Jiuzhaigou has just returned yesterday, and here comes the fresh and hot travel guide

It’s my first time visiting Jiuzhaigou, and the scenery is truly stunning, like a fairyland on earth. However, the leaves haven’t really turned red yet this time. For those who want to see the colorful forests, I recommend going in early November. Transportation: Since we decided late, the train tickets from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou were already sold out, so we booked the train to Songpan Station (it’s recommended to book Jiuzhaigou train tickets at least a week in advance). From Songpan, you can pre-book a business car or carpool to the entrance of the valley. I recommend a service called “Yuanshan Travel,” with a single car price around 90 yuan. They can pick you up at Songpan train station and drop you off at any hotel at the entrance, which is relatively cost-effective. The trip takes about two hours, and we arrived at the hotel around 11 p.m. Accommodation: We chose to stay near the entrance, which offers free shuttle service to the Jiuzhaigou main gate. Staying near the entrance is also very convenient. Touring process: We arrived right at the 7:30 a.m. opening, so it was a bit of a special forces pace for the day. If you’re not traveling with kids, one day is enough to finish the tour without feeling rushed. From the entrance, you take a bus that splits into the left and right lines, with the middle point being the Nuorilang Visitor Center (the whole park is shaped like a Y). You can’t walk uphill from the bus in the middle, so it’s best to go to the top first, then take the bus down to visit spots in order without backtracking. The right line has more attractions, while the left line features two famous spots: Changhai Lake and Five-Color Pond. Because it’s peak season, the park controls which line you start with, so you can’t choose. We were lucky to get the left line first. The water areas of Changhai Lake and Five-Color Pond on the left line aren’t very wide, but arriving early lets you see the snow-capped mountains by Changhai, which is quite breathtaking. In the afternoon, we toured the right line. I think the must-see spots are Arrow Bamboo Sea and Five Flower Lake, which are very beautiful. You can buy the park’s best grilled sausage at Arrow Bamboo Sea—highly recommended and worth trying! Food: We ate a hamburger set meal at the Nuorilang Visitor Center’s Bilik restaurant, costing about 30 yuan per person, which is very cost-effective. There are spacious seats and restrooms, and right next to it is Cha Baidao, which I highly recommend!!! Little tips: 1. If you want to get your makeup done, you can do it inside the park. Besides Shuzheng Village, there’s also a market at Nuorilang Visitor Center where you can choose based on time. Most of the makeup looks pretty good. The market also sells some Tibetan cultural accessories and dairy products. 2. If you have time, I suggest staying near the entrance for the second day as well, because the traffic there is very congested. Note that if you want to take the visitor center bus, be sure to pay attention to the time, as it basically stops running by 6 p.m. If you plan to return to Songpan the same day, arrange your ride in advance so they can pick you up at the main gate. Otherwise, like us, you might not be able to get a car at the park entrance and have to walk two kilometers before finding one.

Post by HappyDays# | Oct 25, 2025