Chengdu Pandas: Where to See Them, Tickets and Visiting Tips

Chengdu is the place to go in China if you want to see pandas. The city is the capital of Sichuan in south-western China, a region of mountains and forests that has long been associated with pandas. Nowadays, the famous animals are protected and taken care of inside a handful of different parks. 

If you want to see pandas in China, the most convenient and best way to do so is with a visit to the Chengdu Panda Base. It’s only 10km away from the city centre of Chengdu, and has plenty to enjoy, from adult pandas working through their bamboo breakfasts to younger pandas tumbling about. 

Chengdu Panda Base at a Glance

Here’s everything you need to know about the Chengdu Panda Base: 

Where to See Pandas in Chengdu and Sichuan

There are five main panda bases to consider in Sichuan, the province surrounding Chengdu. For a first visit, I’d choose Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding because it’s the closest to the city centre and straightforward to reach by taxi or public transport. The other four involve trips to nearby Dujiangyan, the mountains around Wolong, or Ya’an to the southwest.

As you can see, the Chengdu Panda Base is the most convenient choice for seeing pandas. For the rest of the article, I'll be focusing on the experience and logistics behind visiting there, instead of the other places.

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Chengdu Panda Base Tickets

For a regular adult, admission costs RMB55, approximately AU$11.80. Students are cheaper at AU$5.80, while seniors (60 and above) and children (6 and under) are free. 

When buying a ticket, you’ll also need to choose between a morning ticket or an afternoon ticket. The morning tickets are for entry between 7:30am and 12:00pm, while the afternoon tickets are from 12:00pm until 5:00pm (time of the last entry, while the park stays open until 6:00pm). Note that from November until February, the hours are slightly reduced; more info on that below. 

Reservations open up to 14 days before the visit date and close when the allocation sells out.

You don’t need a Chinese mobile number to book through Trip.com. The panda base lists Trip.com as an authorised booking option for overseas visitors who cannot use its local reservation system. Book using each visitor’s passport details, and make sure that you bring your passports on the day of admission. 

Chengdu Panda Base Opening Hours

Below are the opening hours for the Chengdu Panda Base:

When Is the Best Time to See the Pandas?

Spring is the best time to see the pandas, from March onwards. Pandas prefer cooler weather, so later in the year during summer, they’ll mostly stay in their air-conditioned indoor areas. If you are visiting during summer, an early visit gives you a better chance to see them outdoors before the temperatures rise. Spring is also the best time to see younger panda cubs playing outside.

For Australian families, the autumn school holidays are a particularly good fit. The March–April break coincides with spring in Chengdu and offers the chance to see younger pandas becoming more active. Aim for dates outside China’s Qingming holiday in early April, when domestic travel increases. If you’re extending the trip into May, the Labour Day holiday around 1 May brings another busy period.

The September–October school holidays can also work for cooler weather, but they can overlap with National Day Golden Week, beginning on 1 October. For this break, I’d favour a September panda visit outside the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, whose dates change each year. 

How to Get to Chengdu Panda Base

The Chengdu Panda Base is around 10km away from the city, so you’ll need to sort out your transport there. There are two separate entrances to Chengdu Panda Base: the South Gate and the West Gate. The metro somewhat serves both, but you’ll need to get a connecting bus to reach the entrance to the park. 

By Train and Connecting Bus

To take the metro to Chengdu Panda Base, you’ll want Line 3. There are two different stations depending on which gate you’re going to. 

Despite its name, Panda Avenue station is not at the entrance. The 408 bus completes the journey to the South Gate.

Image sourced from Travel China Guide.

By Taxi or DiDi

From Chunxi Road, you should expect to pay around RMB40 (AU$8.60) for a taxi or DiDi ride to the Panda Base, with the journey taking around 25 to 35 minutes, depending on traffic. 

Use the entrance name in your destination:

• South Gate: 成都大熊猫繁育研究基地南门
• West Gate: 成都大熊猫繁育研究基地西门

The South Gate is the useful starting point for the established panda villa area, including No. 6 Villa. The West Gate gives access from the Panda Creek Valley side.

Getting Around Inside the Base

This place is huge, and to walk around the entire base is going to be a lot of walking. Luckily there’s a sightseeing bus that ferries people around inside, with different stops serving different areas such as the panda villas, Sun Nursery, Bamboo Tower, Star Nursery and Panda Creek Valley. It is useful if you want to visit areas on both sides of the grounds.

The sightseeing bus is an extra cost; tickets are approximately AU$6.40 (RMB30) and can be bought on site. At either gate terminus, passengers taking another ride must join the queue again and have their ticket checked.

Image sourced from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

What to See at Chengdu Panda Base

You’ve purchased your ticket and are set for a half-day trip to see some pandas. Here’s a breakdown of the different areas and what to expect at each. 

Giant Pandas in the Villa Areas

The panda villas are where much of the visit happens: watching an adult settle into a pile of bamboo, spotting a panda draped over a climbing structure, or following the movements of a more energetic youngster. The enclosures are spread through landscaped grounds designed to reflect the animals’ forest habitat.

Hua Hua, also known as He Hua, is one of the base’s best-known pandas and is associated with No. 6 Giant Panda Villa. That villa closes to visitors on Mondays, except national public holidays, as part of the base’s rotating rest programme. 

Baby Pandas and Nursery Houses

If you’re hoping to see baby pandas at Chengdu Panda Base, the season makes a difference. Births generally occur in summer and autumn. By the following spring, cubs from the previous year may be climbing and playing in outdoor areas.

That makes spring a particularly appealing choice if you’re imagining small, fluffy pandas tumbling around together. 

Red Pandas

The base also conserves red pandas, with russet coats and long, ringed tails. In walk-through areas, the base requires visitors to stay at least 3 metres from red pandas and other free-roaming animals.

Panda Conservation Exhibits

The Giant Panda Museum has interactive displays about pandas and conservation, making it a useful stop after spending the cooler part of the morning around the enclosures.

The museum opens Tuesday–Sunday, 9am–5pm, with last admission at 4:30pm. Entry is free for panda base ticket holders, but requires a separate reservation through the museum’s official WeChat account, 成都大熊猫博物馆.

A Suggested Morning at Chengdu Panda Base

For a first visit, here’s how I would plan out a visit. I’d use the South Gate because it’s closer to the established panda areas, and then decide on the day whether to cross to the newer side of the grounds.

1. Begin with the panda villas. The major attraction inside the base, and where I would go first. If Hua Hua is a priority, make No. 6 Villa your first destination on a day it opens.
2. Continue to the nursery areas. From the panda villas, I’d follow the day’s open viewing routes for young pandas and other residents.
3. Visit the red panda area. I’d then make my way to the red panda area, giving me an encounter with these cute furry animals as well. 
4. Finish with the museum, or extend towards the West Gate. The sightseeing bus serves the Bamboo Tower and Panda Creek Valley if you want to explore farther.

For families, the visitor centres at both gates offer free pram and wheelchair loans, as well as nursing rooms. Both centres also provide free luggage storage, including a staffed service for items too large for the lockers.

Should I Stay Near the Panda Base?

For a first visit to Chengdu, I’d stay in the city centre. The panda base is close enough for a morning outing, leaving you well placed for restaurants, shopping and