4-Day Tour in Dazhou｜Explore the Hidden Eastern Sichuan with Just 800 RMB Per Person!

Underrated Treasure of Eastern Sichuan

In the northeast of Sichuan, there is a secret small city embraced by the Daba Mountains—Dazhou! Here you’ll find canyon plank roads more perilous than Zhangjiajie, sunrise sea of clouds more breathtaking than Niubei Mountain, a thousand-year-old Can people culture, and mouthwatering spicy and fresh flavors. Spend 4 days and 3 nights with just 800 RMB per person to unlock the "Little Switzerland of Eastern Sichuan" recommended by National Geographic, avoiding crowds and enjoying pristine natural beauty～

🌄 Top 5 Must-Visit Attractions (with photo spots)

1. Bashan Grand Canyon

✨ Highlights: China’s longest cave system + cliff plank roads + Tujia ethnic customs

Must-do activities: Elephant Cave light show (stalactites combined with holographic projection), Taoxi Valley rafting (average summer water temperature 22°C), Luopanding cable car (best viewpoint to overlook the sea of clouds)
📸 Photo spots:

① Fairy Rock viewing platform (shoot the "Eye of the Canyon" natural stone statue against the light at 3 PM)

② End of the glass plank road (low-angle shot of the canyon abyss)

🎫 Ticket: 120 RMB (includes shuttle bus), half price for students
⚠️ Tips: Wear non-slip shoes! Plank roads are slippery in the rainy season; bring trekking poles

2. Batai Mountain

✨ Highlights: Highest peak in Eastern Sichuan (2,348 meters) + sunrise sea of clouds + cliff swing

🌅 Sunrise guide:

① Take the direct shuttle to the summit before 5:30 AM (40-minute ride)

② Northeast side of the cloud viewing platform (secret spot with 90% chance of sea of clouds)

Thrilling activities: Glass plank road (30 RMB), 200-meter cliff swing (80 RMB per ride)
🎫 Ticket: 100 RMB + shuttle bus 30 RMB

⚠️ Tips: Temperature difference at the summit is over 10°C; bring a light jacket even in summer

3. Zhenfo Mountain

✨ Highlights: Thousand-year-old temple combining three religions + red wall Hanfu photo spot

📸 Photo spots:

① Dehua Temple red wall (best with slanting sunlight at 10 AM)

② Under the ginkgo tree at Xiaoshan Hall (stunning golden leaves in November)

🎫 Ticket: 38 RMB
🙏 Blessing tips: Free incense available in the temple; said to be very effective for studies and relationships

4. Canren Valley

✨ Highlights: Ancient Ba people hanging coffins + karst landforms + intangible cultural heritage experience

🔍 Exploration route:

① Old Dragon Cave (see the "Dragon Palace Hall" formed by stalactites)

② Cliff plank road (close-up view of 2,000-year-old hanging coffins)

🎭 Heritage experiences: Ramie weaving (30 RMB/person), ancient-style archery (20 RMB/10 arrows)
🎫 Ticket: 49 RMB

5. Yanglie Water Town

✨ Highlights: Little Jiangnan of Eastern Sichuan + wetland flower sea + family-friendly park

🚣 Recommended activities:

① Yuzi Creek boating (50 RMB/hour, golden shimmering water at sunset)

② Fengyu Bridge night view (lights on at 7 PM, perfect for ancient-style atmospheric photos)

🎫 Ticket: Free

6. Dazhu Bamboo Sea

✨ Highlights: Ten-thousand-acre bamboo forest oxygen bar + suspended glass plank road

📸 Photo spots:

① Emerald Corridor (noon sunlight filtering through bamboo leaves creating a dappled tunnel)

② High-altitude glass plank road (low-angle shots of the bamboo sea waves)

🎫 Ticket: 50 RMB
⚠️ Tips: Wear light-colored clothes for photos, bring mosquito repellent

🍜 Food Map (Local Insider Edition)

🌶️ Top 3 Must-Try Dishes

Shadow Beef

Recommended: "Zhang’s Beef Jerky" in the Old Town (established 1928)
How to eat: Freshly sliced loose pieces (80 RMB per jin) are crispier than vacuum-packed; sesame and spice level optional

Lamb Gege

Recommended: "Zhou’s Lamb Gege" on Heye Street (30 years of charcoal steaming)
Pair with: Must order sour radish soup to cut the grease; add 1 RMB for unlimited rice

Stone Step Steamed Fish

Recommended: "Riverside Fish House" in Dachuan District (20 minutes from downtown)
Secret: Wild catfish from Ba River + secret rice noodles, steamed 15 minutes to lock in freshness

🛍️ Snack Street Food Guide

Sansheng Palace Food Street:

✅ Seven Star Pepper marinated dishes (duck tongue + mixed cuts, choose spice level carefully)

✅ Xu Duck shredded duck (freshly shredded and mixed, extra fragrant with Sichuan pepper)

✅ Cold shrimp jelly (5 RMB/bowl, brown sugar simmered for 12 hours)

South Gate Night Market:

✅ Guokui stuffed with cold jelly noodles (3 RMB each, crispy shell with sour and spicy jelly)

✅ Grilled sweet potato skin (with fish mint + sour radish, 5 RMB fills you up)

🚗 Transportation and Accommodation Guide

🚄 Major Transport

High-speed rail: Chengdu East → Dazhou (2.5 hours, 115 RMB); Chongqing North → Dazhou (1.5 hours, 85 RMB)
Self-drive: From Chengdu via Huyu Expressway → Baomao Expressway (4 hours, toll 180 RMB)

🏨 Accommodation Recommendations

Area Recommended Hotel/B&B Price (Peak Season) Highlights
Downtown Shenghua International Hotel 300 RMB/night with breakfast, 10-minute walk to Sansheng Palace
Bashan Grand Canyon Sangshuping B&B 400 RMB/night Tujia stilt house, includes breakfast and dinner
Batai Mountain Yunding Hotel Starry Sky Room 680 RMB/night Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking sea of clouds, trekking pole rental included

🚌 Local Transport

Scenic shuttle: Dazhou West Bus Station departs daily at 7:00/8:30 to Bashan Grand Canyon (50 RMB/person, 2 hours)
City taxis: Starting fare 5 RMB, about 30 RMB from downtown to Zhenfo Mountain
Self-drive tips: Parking fee 20 RMB/day at Bashan Grand Canyon, charging stations available at Batai Mountain

📌 4-Day 3-Night Itinerary (with budget)

Day 1: Downtown Cultural Tour

Morning: Dazhou Museum (free, see Ba people bronze artifacts)
Afternoon: Zhenfo Mountain (blessing + red wall photos)
Evening: Sansheng Palace Food Street (40 RMB per person)
Accommodation: Downtown hotel (300 RMB)

Day 2: Bashan Grand Canyon Deep Tour

All day: Elephant Cave → Taoxi Valley → Luopanding (tickets + shuttle 150 RMB)
Evening: Tujia ethnic bonfire party (free, stay at Sangshuping B&B 400 RMB)

Day 3: Batai Mountain Sunrise + Canren Valley

Early morning: Batai Mountain sunrise (tickets + shuttle 130 RMB)
Afternoon: Canren Valley hanging coffin exploration (ticket 49 RMB)
Evening: South Gate Night Market (30 RMB per person, stay downtown hotel 300 RMB)

Day 4: Dazhu Bamboo Sea + Yanglie Water Town + Return

Morning: Walk in Dazhu Bamboo Sea (ticket 50 RMB)
Noon: Boating in Yanglie Water Town (50 RMB)
Afternoon: Buy specialties (Shadow Beef 80 RMB per jin) and return

💰 Total Budget: Tickets 500 + Accommodation 1000 + Food 300 + Transport 200 = about 2000 RMB/person (can be reduced to 1500 RMB with budget hotels)

💡 Travel Tips (Avoid Pitfalls + Save Money)

Ticket discounts: Half price for students/teachers, free for 60+
Best seasons: April-May for azalea sea, September-October for colorful forests and sea of clouds
Must-bring items: Mosquito repellent (many bugs in mountains), sunscreen (strong UV at high altitude), power bank (weak signal in scenic areas)
Pitfall warnings:

❌ Don’t buy "wild gastrodia" at scenic entrances (mostly fake)

❌ Don’t wear white shoes rafting (will be stained by rocks)

✅ Bring your own water bottle (free drinking water in scenic spots)

Who do you most want to watch the sea of clouds with in Dazhou? Tag 3 friends in the comments to win a Shadow Beef tasting pack! Follow me for the next post: "Hidden Hiking Trails in Dazhou"～