Southwest China · 5 days
Emei Shan & the Leshan Giant Buddha in 5 Days, from Chengdu
The two UNESCO sights of southern Sichuan in one clean week: the Tang-dynasty Buddha cut into the river cliff at Leshan, and the Golden Summit of Emei Shan floating above its sea of clouds. The pacing is deliberately gentle — summit by cable car, soak in hot springs at night, and Chengdu’s pandas on the way home.
The route
What this trip actually feels like
- The Leshan Giant Buddha from the water, then the cliff stairway to his feet
- Golden Summit at 3,077 m — the Samantabhadra statue above the cloud sea
- Hot-spring evenings at the mountain foot after summit days
- Pandas at the Chengdu base at opening time, before the crowds
Best for
- First-time visitors adding depth to a Chengdu stop
- Families with school-age children
- Travellers who want temples and mountains without a hard trek
Along the way
The places this route passes through
Day by day
The plan, as it would actually run
Arrive in Chengdu
Arrive in Chengdu, check in, and take the easy opening afternoon: People’s Park tea house for the bamboo-chair ritual, then the wide-and-narrow lanes of Kuanzhai for the early evening. Sichuan dinner — mapo tofu done properly, and the mild sweet-water noodles for anyone testing their chilli tolerance.
- Morning
- Arrive Chengdu, check in
- Afternoon
- People’s Park tea house, Kuanzhai lanes
- Evening
- Sichuan welcome dinner
- Meals
- Dinner included
Night 1 Waldorf Astoria Chengdu
Note. If you land at Tianfu (TFU), expect a 50-minute drive into town; Shuangliu (CTU) is closer to the centre.
Leshan Giant Buddha, then up to Emei
Two hours south to Leshan. The Buddha from the river first — the 20-minute boat ride that gives the only full-frontal view of the 71-metre figure — then the nine-turn cliff stairway down to his feet. Lunch in Leshan (the sweet-skin duck is the local dish), then 40 minutes west to the Emeishan resort zone. Late afternoon is Baoguo Temple; evening is the hot spring.
- Morning
- Drive to Leshan (2 hours), river view of the Buddha
- Afternoon
- Cliff stairway, Leshan lunch, drive to Emeishan
- Evening
- Hot spring at the resort
- Meals
- Breakfast included · Lunch included · Dinner included
Night 2 Le Méridien Emei Mountain Resort
Note. The boat queues before 10am are a fraction of midday’s. Do the boat first, the stairway second.
Golden Summit day
The full mountain day: shuttle to the Lei Dongping lot, the first cable car through the cloud layer, and the Golden Summit at 3,077 m — the 48-metre golden Samantabhadra against whatever the sky is doing. Afternoon comes down the mountain via Wannian Temple and the monkey slopes of the ecological zone, where the macaques own the path and the handrails.
- Morning
- Shuttle and cable car to the Golden Summit
- Afternoon
- Wannian Temple, monkey ecological zone
- Evening
- Return to the resort, outdoor pools
- Meals
- Breakfast included · Lunch included · Dinner included
Night 3 Le Méridien Emei Mountain Resort
Note. Keep every bag zipped on the monkey section — they identify plastic bags as food containers at ten paces.
Back to Chengdu, Jinli at night
A mountain-morning walk to Fuhu Temple in the old grove behind the resort, then the two-hour drive back to Chengdu. Late afternoon is the Wuhou Shrine, and the evening is Jinli street lit red — the snacks here are tourist-priced but the atmosphere is worth the markup once.
- Morning
- Fuhu Temple grove walk
- Afternoon
- Drive to Chengdu (2 hours), Wuhou Shrine
- Evening
- Jinli night street
- Meals
- Breakfast included · Lunch included
Night 4 Waldorf Astoria Chengdu
Note. If you would rather not do the shrine, the Sichuan Museum across the park is free and better value.
Pandas at opening time, then out
The panda base opens at 7:30 and the animals are breakfast-active until about nine — arrive at the gate for opening, not after. Then back to the hotel for bags and the airport. This is the day that sells the whole trip to anyone travelling with children.
- Morning
- Chengdu panda base at opening time
- Afternoon
- Transfer to CTU / TFU, depart
- Evening
- Depart
- Meals
- Breakfast included
Note. Book evening flights out — the panda morning plus an airport transfer does not pair with a 1pm departure.
In pictures
Scenes from the Emei Shan & Leshan route
Where you sleep
Handpicked stays on this route
Waldorf Astoria · Luxury
Waldorf Astoria Chengdu
On the second floor of Chengdu’s tallest residential tower, with a 55-metre lap pool on the 5th floor and the best Sichuan kitchen in the building.
- Stay 3, pay for 2
- Daily breakfast for two
- US$50 dining credit
- US$50 spa credit
From US$1,050 per night
Valid to 2026-12-31
Le Méridien (Marriott) · Luxury
Le Méridien Emei Mountain Resort
The mountain’s best-addressed resort — fifteen minutes from the Baoguo Temple gate, with its own hot-spring zone, indoor and outdoor pools, and a free shuttle to Emeishan HSR station. After a Golden Summit day, the correct evening is the outdoor hot spring with the mountain in front of you.
- Room upgrade at check-in, subject to availability
- Daily breakfast for two
- One hot-spring session for two per stay
- Late check-out to 2pm
From US$160 per night
Valid to 2027-03-31
Practicalities
The things to get right before departure
Visa and entry
A mainland China visa is required. Chengdu Shuangliu and Tianfu airports both support 240-hour visa-free transit for eligible nationalities — this route fits inside it if you arrive and depart from China via Chengdu.
Getting between the cities
Land in Chengdu. The route runs by private car: Chengdu to Leshan is 2 hours on the expressway, Leshan to the Emeishan resort zone 40 minutes, and Emeishan back to Chengdu 2 hours. The HSR alternative (Chengdu East to Emeishan, 1h15) works for rail-first travellers.
Questions
Asked by travellers on this route
Do I have to climb anything to reach the Golden Summit?
No. The modern route is shuttle bus to Lei Dongping, then a cable car to the summit plateau — a few minutes of stairs in total. The traditional pilgrim paths exist for those who want them, but they are optional day-walks, not requirements.
Is the visa-free transit option usable for this route?
Often, yes: Chengdu supports 240-hour visa-free transit for eligible nationalities, and this route stays inside Sichuan, entering and leaving through Chengdu airports. Confirm your nationality is on the current eligibility list before relying on it.
What is the weather actually like on the summit?
Ten to fifteen degrees colder than the base, frequently inside the cloud. Bring a warm layer even in June; the resort’s hot spring exists precisely because the summit mornings are cold.