SICHUAN · CHENGDU

Not sightseeing.
Reading a city.

Ten days, from Bronze Age masks to 1920s mansion streets to the teahouse where the city still sits down every morning. Nothing here requires a mountain boot — but every stop comes with a lecturer who actually knows the subject: how the bronze was cast, how the water was split, why the fortress was built this way, why these mansions survived.

Plan this journey See day-by-day
10
days · adjustable
14–17
seat vehicle (group)
All year
best Mar–May / Sep–Nov
11,000
CNY pp · Chengdu leg, 10 days
What you read

Six sites, a lecturer at each one

We deal in evidence, not legend: how the bronze was cast, how the water was divided, why the Qiang built this way, why these mansions are still standing.

Guanghan · 3-hour museum lecturer

Sanxingdui Museum

A booked lecturer, not an audio wand. Where the Shu civilisation came from and how the bronze was actually made.

Zipingpu reservoir and dam above Dujiangyan
Dujiangyan · briefing en route and on site

Dujiangyan Irrigation System

Still working after two thousand years. How the fish-mouth weir splits the river — and how that created the plain Chengdu sits on.

Puzhao temple gate, Qingcheng
Qingcheng · 1–1.5 hour class

Qingcheng Tai Chi

Taught by a direct disciple of the Qingcheng lineage. Not a demonstration — you do the form yourself.

Taoping Qiang watchtower
Li County · 2,000-year-old fortress

Taoping Qiang Village

Millennium-old watchtowers, a maze of alleys, an underground water network, and the white-stone cult behind it all.

Dayi · Republican-era mansions

Anren & Jianchuan Museums

China's best-preserved cluster of 1920s–40s mansions plus a private museum complex, guided by museum staff.

Shuangliu / Meishan · street life and letters

Pengzhen Teahouse & the Three Su Shrine

A morning in a century-old teahouse, an afternoon on the Su father and sons. High literature and ordinary life in one day.

Day by day · 10-day sample

Where you sleep, what you eat, what gets explained

Length and order are adjustable. A November departure exists as a working template; you get a day-by-day PDF before you fly.

D1

Arrive Chengdu

Airport pickup, check in. Dinner at a century-old Sichuan kitchen in Wenshu Fang — the 24 flavour profiles of Sichuan cooking, explained.

Chengdu Tibet Hotel (5-star)
D2

Sanxingdui → Dujiangyan → Qingcheng

Three hours with a museum lecturer at Sanxingdui; afternoon at Dujiangyan, with the hydrology explained on the drive. Farmhouse lunch, local Sichuan dinner.

Qingcheng Blossom Hill retreat (5-star)
D3

Qingcheng: Tai Chi and Taoism

Morning Tai Chi class (1–1.5 hours); afternoon in Qingcheng Mountain, on how Taoism took root in Sichuan. Vegetarian lunch at a Taoist temple.

Qingcheng Blossom Hill retreat (5-star)
D4

Zhaogong Mountain trail → Taoping → Bipeng

Morning on the old Zhaogong trail (the god-of-wealth cult and mountain deity belief); afternoon guided through Taoping fortress. Qiang family dinner.

Bipeng Valley hotel
D5

Bipeng Valley walk → Anren

Half-day easy walk to Dragon King Lake and Panther Lake with a guide on the mountain ecology; afternoon drive to Anren's mansion street.

Dayi Puyue Liangshe hotel
D6

The Sichuan basin, a hundred years ago

Republican-era architecture at Anren, the Jianchuan museum cluster with museum guides, the Liu family manor, then Meishan.

Meishan Minjiang Donghu hotel
D7

Pickles, poets and a teahouse

Pickle museum with a hands-on session, the Three Su shrine with a 2–3 hour lecture, the Jiangkou sunken-silver museum, then an afternoon in Pengzhen's old teahouse.

Chengdu Tibet Hotel
D8

Du Fu, Taoism and Shu brocade

Du Fu's thatched cottage, Huanhua Brook, Qingyang Palace; a Shu brocade workshop explained by its artisans; evening Sichuan opera — face-changing, fire-spitting, shadow play, rod puppets.

Chengdu Tibet Hotel
D9

How a relaxed city spends a day

Wuhou Shrine and Jinli Street, an art space, a Chan tea gathering themed on the current solar term, then an evening boat on the Jin River.

Chengdu Tibet Hotel
D10

Departure, or fly on to Lijiang

End here, or connect directly to the 9-day Yunnan journey — together, 19 days.

Chengdu → Lijiang flight included
Vehicle and hotels

No long hauls — a 14–17 seat coach throughout

Vehicle

14–17 seat coach with driver, fuel and tolls included. Smaller groups can switch to a 7–9 seat van, with the price adjusted accordingly.

Hotels

Five-star in Chengdu and at Qingcheng, best-available in the county towns. Twin rooms by default; tell us in advance if you need a double.

Straight talk

Who this trip is not for

If you came for scenery

Nine-tenths of this trip happens in museums, old towns, excavation sites and teahouses. For snow mountains, take the western Sichuan route.

Lecturers need booking ahead

Sanxingdui, Jianchuan and the Three Su shrine lecturers are reserved in advance — at least two weeks ahead in peak season.

Only one day at altitude

Bipeng Valley sits around 3,000 m and it is a half-day easy walk. With older travellers we slow this day down further.

Meals are chosen, not catered

Nineteen main meals on the Chengdu leg, all in restaurants locals actually eat in. Dietary restrictions: tell us, we adjust.

Price and what it covers

CNY 11,000 per person — the Chengdu leg on its own

¥11,000 per person · Chengdu leg, 10 days · group of 14–17

Roughly USD 1,530 at 1 USD ≈ 7.2 CNY; the rate on the day governs. Settlement is in CNY. Combine with the Yunnan leg and the 19 days come to CNY 23,550 per person total, connecting flights included — see Yunnan Cultural Journey, or send us your dates and party size.

14–17 seat coach with driver, fuel and tolls
A cultural lead throughout (not a standard guide)
10 nights in Chengdu leg + 8 nights in Yunnan leg (twin rooms)
All site entries listed in the itinerary, including internal shuttles
Dedicated lectures: Sanxingdui (3 hrs), Jianchuan museums, Three Su shrine, Shu brocade
Hands-on: Tai Chi class, pickle-making, Chan tea gathering, Bai tie-dye, Jianshui pottery, Naxi home visit
Meals: hotel breakfasts plus 19 main meals (Chengdu) and 16 (Yunnan, at CNY 80 pp)
Flights Chengdu → Lijiang and Kunming → Chengdu, taxes included
High-speed rail Dali → Kunming
Travel accident insurance (up to CNY 500,000 per person)
Audio receivers, first-aid kit, shoe covers, raincoats, water and fruit
Driver and guide accommodation, meals and tips

Not included: international flights to and from Chengdu, meals not listed, personal expenses (horse riding, alcohol), single-room supplement. You get an itemised list before signing.

Enquire about this trip
Questions we get asked

Six of them

Is ten days rushed?

No. Apart from day four (Qingcheng to Bipeng), no day exceeds two hours of driving. What is dense here is the content, not the mileage.

Is it suitable for parents or children?

Yes — of everything we run, this is the easiest for families. No high-altitude nights, no long hikes, flat ground at museums and old towns.

Do I need a Tibet permit or any special paperwork?

No. This route needs no border permit and no Tibet Travel Permit — a valid visa is enough. English-speaking leads are available.

When is the best time to go?

March–May and September–November. July and August in Chengdu are humid and wet; we do not recommend them. Winter works, but Qingcheng is cold.

Can I book Chengdu without Yunnan?

Yes. Ten days or nine days, each stands alone, priced by party size and hotel standard.

How do I pay from abroad?

Settlement is in CNY. Bank transfer against our invoice, Wise to our CNY account, or Alipay/WeChat Pay bound to an international card. Bank details are sent in writing with the invoice — never to an account we have not named in writing.

Tell us your month and your party size

An advisor who has actually walked this route replies within four hours

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