Be a Happy Foodie in Chengdu
3-Day Chengdu Cuisine Experience Tour
Sichuan is a province with fabulous flavors, renowned for its bold tastes and distinctive styles. As a UNESCO-listed City of Gastronomy, Chengdu is one of the best places in Sichuan for experiencing local snacks, hot pot, fried dishes and culinary culture.
Just tasting is not enough? On this tour you will be able to learn how to cook like the professionals. Sign up for a "hot" adventure with China Highlights.
Highlights
- Stroll along Jinlin Old Street and sample various local snacks
- Take up the challenge of the famous hot pot
- Meet the lovely pandas in the Panda Breeding and Research Center
- Visit Sichuan Cuisine Museum and learn to cook typical Sichuan dishes
98.8% positive customer reviews among 10,000+
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Fantastic Chengdu family visit
We explored wonderful Chengdu and surroundings in 4 days. City tour in a relaxed way with delicious local snacks, really nice! Spectacular new dinosaur museum, Dujiangyan (combined Panda and dam in one outing, very recommendable), Leshan Buddha. All above super cool with the kids (ours are 7 and 4). Emei Shan impressive, maybe a little long driving to explore it and watch out for the hotels there, not all are nice and in the town itself there is nothing. But we were blessed with perfect weather on the top and perfect views. Eating hot pot is spectacular in Chengdu, but watch out how spicy it can be. Michael is just a perfect tour guide! He speaks super fluent German and has a very relaxed and competent style of explaining, which made the whole tour so nice. We love Chengdu and will definitely come back! more
Apr 2023,
Stefan P
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Giant Pandas - Giant Buddha - Mount Emei
We had a wonderful 3 days in Chengdu area,visiting the Panda breeding Center, Leshan Giant Buddha and hiking at Mount Emei.We have been travelling several times with Chinahighlights and everything was well organised as usual. Our guide Michael (fluent in English and German) was great showing us the beauty of Sichuan. We can highly recommend travelling with him and Chinahighlights. more
Mar 2023,
steffenwet
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Two amazing tours
Both tours were led by excellent guides who knew a lot about everywhere we went, and were very helpful and friendly. The agent was equally helpful and quick in responding to questions which was ,especially in covid restrictions time, extremely convenient. more
Jul 2022,
Elizabeth
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Panda Keeper for a Day at Dujianyan Sichuan
This is was the second time that we had signed up for the program Panda Keeper for a Day, this time at the Dujianyan Panda Base, about 1 hour drive away from Chengdu. Great experience again. We will surely do it once again. more
Mar 2022,
Thomas
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Amazing Tibet experience in Sichuan
Henry was an informative guide who went out of his way to ensure positive experiences. Mr Wu was not only a safe and attentive driver on sometimes rough roads but also a great photographer, capturing shots of us as we toured. Henry went out of his way to talk to anyone around to help bring the place alive through stories so we had the opportunity to meet so many locals, real people, and hear about their lives. Another highlight was the opportunity to climb a 1000 year old watchtower in Danba and meet the local family who managed it. Truly magical. Henry was also a consummate foodie who provided us with great local food recommendations along the way. more
Jul 2021,
Deborah J
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Amazing visit to panda bases in Chengdu and Woolong
Jason was terrific; he understood our interests in pandas and he made our outings very enjoyable. We plan to return to Chengdu to visit pandas and will be asking for Jason again. more
Dec 2019,
victoriadH3461ED
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Panda heaven
We have just completed the Chengdu leg of our trip to China organised by Robert Hui at China Highlights. Our Guide for the 2 Day trip was Daisy Du who made us feel very welcome and helped us check in and ensured our rooms were satisfactory then gave us directions of where to go for the best food. The next day Daisy took us straight to the Giant Panda Breeding and Research centre. It was fantastic to see the Pandas so close. It’s a little sad that they are in captivity but it is essential to increase the breeding rate and so save these wonderful animals from extinction. We saw Pandas of all ages and sizes including a tiny little baby that was only 36 day old. After an extremely tasty lunch picked for us by Daisy she then took us into the people’s park and showed us the tea houses and dating area where parents can advertise their single ‘30 something’ children to potential partners. The day ended with a wander around Jinli Old Street where you can buy anything from food to souvenirs to furniture. We have had the best time in Chengdu helped no end by the friendly, helpfulness of our guide Daisy who knew all the best places to go and sights to see. Thank you Daisy, a great time was had by all. ---jayne_Stu Halifax, United Kingdom more
Nov 2019,
jayne_Stu
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Wonderful Chengdu tour with Jason
With other two friends I have visited Chengdu in September 2018 and our tour guide was Jason, who has been really amazing with us.He had the smart idea to bring us to the Pandas reserve very early in order to avoid the crowds, even if we were visiting Chengdu right during the Chinese national holidays.After the Pandas reserve, we visited the tea park and the city centre, where Jason could give us a lot of information about Chengdu. Jason gave us also very nice suggestions about places to visit in the evenings during our free time. Totally recommended!!! ---Vittorio C Berlin, Germany more
Nov 2019,
Vittorio C
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Cecelia is your guide in Chengdu
We had a great time in Chengdu seeing the pandas and other excursions. Cecelia, our guide, picked us up with a bag of fruit and a wealth of knowledge. She took great care of us, got us through lines quickly and brought us to great restaurants. We even took a cooking class. Highly recommend her. --Robert D,Seattle, Washington, US more
Oct 2019,
Robert D
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Chengdu and Wolong Panda base with Aaron
Aaron picked us up from the airport and drove us straight to the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center. We had a very enjoyable time touring the Research Center with Aaron. Even though he has probably been to the research center many times he seemed just as excited to see them as we were. Especially the babies! The next morning we headed to the Wolong Panda Base with a stop at the 2008 Earthquake memorial site. We had a great lunch in the small town of Gengda and then went on a hike in the Dengsheng Gorge with a local guide. The next day we did the panda keeper program which entailed cleaning cages (inside and out), feeding pandas, making panda cakes, watching a film about the program and walking around the base looking at the many pandas. After the program we drove back to Chengdu. While we were working Aaron took some great pictures of us cleaning and feeding the pandas. The next morning tour guide Snow took us to the train station. Aaron was such fun to be around, he spoke English wonderfully and gave us great info about the pandas. ---Cougfan Auburn, Washington, US more
Oct 2019,
Cougfan
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Panda keeper program
Had a wonderful time on the panda keeper program which we booked through China Highlights. We generally avoid doing organised tours whenever possible as we prefer to do our own thing. Cecilia was our guide for the day and quickly made us feel at ease in her company she was interesting, knowledgeable and enthusiastic everything you want in a guide. The whole day was great and Cecilia certainly enhanced the experience, she took lots of photos for us throughout the day which was brilliant as it’s difficult getting photos together, she also provided us with buckwheat tea and biscuits which was a lovely touch. A big thank you to Cecilia. --Maria & Peter Foulger more
Sep 2019,
Mariafoulger
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During this whole trip, at anytime , if we need to modify our schedule or activities, Aaron and the driver can accommodate. They are friendly, knowledgeable, good communicator, flexible, and dedicated to making sure our needs are met. Aaron, thanks for making this an unforgettable trip for us! --Venture114992 more
Sep 2019,
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Suggested Itinerary
Your private driver and guide will be ready and waiting when you arrive in Chengdu. Sit back and enjoy a trouble-free transfer to the city center.
Then let's start the gourmet adventure at Jinli Old Street, a cluster of constructions with architectural styles traditional in western Sichuan. Along the narrow alleys, pavilions, courtyards and stone bridges, you can sample the authentic taste of various local snacks, which are well-known and unique in China. For lunch, try out (for example) some bean jelly in chili sauce, sweet potato noodles, baked egg pancakes or Sichuan-style won ton.
Spend a relaxing afternoon at a local tea house then head to a famous local restaurant for a special hot pot dinner. It's rich, delicious, exciting and fun, and your guide will lead you through this gastronomic adventure. If you are not a fan of spicy food, your guide can help you order the alternative flavors of your choice.
Well-satisfied, you will be escorted back to your hotel for a good rest.
Recommended Hotel in Chengdu:
Sofitel Chengdu Taihe (5-star)
Tibet Hotel Chengdu (4-star)
Rise and shine. Prepare for an eventful day. Your guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel at 8am.
First stop is the Panda Breeding and Research Center, home to nearly 50 giant pandas and red pandas. It is best to go early, to see the pandas feeding at around 9:30am, the time of day when they are most active.
Enjoy lunch at a popular local restaurant. Have a short rest during the private 1-hour drive to the Sichuan Cuisine Museum.
When you arrive at the museum, its bilingual guide will take you to the tourist center. You will start your Sichuan culinary journey by tasting a renowned Sichuan snack and by viewing a series of museum attractions.
Your guide, a professional chef, will teach you how to cook three typical Sichuan dishes, so that you will gain firsthand experience of Sichuan cuisine cutting skills, heat control, and cooking processes, along with some private tips on food presentation. The chef will evaluate your dishes and show you the correct way to eat authentic Sichuan food.
Recommended menu: panda steamed dumplings, kung pao chicken, mapo tofu
For dinner, eat the dishes you have prepared. Then you will receive the "Rookie Master Chef" certificate signed by the chef, and take home with you the "secret" recipes of the dishes you have cooked. After waving your museum guide goodbye, your tour guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel in Chengdu city.
After breakfast, your private guide and driver will be waiting for you in your hotel lobby. They will accompany you to the station or airport and help you check-in for your next destination.
Trip Notes
1. Dietary Requirements
Chili, garlic and peppercorns are frequently used in Sichuan dishes. If you have any allergies or special dietary requirements, please advise us at the time of booking. If you don't like spicy taste, your private guide can help you order less-spicy dishes or ask for no spices at all, according to your preference.
2. Optional Activity
With a history of over 100 years, Shufengyayun Tea House is an ideal place for enjoying local arts. The variety performance there includes traditional Sichuan spectacles such as face changing, spitting fire, hand shadows, a puppet show and acrobatics. Have a cup of tea with some local snacks, and enjoy a musical, colorful and magical night. It's recommended to book with your guide a day before, or for extra flexibility on the day.
Time: 8-9pm
3. 72-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy for Chengdu
Since 1 September, 2013, Chengdu has offered a 72-hour visa-free transit policy for foreign visitors. With a confirmed airline ticket to a third country or region, any holder of a passport issued by any of the 51 qualifying countries can stay in the city for 72 hours without a visa to China, assuming direct transit via the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.
Tour Price
Price includes:
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