China has announced visa-free travel up to 15 days for citizens from several countries from December to November 2024. Thanks to the Government, the initiative would attract more travelers who are interested to explore China, especially Jiuzhaigou.
Jiuzhaigou National Park is located in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province. Jiuzhaigou was announced as the UNESCO World Heritage Site on top of category V Protected Landscape. In Chinese, there is saying “九寨归来不看水” used to describe the unforgettable picturesque fairyland of well-preserved lakes and waterfalls of the Jiuzhaigou National Park.
Nowadays, travel to Jiuzhaigou is so easy. Our handy travel guide to Jiuzhaigou National Park contain the key information on how to travel around Jiuzhaigou in hope to make your travel experience more easy and pleasant. Ki comment down below if there is any question.
How to Get to Jiuzhaigou
There are 4 ways to travel to Jiuzhaigou from the nearest city, Chengdu.
- Long distance bus / self-driving (8-10 hours): We can get the bus ticket from Xinnanmen Bus Station 新南门汽车站 (Chengdu Tourism Bus Center) or Chadianzi Bus Station 茶店子汽车站. There are 2 types of buses, the common 2+2 seats and the 2+1 seats which is more comfortable. The price ranges from CNY 165 – CNY 190. In addition, the bus ticket is also available online via Ctrip if local China mobile number is available during the ticket booking.
- Long distance 8 seated private car (6-8 hours): We can also share the private car with other travelers. The price ranges from CNY 200 and above.
- Plane operates by Sichuan Airline (1 hour): We often expect potential flight delay depending on the weather condition. The price ranges from CNY 2000 and above for round trip.
- *Highly recommended*: The new Sichuan-Chengdu-Qinghai Xining railway (Qingbaijiangdong-Zhenjiangguan section) has opened on November 28, 2023. The high-speed rail takes 2 hours from Chengdu East Station (成都东) to Zhenjiangguan Station (镇江关), following by another 2.5 hours by taking a bus from Zhenjiangguan Station to Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area (total of 4.5 hours travel time). Thereby, time saving up to 5 hours compared to the 1st option. The price ranges from CNY 250 – 300. The train ticket is available on both Trip.com and Railway 12306.
How to Travel Around Jiuzhaigou National Park (recommended route)
The map of Jiuzhaigou National Park represent a “Y” shape, with the scenic areas distributed on left, right and the center.
In general, the sightseeing route would be arranged automatically by the stuff when the sightseeing bus has arrived the Nuo Ri Lang Tourist Centre (Center). The bus will either travel to the top left scenic spot – Long Lake or the top right – The Virgin Forest. During winter, the bus will stop at Arrow Bamboo Lake instead as The Virgin Forest would be closed for safety purpose.
Jiuzhaigou National Park is very beautiful and worth to visit for a minimum of 2 days. In the event of only 1 day is available, the recommended route is “to visit the left first followed by the right, lastly the center”. Inside the Jiuzhaigou scenic area, the sightseeing bus is available at every bus stop, therefore, saving a lot of time.
One Day Trip Travel Route Recommendation in Jiuzhagou National Park:
- Get the bus to Long Lake (left) from Nuo Ri Lang Tourist Centre (Center). Walk towards to the Five Coloured Pond and get the bus back to the Nuo Ri Lang Centre (Left).
- Next, from Nuo Ri Lang Centre, hop on the bus to the Virgin Forest (right) and visit the scenic spots towards the Nuo Ri Lang Centre.
- Lastly, get the bus from Nuo Ri Lang Centre to Rhinoceros Lake and travel down to the park entrance.
How to Get the Jiuzhaigou National Park Entrance and Sightseeing Bus Ticket
Foreign traveler can buy the ticket at the ticket office of Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area. For your information, sightseeing bus ticket is mandatory and ticket online on Aba Tourism Official Page is only available for local ID card holder. During the peak season, there is a limitation of 50,000 tourists allowed per day.
Peak season: Entrance Ticket plus sightseeing bus for 1 person are a total of CNY 280
Low season: Entrance Ticket plus sightseeing bus for 1 person are a total of CNY 160
For foreign traveler, we need to present our passport in order to enter the Jiuzaigou National Park.
Where to Stay When Travel to Jiuzhaigou National Park
For convenience, it is recommended to stay in the scenic area. Any hotels within the walking distance to Jiuzhaigou scenic area are good choices. Moreover, there are plenty of restaurants and convenience stores nearby. For your information, most of the restaurants open pretty late, therefore, try to book a hotel that includes breakfast.
In Jiuzhaigou, our recommended Hotels are nonetheless The Holiday Inn Express, Guibinlou Hotel, Ji Hotel and Madison Hotel
What to Eat in Jiuzhaigou
Most of the restaurants in Jiuzhaigou offer Tibetan cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, beef hot pot and KFC (no MCD). Tibetan cuisine is a must try in Jiuzhaigou and do not miss out the beef hotpot, grilled lambs and beef, Tibetan Tea and Yogurt.
Likewise, stir-fried vegetables, eggs and tofu are available for the vegetarian option.
For the coffee lover, Luckin coffee and K Coffee (KFC) are also available nearby the Jiuzhaigou scenic area.
Our recommended restaurants are 如意林卡藏餐吧 and 沈家猪肚鸡山珍菌汤饭馆. Not only the taste is good plus the owner is also very welcoming and friendly.
Extra Tips
- Do wear sunscreen and sunglasses due to strong sunlight and UV
- Jiuzhaigou National Park is huge, therefore entering the park early is a good choice.
- The temperature is pretty low in the morning and evening, therefore recommended to wear thick clothes.
- If you need to catch an early train or flight, remember to book a taxi in advance, because Didi is not available in Jiuzhaigou.