Essential Chongqing Day Tour with Giant Panda Viewing

Your friendly, English-speaking guide will meet you at your hotel in downtown Chongqing at 8:30am.

It's around half an hour's drive in air-conditioned comfort to Chongqing Zoo, the largest conservation facility in southwest China. Although the zoo is home to more than 2,000 animals from over 170 species, the main attraction here is the endangered giant panda, which is bred here. Your guide will show you to the 5-acre (2-hectare) space where the cuddly creatures munch on bamboo - at the right time of year there will be baby pandas to admire as well!

Next, it's back in the van for the 20-minute drive to Eling Park, a beautifully landscaped park full of water features, weeping willows, and serene pavilions. From here, it's half an hour's journey back in time to Ciqikou, Chongqing's old town. Known as the 'Porcelain Port', it was once a busy river harbor, and the beautifully restored houses, decked with Chinese lanterns, still sell ceramics today.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before your last stop, the Three Gorges Museum, 20 minutes away. This vast, modern museum is home to exhibits on the Three Gorges, the Three Gorges Dam, and artifacts saved from the rising waters, as well as tales from the history of Chongqing: your guide will lead you through the highlights.

You'll arrive back at your hotel around 4:30pm.