Autumn Ya'an 4 Days 3 Nights Pure Play Guide for 600 RMB Per Person

🌿 Itinerary Overview

Day 1: Bifengxia Panda Encounter
Head straight to Bifengxia Panda Base 🐼 in the morning (ticket 118 RMB including the canyon). Arrive before 9:00 AM to see the pandas eating! Recommended to take the right canyon route; the Rainbow Waterfall and Nuwa Pool are perfect for photos 🌈. In the afternoon, stop by Shangli Ancient Town, where the wood carvings at Han Family Courtyard and the night view of Erxian Bridge are must-shoot spots 📸. Stay at a guesthouse in the ancient town (recommended Han Family Inn, riverside room 180 RMB/night).

Day 2: Mengding Mountain Tea Culture Experience
Take the cable car up Mengding Mountain 🌱 early in the morning (ticket 50 RMB + cable car 40 RMB). Visit Tiangaisi Temple to see the thousand-year-old ginkgo “Twelve Beauties,” and try hand-picking and frying tea leaves (experience 50 RMB/person). In the afternoon, visit the Earth Fingerprint Tea Garden, where aerial views of terraced tea fields look like palm prints 🖼️. The free viewing platform is in Jingu Village, Hongxing Town.

Day 3: Shenmulei Tibetan Style
Drive 2 hours to Shenmulei 🏔️ (ticket 60 RMB). You can take a shuttle bus from Ya'an Tourist Bus Station to Baoxing County (35 RMB/person, hourly from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM), then transfer to a local minibus (20 RMB/person) to the scenic area. At Hongshanping, prayer flags and colorful forests frame the scene, with alpine meadows feeding cattle and horses. Return to the city in the evening to soak in Zhougongshan Hot Springs ♨️ (Ginkgo Hot Spring Hotel 168 RMB including buffet), perfect for relaxation and warming up.

Day 4: City Food Finale
In the morning, go to Xiangjiang Road to try Old Street Tatta Noodles 🍜 (beef version 25 RMB, noodles freshly made and very chewy). At noon, check in at Gan Laosì Ya Fish Restaurant 🐟 (claypot Ya fish 148 RMB per jin, the fish head bone hides a “treasure sword” you can take home). In the afternoon, visit Ya'an Museum to learn about the Ancient Tea Horse Road and buy Mengding Ganlu Tea as a souvenir (Lizhen brand 120 RMB per jin).

💰 Budget Breakdown (Per Person)
Tickets: Bifengxia 118 + Mengding Mountain 90 + Shenmulei 60 = 268 RMB
Accommodation: Ancient town 180 + Hot spring hotel 168 + City 120 = 468 RMB (average for 3 nights)
Meals: 80 RMB per day (including Ya fish feast)
Transportation: City taxis + direct scenic area buses ≈ 150 RMB
Total: About 600-700 RMB (excluding round-trip transport to/from Chengdu)

📌 Pitfall Tips
Panda Base: Pandas mostly sleep after 2 PM, so arrive early!
Mengding Mountain Cable Car: Take the cable car up (for panoramic views), descend via the Tianti Ancient Trail (1080 steps, not recommended if you want to avoid strenuous exercise)
Ya Fish Identification: Real Ya fish heads have sword-shaped cartilage; ask the owner to show it when ordering
Weather Warning: Ya'an is rainy 🌧️, carry a folding umbrella, and prepare a jacket for autumn temperature differences of 15℃+