info@absolutepanda.com
Trip Details
8 Days Panda Habitat Safari
Date: May 25, 2025, 2026
Price: From 1960 USD/PAX
Trip Focus: Panda Habitat+Culture
Status: Open to Booking
Route: Chengdu-Tangjiahe-Pingwu-Baima Tibetan Village-Wanglang-Chengdu
Trip Code: P010
Overview
China is the homeland of giant pandas. Lots of people may be wondering what can we see if we visit the panda habitats? This trip is crafted to provide you a great chance to gain an in-depth understanding of giant pandas,flora and fauna in their habitat and the lives of the local people living near the panda habitats,especially the unique charm of the Baima Tibetan people. During this journey, our professional travel expert will guide you into the panda habitat to observe the beauty of animals and plants there, searching for animal tracks, understanding eco-environment by making ecosystem bottles, experiencing the unique culture of Baima Tibetans by making Caogai masks, and dancing the panda dance together with local people... This journey aims at integrating nature exploration and cultural experiencing in panda habitat and nearby Tibetan village.You are warmly welcome to join this trip to open a unique and unforgettable chapter and fully appreciate the boundless charm brought by nature and enjoy the ultimate beauty of the panda habitats.
Highlights:
• See pandas at different ages in the largest panda facility in the world, namely the Chengdu Panda Base.
• Visit the world's first interactive Panda-themed museum and learn about interesting information about giant pandas in an interactive setting.
• Experience the local ethnic culture in Baima Tibetan village and interact with the local residents.
• Look for the footprints of wild animals and make ecosystem bottles.
• Get into the Giant Panda National Park to search for companion animals and the flora and fauna in the giant panda habitat.
• Guided by dedicated and experienced, local nature guide from AbsolutePanda team.
Introduction to Trip Destinations and Activities:
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (Chengdu Panda Base) attracts tourists and wildlife enthusiasts worldwide. Conveniently located a short drive away from downtown, this state of the art research facility comfortably houses more pandas than anywhere else within China or abroad. During your visit, you will see pandas ranging from young cubs to lumbering adults as well as the elusive and adorable Red Panda. Additionally, the scenic, garden-like atmosphere of the panda base is especially ideal for urban birding like Red-billed Leiothrix, White-browed Laughingthrush, Ruddy Shelduck, Chinese Blackbird, Spotted Dove, etc.
Chengdu Giant Panda Museum
The Chengdu Giant Panda Museum is an international and modern museum with functions of popular science dissemination, public education, exhibition, collection of exhibits, protection, and academic research. Through interactive experiences, scene reconstructions, immersive tours and other means, it enables the public to understand the living conditions of rare animals such as giant pandas while visiting and having fun, enhances the awareness of environmental and animal protection, ignite inspiration for scientific study on Giant Panda, and improves the knowledge about science in public.
Tangjiahe Nature Reserve
Located in Minshan Mountains, Tangjiahe Nature Reserve is one of the first reserves set up to protect giant pandas, their companion animals and the whole habitat where they live. In the depth of those rugged mountains, we can find world-class attractions, colorful indigenous people, elusive endemic birds, a great variety of mammals, insects, amphibians, and plants. Though it is not easy to spot a giant panda in the wild, the rewards from paying a visit to this panda habitat are extremely high. With the umbrella protection of Giant Panda, its companion animals like Asiatic Black Bear, Golden Pheasant, Chinese Goral, Sichuan Takin, Temminck's Tragopan, etc. are all striving here.
Pingwu Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Nature Reserve
The Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Nature Reserve is located in Pingwu County, Mianyang City. Surrounded by mountains and covered with thick forests, it boasts a unique ecological environment, just like a natural wildlife paradise and an ideal habitat for Sichuan golden monkeys.Under the guidance of AbsolutePanda nature guide, we take you into the depth of mountains to see Sichuan golden monkeys and observe them jumping freely from one tree to another, chasing each other, feeding in the tree or hugging each other up in the tree.
Baima Tibetan Village
The Baima Tibetan Village is located in the northwest of Pingwu County, on the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Sitting in the undulating terrain with high mountains and deep valleys, the village enjoys a magnificent and grand natural landscape,featuring excellent ecological environment and vast primeval forests. The varied climate and vegetation in different altitude range provides you with a spectacular picture formed by snow-capped mountain peaks, dense forests, deep valleys and alpine meadows.
Wanglang Nature Reserve
The Wanglang Nature Reserve is located in Pingwu. It lies in the northwest end of the Minshan Mountains, which accommodate the largest number of pandas living in the wild. Now it is core part of the Giant Panda National Park, which covers all the scattering reserves set up in different time to protect giant pandas and their companion animals. With undulating mountains, extensive virgin forests and diverse ecosystems, it is the home to numerous rare animals and plants. Its natural environment provides home to a great variety of animals and plants, and ideal place for scientific research, ecological education and tourism.
How Can We Make This Trip Special？
• Years of running this itinerary for western panda fans, nature and culture lovers enables us to ensure your trip is enjoyable and comfortable in the hidden area.
• A team of passionate guides specializing in panda and wildlife with rich experiences of guiding and solid knowledge about local cultures and places.
• This trip can be customized to better meet your travel style by centering on a different focus.
• 20-plus years of working in the travel industry and serving travelers from all over the world enable us to know how to make great trips for travelers of different travel styles.
What makes AbsolutePanda excellent?
• We are one of the premier travel companies focusing on panda and other wildlife in China.
We use AbsolutePanda as company brand because of our deep love toward panda and our determination to create your absolutely enjoyable panda trips.
Since 2003, our professional tour leaders and wildlife experts have helped thousands of travelers gain an in-depth understanding of Giant Panda and their companion animals, enjoy stunning scenery all over China and explore the authentic local culture.
• Exclusive Quality & Value Guarantee.
We define our quality by well-designed itineraries, stunning destinations, creative interactions, small groups, professional guides, and reasonable prices.
• Explore China in comfort and your style.
We understand each traveler is different. In addition to selected accommodations, meals and vehicles, we would like to show you the real China by an authentic experience with incredible wildlife and lovely locals.
• We care and share.
We believe the best way to help wildlife is through love and appreciation. By bringing nature lovers to enjoy the beauty of nature in China, we hope that local people can know the value of wildlife and learn how to love and appreciate those beautiful creatures living near their villages.
Map
Panda Habitat Safari Map
Itinerary
Outline:
Day 1. Arrive in Chengdu. (D)
Airport pick-up. Welcome dinner and introduction to the team and itinerary.
Overnight: Chengdu
Day 2. Chengdu-Tangjiahe. (285km 4.5h) (BLD)
Visit Chengdu Panda Base and Giant Panda Museum (closed on Monday), then head to Tangjiahe.
Overnight: Tangjiahe
Day 3. Explore in Tangjiahe. Tangjiahe-Pingwu.(111km 3h) (BLD)
Today we will explore in Tangjiahe to wildlife safari. In the late afternoon, we will drive to Pingwu.
Overnight: Pingwu
Day 4. Pingwu-Baima. (124km 3.5h) (BLD)
In the morning, we will search for the golden snub-nosed monkeys in Pingwu. After lunch, we will drive to the Baima.
Overnight: Baima
Day 5. Explore in Baima. (BLD)
Today we will explore in Baima, make local handicrafts and interact with local residents.
Overnight: Baima
Day 6. Explore in Wanglang. (BLD)
We will spend a whole day exploring in Wanglang, strolling through the primeval forest and making ecosystem bottles.
Overnight: Baima
Day 7. Wanglang-Chengdu.(324km,5h) (BLD)
Today, we will return to Chengdu via Jiangyou. We will summarize the journey at the closing dinner and present exclusive gifts.
Overnight: Chengdu
Day 8. Chengdu departure. (B)
Airport drop-off.
Details:
Day 1. Arrive in Chengdu. Meals: D
Airport pick-up. Based on the time your time of arrival, we can plan some city tour programs for you such as visiting People’s Park to experience the typical laid-back lifestyles of Chengdu or visiting Jinli Street to feel the bustling shopping street with all types of shops selling unique local souvenirs or sample an array of delicious food from stands of the food street.
In the evening, you will enjoy a sumptuous welcome dinner at local popular restaurant and itinerary-briefing by your guide. At the dinner, trip participants will get to know each other and sample a great variety of local dishes.
Overnight: Chengdu
Day 2. Chengdu-Tangjiahe. (285km 4.5h) Meals: BLD
After enjoying an early breakfast at your hotel, we will take you to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. This innovative facility is home to the largest captive panda population in the world. During our visit at the center, you can watch these delightful animals relaxing in naturalistic enclosures. Then, we will pay a visit to Giant Panda Museum(closed on Monday). Here,you will enjoy a feast of information on giant pandas including the evolution of giant pandas, their companion animals, the breeding and reproduction, and panda communication. There are a great number of human - machine interactions you can have in the museum.
In the late afternoon, we will head to Tangjiahe.
Overnight: Tangjiahe
Day 3. Explore in Tangjiahe. Meals: BLD
During our stay in a hotel inside the Panda Habitat, our group will be able to explore Tangjiahe with great convenience. This scenic reserve is one of the first reserves set up in China to protect giant panda, their companion animals and habitats. So far, it is one of the most successful reserves in terms of the protection goals for setting up a reserve. It is home to a great variety of wildlife species including plants, fishes, insects, and amphibians living under the umbrella of Giant Panda protection. We will spend a whole day there in search of mammals, birds, and fishes. The animal species we may come across based on our knowledge from past trips include Takin, Golden Snub-nosed Monkey, Asiatic Black Bear, Tibetan Macaque, Golden Pheasant, Wild Boar, Chinese Goral, Reeve's Muntjac, Chinese Serow, Masked Civet, Eurasian Otter, Tufted Deer, Yellow-throated Marten, and Rhesus Macaque.
In the late afternoon, we will drive from Panda Habitat to Pingwu(111km 3h) to prepare for the meeting with golden snub-nosed monkeys the next day.
Overnight: Pingwu
Day 4. Explore in Pingwu. Drive from Pingwu to Baima. (124km 3.5h) Meals: BLD
This morning we will depart from the hotel in Pingwu and drive to another reserve to search for a kind of unique animals called Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. Golden Snub-nosed Monkey has a rich golden brown to golden red fur with a black and golden patch on the back. In Sichuan province, the Minshan Mountain range is home to the largest population of these beautiful and lovely primates. They usually live in high mountainous, deciduous broadleaved and coniferous forests and share the same habitats with Giant Pandas. We will take you to a place where you have the highest chance to see those shy but photogenic animals endemic to China.
In the afternoon, we will drive to Baima Tibetan Village.In the evening, we will participate in the bonfire party here and dance together with the local residents.
Overnight: Baima
Day 5. Explore in Baima. Meals: BLD
Pingwu Baima Tibetan Village is a charming destination with magnificent natural landscapes provided by Wanglang National Nature Reserve with its rich biodiversity and beautiful forests, and the idyllic Baima Tianmu Lake. The unique ethnic culture of the Baima Tibetan people is also a highlight, including their distinctive traditional costumes, folk activities such as the fire circle dance, and exquisite handicrafts. It offers an unforgettable travel experience that combines nature exploration and cultural immersion.
We will spend a whole day exploring in Baima. After having breakfast, we will go to the mountains with local guides to study plants and look for wildlife. After coming back, we will gain an in-depth understanding of the traditional culture of the Baima Tibetan people through our carefully-designed programs. We will learn to make the unique local masks of "Caogai", floral belts and felt hats. By the side of Tianmu Lake, we will dance the "Panda Dance" together with local villagers to experience the ancient culture and unique lifestyle of the Baima Tibetan people.
Overnight: Baima
Day 6. Explore in Wanglang. Meals: BLD
Today we will explore in Wanglang Nature Reserve. Hike through the primeval forest in the Giant Panda National Park, take nature notes and make ecosystem bottles.
Wanglang Nature Reserve is a part of the Giant Panda National Park. It has China's well-preserved forest landscapes and ecosystems, rich in flora and fauna. Besides pandas, it provides shelters for golden monkeys and other national first-class protected animals, plus rare plants like Kingdonia uniflora.
Overnight: Baima
Day 7. Wanglang-Chengdu. (324km 5h) Meals: BLD
Today, we will return to Chengdu via Jiangyou. Jiangyou, a historical and cultural city located in the northwest of the Sichuan Basin, is the hometown of the great poet Li Bai. It boasts rich cultural heritages and also features unique natural landscapes, such as the precipitousness of Douchuanshan Mountain and the liveliness of the Fujiang River. With the coordinated development of industry and tourism, it exudes a charming allure.
At night,we will summarize the journey at the farewell dinner with carefully-picked gifts by AbsolutePanda team.
Overnight: Chengdu
Day 8. Chengdu departure. Meals: B
On the final day of the itinerary, our team will escort you to the airport or train station to depart from Chengdu on time.
Notes:
1. If you need help in arranging a flight to Chengdu from other major cities of China such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, or a departure flight from Chengdu, please feel free to contact us, we are more than happy to provide any support we can to facilitate your trip planning.
2. The overnight altitudes and driving hours listed in the itinerary are just for your rough reference.
3. Giant Panda Museum do not open on Monday. So be sure to skip a Monday trip to Giant Panda Museum.
Dates & Prices
1. Dates
25th May to 1st Jun, 2025,2026
AbsolutePanda can tailor-make this trip according to your time and interest.
2. Prices
The AbsolutePanda team works hard to provide the highest quality tour experiences at a fair price. However, after working in the travel industry for more than 20 years, our team knows that no two travelers are alike in terms of their travel style, personal interest, choice of guides and preferences in restaurants and hotels. For AbsolutePanda, our client’s satisfaction is a top priority. To meet the needs of different clients and ensure they enjoy a trip suited to their preferences, you are welcome to email with specific requests ranging from trip themes, guides, the quality of vehicles, accommodations, and restaurants. Our group trip price has the following includes and excludes below.
To ensure our guest the best trip, we set our minimum departure number at four and the maximum departure number at twelve. That means the group size is 4 to 12 participants.
The cost for a group of 4 to 12 people:
1960 USD/PAX
Single supplement:
230 USD/PAX
The cost includes:
1. Well-chosen vehicles based on the size of the group for the trip with fuel, tolls, airport pick-up and drop-off included in the price;
2. An English-speaking guide for the whole trip;
3. Meals as indicated by BLD (B for breakfast, L for Lunch and D for dinner)in the itinerary. Picnic lunch when photograph in the field.
4. Complimentary water and snacks during the trip.
5. Entrance fee for the scheduled spots visited with guide in the itinerary .
6. China Domestic Travel Insurance;
7. Hotels arranged during this trip.
The cost excludes:
1. Alcoholic drinks during the meal;
2. Extra charges due to change of itinerary from client-side or factors beyond the control of AbsolutePanda such as natural disaster and governmental policy change;
3. Discretionary tips to the guide and driver;
4. All personal expenses, such as laundry service or for personal shopping;
5. Train ticket or airfare to or out of Chengdu;
6. Any items not listed in the itinerary as included;
7. Entrance fee, car rental, or meals during your free time trip;
8. Single supplement;
9. Extra nights in Chengdu.
Notes:
1. The prices above are not applicable during any Chinese festivals and holidays. We recommend you to avoid travelling during Chinese festivals and holidays for a better experience.
2. For travelers who hope to tailor-make the day programs with their specific travel preferences in mind (transportation, hotels, special privileges, and famous local experts), tailor-making a tour is the best way to ensure your desires are met. Please contact us with your specific needs and we will make an itinerary based on your expectations. Once you confirm, we work out the cost and send it to you. Please feel free to ask any questions to learn more.
3. Please note that guides with specialized knowledge are not always available, especially during our peak tour season (April to October). If you are in the process of planning a trip, please contact us as early as possible so that we will block the date of our expert guide for you.
With your precious trust on us, we will definitely do our utmost to make your trip most enjoyable!
Accommodations
AbsolutePanda firmly believes travel is an art. To ensure every trip with us is a great travel art for our clients, the AbsolutePanda team does all we can to consider every possible detail. The choice of hotels is an essential part of making a great trip. After many years of running a travel business, we have built up our network of cooperative hotels at different levels. We understand people are different in the choice of hotels when they travel. If you want to use some specific hotels, please feel free to let us know, we are delighted to book it for you at a competitive price to make the hotel choice better meet your taste, budget and travel style. We can either reserve a hotel with competitive price for you or simply include the hotel into your trip cost if possible. You are welcome to contact us and tell us your requests, we will do our best to create the best travel itinerary for your private use.
If you need help with hotel booking in other big cities of China at different styles and luxury levels (International-brand Hotels, Local Brand Hotels, Economical Hotels), please feel free to email our team at info@absolutepanda.com.
FAQs
1. Where do wild pandas live? What are the current situation of panda habitats?
Giant pandas live in temperate bamboo forests in high mountains of the wild panda habitats. These panda habitats are distributed in 3 provinces, Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu. They are found in five major areas in China, namely Minshan Mountains, Qionglai Mountains, Xiangling Mountains, Liangshan Mountains, and Qinling Mountains. Giant panda used to live in a much bigger area than it is now. Because of the ice age in the Quaternary period and human activities, now panda habitat has shrunk into much narrower areas, mostly the high mountains and deep valleys in the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau as shown in the map below.
2. Will we have a chance to see wild pandas on this tour?
While Sichuan is famed as a province accommodating the most substantial portion of the wild panda population (74.4%), it should be noted that spotting a wild panda is quite slim due to the small population and unique lifestyle of pandas mostly living inside the bamboo forest. While panda viewings in Labahe have been reported almost every year by both visitors and rangers, it is really hard to predict for a particular trip. For us, we will do our best to show you all the possible attractions we see inside this panda habitat and make your trip full of wonderful memories. Pandas live in the place we are going to visit, and we just enjoy everything we have blessed to see there.
3. If we want to arrive Chengdu in advance or spend more days here after the tour, can AbsolutePanda arrange that for us?
Yes, absolutely. We are more than happy to help our guest to book services and arrange day tours of Chengdu. Please check our website for more day tour options and send us your requirements. We can tailor-make a suitable tour plan for you.
Email us if you have any questions. Read our FAQ
Testimonials
What an amazing experience!
We just returned from a trip to China. Our time with Absolute Panda was the highlight of our trip! We were nervous about finding a company online, and paying for services out of the country. AbsolutePanda was completely honest with us. They were affordable.We had pretty specific interests. The staff at AbsolutePanda helped us through the planning process. They created something perfect for our family! They spent months offering free advice, suggestions, and help. They were flexible with the itinerary. Once in the country, we were treated well. They asked for and supported dietary requests. We got to try a great variety of healthy and delicious food. We had as much bottled water and snacks as we liked. All meals were included in the price. We received small gifts. The company owner checked in, to make sure we were doing ok. We felt like royalty! We stayed at beautiful, and clean accommodations, “off the beaten path.” We went to small mountain towns. They were gorgeous.Our guide, Bella, was exceptional! She was kind, friendly, interesting, reliable, and lots of fun. She spoke very good English. She had an extensive knowledge of local wildlife, as well as history, culture, and everything else we asked. Bella was able to identify any bird or creature she saw, by Chinese and English name. She has great eyes. She could spot wildlife in the distance, that were hard to see even with binoculars. She took us on hikes that matched our skill levels. We saw wild monkeys, gorals, muntjacs, and tons of beautiful birds. We were in highly competent hands. While we were in China, Sichuan had (unprecedented) heavy rains. Some roads were closed, due to mudslides and flooding. Despite this, we were able to travel the areas we wished. AbsolutePanda kept a close eye on conditions. They changed the travel plan/method multiple times, so we could be safe. They got us there still. The drivers were amazing, and I felt comfortable. We changed our own plans in China. This was due to unexpected medical issues we had there. AbsolutePanda worked with us, even with last minute adjustments. They were supportive, helpful, and flexible. They made sure each member of our family was well cared for. Our safety and well-being mattered to them. I can’t recommend AbsolutePanda highly enough! They gave us the trip of a lifetime!
--Suzucchini
Welcome to email us and be our guests to write the feedback for us. Testimonial of AbsolutePanda
Videos & Photos
The giant panda in Sichuan.
Chengdu Giant Panda Museum
The Takin baby in Tangjiahe.
The golden snub-nosed monkeys in Pingwu.
Baima Tibetan Village
Wanglang National Nature Reserve
Welcome to email us and share your trip photo with us. Photo Album of AbsolutePanda
