Practical Guide for a Self-Guided Trip to Jiuzhaigou

During the National Day holiday, I finally visited the long-planned Jiuzhaigou with my friend. Before going, I worried about the long travel time, but after arriving, I felt everything was worth it! The scenery was so beautiful that I was speechless!

Before going, my friend and I did a lot of research and found a direct premium bus to Jiuzhaigou. The ticket was 149 RMB, even cheaper than at the station. So we booked the bus ticket and a hotel package for the night before departure. It's worth mentioning that the hotel was a classic five-star hotel with clean, comfortable rooms that had a vintage style. The location was amazing, right on Chunxi Road, making it super convenient for shopping and eating hotpot, haha. And importantly, the morning pickup point was right at the hotel entrance, so I could sleep in a bit more without having to get up too early.

I woke up at 7:00 AM, freshened up, and had breakfast at the hotel restaurant (also included in the package). I sat by the window, watching the bustling crowd while eating, feeling so leisurely, haha. After breakfast at 7:40, I went downstairs and got on the bus at the entrance. The bus was a 2+1 premium bus with seats that could recline. I fell asleep as soon as I got on, haha. The seats had USB charging ports and WiFi, which was much better than a regular bus! And the price was cheap. We departed at 7:45.

The scenery along the way was nice, and the air was fresh. The little assistant lady gave us bottled water and explained the local customs and culture. At noon, we had lunch in Mao County; the prices were similar to those in the city. We had noodles for 12 RMB per bowl. The bus stopped three times during the trip. When stopping for breaks, it's best to get off and use the restroom or stretch your legs. We arrived a little after 6 PM. The whole ride was so much more comfortable than taking a regular bus, so I immediately booked the return ticket!

The next morning, we got up early and queued for ticket inspection at 7:40 to enter Jiuzhaigou. We had also pre-purchased the entrance ticket and sightseeing bus ticket on the official WeChat account for a total of 259 RMB. We took the sightseeing bus directly to Long Lake, then made our way down, getting on and off at stops to reach the next attractions. It's best to combine walking with taking the sightseeing bus, otherwise walking the entire way would be too tiring.

I recommend a few scenic spots that are great for photos: Long Lake, Five Flower Lake, Five Color Pond, Mirror Sea, Pearl Shoal Waterfall, and Nuorilang Waterfall. Every spot was indescribably beautiful, truly like 'fish swimming in the clouds, birds flying in the water.' For lunch, you can choose the buffet at Nuorilang Restaurant for 60 RMB per person, or bring your own food. For clothing, I recommend wearing solid or bright colors for great photos. We exited a little after 5 PM. For dinner, we booked a Tibetan mushroom hotpot through the assistant lady, and we could enjoy a performance while eating. The atmosphere was great, and the Tibetan people were incredibly warm. In the evening, we watched the 'Eternal Love' show, which was spectacular.

On the third morning, we departed at 8 AM and returned the same way, going directly back to Chengdu. We arrived in Chengdu around 5:40 PM, and the drop-off point was at Yipintianxia subway station. We immediately took Line 2 to Chunxi Road to eat hotpot.

Our tiring but happy Jiuzhaigou trip came to an end. It's worth visiting in every season, and I'll try to go again next summer!