Southwest China Travel Guides
Source-checked city travel guides in Southwest China: attractions, itineraries, local food, and practical tips.
Southwest China is the usual second act after the north: pandas and hotpot in Chengdu, the mountain city of Chongqing, then Yunnan's Dali, Lijiang and Kunming, or the karst of Guilin. Altitude and rain matter more here than in the delta.
Lhasa is a separate plan — permit, altitude, and a slower first day — not a casual add-on to Chengdu. Leshan and Anshun are the giant-Buddha and waterfall days that sit next to the provincial capitals.
Anshun Travel Guide: Huangguoshu, Caves and Tunpu Villages
Anshun travel guide: Huangguoshu Waterfall and its Water Curtain Cave, the Dragon Palace caves, the Ming Confucian Temple, Yunshantun, street food and 3 days.
Baoshan Travel Guide: Heshun and Tengchong Volcanoes
Baoshan travel guide: Heshun's overseas-Chinese old town, Tengchong's young volcanoes and hot springs, the 1944 war cemetery, Gaoligong and a 3-day plan.
Bazhong Travel Guide: Nankan Grottoes and Micang Hills
Bazhong travel guide: Nankan cliff sculptures, Micang Mountain fringe roads when weather clears, spicy foothill food and a practical 2–3 day Sichuan plan.
Bijie Travel Guide: Zhijin Cave and Baili Azalea
Bijie travel guide: Zhijin Cave year-round karst walk, Baili Azalea spring bloom, Caohai wetland birds in Weining, highland food and a 2–4 day plan.
Chengdu Travel Guide: 3-Day Itinerary, Pandas and Day Trips
Chengdu in three or four days: panda base at 07:30, Wuhou Shrine, Kuanzhai or Jinli, a Dujiangyan day trip, which airport you land at, and what to book.
Chongqing Travel Guide: Night Views, Hotpot and Day Trips
Chongqing in three or four days: Yuzhong on foot, Hongyadong lights (19:30 to 23:00), the cableway, Ciqikou, hotpot, and Dazu or Wulong by fast train.
Dali Travel Guide: Old Town, Erhai Lake and a 3-Day Plan
Plan a Dali trip: where to stay, Dali Old Town, the Three Pagodas, Cangshan cableways, cycling Erhai Lake, Xizhou and Shuanglang, with a three-day route.
Dazhou Travel Guide: Northeast Sichuan Foothills
Dazhou travel guide: northeastern Sichuan rail-and-ridge hinge, Dazhu countryside road days, spicy foothill food, honesty about scale and a practical 2–3.
Dehong Travel Guide: Mangshi Pagodas and Ruili Border
Dehong travel guide: Menghuan Golden Pagoda in Mangshi, Ruili border-market day, optional Moli rainforest, Dai food and a clear 3-day western Yunnan plan.
Deyang Travel Guide: Sanxingdui Museum and Guanghan
Deyang travel guide: Sanxingdui bronzes in Guanghan, timed-ticket tips, Confucian temple buffer, and a clear two-to-three-day Sichuan plan.
Diqing Travel Guide: Shangri-La and Pudacuo
Diqing travel guide: Songzanlin monastery pacing, Pudacuo National Park day, altitude buffers, and a three-day Shangri-La town plan.
Guang'an Travel Guide: Deng Xiaoping Former Residence
Guang'an travel guide: Deng Xiaoping former residence in Paifang, city buffers, and a clear one-to-two-day northeastern Sichuan plan.
Guangyuan Travel Guide: Jianmen Pass and Shu Road
Guangyuan travel guide: Jianmen Pass full day, Huangze and Qianfoya city grottoes, Zhaohua tradeoffs, and a three-day Shu Road plan.
Guilin Travel Guide: Li River, Yangshuo and a 3-Day Route
Guilin and Yangshuo in three days: booking the 215-yuan Li River cruise, which pier to go to, a Yangshuo night, Yulong rafting, city hills and what to skip.
Guiyang Travel Guide: Five Stops in the Forest City
Guiyang travel guide: Qianlingshan, Jiaxiu Tower, Qingyan Ancient Town, Guizhou Provincial Museum and Tianhetan, with a three-day summer-cool plan.
Honghe Travel Guide: Yuanyang Rice Terraces and Jianshui
Honghe travel guide: when the Yuanyang Hani terraces are flooded, which viewpoints suit sunrise or sunset, where to sleep, Jianshui's old town and a 3-day plan.
Kunming Travel Guide: Stone Forest, Lakes, 3 Days
Kunming in three days: Stone Forest day trip, Dianchi and Green Lake, Western Hills, Nationalities Village and Jinma-Biji, with gull season and food tips.
Leshan Travel Guide: Giant Buddha, Mount Emei, Steam Train
Leshan travel guide: the 71 m Giant Buddha by plank road or boat, Mount Emei's Golden Summit, Wuyou Temple, the Jiayang steam train, tiaojiao beef and 3 days.
Lhasa Travel Guide: Potala, Jokhang, Namtso and 4 Days
Plan Lhasa: Potala and Jokhang booking rules for 2026, Barkhor, Norbulingka, Sera and Drepung, a Namtso day trip, altitude pacing and a four-day route.
Lijiang Travel Guide: Old Town, Snow Mountain, 4 Days
Lijiang in four days: Dayan Old Town, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shuhe, Black Dragon Pool and optional Lugu Lake, with altitude notes.
Lincang Travel Guide: Cangyuan Rock Art, Wa Culture, Tea
Lincang travel guide: 3,000-year-old Cangyuan rock paintings, the rebuilt Wa village of Wengding, Mengku and Bingdao tea hills, the Dali railway, and 3 days.
Liupanshui Travel Guide: Cool Capital and Wumeng Grassland
Liupanshui travel guide: Wumeng Grassland day in Panzhou, Minghu wetland and Shuicheng evenings, Cool Capital summer pacing, and a 2–3 day Guizhou plan.
Luzhou Travel Guide: Laojiao Cellars and the Yangtze
Luzhou travel guide: Luzhou Laojiao cellar culture, Yangtze riverside evenings, Tianxiandong canyon as a separate day, and a 2–3 day southern Sichuan plan.
Meishan Travel Guide: Sansu Shrine and Wawushan
Meishan travel guide: Sansu Shrine literary half-day, Dongpo cuisine evenings, Wawushan table-mountain day as a separate calendar, and a 2–3 day Sichuan plan.
Mianyang Travel Guide: Fujiang Parks and Science City
Mianyang travel guide: Fujiang riverside walks, city skyline stops, Science City framing without fake theme-park access, and a practical 2–3 day Sichuan plan.
Nagqu Travel Guide: Plateau Hub and Namtso Check
Nagqu travel guide: high northern Tibet plateau hub, Namtso Lake altitude and route reality versus Lhasa day trips, permits, and careful 2–3 day pacing.
Nanchong Travel Guide: Langzhong Ancient City
Nanchong travel guide: Langzhong ancient city walking order, Jialing River context, Nanchong as transport base, and a 2–3 day Sichuan plan.
Neijiang Travel Guide: Shengshui Temple and Longchang
Neijiang travel guide: Shengshui Temple Guanyin cliff shrine, Longchang stone archways, Zhang Daqian memorial tradeoffs, and a 2–3 day Sichuan plan.
Ngari Travel Guide: Kailash and Manasarovar
Ngari (Ali) travel guide: Mount Kailash kora, Lake Manasarovar, Guge ruins framing, multi-permit reality, and why this is not a casual Lhasa add-on.
Nyingchi Travel Guide: Basongcuo and Lulang Forest
Nyingchi (Linzhi) travel guide: Basongcuo lake, Lulang forest meadows, Yarlung Tsangpo canyon edges, altitude honesty, Tibet permits and a 3–4 day plan.
Panzhihua Travel Guide: Jinsha Canyon and Winter Sun
Panzhihua travel guide: Jinsha River canyon viewpoints, Yishala Yi village pacing, winter-sun industrial city framing, and a 2–3 day southern Sichuan plan.
Pu'er Travel Guide: Jingmai Tea Forests, Simao and Nakeli
Pu'er travel guide: trains from Kunming, how far Jingmai Mountain really is (237 km), coaches and village shuttles, Simao tea sights, Nakeli and a 3-day plan.
Qamdo Travel Guide: Chamdo, Jampaling and Ranwu Lake
Qamdo (Chamdo) travel guide: permits for eastern Tibet, Bamda airport at 4,334 m, Galden Jampaling Monastery, the long road to Ranwu Lake and Laigu Glacier.
Qujing Travel Guide: Luoping Canola Fields and Jiulong Falls
Qujing travel guide: when Luoping's canola really blooms, the order for Jinji peaks, Niujie terraces and Jiulong Waterfalls, trains from Kunming, a 3-day plan.
Shannan Travel Guide: Yumbulagang, Samye and Tsetang
Shannan (Lhoka) travel guide: the one-hour train from Lhasa to Tsetang, Yumbulagang palace, Samye Monastery, permits for foreigners and a 2-day plan.
Shigatse Travel Guide: Tashilhunpo and the Road to Everest
Shigatse (Xigaze) travel guide: the 3-hour train from Lhasa, Tashilhunpo Monastery and its kora, Shigatse Dzong, permits, and what the Everest trip involves.
Suining Travel Guide: Guangde Temple, Lingquan, Song Porcelain
Suining travel guide: Guangde and Lingquan temples of the Guanyin legend, the free Sichuan Song Porcelain Museum, the Daying salt lake and trains from Chengdu.
Tongren Travel Guide: Fanjingshan and the Golden Summit
Tongren travel guide: Fanjingshan World Heritage mountain, the east-gate cable car, Mushroom Stone, the Red Clouds Golden Summit queue, booking and buses.
Wenshan Travel Guide: Puzhehei Lakes, Lotus and Karst Peaks
Wenshan travel guide: Puzhehei's karst lakes and July lotus, Qinglong Mountain views, 2026 boat prices, the train from Kunming South, Qiubei stays and Bamei.
Xishuangbanna Travel Guide: Dai Culture, Tropics, and Jinghong (3-Day Route)
Xishuangbanna travel guide: Jinghong Dai parks and night markets, tropical pacing, Wild Elephant Valley tradeoffs, with a three-day Yunnan itinerary.
Ya'an Travel Guide: Bifengxia Pandas, Shangli Town, and Rain City Walking (3-Day Route)
Ya'an travel guide: Bifengxia panda base timing, Shangli ancient town half-day, rain-city packing tips, with a three-day Sichuan itinerary.
Yibin Travel Guide: Lizhuang Ancient Town, River Confluence, and Bamboo Sea (3-Day Route)
Yibin travel guide: Lizhuang lanes and wartime memory, Yangtze–Min confluence city views, Shunan Bamboo Sea day framing, with a three-day Sichuan itinerary.
Yuxi Travel Guide: Fuxian Lake, Chengjiang Fossils, and Kunming Side Trip (2–3 Day Route)
Yuxi travel guide: Fuxian Lake shore pacing, Chengjiang Fossil Site museum-first order, Kunming day-trip tradeoffs, with a two-to-three-day Yunnan itinerary.
Zhaotong Travel Guide: Dashanbao Wetlands and Dousha Pass (3-Day Route)
Zhaotong travel guide: Dashanbao black-necked crane wetlands, Dousha Pass Five-Foot Way relics, Yunnan northeast staging, with a three-day itinerary.
Zigong Travel Guide: Dinosaur Museum, Salt Guild Hall, and Lantern City (3-Day Route)
Zigong travel guide: Dinosaur Museum visit order, salt history at Xiqin Guild Hall, lantern-season timing, with a three-day Sichuan itinerary.
Ziyang Travel Guide: Anyue Grottoes Day Trip Hub (2–3 Day Route)
Ziyang travel guide: Anyue grottoes including Yuanjue Cave, Huayan and Pilu cliff niches, with a two-to-three-day Sichuan itinerary from the prefecture hub.
Zunyi Travel Guide: Conference Site City, Chishui Danxia Distance, and Northern Guizhou Logistics (2–4 Day Route)
Zunyi travel guide: Conference Site city half-day vs distant Chishui Danxia waterfalls — do not stack both without buffers; northern Guizhou planning.