schedule, I’d really appreciate answers to a few questions:

1. What are the chances that the weather around 9:00 am on July 25th will be bad enough, for example because of fog, for the cruises to be cancelled? If that happens, what would you suggest as an alternative way to see the Buddha?
2. We only want to see the Buddha from the boat and then return to the pier. Should we buy a specific type of ticket or go to a specific pier for this? We want to avoid any stop on land near the Buddha. Or would it be better to buy the tickets in advance via Tripcom?
3. How long are the queues in the morning, around 8:30–9:00 am? Should we arrive earlier?
4. Do you recommend any luggage storage options near or at Leshan Railway Station?

Thanks in advance for your help! I’d really appreciate any other tips as well. 😄

I'm planning a trip to Chengdu and trying to figure out if 4 days is enough, or if I should stay longer.

My rough plan is to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, explore some of the old streets like Jinli Ancient Street, try plenty of Sichuan food, visit a few tea houses, and maybe do a day trip to Leshan Giant Buddha. I've also heard that Chengdu has a much slower pace compared to cities like Shanghai or Beijing, which honestly sounds appealing.

Part of me feels like 4 days should be enough to cover the main attractions, but another part thinks Chengdu is the kind of place where you end up spending extra days just eating, wandering around, and soaking up the atmosphere.

For those who have been to Chengdu, did 4 days feel enough? If not, how many days would you recommend, and what was your favorite part of the city?

Hi everyone,

My travel partner and I are planning a trip through Sichuan and Yunnan in July/August 2026 and would love some feedback, especially on transport, pacing, altitude, and whether we are missing anything important.

We already booked our international flights:

• July 30: Brussels → Chongqing
• August 29, 02:50: Chongqing → Brussels

So we need to be back in Chongqing by August 28 at the latest.

This is our current itinerary:

July 30 – August 1: Chongqing
2 nights — booked
Main plan: recover from the flight, Hongya Cave, Jiefangbei, Liziba metro station, hotpot, city views.

August 1 – August 4: Chengdu
3 nights — booked
Main plan: pandas, People’s Park, Wenshu Monastery, Sichuan opera, and possibly a day trip to Leshan Giant Buddha or Dujiangyan/Qingchengshan.

August 4 – August 6: Ya’an
2 nights
Main plan: Bifengxia / panda base / nature, and a softer transition before going higher into western Sichuan.

August 6 – August 9: Kangding
3 nights
Main plan: acclimatization, Kangding town, Paoma Mountain, and a day trip to Tagong Grassland / Muya Golden Pagoda if transport works out.

August 9 – August 11: Litang
2 nights
Main plan: very slow pace because of the altitude, Litang Monastery, Letong Ancient Town, and Tibetan culture. We are aware Litang is high, around 4,000 m, so we do not want to overdo it here.

August 11 – August 14: Riwa / Shangri-La Town / Daocheng Yading
3 nights — still need to book
We plan to stay in Riwa / Shangri-La Town, close to the Daocheng Yading Tourist Center, not in Daocheng County.
Main plan:

• Day 1: arrive from Litang
• Day 2: shorter Yading route, Chonggu Monastery and Pearl Lake
• Day 3: longer Yading route, Luorong Pasture, Milk Lake, and maybe Five Color Lake if altitude/weather/energy allow

August 14 – August 17: Shangri-La, Yunnan
3 nights
Main plan: Dukezong Old Town, Songzanlin Monastery, Napa Lake, and possibly Pudacuo National Park or Balagezong.

August 17 – August 18: Tiger Leaping Gorge
1 night — still need to book
We are thinking of doing the classic 2-day / 1-night hike, possibly staying around Halfway Guesthouse or Tina’s depending on the route.

August 18 – August 21: Lijiang
3 nights
Main plan: Lijiang Old Town, Black Dragon Pool, Baisha, Shuhe, maybe Jade Dragon Snow Mountain if we still have energy.

August 21 – August 25: Dali
4 nights
Main plan: slow down, Erhai Lake, Xizhou, Cangshan, cafés, laundry, and rest. We intentionally added Dali as a slower recovery block.

August 25 – August 27: Kunming
2 nights
Main plan: Green Lake, Yuantong Temple, maybe Stone Forest if we are not too tired.

August 27 – August 28: Chongqing
1 night
We want to be back in Chongqing with a buffer before our flight on August 29 at 02:50.

A few specific questions:

1. Does this itinerary look realistic for August, especially considering weather, road conditions, and altitude?
2. Is the pacing okay, or are we trying to do too much?
3. What is the best way to travel by public transport or shared transport from Kangding → Litang → Riwa/Yading → Shangri-La, Yunnan?
4. For Yading, is staying in Riwa / Shangri-La Town near the tourist center the best option?
5. Is 1 night in Tiger Leaping Gorge enough, or should we adjust the schedule?
6. Are there any places on this route you would skip, add, or change?
7. Any hotel/guesthouse recommendations for Riwa/Yading and Tiger Leaping Gorge?
8. Any advice for altitude sickness prevention on the Kangding–Litang–Yading section?

We are not trying to rush every sight. We prefer a beautiful but realistic trip with enough rest, especially during the high-altitude part.

Thanks a lot for any feedback!

Hi all,

I’m planning a trip to Shanghai in early October and am trying to decide between two sets of dates:

Option A: 2–5 October
Option B: 6–9 October

Option B is currently around £100 more expensive for return flights from Hong Kong, but it would mean part of the trip falls after the main Golden Week holiday period.

For anyone familiar with Shanghai during Golden Week, how much difference would there be in terms of crowds between these two options? Would 2–5 October be significantly busier, or are both periods likely to be similarly crowded?

Unfortunately, I need to be back in Hong Kong by 9 October, so I don’t have much flexibility beyond these dates.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi, I want to travel to China for the first time ever next year after my graduation. Unfortunately, I am only free in August, so it will be pretty hot and humid. I am planning on going for 16 days (including flight from Germany). Do you guys have any tips where to go and how to prepare? All kinds of advice are greatly appreciated : )

Hello from Georgia — well, at least for now! 😊

My four friends and I are going to travel to Shanghai this Saturday to attend a workshop on robotic surgery. We will be busy with the workshop until the 11th, and then we will return to Georgia on the 14th.

We would greatly appreciate your recommendations regarding accommodation for those three days (from the 11th to the 14th). We are thinking that it would be best to stay in a hotel close to the city center so that we can explore as much as possible.

Could you please suggest:

• Which hotel or area would be the most convenient to stay in?
• What are the must-see attractions in Shanghai?
• How should we spend these three days to make the most of our first visit?

Traveling to China has been a dream of ours for a long time, and we would love to make this first trip truly unforgettable.

Thank you very much in advance for your help and recommendations!

https://preview.redd.it/paqp1z9sqv4h1.png?width=1344&format=png&auto=webp&s=45690fb079251da15c2c10454da3922b42713a23

p.s. I don't know if it matters, but we're supposed to hold the workshop at this location.