More than 1,200 years ago, the poet Du Fu wrote of seeing "the snow of a thousand autumns on the western ridge" from his window in Chengdu. That ridge is Xiling Snow Mountain, and in January it is still white. Winter in western Sichuan is cold, clear and quiet, with frozen streams in the valleys and stone villages on the hillsides.

This tour puts the snow first. On Day 2 you drive to Xiling Snow Mountain, then on into the mountains to Lixian. Day 3 is Bipenggou, a long valley of forest and frozen waterfalls, reached by sightseeing bus and buggy, and Taoping, a village of the Qiang people with tall stone towers. Then the tour turns to the cities. Day 4 is old Chengdu, with People's Park and Kuanzhai Alley, and on Day 5 the bullet train takes you to Chongqing for Hongya Cave, Jiefangbei and the pandas at Chongqing Zoo.

Bring proper winter clothes: the mountain days are cold and you spend a lot of time outside. There are long drives on Days 2 and 3, and two wholesale shopping stops. In return, almost every meal is included, there are mosque visits in Dujiangyan, Chengdu and Chongqing, and the gratuities are included.

Quick facts

Duration: 6 days 5 nights
Route: Chengdu, Xiling Snow Mountain, Lixian, Bipenggou, Dujiangyan and Chongqing
Package type: winter group tour on fixed departure dates in January
Flights: included, from KLIA to Chengdu and from Chongqing back to KLIA, with airport taxes, checked luggage and meals on board
Train: bullet train from Chengdu to Chongqing
Hotels: 2 nights in Chengdu, 1 in Lixian, 1 in Dujiangyan and 1 in Chongqing
Meals: 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners
Booking: seats are subject to availability. We confirm with the tour operator and email you once your seats are secured.

Highlights

Snow at Xiling Snow Mountain
Bipenggou valley in winter, by sightseeing bus and buggy
Taoping, a Qiang village of stone towers
People's Park and Kuanzhai Alley in Chengdu
Hongya Cave, Kuixing Building and the Liziba monorail in Chongqing
The pandas at Chongqing Zoo

Itinerary

Day 1: Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu

Fly from KLIA to Chengdu.

Meals: on the flight. Overnight: Chengdu.

Day 2: Xiling Snow Mountain to Lixian

Drive to Xiling Snow Mountain for a day in the snow, and visit Dujiangyan Mosque. Continue into the mountains to Lixian.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Lixian.

Day 3: Bipenggou and Dujiangyan

Spend the morning in Bipenggou, a long mountain valley of forest, streams and waterfalls that freeze in winter. A sightseeing bus and a buggy take you up the valley. Then visit Taoping Xinzhai, a village of the Qiang people, known for its stone houses and tall watchtowers.

Drive to Dujiangyan and see the South Bridge, a covered bridge over the river, and the Blue Tears.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Dujiangyan.

Day 4: Dujiangyan to Chengdu

Return to Chengdu. Visit People's Park, where local people drink tea, dance and play cards, and Kuanzhai Alley (the Wide and Narrow Alley), three old lanes of grey-brick courtyard houses. Visit Huangcheng Mosque, also called the Imperial City Mosque. Then shop at Jiulong Clothing Wholesale City and at Chengdu IFS, the mall with a giant panda statue climbing its wall.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Chengdu.

Day 5: Chengdu to Chongqing by bullet train

Take the bullet train to Chongqing, a hilly city where the Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet. Walk through Shibati, an old neighbourhood of steps and lanes, and Jiefangbei, the city's central square. See Kuixing Building, where the street entrance is on the 22nd floor, and end the day at Hongya Cave, a tall stack of stilt houses built against the cliff, lit up at night.

Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Chongqing.

Day 6: Chongqing to Kuala Lumpur

See the giant pandas at the Panda House in Chongqing Zoo and visit Chongqing Mosque. Then go to the viewing platform at Liziba, where the monorail runs straight through a residential building. Transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Meals: breakfast, lunch.

What's included

Flights from KLIA to Chengdu and from Chongqing back to KLIA
Bullet train from Chengdu to Chongqing
Airport taxes
Checked luggage
Meals on the flights
Sightseeing bus and buggy at Bipenggou
Hotels: 2 nights in Chengdu, 1 in Lixian, 1 in Dujiangyan and 1 in Chongqing
Meals as listed in the itinerary
Gratuities

Good to know

It is cold in the mountains in January. Bring a thick jacket, gloves, a hat and shoes with good grip for snow and ice.
Days 2 and 3 involve long mountain drives.
The tour includes shopping at a clothing wholesale market and Chengdu IFS. Buying anything is up to you.