Jiuzhaigou Money-Saving Guide Revealed

Help! I spent 8,000 yuan to go to Jiuzhaigou, and came back with colleagues chasing me for travel tips...

I just wanted to take a few days off to get some peace and quiet,
but then I posted a photo of the water on my Moments,
“This blue lake looks photoshopped, right?”
“Did you go on a business trip to a fairyland?”
Even more ridiculous, the manager from the next department messaged me privately: “Bro, please take me on the next trip!”

Alright then, here’s the real money-saving Jiuzhaigou guide for two people, 5 days and 4 nights, all-inclusive for about 4,000 yuan per person.

🚗 Itinerary Overview (¥4000 per person)
Transportation: High-speed train + private car ≈ ¥1200
Accommodation: 3 nights at guesthouses near the park entrance + 1 night at a Tibetan-style hotel ≈ ¥1000
Tickets + shuttle bus: ¥330 (off-season)
Meals + snacks + souvenirs ≈ ¥800
Emergency fund: ¥670 (actually not fully spent)

🌄 Day 1: Meet in Chengdu → Wenchuan → Songpan (stay overnight)
High-speed train to Chengdu East Station, about ¥140
Pre-booked a small group carpool (7-seat business van), about ¥400 per person round trip
Stopped by the Wenchuan earthquake site and Songpan Ancient Town on the way, every shot looks like a masterpiece
Dinner was a Tibetan feast, the butter tea almost made me think I was reincarnated as King Gesar...

🌿 Day 2: Songpan → Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area (stay near the park entrance)
Enter the park at 9 AM! Remember: be early!
Take the shuttle bus through the entire route, visiting the three main scenic spots:
Shuzheng Lakes: like a spilled turquoise box
Five Flower Lake: sunlight makes the colors so vibrant it’s legendary
Nuorilang Waterfall: filming location for the opening of "Journey to the West," standing there makes you want to shout “Here comes old Sun Wukong!”
Dinner at the park entrance was yak hotpot, so spicy I cried while dipping meat, but it was awesome!

🏞️ Day 3: In-depth tour + optional Huanglong day trip
We detoured to Huanglong (extra ¥200 for tickets)
Calcium pools under the snow-capped mountains, layered like terraced fairy mirrors
Legs were wobbly like stepping on cotton going down, but totally worth it!
On the way back, bought barley wine and wild mushroom packs as gifts, all for about ¥150 per person

☕ Day 4: Experience Tibetan life
Stayed in a small Tibetan courtyard, the landlady personally taught us how to make butter tea
In the afternoon, rode horses through forest trails, the breeze cleared my mind
At night, danced the Guozhuang dance around the bonfire, my partner and I laughed so hard he ended up cramping...

🎒 Day 5: Return to Chengdu → Home
Brought matsutake mushroom sachets for the boss and plateau rose tea to share with colleagues
First day back at work, I was surrounded: “Did you secretly go cultivate immortality?”

💡 Real advice:
Best season: late September to mid-October (autumn scenery is legendary)
Altitude sickness? Don’t panic! We brought Rhodiola + oxygen tanks (but didn’t actually use them)
Photo tip: wear bright colors! Red dress in front of the blue lake, and you’ll be the star of the shot!

Finally, a heartfelt note:
Healing for working people doesn’t always mean a promotion or raise.
Sometimes, all you need is a spontaneous trip,
to let your eyes see beauty again,
and your heart return to where it first set out.

Follow me, next stop: Daocheng Yading, I’m going to challenge “the last pure land on Earth”!