The 15 Best Chengdu Tours: Pandas, Opera and the Leshan Buddha

1.Giant Panda Breeding Research Base Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 580 reviews · 5 - 7 hours · from $15Our pick

Spend a half day at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where you can see giant pandas, babies, red pandas, and other animals in broad bamboo-filled grounds. Choose ticket-only entry or a transfer option from central Chengdu. Book with passport details, arrive early, and expect a mostly self-guided visit with plenty of walking.

“Easily accessible by metro and didi. Big park so not too many people and easy to see pandas and take pictures. The whole park is translated into English 🤗 Thanks again to the organizer who gives clear instructions in advance in English 🙏”

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2.Half-Day Chengdu Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 465 reviews · from $90Top rated

Meet in Chengdu’s Jinniu District for a guided walk through Liangjiaxiang market with English-speaking hosts such as Lance or Jerry. Learn about Sichuan spices, taste local snacks, then cook several dishes with a chef at Chilli Cool’s Kitchen. Ingredients, drinks, recipes, and your meal are included.

“This was truly one of the best tours I've ever been on my whole life! Firstly, Im a solo traveler and sometimes finding tours for just one person can be a little difficult because most companies need at least two people for to be financially feasiblRead more”

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3.Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu’s Local Eats

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 435 reviews · from $73

Set out at 6:30 pm in a private tuk-tuk with an English-speaking guide such as Fiona, George, Jaz, or Monica. Over about three and a half hours, stop at four or more local restaurants for Sichuan specialties, street-style crepes, dumplings, noodles, and more. Finish with plum wine at a 1970s-80s themed bar. Vegetarian meals require advance notice.

“Great food tour in Xi'an, delicious and plentiful food, and so much fun riding around with the tuk tuk. Well done Lost Plate!”

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4.Private Half-Day Chengdu Panda Breeding Center Tour with Optional Volunteer

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 353 reviews · from $87

Spend three to four hours at Chengdu’s Panda Breeding Research Base with a private English-speaking guide such as Cindy, Jason, Jojo, or Wells. Watch cubs, young pandas, adults, and red pandas, then return to your hotel by private vehicle. The optional volunteer program takes place at Dujiangyan, about 90 minutes from central Chengdu, and has stricter animal-contact rules.

“I had a wonderful day with Perry! He is a great communicator and made sure we had a perfect day visiting pandas. He was thoughtful, kind, and super engaged. I really recommend the tour with Perry.”

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5.Sichuan Opera Shu Feng Yan Yun Evening Show Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 185 reviews · 1.5 - 3 hours · from $31

Spend 90 minutes at Shufeng Yayun Teahouse in Chengdu Culture Park watching Sichuan Opera, hand puppets, mask changes, and comic stage acts. Tea and snacks are included, while selected tickets add a massage, ear cleaning, dessert, or souvenir. Choose the 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. show, with optional hotel pickup.

“We enjoyed it very much, it exceeded our expectations.”

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6.Private Chengdu Day Tour: Giant Pandas and Jinsha Site Museum

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 142 reviews · from $169

Start at 8:00 a.m. with a private guide and driver, visiting Chengdu’s panda base while the animals are most active. Then stroll Kuanzhai Alley, choose your own lunch, and explore Jinsha Site Museum. The tour lasts about eight hours, includes entrance fees, bottled water, and private air-conditioned transport.

“Maggie is an exceptional guide who always wears a smile. She provided us with a wealth of background information not only about the attractions we visited but also about Chinese culture and traditions. Maggie also encouraged us to try locRead more”

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7.Visiting Dujiangyan Yaan Wolong Panda Base Optional Volunteering

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 105 reviews · from $234

Travel from Chengdu to Dujiangyan, Wolong, or Ya’an for a small-group panda care day. With a guide such as Alvin, Kira, Bella, or Andy, you’ll tour the base, prepare bamboo, make panda snacks, watch feeding, and learn why hands-on contact is not allowed.

“This has been one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. Been able to be so close of this majestic and gentle animal, in a small group and through the inner part of the park was amazing. And we had the best guide with us, Kira accRead more”

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8.Chengdu Sichuan Opera Show Ticket – Shu Feng Ya Yun

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 73 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $28

Spend 90 minutes at Shu Feng Ya Yun watching Sichuan opera, folk music, comedy, and the famous face-changing act. Your ticket includes tea and snacks, with optional seating upgrades, costume dressing, back massage, ear cleaning, or a theatre souvenir. The show begins at 8:00 p.m. and is wheelchair accessible.

“Una absoluta turistada similar a cualquier espectáculo nocturno en un hotel de medio pelo.”

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9.Sichuan Culture Opera Show in Chengdu

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 69 reviews · from $30

Spend about 90 minutes at Shufeng Yayun Teahouse in Chengdu Culture Park watching Sichuan opera, acrobatics, puppetry, shadow play, folk music, dance, fire spitting, and rapid face changing. Your ticket includes jasmine tea, while selected upgrades may add snacks, front seating, massage, ear grooming, or costume photos. You arrange your own taxi.

“We had a brilliant evening watching the Sichuan Opera, the performance was almost like a variety show, different performers demonstrating different techniques. The highlights were the face changing and the shadow puppets. If you go to Chengdu, make sure you see the opera!”

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10.Leshan Grand Buddha Scenic Area and Panda Park Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 67 reviews · from $116

Start with Chengdu’s Panda Breeding Base, where you may see newborns, young pandas, and adults at play. Then travel to Leshan for its 71-meter Buddha and Lingyun Temple. Mark and James are among the guides praised for clear English and local stories. Expect a 12-hour day, long road transfers, lunch at your own cost, and city-center drop-off only.

“It was a wonderful day! The guide (Mark) told a lot of interesting things. . I didn't expect much from Leshan Giant Buddha, but the place was impressive.”

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11.Dujiangyan Panda Volunteering Experience with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 66 reviews · from $279

You spend about eight hours at Dujiangyan Panda Base near Chengdu, helping clean an enclosure, break bamboo, prepare panda cakes, observe feeding and training, and learn how older pandas are cared for. Private hotel transfers, lunch, a guide, photos, videos, and a volunteer certificate are included. Children must be at least 10 and accompanied by an adult.

“Top visit on my list, this was my 2nd time and was as good as the 1st time if not better. 2nd time around they have more guides available. They have geared up to receive visitors and the panda experience. This time with Viator I only booked the taxi return, he was a non english speaker but it was ok, he drove well!”

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12.Leshan Buddha Optional Tours w/ Transfer or Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 63 reviews · 8 hours · from $26

Choose simple prebooked entry or a private Chengdu pickup with an English-speaking guide and air-conditioned vehicle. The full option can pair the Leshan Giant Buddha with Chengdu Panda Base, while ticket-only visitors make their own way by train and taxi. Allow about eight hours, bring your passport, and plan lunch separately.

“The site can easily reached by train from Chengdu. Transfer is much slower and costly. The site is an ABSOLUTE MUST. Amazing.”

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13.Half-Day Chengdu Back Alley Foodie Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 58 reviews · from $80

Join a small-group Chengdu food experience with guides such as Lance, Jerry, or Winter. Visit a local market, learn to prepare spicy and mild Sichuan hotpot with a professional chef, and eat in a local home setting. The four-hour tour includes unlimited local beer and soft drinks, with vegetarian options available by request.

“Lance, our guide, was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and, focussed on our enjoyment. The tour was relaxed; the food selections were very good; the vendors selected were really good … and … we were absolutely full by the end of the tour. Says it all really … Recommended!”

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14.Giant Panda and Buddha 1 day tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · from $173

Start with 2.5 hours at Chengdu’s panda breeding base, then ride by air-conditioned vehicle to Leshan for a boat view of the 71-meter Buddha. Guides such as Abby, Daisy, Shelley, Fen, Lucy, and Abigail are praised for clear English, local insight, and flexible pacing. Hotel pickup inside Chengdu’s Third Ring Road is included.

“Lucy, Lisa & Mr Driver were great companions for my day in Chengdu! :) I really enjoyed the sights! Would recommend!”

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15.Chengdu：Panda Base Entry Ticket & English PDF Guidebook

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 48 reviews · 1 day · from $20

Visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding for a full day of panda viewing, using your passport as your entry ticket. You receive an English PDF with maps, routes, feeding times, and viewing tips. Choose a morning or afternoon session, then explore panda enclosures, maternity rooms, the museum, Panda Tower, and red panda areas at your own pace.

“An amazing wonderful place where these darling creatures are well cared for for and happy. The most amazing day I will never forget”

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