Best Places to Visit in Sichuan in Summer 2023

Heming Teahouse in Chengdu People's Park

Du Fu Thatched Cottage in Summer

Like most cities in China, Chengdu in summer is hot and rainy. But fortunately, Chengdu is a city with fine greening space. All the indoor attractions in Chengdu are well air-conditioned and the outdoor ones are well afforested. And it usually rains at night which will bring some cool and fresh air in the morning.

Visiting Chengdu in summer, you will see the thriving nature which is not only a pleasure to eye but also a refreshment to mind. You can have a cup of tea in the shade of trees or appreciate the lotus exhibition in Chengdu People’s Park; take your time in Chengdu Museum learning Chengdu history and appreciating the interesting shadow puppetry; or see the cute pandas in Chengdu Panda Base which is covered by a large area of lake and bamboo grove. As night falls and temperature drops, you can hang out for shopping at the busiest street Chunxi Road, or have a cold drink at the bars near Anshun Bridge. >>Chengdu Summer Travel

Clear Haizi Reflecting Trees, Mountains and Clouds

Long Lake in Jiuzhaigou National Park

• Type: World Heritage Site, Natural Park, Geopark, Nature Reserve, National AAAA Tourist Attraction

• Ticket: CNY 169 (April 1-November 15) & CNY 80 (November 16-March 31 next year) (sightseeing bus excluded)

• Opening Hours: 08:00--17:00

• Recommended Visiting Time: 1-2 days

• Location: Zhangzha Town, Jiuzhaigou County, Ngawa (Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan (四川省阿坝藏族羌族自治州九寨沟县漳扎镇)

Jiuzhaigou Valley, located in the north of Sichuan province, China, is a world heritage site and national park. There is a saying in China that “No waterscape can compete with that of Jiuzhaigou” and Jiuzhaigou deserves this praise. Water is the soul of Jiuzhai and there are 108 haizi (lake), waterfall and stream in the scenic spot.

After the dry season of winter and months’ accumulation of rain, the waterscape of Jiuzhaigou Valley is in full display with plenty of rainfall in summer. With dense forests, flowing waterfalls and beautiful lakes, Jiuzhaigou becomes a superb summer resort. At that time, the water, trees, animals are all full of vigor and you can feel the vitality of nature once you get there. The mirror-like windless lakes reflect the sky, mountains and forests. The surging waterfall looks more thrilling under the sunlight with water vapor rising. >>Jiuzhaogou Summer Travel

Golden Summit on Mount Emei

Mount Emei Cloud Sea

• Type: World Heritage Site, Taoist Mountains, Nature & Wildlife Areas, Historic Walking Areas, Nature & Parks, Sights & Landmarks

• Ticket: CNY 160 (January 16 - December 14); CNY 110 (December 15 to next January 15)

• Opening Hours: all day

• Best Time to Visit: April to October

• Recommended Visiting Time: 1-2 days

• Location: NO. 41 Minshan South Road, Emeishan City, Leshan City, Sichuan (四川省乐山市峨眉山市民山南路41号)

Mount Emei is a national tourist attraction integrating beautiful scenery and Buddhist pilgrimage culture. As a scenic area, there is Exiu Lake at the mountain foot, time-honored temples on the mountain, wonderful scenery on the mountain top, and even hot springs and ski resort are available. It is no exaggeration that Mount Emei almost fulfills all the good imagination people have of a mountain. It is always said that Mount Emei is the most lovely and elegant, but you can not fully understand that until you visit here in summer.

Starting from the bottom of the mountain, you can feel that you are entering a world of green. The mountain, the water, and even the path, sunshine and air, all present a light, deep and thick green. Summer is also the best time to experience the quiet and freshness of the attractions on Mount Emei such as Qingyin Pavilion, Hongchunping, and Xixiangchi Temple. Walking on the path dappled with sunlight, the annoying heat is nowhere to find. >>Emeishan Summer Travel

Colorful Ponds in Huanglong with Distant Mountains in Mist

Five-Color Pool in Huanglong National Park

• Type: World Natural Heritage Site, Nature & Wildlife Areas, , Nature & Parks, Tours & Activities

• Ticket: CNY 170 (June 1-Decemer 15); CNY 60 (December 16-May 31)

• Opening Hours: 08:00-16:00

• Recommended Visiting Time: half a day - 1 day

• Location: Songpan County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan (四川省阿坝藏族羌族自治州松潘县)

Huanglong National Park, or Huanglong Valley, is only about 110 km, 2.5 hours’ drive from Jiuzhaigou. It is famous for colorful travertine lakes and ponds, sinuous deep mountain valleys and mysterious peaceful wild forests. Huanglong has the world's most amazing colorful pool where you can find emerald green, sapphire blue, pearl white, agate yellow and amber red. It is like they are competing to present the charm and splendor of Huanglong. What a visual feast!

The most famous attraction in Huanglong is no doubt the Five-color Pool. Located at the altitude of 3,576 meters, the pool is the highest and largest group of outdoor colorful travertine ponds. It has 693 small ponds covering more than 21,000 square meters. Looked from afar, the ponds are like many jade slices. On the way to Five-color Pool, you will encounter many other sites such as Lianyan Lake, Lotus Waterfall, and Zhengyan Pool.

Laojun Pavillion on Top of Mount Qingcheng

Tourist Entrance of Mount Qingcheng

• Type: Mountains, World Heritage Sites, Religious Sites, Nature & Parks, Sights & Landmarks

• Ticket: CNY 90 (Front Mountain)/ CNY 20 (Back Mountain)

• Opening Hours: March 2nd ~ November 30th: 8:00 to 17:00 /December 1st ~ March 1st: 8:00 to 18:00

• Recommended Visiting Time: 0.5-1 day

• Location: Qingchengshan Road, Qingchengshan Town, Dujianyan, Chengdu, Sichuan (四川省成都市都江堰市青城山)

Mount Qingcheng, a famous Taoist mountain which is only about 70 km, 1.5 hours’ drive from Chengdu, is probably Chengdu people’s favorite place to go in summer. It can be roughly divided into two parts: the front mountain has many historical and cultural sites, while the back mountain is famous for its stunning scenery, a great place to breathe some fresh air and escape from the noises of the city.

Summer is the best time to visit Mount Qingcheng as the highest temperature is about 30℃. When people in the city center suffer from the summer heat, Mount Qingcheng still maintains a comfortable temperature and humid air. In summer, the whole mountain is covered with green trees, and streams, waterfalls, and lakes are rich in flow. This is the best time to appreciate the mountain and water scenery of Mount Qingcheng.

Milk Lake in Yading Nature Reserve

Daocheng Yading Covered in Pleasant Green

• Type: Nature Preserve, National Park, Religious Site, National AAAA Tourist Attraction

• Ticket: CNY 146

• Opening Hours: 07:00-18:30

• Recommended Visiting Time: 2-3 days

• Location: Shangri-La Town, Daocheng County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan (四川省甘孜藏族自治州稻城县香格里拉镇)

Yading or Yading Nature Reserve is more often known as Daocheng Yading. This mysterious place in southwest edge of Sichuan Province is highly treated as the “Last Pure Land on Earth”, the “Soul of Shangri-La” and the “Last Shangri-La” by all its global visitors.

Here you can see cloud kissing snow mountains (even in summer), thousands of diverse lakes and rivers, pasture with nice countryside view, village with local people’s life atmosphere and old temple cluster. There are 3 holy snow mountains called Chianrezig, Jambeyang and Chanadorje, which are not only the spiritual ballast of all Tibetan Buddhist believers, but also the best background and core sceneries in the whole Yading Nature Reserve. Apart from that, Daocheng Yading preserves more than 1,000 various sized clear lakes such as Erong Lake, Danzhen Lake and Pearl Lake fed by the melting snow in its kingdom, like the jewels scattered by god. Visiting Yading in summer, it is good to enjoy a cool stay with pleasant snow mountain wind and a large spread of green and emerald scenery.

Horse Grazing on Zoige Grassland

Huahu Lake in Zoige

• Type: Nature & Parks, Nature & Wildlife Areas

• Ticket: CNY 80 (for Flower Lake); CNY 65 (First Bend of Yellow River)

• Opening Hours: 07:00-17:00 (Apr. 1-Nov. 30); 08:00-17:00 (Dec.1 - next Mar. 31)

• Recommended Visiting Time: 1 day

• Location: Rd. S209, Ruoergai County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province (四川省阿坝藏族羌族自治州若尔盖县s209)

Zoige Grassland, or Ruoergai Grassland is a vast prairie with marshes, wetlands, valleys, hills around Zoige County, northwest Tibetan region of Sichuan Province. The Yellow River and the Yangtze River divide it into two parts. In the east, there are continuous mountains, green peaks, and billows of the forest; in the west, there are vast grasslands, lush wetlands, flocks of cattle and sheep.

Summer is the most beautiful time of picturesque Zoige. Wildflowers are blooming all over the mountains, and a large group of yaks are eating grass with their heads bowed. No matter the luxuriant grass swaying in Huahu Lake or the murmuring stream of the First Bend of the Yellow River, it always brings visitors coming afar a pleasant comfort. Here you can rent a vehicle to drive deep into the grassland, or ride a horse to experience the lifestyle of the local herdsmen.

Verdurous Tagong Grassland in Summer

Mount Yala Seen from Tagong Grassland

• Type: Grasslands, History & Religious sites

• Ticket: CNY 20/person

• Opening Hours: All day

• Recommended Visiting Time: 1-2 days

• Location: Tagong, Kangding, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China (四川省成都市甘孜藏族自治州康定市塔公乡)

“Tagong” in Tibetan means “the land favored by Bodhisattva”. Tagong Grassland covers an area of 712.37 square kilometers. The terrain is gently undulating with sheep and yaks wandering on the massive rich grassland.

When summer comes, the wild flowers along the road of Tagong will be in full bloom. Occasionally, there are white tents with blue pattern set up on the green grass, which is a harmonious Tibetan plateau scenery. Standing on Tagong grassland, watching the blue sky, floating clouds, continuous and eminent snow peaks in the distance and feeling the wind gently stroking your cheek, your heart will be as broad as the grassland. Horse Race Festival is held in Tagong every year at the beginning of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. Local Tibetan herdsmen in great numbers get together to watch the sport and attend the Tibetan opera. These festivities are witness to the authentic Kham Tibetan culture in this area.

Bamboo Rafting in Shunan Bamboo Forest

Walking Path in Shunan Bamboo Forest

• Type: National Park, Bamboo Forest, National AAAA Tourist Attraction

• Ticket: CNY 100/person from January to November, CNY 60/peron in December

• Opening Hours: ALL day

• Recommended Visiting Time: 1-2 days

• Location: Changning County, Yibin City, Sichuan, China (四川省宜宾市长宁县)

Shunan Bamboo Forest is in the south of Sichuan and covers an area of 120 square kilometers. As the name shows, here is a kingdom of bamboo with more than 400 species. Shunan Bamboo Forest is the largest natural bamboo forest scenic spot in the world. With dense bamboo, clear lakes, continuous hills, running waterfalls and ancient temples, it is unique in China and is a natural oxygen bar with pleasant green and fresh air.

You can imagine what a magnificent scene it will be in summer. Over 70,000 mu (46.67 km²) of verdant bamboo form a natural canopy to provide you with coolness and freshness, branches and leaves stacking over your head and roots connecting deeply under the ground. Emerald Corridor is the most picturesque palace to take some great photos as the road is paved with natural red sandstone which is in harmonious hue with the bamboo green.