Jiuzhaigou: A fairy tale world of water - a guide and many beautiful films

Number of days: 3 days
Time: September
Average cost: 1500 yuan
With whom: husband and wife
Updated: 2024.10.02

October is here, and it's the most beautiful season in Jiuzhaigou. (The most beautiful date is around October 15)

Jiuzhaigou Huanglong refers to two independent scenic spots in Jiuzhaigou County: Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong. The two are about 130 kilometers apart, and the drive takes a little over two hours. The water of Jiuzhaigou (including Haizi and waterfalls) and the calcified pool of Huanglong are among the best in the world and are worth seeing.

Traveling to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong is generally centered on Jiuzhaigou, that is, living in Jiuzhaigou, and then starting from here to play in the scenic spot. The accommodation area of Jiuzhaigou is on a street a few kilometers long outside the entrance of Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area (referred to as Goukou). It is very close to the mizoguchi from here. The nearest hotel is only one or two hundred meters away from Mizokou.

1. How to get to Jiuzhaigou

There

are three ways to get to Jiuzhaigou (Goukou area): by plane, by bullet train, and by car. Self-driving is tiring, so here are only the first two.

1. By plane

From big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, there are flights to Jiuzhaigou Huanglong Airport. However, it is not direct, but to transfer to Chengdu (change to a small plane). If the fare is right, flying to Jiuzhaigou is a good way to save time and effort. The distance from Huanglong Airport to Jiuzhaigou is about 90 kilometers, the driving time is 1.5-2 hours, and there are airport fixed-point buses during the day. The morning bus time is 8:30, and the latest train is 17:30, about every half hour, and the fare is 45 yuan (from Baidu). If you charter a car, it costs about 200 yuan. In addition, if you book tickets on China-TravelNote, there is also a private car transfer service, which is cheaper than outside. Also, some hotels have a free pick-up service.

2. Take the EMU

Starting from August 31, 2024, Chengdu will open a high-speed rail/EMU to Jiuzhaigou (Huanglong Jiuzhai Station), which lasts 1.5-2 hours. There are 6 or 7 bullet trains a day, which greatly increases flexibility and maneuverability. The distance from Huanglong Jiuzhai Station to the mouth of Jiuzhaigou is also about 90 kilometers, and there is a scenic shuttle bus to take it, and the fare is 51 yuan. For specific timetables and ticket reservations, please refer to the official account of Aba Tourism Network.

2. Play for a few days

Generally, a three-day tour is enough, two days in Jiuzhaigou and one day in Huanglong. If you are in a hurry, Jiuzhaigou can only visit the main attractions and can be completed in one day.

The scenic spots of Jiuzhaigou are distributed in a Y-shaped ditch, as shown in Figure 1. Scenic traffic vehicles circulate around the scenic area in a way similar to buses, with stops at major attractions. But they have a suggested default way to run, which is to first send you to a certain fork in the Y direction (and the highest) attraction, and then let you browse down one by one (no uphill), either on foot or by car. After visiting a fork, it's time to go to the center of Nozhilang. There are plenty of gift shops and dining outlets to have lunch here and then take a ride to the highest attraction of another fork and start touring the second fork from top to bottom. On the second day, play the bottom fork.

The most impressive attractions are: Wuhua Sea, Pearl Beach and Waterfall, Mirror Sea, Changhai, Colorful Pond, Nuorilang Waterfall, Rhino Sea, Shuzheng Waterfall and Shuzheng Sea, Spark Sea, Reed Sea, etc., which are generally to be played. If you only play for one day, because the reed sea takes more time, you can remove it, and you can not play the mirror sea.

Huanglong Scenic Area can be started from Jiuzhaigou and can be taken on a day trip.

Figure 1 Schematic diagram of Jiuzhaigou scenic spots

3. Play guide

It is recommended to play in Jiuzhaigou for two days, with plenty of time, to play, rest, and take photos. You can even be in a daze in a particularly beautiful place.

If you want to finish the tour in one day, it's a bit rushed. You can only enjoy the following attractions: Changhai, Wucai Pond (about 2 hours in total), Wuhua Sea, Pearl Beach and Waterfall (about 2 and a half hours in total), Nori Lang Waterfall, Rhino Sea, Shuzheng Waterfall and Shuzheng Sea, and Spark Sea (about 4 hours in total).

The scenic car sends you to the top of a Y-shaped upper fork by default. Which fork is dynamically determined. If it's not the fork you're going to, change cars at the center of Nozhilang. You need to inform the tour guide on the bus in advance. In addition, if you only need to get off at a certain attraction in the middle, you must also tell the tour guide in advance.

The color of the sea is better when exposed to sunlight. Sometimes the sparkles are dotted, shining, and there is a jumping beauty. There is light and color, and I prefer Jiuzhaigou in the sunny world. Therefore, if you have time, you don't need to enter the ditch too early, 8 or 9 o'clock. Of course, if you want to see the beautiful scenery of the reflection of the mirror sea, then it is best to go in as soon as the door opens at half past seven and go straight to the mirror sea, because it is easy to get windy later and there is no mirror effect.

Get off at Pearl Beach Station and then go down along Pearl Beach to Pearl Beach Waterfall, where the scenery is breathtaking. Must go.

At Shuzheng Waterfall and one or two hundred meters down (in the direction of the exit), walk down the river, there is a beautiful view. Must go.

Shuzheng Village has a highest observation deck, from which you can overlook the 19 lakes of Shuzheng Qun Sea, which is beautiful! Be sure to check it out.

Norilang Waterfall is very close to the center of Norilang, just a few hundred meters away. After seeing the waterfall, take a ride to the Rhino Sea. It is more than two kilometers from the Rhino Sea to the Spark Sea. There are many attractions in this part of the journey, and it is very exciting. It is recommended to browse on foot.

The color of Changhai in the morning is darker and not so good-looking. If you want to take better photos, it is best to wait for the sun to hit the lake before it looks beautiful blue. So it's better to go after 10 o'clock.

Huanglong Scenic Area is about 130 kilometers away from Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, a little more than two hours by car. From Jiuzhaigou, the cost of a chartered car tour is about 400-500 yuan (car). One-way delivery to Huanglong is about 250-300 yuan. We took China-TravelNote's through train (bus) to Huanglong for a day trip. Depart at 7:30 am and return at 3pm. A one-way ticket is about 50 yuan per person. Tickets can be purchased on China-TravelNote. The specific method is: open the China-TravelNote APP, then search for Huanglong Scenic Area, scroll down on the page you get, find the through train button, click on it, and you can find the link to book tickets. Chartering a car is trouble-free and easy, and taking a through train is more troublesome and troublesome, but it saves money. However, if there are more than 3 people traveling together, it is very cost-effective to charter a car.

In Huanglong, you usually take the cable car up the mountain, walk down the mountain, and go down the mountain while watching the scenery, which takes about 4 hours. The ropeway station is about two kilometers from the scenic spot, and there are sightseeing cars passing through, which is basically a flat road. However, there is a limit of 5,000 tickets per day, so you need to buy tickets online in advance. The highest tour route in Huanglong Scenic Area is about 3,600 meters, and if you stay for no more than two hours, you will generally not have altitude sickness. If you are not at ease, you can buy a small bottle of oxygen to carry with you. You don't have to buy oral liquid or anything.

The

main attractions of Huanglong are the colorful pool and the colorful pool, which need special attention, and the others can be seen while going down the mountain. The colorful pond is the most beautiful colorful pool, and its height is higher than the height of the ropeway, so after taking the sightseeing bus to the scenic spot and getting off, you have to climb some steps, which is a bit hard. But it is recommended to check it out.

In terms of accommodation, there is a lot of choice in Jiuzhaigou, and there are hotels and homestays of all grades, and it is said that its maximum capacity is 40,000 or 50,000 people.

Tickets for Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong and scenic spot sightseeing tickets are purchased online, and the specific address is the official account of Aba Tourism Network. Daily tickets are limited. However, the number of people entering the ditch every day on non-holidays is only about 10,000, far from reaching the upper limit. Free tickets also require 0 yuan to purchase tickets (equivalent to reservations).

Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong are already very mature tourist attractions. Vending machines and toilets are easy to find and convenient. There are quite a lot of things in the vending machine. There is a square in the center of Norilang with many shops selling food. So you don't have to bring much food and drink, and it's convenient to buy it during the tour.

4. Photos of scenic spots

(1) Summer scenery of Jiuzhaigou

1. Changhai