9 days · Moderate, one flight · April–June, or September–October

Chengdu's teahouses, Chongqing's cliffs, then a short flight to Zhangjiajie's pillars. Three textures of the interior.

1. Chengdu
2. High-speed rail · 1–1.5 hChongqing
3. Flight · about 1.5 h in the airZhangjiajie

1. Day 1

   Tea, not pandas

   Chengdu · 成都

   Arrive and sit in People's Park. Mapo tofu at dinner. The panda base is a morning thing, so do not land and race there.

2. Day 2

   Pandas at opening

   Chengdu · 成都

   Research base first thing, back in town for a late lunch. Kuanzhai only if you still want to walk.

3. Day 3

   A slow food day

   Chengdu · 成都

   Noodles, a market, an optional Wuhou hour. Hotpot only if you are not eating it in Chongqing tomorrow night.

4. Day 4

   An hour to another climate

   Chongqing · 重庆

   High-speed train. Drop bags in Yuzhong. Cable car or a cliff walk. Hotpot after dark.

5. Day 5

   Vertical city

   Chongqing · 重庆

   Liziba, a view of Hongya Cave from across the water, xiaomian for breakfast. Do not schedule a museum marathon.

6. Day 6

   Fly to the pillars

   Zhangjiajie · 张家界

   Short flight to Hehua Airport. Sleep near the gate you will use. Do not enter the park at 4 p.m.

7. Day 7

   Wulingyuan

   Zhangjiajie · 张家界

   One full park loop. Out before the last buses. A simple Hunan supper: cured pork, rice, not a hotpot repeat.

8. Day 8

   Tianmen, or a second gate

   Zhangjiajie · 张家界

   Tianmen Mountain if you want the cable car and the cliff gate. Otherwise a quieter stream walk inside the main park.

9. Day 9

   Fly out

   Zhangjiajie · 张家界

   Hehua connects back to Chongqing, Changsha, and larger hubs. Build in time. Mountain airports delay.