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City guide · Chengdu, China · 2026

Chengdu in 3 days: itinerary and top spots

Updated · 36 spots · open in 2025–26

Chengdu, China. From 36 spots whose locations we've checked, we picked a full 3-day route (not counting arrival and departure days) and the top 8 in each category. The areas you'll keep coming back to: Chunxi Road · Qinghua Road · Shaocheng Road.

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🗺️ A 3-day route

Each day: two sights, one meal, one hot spot and one evening stop, grouped by neighbourhood so you can walk from one to the next.

Day 1 about 7h 30m at the stops, plus travel

  1. Morning
    Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda BreedingPanda Avenue, Chenghua District🏛️ Sight

    Pandas most active at 8-10am feeding; book online with passport, sleepy afternoons

  2. Lunch
    Dongzikou Zhang Lao'er LiangfenWenshu Monastery, Qingyang District🍜 Food

    Tianshui noodles and liangfen by Wenshu Monastery; QR pay ok, quiet around 3pm

  3. Afternoon
    Kuanzhai AlleyQingyang, Chengdu✨ Hot spot

    Three restored Qing-era lanes of teahouses and snacks; busiest when lit up in the evening

  4. Late afternoon
    People's Park (Heming Teahouse)Shaocheng Road, Qingyang District🏛️ Sight

    Gaiwan tea ~20 CNY at Heming Teahouse, try ear cleaning; mornings quieter

  5. Evening
    Jinjiang Night Cruise, Dongmen WharfDongmen Wharf, Jinjiang District🌙 Night

    Departs after 7pm lights, ~40 min; book ahead on Trip.com or mini-program, weekends sell out

Day 2 about 6h 25m at the stops, plus travel

  1. Morning
    Du Fu Thatched CottageQinghua Road, Qingyang District🏛️ Sight

    Buy tickets online; 2h bamboo garden stroll, pair with Chen Mapo Tofu next door

  2. Lunch
    Chen Mapo Tofu (Qinghua Road)Qinghua Road, Qingyang District🍜 Food

    160-year mapo tofu original; 11am-9pm, pair with Du Fu Cottage, add rice

  3. Afternoon
    Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li ChengduChunxi Road, Jinjiang District✨ Hot spot

    Pair with IFS panda deck; Fangsuo bookstore and evening lights, weekends crowded

  4. Late afternoon
    Daci TempleTaikoo Li, Jinjiang District🏛️ Sight

    Free 1,000-year temple inside Taikoo Li; a 30-min break from shopping, enter before 5pm

  5. Evening
    Anshun BridgeHejiang Pavilion, Jinjiang District🌙 Night

    Lights on at 7pm, shoot from riverside path; restaurant on the bridge needs reservation

Day 3 about 8h at the stops, plus travel

  1. Morning
    Jinsha Site MuseumJinsha Site Road, Qingyang District🏛️ Sight

    Gold Sun Bird is the highlight; closed Mondays, indoor halls good on rainy days

  2. Lunch
    Mao Jiao Huo La (Kuixinglou Street)Kuixinglou Street, Qingyang District🍜 Food

    Legendary cold chuanchuan and maocai; 2h wait at night, go 3-5pm

  3. Afternoon
    Wangping FangMengzhuiwan, Chenghua District✨ Hot spot

    Riverside regenerated street; vintage shops and cafes, walk on to 339 Tower night view

  4. Late afternoon
    Wangjianglou ParkWangjiang Road, Wuhou District🏛️ Sight

    Free bamboo park plus paid pavilion zone; student cafes nearby at Sichuan Univ

  5. Evening
    Jiuyanqiao Bar StreetJiuyanqiao, Wuhou District🌙 Night

    Riverside live-music bars busy after 9pm; photograph Anshun Bridge across the river

🍜 Where to eat in Chengdu: top 8

Specific restaurants, markets and food halls. Where there are queues, go right after opening.

  1. Xiaolongkan Hotpot (Chunxi Road)Chunxi Road, Jinjiang District

    Iconic Chengdu hotpot chain; 1h wait at dinner, start with yuanyang broth mild spice

  2. Shu Daxia HotpotZongfu Road, Jinjiang District

    Martial-arts themed hotpot; arrive before 6pm to skip the line, order tripe and goose intestine

  3. Mao Jiao Huo La (Kuixinglou Street)Kuixinglou Street, Qingyang DistrictIn the route

    Legendary cold chuanchuan and maocai; 2h wait at night, go 3-5pm

  4. Chen Mapo Tofu (Qinghua Road)Qinghua Road, Qingyang DistrictIn the route

    160-year mapo tofu original; 11am-9pm, pair with Du Fu Cottage, add rice

  5. Long Chao Shou (Chunxi Road)Chunxi Road, Jinjiang District

    Classic chili-oil wonton house; sampler sets are value, avoid lunch peak

  6. Zhong Shui Jiao (Tidu Street)Tidu Street, Jinjiang District

    Original sweet-spicy chili-oil dumplings; 10 per plate, add tianshui noodles

  7. Heji Dan Hong Gao (Wenmiao West Street)Wenmiao West Street, Qingyang District

    Chengdu egg pancake original; cash or WeChat Pay, 11am-9pm, try bingfen too

  8. Erjie Rabbit (Shangxiang Street)Shangxiang Street, Jinjiang District

    Chengdu's signature cold rabbit dice; mostly takeaway, may sell out afternoon

✨ Chengdu hot spots: top 8

Trendy neighbourhoods, cafés, photo spots and complexes for the daytime.

  1. Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li ChengduChunxi Road, Jinjiang DistrictIn the route

    Pair with IFS panda deck; Fangsuo bookstore and evening lights, weekends crowded

  2. Dongjiao MemoryJianshe South Branch Road, Chenghua District

    Factory-turned culture park; free entry cafes and shows, best light after 4pm

  3. Yulin RoadYulin, Wuhou District

    Street from the song 'Chengdu'; small cafes and bars, coffee then chuanchuan dinner

  4. Wangping FangMengzhuiwan, Chenghua DistrictIn the route

    Riverside regenerated street; vintage shops and cafes, walk on to 339 Tower night view

  5. REGULAR Yuanye, Dayuan Central ParkTianfu 2nd Street, High-tech Zone

    Sunken park mall opened 2023; Metro 5 Dayuan Exit D, relaxed on weekday afternoons

  6. Luxelakes Art Exhibition CenterLuxelakes, Tianfu New Area

    Lakeside art museum complex 9am-6:30pm; some shows ticketed, best reached by Didi

  7. Tiexiangsi Water StreetJiannan Avenue, High-tech Zone

    Canal-side teahouse and restaurant street; pretty at dusk, Tiexiang Temple is free

  8. Chengdu SKP, Jiaozi ParkJiaozi Avenue, High-tech Zone

    Underground luxury mall beneath a park; Jiaozi twin-tower light show ~8pm, Metro 1

🌙 Chengdu at night: top 8

Bars, izakaya and night views — one to end the evening.

  1. Jiuyanqiao Bar StreetJiuyanqiao, Wuhou DistrictIn the route

    Riverside live-music bars busy after 9pm; photograph Anshun Bridge across the river

  2. Anshun BridgeHejiang Pavilion, Jinjiang DistrictIn the route

    Lights on at 7pm, shoot from riverside path; restaurant on the bridge needs reservation

  3. Jinjiang Night Cruise, Dongmen WharfDongmen Wharf, Jinjiang DistrictIn the route

    Departs after 7pm lights, ~40 min; book ahead on Trip.com or mini-program, weekends sell out

  4. Sichuan TV Tower 339 (West Pearl Tower)Mengzhuiwan, Chenghua District

    Chengdu's 'Bund'; paid observation deck, free river-walk night view, light show ~8pm

  5. Lan Kwai Fong ChengduShuijingfang, Jinjiang District

    Riverside bar and club complex; rooftop seats full after 10pm, 5 min walk to Anshun Bridge

🏛️ Top sights in Chengdu

The places most first-timers don’t want to miss. Add a day in the app for the ones not in the route.

  1. Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda BreedingPanda Avenue, Chenghua DistrictIn the route

    Pandas most active at 8-10am feeding; book online with passport, sleepy afternoons

  2. Du Fu Thatched CottageQinghua Road, Qingyang DistrictIn the route

    Buy tickets online; 2h bamboo garden stroll, pair with Chen Mapo Tofu next door

  3. Jinli Ancient StreetWuhouci Avenue, Wuhou District

    Snack alley beside Wuhou Shrine; lanterns light at dusk, weekend evenings packed

  4. Jinsha Site MuseumJinsha Site Road, Qingyang DistrictIn the route

    Gold Sun Bird is the highlight; closed Mondays, indoor halls good on rainy days

  5. People's Park (Heming Teahouse)Shaocheng Road, Qingyang DistrictIn the route

    Gaiwan tea ~20 CNY at Heming Teahouse, try ear cleaning; mornings quieter

  6. Wangjianglou ParkWangjiang Road, Wuhou DistrictIn the route

    Free bamboo park plus paid pavilion zone; student cafes nearby at Sichuan Univ

  7. Daci TempleTaikoo Li, Jinjiang DistrictIn the route

    Free 1,000-year temple inside Taikoo Li; a 30-min break from shopping, enter before 5pm

  8. Chengdu Science Fiction MuseumJingrong Lake, Pidu District

    Zaha Hadid design opened 2023; exterior photos are the point, Metro Line 6

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