Chengdu, Jiuzhaigou & Huanglong: Ten Winter Days

1. Flights

There is no usable nonstop on the evening of 24 Dec: SIA SQ846 at 11:40, SQ842 at 12:25, Air China CA404 at 16:00 and Sichuan Airlines 3U3910 at 17:00 all leave during office hours (airline timetables checked 5 Sep 2026), so the outbound has to be a one-stop. Coming back there is an SIA nonstop from Tianfu at 18:25, three hours quicker than Cathay, but you land close to midnight. Pick between “home early” and “no connection”.

2. Day by Day

Thu 24 Dec

Departure

Overnight flight

• 17:30Leave the office an hour early and head straight to Changi; Shenzhen Airlines departs 18:45, clear immigration in Shenzhen, land at Chengdu Shuangliu 09:50 next morning.
• Before boarding, set up the China apps: 12306, Trip.com/Ctrip, Amap and WeChat (the panda base and Jiuzhaigou both book through WeChat mini-programs); link a foreign card to WeChat Pay or Alipay and test one payment.
• Photograph your passport: Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong and the panda base are all real-name ticketed, and you scan the physical passport at the gate.

PlacesSingapore Changi AirportShenzhen Bao'an International AirportChengdu Shuangliu International Airport

Fri 25 Dec

Land in Chengdu: Kuanzhai Alleys, People's Park, hotpot

Upper House Chengdu · night 1

• 09:50Land at Shuangliu. Metro line 10 then line 1 takes about 40 min; a taxi is 30 min, around S$11 (¥60).
• 11:30Upper House (the former Temple House, renamed when Swire Hotels unified the brand in October 2025) sits inside Taikoo Li (太古里). Drop the bags and ask for early check-in.
• 13:00Kuanzhai Alleys (宽窄巷子): three Qing-dynasty lanes, Zhong dumplings, sandapao sticky-rice balls, and the ear-cleaning men. Crowded, still worth one pass.
• 15:30Heming teahouse in People's Park (人民公园): one lidded cup of tea until dusk. This is how Chengdu is meant to be done.
• 18:30First hotpot. Order the split yuanyang pot to test the water, and do not ask for “extra spicy” on the red side. Early night after the overnight flight.

PlacesChengdu Shuangliu International AirportUpper House ChengduKuanzhai AlleysPeople's ParkHeming Teahouse

Sat 26 Dec

Pandas at opening time, Wuhou Shrine and Jinli in the afternoon

Upper House · night 2

• 07:30Taxi 25 min to the south gate of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (成都大熊猫繁育研究基地) and walk in as it opens at 08:00. Morning tickets admit 08:00–12:00, adults S$10 (¥55)verified, booked up to 14 days ahead on the base's WeChat mini-program under your real name, one ticket per passport, sold out means sold out.
• Pandas are liveliest first thing: head straight for the cub villas and the Sunshine Nursery (that year's cubs), then the red pandas; by 10:30 most are asleep. In the winter cold they are actually more active.
• 13:00Back into town for the original Chen Mapo Tofu (西玉龙街), then 1.5 h in Wuhou Shrine (武侯祠, Three Kingdoms shrine); Jinli (锦里) starts at its gate and is best once the lanterns come on.
• 19:00Skewers on Jinli or dinner on Yulin Road, then an early night before the train.

PlacesChengdu Panda BaseChen Mapo Tofu (original)Wuhou ShrineJinliYulin Road

Sun 27 Dec

Bullet train up to Jiuzhaigou

Sheraton Jiuzhaigou · night 1

• 09:30Check out, metro line 2 to Chengdu East station; allow 40 min for security.
• 10:29C5792 Chengdu East → Huanglong Jiuzhai station (黄龙九寨站), arr 12:202025 timetable, confirm when 12306 opens sales. About 2 h, second class around S$27 (¥141). Backup: C5752, 11:46 → 13:55.
• 12:50From the station, the park shuttle to the Jiuzhaigou gate at Zhangzha town (漳扎镇): 93 km, about 2 h, S$10 (¥51)2024 fare, to confirm, booked on the “九旅悦行” mini-program. Check the timetable the day before.
• 15:00Check in at the Sheraton, 1.5 km from the gate. Zhangzha sits at about 2,000 m: take it easy today and drink plenty of water.
• 17:30Tibetan dinner in town (yak, butter tea). Confirm tomorrow's park entry and bus tickets on the official “九寨沟旅游官方平台” mini-program, then an early night.

PlacesChengdu East StationHuanglong Jiuzhai StationJiuzhaigou Scenic AreaSheraton Jiuzhaigou

Mon 28 Dec

The whole of Jiuzhaigou: blue ice, frozen falls, Tibetan villages

Sheraton · night 2

• Off-season (16 Nov–31 Mar) entry 08:30–14:00, park closes 18:00, capped at 23,000 people a day. Entry S$15 (¥80) + park bus S$15 (¥80) + insurance S$2 (¥10)verified, 2025–26 season. Real-name only, bought 7–14 days ahead on the official mini-program, which also runs the waiting list.
• 08:20Be at the gate for the first buses. Ride straight to the far end, Rize valley (日则沟): Mirror Lake (镜海, reflections on still mornings) → Pearl Shoal falls (珍珠滩) → Five Flower Lake (五花海, never freezes, the bluest water in the park). Primeval Forest, Grass Lake and Swan Lake are closed in winter and some boardwalks rest; follow the signs.
• 11:30Nuorilang falls (诺日朗瀑布): 320 m of frozen curtain. Lunch at the restaurant by the central bus hub.
• 13:00Zechawa valley (则查洼沟): Long Lake (长海, ice 60 cm thick) and Five-Colour Pond (五彩池). Both are above 3,000 m, walk slowly.
• 15:00Walk the Shuzheng valley boardwalk down: Rhinoceros Lake, the Shuzheng lakes and Shuzheng Tibetan village with its prayer wheels. Light goes by 16:00 in winter; do not push it.
• Second entry: in the off-season a second day is free (register when buying the first morning, a photo is taken, ¥20 fee, bus ticket bought separately). If Huanglong shuts at short notice, use it tomorrow.

PlacesJiuzhaigou Scenic AreaFive Flower LakeNuorilang FallsLong LakeShuzheng Tibetan Village

Tue 29 Dec

Huanglong's Five-Colour Pond, then the train back to Chengdu

Upper House · night 3

• 06:30Private car to Huanglong, about 120 km and 2.5 h (snow chains on snowy days; have the concierge book a driver who knows the winter road), around S$56 (¥300)estimate.
• 09:00Huanglong gully is open all winter (1 Dec–31 Mar): cable car from 09:00, uphill tickets until 15:30, 13,000 people a day. Off-season entry S$11 (¥60), cable car up S$15 (¥80), down S$8 (¥40)verified, 2025–26 season, bought under your real name on the “美丽阿坝” app or the Aba tourism site.
• The walk: cable car to 3,500 m, a flat 2.8 km boardwalk to Five-Colour Pond (五彩池, 3,553 m, seven hundred travertine pools, half blue and half white in winter), then 4 km downhill past Zhengyan pond and Huanglong temple. About 3 h. It is high; rent an oxygen can and do not be proud.
• 13:00Huanglong to Huanglong Jiuzhai station is only 27 km, 35 min. C5751 14:14 → Chengdu East 16:37, or C5801 15:15 → 17:422025 timetable.
• 18:00Back to Upper House and a proper dinner in Taikoo Li.

PlacesHuanglong Scenic AreaHuanglong Cable CarFive-Colour PondHuanglong Jiuzhai StationChengdu East StationUpper House Chengdu

Wed 30 Dec

Leshan Giant Buddha day trip

Upper House · night 4

• 08:00Chengdu East → Leshan (乐山) by bullet train, about 1 h, second class S$10 (¥54)verified, book on 12306. Bus or taxi 20 min from Leshan station to the site.
• 10:00Boat first: S$13 (¥70), every 30 min, the only place you see all 71 m of the Buddha head-on; winter hours (8 Oct–31 Mar) 08:00–17:30.
• 11:30Then the hill: entry S$15 (¥80)verified, down the nine-turn cliff stair from the head to the feet and back, 1.5–2 h. Off-season there is no two-hour queue on the stairs.
• 14:00Leshan's qiaojiao beef soup and sweet-skin duck, then a train back before 16:00.
• Why Leshan rather than Emei's Golden Summit: fresh off Huanglong at 3,500 m, another 3,079 m summit for snow views adds altitude and an extra night; the Buddha is stone, does not depend on the weather, and is a reliable day trip.

PlacesChengdu East StationLeshan StationLeshan Giant Buddha

Thu 31 Dec

A slow city day, then New Year's Eve

Upper House · night 5

• 09:30Wenshu Monastery (文殊院): free, morning incense and vegetarian food, breakfast in Wenshufang next door.
• 11:30Taikoo Li and Daci Temple (大慈寺) right under the hotel, then Chunxi Road to the IFS climbing panda.
• 15:00Back to the hotel for a bath and a nap; save yourself for tonight.
• 18:30Dinner by the river at Jiuyanqiao (九眼桥) or the Anshun covered bridge, lights on the water.
• 21:30New Year's Eve: in 2025–26 it was a light show and digital-fireworks countdown on Jiaozi Avenue, the “Starry Night” event under the Tianfu Great Eave from 16:00, and a drone show, all free; the 2026–27 line-up will be posted on Chengdu Bendibao and official channels in late December. Big crowds and metro entry limits; walk back or book the car early.

PlacesWenshu MonasteryTaikoo LiDaci TempleChengdu IFSAnshun BridgeJiaozi Avenue

Fri 1 Jan

Jinsha Site Museum and Sichuan opera

Upper House · night 6

• 10:30Sleep in. Jinsha Site Museum (金沙遗址) for the Golden Sun Bird, Chengdu's city emblem; entry about S$13 (¥70)to confirm, 2 h.
• 13:30Lunch on Jianshe Road's snack street, or a proper Sichuan tasting menu (Song Yun Ze or Yu Zhi Lan, book ahead).
• 20:00Shufengyayun Sichuan opera: face-changing, fire-spitting, rolling lamp, shadow puppets, 90 min, tickets in the ¥108–188 tiers (S$35 (¥188))platform price, to confirm; book early for New Year's Day. The theatre is in the Culture Park on Qintai Road.

PlacesJinsha Site MuseumJianshe Road snack streetShufengyayun Theatre

Sat 2 Jan

Flex day: Dujiangyan and Mount Qingcheng

Upper House · night 7

• First choice: half a day at Dujiangyan (都江堰): 30 min on the intercity train from Xipu to Lidui Park station, then the Fish Mouth, Flying Sand Weir and Anlan rope bridge. A 2,280-year-old irrigation works, open as normal in winter, entry S$15 (¥80)verified, 08:00–17:30. If legs allow, Mount Qingcheng front hill S$17 (¥90), or the combined ticket S$34 (¥180).
• Backup: a second morning with the pandas (the cubs again), or catch up on whatever the weather knocked out earlier in the week.
• Afternoon back in town for gifts: Zhang Fei beef, lamp-shadow beef, Shu embroidery. Pack tonight; the car leaves 05:45 tomorrow.

PlacesXipu StationLidui Park StationDujiangyan Scenic AreaMount QingchengChengdu Panda Base

Sun 3 Jan

Home to Singapore

Home tonight

• 05:45Check out and taxi to Shuangliu, 30 min at that hour; Cathay departs 08:15 via Hong Kong, landing at Changi 16:50.
• If you book the SIA 18:25 nonstop instead, sleep in: metro line 18 to Tianfu takes about an hour, leave by 15:30.
• Chengdu gets morning fog in winter and Shuangliu departures sometimes slip: the point of the early flight is that Cathay's afternoon service and the SIA evening nonstop are still there as fallbacks.

PlacesChengdu Shuangliu International AirportChengdu Tianfu International AirportSingapore Changi Airport

3. Hotels

25 Dec–3 Jan is China's peak travel window, and the two New Year nights in Chengdu go first. Upper House lists from S$461 a night on Trip.com; check the actual New Year rate by date. Lock both hotels now on free-cancellation rates. Jiuzhaigou rooms are half price off-season, no rush there.

4. Tickets and Booking Rules

Prices converted at 1 CNY = 0.1883 SGD on 2026-09-05; the yuan price in brackets is what you pay on the ground. Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong figures are the 2025–26 off-season notices; the 2026–27 notice usually appears in early November and takes precedence. Singapore passports get 30 days visa-free, so no visa is needed for this 10-day trip.

5. Booking Timeline

6. Gear List (Chengdu 3–10 °C damp cold, Jiuzhaigou −10 °C)

7. Risks and Backups

8. Budget (two sharing a room, per person)

About S$3,899 per person, S$7,797 for two. Carry ¥500 (S$94) cash each as a float, not counted above.

Flights (S$1,339) and hotels (S$1,755) are 79% of the per-person total; all the park tickets together come to just S$178, which is the point of going off-season. Savings in order: Niccolo instead of Upper House (about S$320/night) saves about S$494 per person; the SIA nonstop home may undercut Cathay too. Rate 2026-09-05, 1 CNY = 0.1883 SGD.