3-Day Chengdu Slow Living Itinerary
Spend three days seeing pandas, strolling through historic streets, eating hot pot, and experiencing Chengdu’s laid-back lifestyle.
Best for: For first-time visitors to Chengdu who want to see pandas, eat Sichuan cuisine, and experience the slow pace of life.
Day 1: Pandas & Old Street
See the pandas in the morning, stroll through the historic streets in the afternoon, and enjoy hot pot in the evening.
Giant Panda Breeding Research Base
Get in with the first group of visitors. Moon Nursery → Sun Nursery → Other Pavilions. Pandas are most active between 8 and 10 a.m.
Be sure to go in the morning!
The pandas are all sleeping after noon
Lunch: Pig Intestine Noodles + Guokui
Gan Ji Pork Intestine Noodles or Wang Ji Specialty Pork Intestine Noodles. A bowl of pork intestine noodles paired with a guo Kui—a classic Chengdu lunch.
Wide and Narrow Alleys
Take photos and check in at Kuanzhai Alley, then head to nearby Kuixinglou Street to grab a bite to eat.
Just take photos—no purchases
Head to Kuixinglou Street for a meal
Dinner: Authentic Chengdu hot pot
Xiaolongkan, Shu Daxia, or Dian Tai Alley. Order the “red pot” (don’t order the “yuan yang” pot), and be sure to order beef tripe, cow esophagus, goose intestines, and tender beef. About 80–120 yuan per person.
“Mildly spicy” is the minimum
Authentic old-school hot pot has a dark red beef tallow base and produces small bubbles
Day 2: Dujiangyan & Panda Valley
A full day at Dujiangyan and Mount Qingcheng, or an in-depth tour of the city.
Dujiangyan
A marvel of ancient hydraulic engineering that has remained in operation for over 2,000 years. About a 30-minute ride from Chengdu by high-speed rail (10 yuan).
Wear comfortable walking shoes; the site is quite large
Sanxingdui Museum
Take the high-speed rail from Chengdu East Station to Guanghan—an 18-minute ride. The Bronze Sacred Tree, the Mask with Protruding Eyes, and the Golden Mask—mysteries of the ancient Shu civilization from 3,000 years ago.
No tickets sold on-site! Book via the official WeChat account 5 days in advance
Open as usual on Mondays—don’t be misled
Dinner: Chuanchuanxiang
Maojiao Huola (Kuixinglou Street) or Yulin Chuanchuanxiang. About 60 yuan per person—cheaper than hot pot but just as satisfying.
Day 3: Slow-Living Experience
A Day in the Life of a Local—drinking tea, strolling through the park, and window shopping.
People’s Park & He Ming Tea House
People’s Park is a microcosm of Chengdu’s slow-paced lifestyle. He Ming Tea House is a century-old teahouse; order a cup of gaiwan tea (10–15 yuan) and watch the locals play mahjong or get their ears cleaned.
Lunch: Tian Shui Mian + Zhong Shui Jiao
The Tian Shui Mian and Zhong Shui Jiao at Zhang Lao’er Liangfen in Dongzikou (next to Wenshu Temple) offer authentic old-school Chengdu flavors. About 15–20 yuan per person.
Chunxi Road & Taikoo Li
Chengdu’s busiest commercial district. Head to IFS to take photos of the “wall-climbing panda” (Chengdu’s new landmark). Taikoo Li’s architecturally striking buildings also make for great photos.