Welcome to CHENGDU, the capital of China's southwest Sichuan Province. You will be picked up by our Asia Senses travel guide and a transfer will be provided to your hotel for check in. The capital of Sichuan Province and ancient capital of the powerful Shu Kingdom, Chengdu has held the same name for over two millennia, reflecting both its longevity as well as its major role within the region. It is well-known for lovely giant pandas and delicious Sichuan food.

In the early evening, pay a visit to Wenshuyuan street for an authentic glimpse into Chengdu’s Sichuan cuisine experience: mapo doufu. A traditional Sichuanese dish, mapo doufu is comprised of fresh tofu, minced beef and soy served in a sauce of garlic, peppered oil and Sichuan peppercorns. Other food you must try include: Kung Pao chicken, Dandan noodle. Sichuan cooking is one of the eight major strands of cooking in the country, particularly famous for its spice!

CHINESE VISA FREE: So long as travelers are en-route to another destination, they are able to enjoy this Sichuan travel experience without obtaining a Chinese visa. Travelers must be visiting for 72 hours or less, starting from the second day of arrival (hence the 4-day itinerary).

Overnight in Chengdu.

After breakfast, start your Chengdu Panda Tour with a visit to the famous Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Opened in 1993 it is fast becoming one of China’s must see places. The centre has been created to help and imitate the pandas’ natural habitat in order that they might have the best possible environment for rearing and breeding.

About one hour away, continue the Sichuan tour with a visit to Sanxingdui Museum - the largest museum in southwest China, with a huge number of precious relics, and it is grandly called "the origin of the civilization of the Yangtze River". The cultural relics are precious cultural heritage of mankind, which contain rich historical, cultural and scientific value, and bespeak themselves as the most attractive ones amongst the multitude of the spectacular relics in China. In historical importance, it sits up there with the Terracotta Army of Xi’an! Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the museum is its collection of masks and its bronze “divine tree”. Their existence signifies advanced techniques used during the Shang dynasty, as well as a reference to a mysterious parallel culture found in the Sichuan Province. After that, head back to Chengdu. The evening is spent at leisure.

OPTIONAL: On most nights, 1.5-hour Sichuan Opera is performed at Shufeng Ya Yun Teahouse. A comprehensive cultural experience consisting of skits, dancers, fire-eaters, historical references, and much more.

Overnight in Chengdu.

Start with a 2-hour drive to LESHAN, our morning is spent exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Dafo (Great Buddha), which is carved into the red sandstone face of Lingyun Hill overlooking the treacherous confluence of the Min, Qingyi and Dadu rivers below it more than 1,000 years ago. Dafo has huge 8m feet, his ears droop 7m, his shoulders span 28m and his nose measures a whopping 5.6m! In December, 1996, the location of the Buddha was included by UNESCO on the list of the World Heritage sites.

OPTIONAL: The traditional riverboats are available on pier. You can board on a riverboat for the best view of this giant Buddha with additional costs.

From the Buddha, head to the Oriental Buddha Park, lined with more than three thousands of miniature statues, a range of small temples, and the colossal reclining Buddha- one of the most spectacular in the world, spanning over 170 meters. In the late afternoon, you will be transferred back to Chengdu.

Overnight at hotel in Chengdu.

After the breakfast, pay a visit to the Wenshu Temple, the best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu, built during the Qing Dynasty. The temple is a hidden gem with few tourists visiting and a stop must be made at the delightful teahouse located inside the temple grounds which serves a fine cup of green tea and some of the best vegetarian food in the city.

Afterwards, take a leisurely stroll through People’s Park and watch along as the locals perfect the arts of Tai-Chi, Kung-fu, sword dance, meditation, dance, gymnastics, and other practices of “well-being". Transfer to Chengdu Airport will be provided for the departing flight.