Where to See Giant Pandas in China
China is a vast country boasting many reasons to stimulate worldwide travelers to tour there. It is a place that you not only can admire its long-lasting historical and cultural treasures, such as the great world wonders - the Great Wall, the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, etc., but also can enjoy its diverse breathtaking landscapes and the rare plants and animals, among them, undoubtedly, the Giant Pandas are the most popular. It is one of the cutest black and white charm that cannot be resisted in the world, with two large, unique black patches around its eyes, a round face and a chubby body, having lived on the earth for at least 8 million years and are called "living fossils" and "Chinese national treasures", and attracted many fans all over the world.
Then you may wonder where you can see these cuddly creatures during your China tour. It is widely known that giant pandas are inhabited in dense bamboo forests at an altitude of 2,600-3,500 meters in central, western, and southwestern China, like Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces, especially in Sichuan Province, with sparse air and frequent clouds and mists. Currently, China has 18 giant panda nature reserves, 16 of which are located in Sichuan Province, which are built for the protection and research of giant pandas. However, the best place to see giant pandas goes to Chengdu and its surrounding breeding or releasing centers within a 2.5 hours’ single-way drive. Below we have carefully collected the 5 best places to see the adorable pandas for reference.
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding - the most popular place in Sichuan to see pandas
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, also known as Chengdu Panda Base, is a world-renowned giant panda ex-situ conservation base, scientific research and breeding base, and educational tourism base founded in 1987, famous for protecting and breeding giant pandas, red pandas, and other endangered wild animals in China. It is located 10 kilometers away northeast of the downtown of Chengdu and more than 30 kilometers away from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, covering an area of 100 hectares.
It is the world's largest artificial breeding population of captive giant pandas, which has given birth to 214 pandas with 152 pandas existing (as of 2015). Till the year of 2019, the number of pandas here has increased to 206. Apart from viewing pandas, it is also a beautiful place with hills filled with green forests, mirror-like clear water, and singing and flying birds. In addition, there is a museum as well as a few galleries on-site to help tourists to learn more about the panda by seeing the photos and movies. Another highlight is the delivery room where travelers can see the panda cubs aged from a few days to a few months. All these make it the top of the best places to see the pandas and a must-see site of your Chengdu tour or Sichuan tour, however, it is also the busiest place crowded with tourists all year round.
Number of Pandas: 206 (as of 2019)
Location: No. 1375, Waibei Panda Avenue, Chenghua District, Chengdu, Sichuan, China 中国四川省成都市成华区外北熊猫大道1375号
Admission Fee: CN¥ 55 per person
Opening Hours: 07:30 - 18:00 (08:00 - 11:00 and 14:30 - 17:00 are the best periods to see the pandas as they are the feeding time, especially the morning)
Activities: Panda view; watching panda breeding movies
Suitable for: Those traveling with limited time and only interesting in panda seeing
Recommended Sightseeing Time: Half day
Recommended Tours: Join our Half-day Panda Base tour to spend a wonderful time at the lovely pandas’ most active moment.
Dujiangyan Panda Base - best place for panda volunteer program
Dujiangyan Panda Base, short for China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda Dujiangyan Base, also known as "Panda Paradise", is located at Shiqiao Village, Mt Qingcheng Town, about 18KM away from Dujiangyan city (the home of the World Heritage Sites Dujiangyan Irrigation System and Qingcheng mountain and the birthplace of Chinese Taoism). Adjacent to the World Heritage Area of Giant Panda Habitat, it has a suitable climate and natural environment for giant pandas. Opened to the public in December 2013, it occupies an area of about 51 hectares, much smaller than the other panda centers in size.
Even though it could be smaller in size, however, it plays a role as important as the other pandas' centers, as it is the only scientific research institution of the world focusing on panda disease prevention and control and field rescue subdivided into 6 zones. The base is surrounded by a huge bamboo forest with verdant bamboos, the natural food of the giant pandas, green trees, birds and flowers, fresh air, plus patches of lawn and winding trails, once stepping into it, you will feel refreshed.
With a direct distance of only about 56KM outside of Chengdu, the Dujiangyan Panda Base is easily accessible to tourists with about 1-1.5 hours’ single-way drive. Compared to the Chengdu Panda Base, even though smaller in size with fewer pandas, it is less crowded with fewer tourists and has a more natural environment. The most unique experiences here are ‘adopting’ a panda by giving it a name and donating and the panda volunteering program to interact with the cuddly pandas and get close to their daily life. To be as a panda volunteer, you can assist the caretakers in their day to day work, including cleaning pandas’ areas and enclosures, preparing a feast of bamboo for meals and snacks of steamed buns, carrots, and apples, sometimes collecting behavioral data, making it a prime spot for panda exploration from Chengdu.
Number of Pandas: About 30
Location: Huaizhong Road, Shiqiao Village, Qingchengshan Town, Dujiangyan, Sichuan, China 中国四川省都江堰市青城山镇石桥村怀中路
Admission Fee: CN¥ 60 per person
Opening Hours: 08:45 - 17:00
Activities: Panda seeing, panda volunteer work
Best for: Those who look for a less crowded panda volunteer work
Recommended Sightseeing Time: 1 day
Recommended Tours: For those looking for a unique interacting experience with the pandas, no way is better than to be a panda keeper, join our 1 day panda volunteering at Dujiangyan (Wolong) Panda Base to have an unforgettable time with the pandas.
Wolong Giant Panda National Nature Reserve - Home for the wild pandas
Wolong Giant Panda National Nature Reserve, founded in 1963, is well-known both at home and abroad for its "Hometown of Wild Pandas", "Precious Biological Gene Bank", and "Natural Animal and Botanical Garden". As the third national nature reserve, it occupies an area of 200,000 hectares spanning the two townships of Wolong and Gengda with a beautiful environment, fresh air and original natural appearance, and a complete natural ecosystem of alpine woodland. Numerous travelers are attracted by its beautiful natural scenery, various rare animals and plants, and the rich Tibetan and Qiang ethnic culture.
As one of the few remaining giant pandas' natural habitats on the planet, it inhabits more than 100 giant pandas, accounting for about 10% of the country's total. Although it was hit hard by the "5.12" Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, now it has been rebuilt and the pandas who had lodged in other areas such as Bifengxia Panda Base have also returned home and been placed at the new center, Wolong Shenshuping Panda Base (China Giant Panda Garden), where tourists can see both adult pandas and baby pandas as well as be a panda keeper. It is an ideal place for breeding panda offspring, expanding their population, and releasing the domesticated giant pandas with the ability to survive alone in the wild.
It is situated in the mountain areas of southwest Wenchuan, about 120 kilometers away from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, with convenient transportation, you can take a tourist bus from Chengdu Chadianzi Bus Station or Dujiangyan Bus Station to there in 3 hours bus riding. However, hiring a private vehicle with a driver or doing a tour with both guide and driver through a local China travel agency should be the most convenient way to tour there and the best way to maximize your time by shortening the driving hour to 2.5 hours.
Number of Pandas: About 100
Location: Southwest Wenchuan, Aba Prefecture, about 120KM away from Chengdu, 50KM away from Dujiangyan, Sichuan, China 中国四川省阿坝州汶川县西南,离成都市区仅120公里左右,距都江堰50多公里
Admission Fee:
- Wolong Shenshuping Panda Base: CN¥ 90 per person;
- The general scientific expedition in Panda Valley: CN¥ 98 per person;
- The wild panda tracing: CN¥ 360;
- Zhenghe Valley hiking expedition: CN¥ 120
Opening Hours: 09:00-17:00 (Wolong Shenshuping Panda Base)
Activities: Panda viewing, panda volunteer work
Suitable for: Those who look for a less crowded panda volunteer work and want to see the wild pandas
Recommended Sightseeing Time: at least 1 day
Recommended Tours: Attend our 1 day panda volunteering at Dujiangyan (Wolong) Panda Base to get close to the daily life of the lovely pandas and have a close contact with the pandas.
Bifengxia Panda Base - Hometown of pandas
Ya’an is the place where the panda was first found in the world, so it is known as the hometown of pandas. The well-known tourist attraction, Bifengxia Scenic Area, is beautiful and quiet. It is not only a national AAAAA-level tourist area composed of waterfalls, streams, deep canyons, and dense forests but also a mysterious panda base is hidden inside, allowing you to get close to the pandas while bathing in the beautiful forest.
Bifengxia Panda Base, also known as Ya’an Bifengxia Base of China Conservation and Research Center of Giant Panda, is located in the Bifengxia Scenic Area, Yucheng District, Ya’an City, Sichuan Province, covering an area of 400 hectares. It is about 150 kilometers away from Chengdu, and about 19 kilometers away from the downtown area of Ya'an. It only takes 1 hour and 30 minutes from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to the Bifengxia panda base. The base has a scientific research center, child-care center, and panda hospital, etc. Travelers can also join the multiple days' panda volunteer program here. It might be a bit tiring to walk all the way in the scenic area, so the convenient shuttle bus inside the scenic area is a good alternation.
Number of Pandas: About 80
Location: 19 KM to the north of Ya’an city, Sichuan, China 中国四川省雅安市正北19KM处
Admission Fee:
- Bifengxia Scenic Area: CN¥ 120 per person (including the admission ticket of panda base);
- Bifengxia Zoo: CN¥ 150 per person
Opening Hours: 08:30-11:30,13:30-16:00 (11:30-13:30 is closed due to the panda break)
Activities: Panda sightseeing, panda keeper program
Suitable for: People who want to have a tour with a combination of panda and beautiful nature view
Recommended Sightseeing Time: at least 1 day
Recommended Tours: For those want to spend longer time with the pandas as well as nature expedition, the 4 days Panda volunteer work at Bifengxia Panda Base or 6 days Bifengxia panda volunteer and Mt. Emei tour should be the ideal options.
Beijing Zoo - Easiest access
Located at Xizhimenwai Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, it is one of the largest urban zoos in China with the most complete animal species and a history of more than a hundred years. It is divided into three areas: east, south, and north. The main entrance is in the east area, and the north area also houses the Beijing Aquarium (additional ticket purchase is required).
There are precious animals such as giant pandas, golden monkeys, Siberian tigers, red-crowned cranes, etc., as special products of China, as well as African chimpanzees, Australian kangaroos, jaguars, and Mexican manatees from all over the world. The park is lined with trees and has a large green area, which is very suitable for outings and parent-child activities.
Number of Pandas: 9
Location: No. 137, Xizhimenwai Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 北京市西城区西直门外大街137号
Admission Fee: CN¥ 14 per person (November 1st - March 31st); CN¥ 19 per person (April 1st - October 31st)
Opening Hours: 07:30-17:00 (November 1st - March 31st), 07:30-18:00 (April 1st - October 31st)
Activities: seeing pandas and other precious animals
Suitable for: People who won’t travel to Chengdu
Recommended Sightseeing Time: 2-3 hours
If our pre-designed panda tours don’t match your requirements well, please feel free to tell us your interests and requirements, we definitely can help to tailor-make your unique trip!