ZOO TRIPS · PANDA BASES
Giant pandas are awake for a few hours a day and almost all of them are before ten in the morning. The 15 visits below get you there in time, with ticket prices, transfer options from Chengdu, and which ones include the nursery.
Spend about three hours at Beijing Zoo, home to giant pandas, golden monkeys, tigers, elephants, polar bears, and more. Choose a single or combined ticket, then enter with your passport and the correct QR code sent by email or WhatsApp. Andy and Cindy can help with directions and ticket questions.
“The ticket was sent to me by email. Everything went smooth, I had no issues.”
Spend a full day from Chengdu at Dujiangyan, Wolong, or Ya’an, helping prepare bamboo and panda food under staff guidance. Guides such as Kira, Alvin, Bella, Andy, and Alex Xia have led these visits. You cannot touch or hold pandas, but you can watch care work up close.
“Had an awesome volunteer experience with the Giant Pandas from breaking bamboos, creating Panda cakes, sweeping the cages, and ultimately feeding and engaging with the Pandas. Amazing experience that I highly recommend.”
Spend six to eight hours with a private guide and driver, beginning at Shanghai Zoo for pandas and other animals, then continue to Zhujiajiao’s canals, stone lanes, shops, and Fang Sheng Bridge. Guides such as Cassie, Annie, Ruby, and Sammi are noted for clear English and flexible help.
“Fantastic tour with Cassie. Visiting the water village and visiting key spots. Delicious lunch, fantastic boat ride and visiting the zoo seeing pandas! Cassie was a fantastic guide explaining Chinese culture and heritage and showing key spots. Highly recommended.”
You get a one-day Beijing Zoo combo ticket with one Panda House entry, plus registration help from Fun China. Send your full name and passport number by WhatsApp or email, then use the ticket QR code they provide, not the code in the GetYourGuide app. The aquarium is not included.
“Quick and easy way to get tickets - hassle free”
Travel privately from Chengdu to Wolong Panda Base with an English-speaking guide, admission, lunch, and hotel transfers included. The standard visit explores the reserve, while the optional volunteer upgrade includes a uniform, panda-care tasks, bamboo preparation, and supervised feeding. Guides such as Heather and Diana add personal help and local insight.
“I had an amazing time with Heather as my guide. She is so knowledgeable and so easy to talk to. She told me about Chinese history and culture as well as a lot of facts about pandas! I went by myself and I felt so safe the whole time.”
Start early at Chengdu Panda Base for feeding time, then ride about two hours to Leshan Giant Buddha. This private transport tour includes hotel pickup, parking, fuel, tolls, bottled water, and return transport. Drivers such as Wu Wei, Huang Lin, and Shi Jianhua have helped with tickets and site access, but English guiding is not guaranteed.
“Such a fantastic day! My driver was incredible and so willing to help in every way. He collected me from Tianfu airport at 6am and took me to the panda sanctuary, helped me get my tickets and showed me where to go. He then drove me to Leshan and the boat cruise was cancelled so he drove me 15 mins down the road to a different boat place so I could still experience the different viewpoint. I do recommend bringing snacks as there wasn't a stop for lunch. He then drove me back to chengdu to my hostel and showed me where to go. I couldn't fault the experience and…”
Spend a full day at Dujiangyan Panda Center with a private English-speaking guide such as Worley, Jenny, or Neil. Ride from Chengdu, help prepare food, clean panda areas, assist with feeding, enjoy lunch, and learn how the center supports conservation. Panda holding is no longer offered.
“Awesome and just the best thing ever. This is a once in a life time chance and I enjoyed every moment. It was educational as well as fun. The lovely lunch was a bonus.”
Start early with a private guide such as Amy, Lily, Lucy, or Sharlene at Chengdu Panda Base, then continue to Leshan for a Sichuan lunch and the 71-meter Giant Buddha. Choose the hillside walk or pay separately for a river cruise. The day runs about nine hours and suits visitors short on time.
“We had a great experience with our tour guide and driver. Lin (Amber) is a very sympathetic person, very knowledgeable and patient. With her deep experience, she helped us to going through the mobs smoothly. Panda experience was unforRead more”
Spend about 2.5 hours at Dujiangyan Panda Base, then visit Mount Qingcheng with private transport and hotel pickup. Drivers such as Wang Tao, Huang Lin, and Shi Jianhua are praised for helpful local advice, though English is not guaranteed. Tickets and lunch cost extra.
“We got picked up from our hotel from Mr. Wang. He was very friendly and told us the history of Chengdu as we drove to the panda base. This location wasn’t too crowded and the pandas are too cute. Definitely recommend the pandas. The mountain was pretty but it’s a lot of climbing and it was hot.”
Spend a full day at Chimelong Safari Park with guide Damon, a private driver, and hotel pickup in downtown Guangzhou. Your guide plans an efficient route through the huge zoo, then your driver takes you to the evening circus and waits during the show. Admission and meals cost extra.
“The tour guide Damon of local tours was wonderful, he was attentive to all the details of the clients and always attentive to advise of the status of the services offered to our passengers.”
Start from your Chengdu hotel at 7:30 am or 12:30 pm for a private visit to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base. Weaver and other English-speaking guides can help you find the best viewing areas. Add Leshan Buddha, Huanglongxi Old Town, or Chengdu sights for a longer day.
“Our guide was knowledgeable of the facility and knew exactly where to take us. He gave us background information on Pandas. We are very happy with Weaver. We didn’t know the facility has so many small mosquitoes types of bugs that basically attached themselves to our legs. A heads up of wearing long pants or bringing mosquito repellent would have helped a lot!”
Spend the morning with pandas at Chengdu Panda Base or in Pengzhen’s old tea house, then visit Leshan Giant Buddha by boat, on foot, or both. Private transfers, hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, and ticket-booking help are included. Guides such as Cora and Victor are known for thoughtful local explanations.
“It was my wife, mother-in-law and I. We did the panda base and Leshan Buddha boat trip. Our tour guide Cora was fantastic and very knowledgeable. She gave us lots of information on everything and answered all our questions. She was super friendly and great tour guide.”
Meet Victor, Cora, or another Pandasee guide at Exit A of Panda Avenue Station. Ride a clean, air-conditioned public bus to Chengdu’s panda base, skip the ticket line, and spend about three and a half hours seeing giant pandas, red pandas, peacocks, and black swans.
“See most of the Pandas in 4 hours, including the transportation ftom the Metro Station. Victor is our guide yoday, good English & professional. We spent 3 hours inside the park 12000 steps. We covered all in a rainy & slippery day. Highly commended for someone only want yo spend 1/2 day.”
Join an English-Chinese guide such as Mark or Judy for a full-day group trip from Chengdu to the Panda Base and Leshan Giant Buddha. You’ll see pandas at breakfast time when possible, visit Lingyun Temple, and return to Tianfu Square. Lunch, boat rides, and some transport costs are extra.
“A slower start with some delays on setting off but was so pleased that no time was cut from our time at the pandas or the Buddha. Mark is an amazing guide and has so much knowledge on all the places visited and is an all round great guy! Lunch was an amazing experience. Not included in the price but taken to a lovely local spot which is tucked away.”
Enter Adelaide Zoo before opening to watch red panda Ravi eat in the treetops, then enjoy a private viewing of giant pandas Yi Lan and Xing Qiu. Your English-speaking guide also leads a conservation-focused zoo walk, with morning tea at Wisteria Café and entry included.
“Amazing tour. We expected a group but we were the only three so it was like a private experience. Please note that you don’t get to feed the red pandas which we thought you did but otherwise I can’t rate this highly enough. Our guide was great and took us round the whole zoo but we spent most of the time with the pandas as requested - it’s also the best time before the zoo opens when it’s cooler because they were so active. Zoo is more like a wildlife garden, no cages as such and you can tell the animals are well cared for. Would definitely recommend”
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