Autumn Journey from October to November: Viewing Red Leaves and Colorful Forests in Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, Heishui, Naizigou, Miyaluo, and Naizigou

Every mid-October is the most romantic season in western Sichuan. With azure lakes, snow-capped mountains, and forests interwoven with red, yellow, and green, under the blue sky and white clouds, colorful forests, Tibetan villages, cattle and sheep, and snowy peaks create a mesmerizing picture—any shot is a masterpiece.

Itinerary: Chengdu / Huanglong Jiuzhai Station → Huanglong → Jiuzhaigou → Sêrgugu Tibetan Village → Yangrong Hade → Luoli Cuo → Naizigou → Miyaluo → Bipenggou → Chengdu

**First Stop: Huanglong**

In autumn, Huanglong shimmers with golden light amidst its emerald green waters. From the foot to the summit, from colored ponds to snowy peaks, from early to deep autumn, surprises hide everywhere. Under the bright autumn sun, the milky-yellow travertine pools reflect dazzling golden light, layered and elegant! The Five-Color Pond in autumn—emerald, azure, orange-yellow... a riot of colors, breathtakingly beautiful!

**Second Stop: Jiuzhaigou**

Autumn is the perfect time to experience the natural wonders of Jiuzhaigou. From early October to the end of October, in deep autumn, the colorful forests in Jiuzhaigou are like fire, the emerald waters like jade—clear and transparent, reflecting the brilliant forests! The mountains are covered with multicolored leaves, with azure lakes, clear skies, and fallen leaves...

**Third Stop: Sêrgugu Tibetan Village**

Sêrgugu Tibetan Village governs three natural villages: Upper Village, Lower Village, and Wawa Village. It is a Tibetan settlement and the earliest recorded village along the upper Min River. Sêrgugu Tibetan Village is a completely rustic Tibetan village with no commercial atmosphere, preserving the lifestyle of 1,300 years ago. The village itself is a giant maze, intricate and complex!

**Fourth Stop: Naizigou**

The Naizigou colorful forest in western Sichuan stretches over eighty li (about 40 km). With lush vegetation and forests covering the mountains, it is known as the largest viewing area for colorful forests in Asia. When autumn comes, the entire forest turns golden, as if entering a palette spilled by God. The golden autumn season covers mountains and forests with layers of color, earning the reputation of "Sixty li of colorful forest, sixty li of gallery." Various types of vegetation grow and intermingle here, forming a unique western Sichuan colorful forest wonder.

**Fifth Stop: Seven-Color Jiazu Village**

Jiazu Tibetan Village is a colorful village, with its overall architectural tones blending with nature. Red, yellow, orange, blue, green—all colors. Entering Jiazu Tibetan Village feels like stepping into an oil painting, with rows of colorful Tibetan houses in sight.

**Sixth Stop: Yangrong Hade**

Yangrong Hade is a relatively peaceful village. Autumn is the most beautiful season in Yangrong Hade. Under the sunlight, the entire village becomes colorful, as beautiful as a fairyland!

**Seventh Stop: Naizigou·Luoli Cuo**

A lake by the roadside, reflecting the colorful forest on the mountain. With the colorful forest as backdrop, the blue lake water and colorful forest create great photo opportunities. You can take a boat ride; it looks even better with sunlight!

**Eighth Stop: Gansiba Village, The Internet-Famous Tree**

Turn off the road in the Naizigou colorful forest and drive up the mountain for about 3–4 km. This tree is incredibly photogenic—vibrant red. Just a photo of you and the tree looks great! You can drive, but the road is narrow. If there are many people, it's recommended to walk for about 30 minutes; the scenery along the way is also very nice!

**Ninth Stop: Yajiaxia National Forest Park**

Autumn is the best season to visit Yajiaxia Forest Park. Layers of forest are dyed with color, vibrant and brilliant. Strolling along forest paths, breathing fresh air, you feel as if in a fairyland. Tall deodars, pines, cypresses, maples, and arborvitae have also put on new red attire, adding more color to autumn. Under the sunlight, they shine dazzlingly.

**Tenth Stop: Miyaluo Sangdan Temple**

The red leaves in Miyaluo are on the slopes along both sides of National Highway 317. The red leaves of Miyaluo begin to spread from Zhegu Mountain, with an altitude difference of nearly 3,000 meters, causing the red leaves to cascade down gradually. Starting from Miyaluo Town, about 5 km away, Sangdan Temple offers a majestic view of vast snow-capped mountains pressing down. Except for the back side of Sangdan Temple, the snow-capped mountains stretch endlessly across the sky.

**Eleventh Stop: Bipenggou**

Compared to other red leaf scenic areas, the landscape here is richer. Accompanied by plateau lakes and glaciers, the red leaves in Bipenggou appear even more charming and spectacular. From October to November, it's the perfect time to view the colorful forests in Bipenggou. Red maples and tuliptrees adorn the valley with a riot of colors, combined with white snow-capped mountains and glaciers above, and emerald green plateau lakes nearby, creating a striking visual effect.

**Day 1: Huanglong Jiuzhai Station / Chengdu → Huanglong → Jiuzhaigou**

Noon: Arrive at Huanglong Jiuzhai High-Speed Station, preferably before 12:00 p.m., to have more time to explore Huanglong. Lunch can be in Chuanzhusi or Huanglong. Afternoon: It is recommended to take the cable car to the upper station, then walk to the Five-Color Pond (this section is relatively flat, offering views of the primeval forest along the way). While descending, there are many attractions: Zhengyan Colorful Pond → Suoluo Yicai Pond → Mingjing Daoying Pond → Penjing Pond → Jinsha Pudi → Xishen Cave → Liantai Waterfall → Feipu Liuhui → Yingbin Pond.

**Day 2: Full-day Jiuzhaigou Tour**

Morning: Purchase tickets and sightseeing bus tickets at the ticket office → Enter through the ticket gate → Take the bus to Primeval Forest → Walk along the boardwalk to see Jianya Xianquan, Fangcao Lake, and Tian'e Lake → Take the bus to Jianzhu Lake → Walk to see Jianzhu Lake and Jianzhu Lake Waterfall → Walk along the boardwalk to Panda Lake, see Panda Lake, Panda Lake Waterfall, Wuhua Lake → Walk along the boardwalk by Peacock River to Zhenzhu Beach → Walk to see Zhenzhu Beach and Zhenzhu Beach Waterfall, then proceed to Jinghai Parking Lot → Take the bus to Nuorilang Center for lunch. Noon: Nuorilang Qunhai → Nuorilang Center Station (the only restaurant in Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, you can eat and rest here). It's recommended to bring your own snacks or self-heating meals to save time waiting in line—the food there might not suit your taste. Afternoon: From Nuorilang Center, take the bus to Changhai → Walk along the boardwalk to see Changhai and Five-Color Pond → Continue to the pickup point at Five-Color Pond and take the bus back to Nuorilang Center → Walk to see Zechawa Village and Nuorilang Waterfall → Take the bus to Shuzheng Village.

**Day 3: Half-day Jiuzhaigou Tour → Zhenjiangguan Town → Sêrgugu Tibetan Village → Sêrgugu Town**

Morning: From Shuzheng Village, take the bus to Jinghai Lake to see the morning reflections → Walk to Jinghai Parking Lot → Walk along the boardwalk to Nuorilang Waterfall, then follow down to see Rhinoceros Lake, Tiger Lake, Shuzheng Waterfall, Water Mill, Shuzheng Village, and Shuzheng Qunhai. Noon: You can have lunch outside Jiuzhaigou or in Chuanzhusi or Songpan Ancient City. There are many Tibetan foods in Tibetan areas. Around 12:00 p.m., exit the valley. Around 1:00 p.m., gather at the Jiuzhaigou scenic area entrance. Afternoon: Sêrgugu Tibetan Village is an ancient, primitive, and mysterious Tibetan village built on the mountainside. Its buildings are majestic, interconnected, with many stairs and winding paths leading to seclusion.

**Day 4: Sêrgugu Town → Seven-Color Jiazu Village → Yangrong Hade → Luoli Cuo → Gansiba Village Internet-Famous Tree → Yajiaxia Campsite → Miyaluo Town**

Morning: After breakfast, start today's red leaf and colorful forest journey: Seven-Color Jiazu Village → Yangrong Hade → Luoli Cuo → Gansiba Village Internet-Famous Tree → Yajiaxia National Forest Park → Miyaluo. Naizigou stretches for dozens of kilometers surrounded by colorful forests. Here you'll find the most beautiful Tibetan village, Yangrong Hade, where you can hike through a forest oxygen bar. A vibrant red catalpa tree stands on the left side of the road—the internet-famous tree is worth stopping for photos. At the Yajiaxia Snow Mountain viewing platform, there are a few parking spaces on the side of the road; you can see snow mountains and fir forests. Noon: Lunch depends on the scenery and driving conditions. You can choose to eat in Yangrong Hade or Shuajingsi Town. Recommended food: yak hotpot, yogurt, plateau potatoes, etc. Afternoon: Tonight, stay in Miyaluo Town. Miyaluo in western Sichuan is a hidden gem with strong Tibetan and Qiang ethnic customs—a rare earthly paradise.

**Day 5: Miyaluo Town → Miyaluo Bi Village Sangdan Temple / Lixiao Road Da'erpu → Bipenggou → Chengdu**

Morning: Sangdan Temple offers a majestic view of the vast snow mountain range pressing down. Except for the back side of the temple, snow mountains stretch endlessly across the sky. From Miyaluo Town, first navigate to Jia Bi Village, then you'll see a Tibetan village. Continue driving ahead; on the right side, there is a white stone with "Sangdan Temple" written on it (this section of road is steep, narrow, and winding—not recommended for inexperienced drivers). Noon: For lunch, you can bring your own snacks or buy from small stalls in the scenic area. Afternoon: The highlight of today is Bipenggou in autumn. In Bipenggou, layers of forest are dyed with colors, with lush forests, snow-capped mountains, lakes, and colorful forests... perfectly depicting a beautiful autumn picture. After visiting Bipenggou, return to Chengdu. Bipenggou is about 216 km from downtown Chengdu, about a 3-hour drive. How to visit Bipenggou: Take the sightseeing bus from Bipenggou Scenic Area → Longwang Sea (midway) → Shanghaizi (40 minutes by bus) → Panyang Lake (electric cart 60 RMB round trip, 4.5 km, 20 minutes by cart—personally, I think it's the most beautiful spot in Bipenggou) → Yanzui Rock (elevation 3,800 m, 20 minutes by cart, closer to the snow mountain).

✅ **Plateau Travel Tips:**

1. **People unsuitable for high-altitude travel:** Those with significant heart, lung, brain, liver, or kidney diseases, or severe anemia or hypertension, should not enter high-altitude areas rashly. If you have never been to high altitude, we recommend a strict medical checkup before going. Tourists with organic diseases, severe anemia, or severe hypertension have poor adaptability to high-altitude environments. They are at higher risk of acute altitude sickness in the initial stage; if they stay too long, they are also more prone to chronic altitude sickness. Additionally, the body's compensatory activities in the liver, lungs, heart, and kidneys increase to adapt to the plateau, putting more burden on these organs. If these organs already have problems, the condition may worsen. If you are unsure whether you can participate in the Huanglong and Zoige activities, consult an experienced doctor and act prudently.

2. **Precautions during the journey to the plateau (key points):**

① Prepare oxygen and medicines for acute altitude sickness as much as possible, such as nifedipine (Adalat) and aminophylline. Also bring cold medicines, antibiotics, and vitamins. Since the plateau climate is cold with large temperature differences between day and night, prepare sufficient warm clothing to avoid catching a cold. Cold and respiratory infections can trigger acute altitude sickness.

② If severe altitude sickness symptoms occur during the journey, treat immediately—take aminophylline or place 20 mg of nifedipine under the tongue. In severe cases, inhale oxygen. If severe chest tightness, violent coughing, difficulty breathing, pink frothy sputum, or symptoms like slow reaction, apathy, or coma occur, in addition to the above measures, go to the nearest hospital or transfer to a lower altitude area as soon as possible for recovery.

✅ **Travel Tips:**

When entering the scenic area by sightseeing bus, sit on the left when viewing Shuzheng Gully and Zechawa Gully, and definitely sit on the right when viewing Rize Gully. Drones are prohibited in Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area; drones are allowed in Huanglong. In high-altitude areas, if you experience mild altitude sickness symptoms, slow down your pace and avoid intense exercise. The driving distance is long; bring some glucose or high-calorie food to replenish energy along the way.