5.0
·
14 reviews
We had a great time in the full day service tour with Amy, starting early on at the Panda Center, she helped us avoid the crowds and took us to very good viewing spots, then to the People's park, with clear explanations about daily life activities for the Chengdu city dwellers, nice Sichuan lunch after the Temple visit, and finishing visiting the old picturesque alleys.
Very successful trip made more so by Winnie our guide
She was very professional with a pleasant style but was also great fun to be with
If you only have 1 day in Chengdu, this is a great way to see the highlights! Our group of 5 coworkers was picked up at the hotel by a comfortable minibus and treated to the excellent narration of our guide Cassie. We started at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding first thing in the morning when the pandas were eating and the young ones were frolicking. Such fun to watch and Cassie knew the best way to navigate through this large park. On my own I probably would have wandered for hours and only seen half as much! The pandas are as awesome as the videos you've seen and stories you heard! We had a lot of ground to cover, so no time for souvenir shopping though. :- After the pandas we stopped at the Comrade's Cantina, a restaurant modeled after the communal eating establishments of the Cultural Revolution. The place was jammed, but Cassie made sure we had a great selection of food, probably the best meal I had during my 2 weeks in China! After stuffing ourselves, we headed back toward the city center for a walk around the historic Wenshu Buddhist Monastery. For those sensitive to scents, there is a lot of incense being burned. I had to resort to wearing a mask to ward off the smog and other vapors. Again, Cassie provided great explanations of the history of Buddhism, the monastery, and contemporary Chinese thinking. We made a quick stop at the shop across the street where the famous water noodles are made and served. The noodles themselves don't have any distinct taste, but the sauces they put on will burn a hole in your mouth! :- Next was Wide and Narrow Alleys, which is an old military installation turned into a tourist center. It was very crowded with restaurants and shops of all kinds - even Starbucks! Its definitely a place to people watch and shop if you like that. You can get your ears cleaned too - a uniquely Chengdu experience I was not brave enough to try. They put a pointy object in your ear and then touch the other end with a vibrating tuning fork. Apparently it feels good if you're brave! Our next stop was People's Park with a stroll through to see huge groups of line dancers, a boating lake, food booths, the Match Making Corner, and many tea houses. We stopped for traditional afternoon tea and Cassie taught us how to play Mah Jong. It was a relaxing ending to an informative tour. Highly recommended!
I'm originally from Ireland and have been living and working in China for the past three and a half years. This was my first trip to Chengdu so I didn't know the city that well,so decided to take a tour with this company. It was a great investment. My guide Cassie and driver promptly picked me up at 8.15 am and off we went to see the pandas. We went nice and early,not a huge crowd and got to see at least 20 of those special creatures enjoying their breakfast. I also saw some red pandas there,fascinating. After a wonderful stay of about three hours we went to the Wenshu Temple,a serene place where many Buddhists like to visit and pray. After a break for lunchconsisting of a selection of small Sichuan dishes we went to the Peoples Park and drank tea. It was quite busy with many locals doing the same as us. It rained a lot so Cassie and I sat there talking for about an hour. Her English skills are good and she told me many things about Chengdu and the daily life there. We finished the tour at the Kuanzhai Alleys,a vibrant and interesting place. Then I was driven back to my hotel after a thoroughly enjoyable experience. So glad I took the tour,it was good value,Cassie was very informative and able to answer any query and the driver was prompt and well organized. Couldn't have had a better introduction to Chengdu! : Recommended.
My daughter and I booked the half-day tour of Chengdu and we happened to have Lily as our wonderful guide. Lily was prompt and cheery as she picked us up from the hotel in the morning, urging us to ask any questions we might have throughout the day. At the panda breeding center, she gave us lots of great tidbits on the park's history and operations, took us to several great panda viewing sites, and let us move through them at our own pace so that we never felt rushed. For lunch, Lily asked what kind of food and setting we were looking for and, when we said we were very open to new things, she suggested a simple, but unique vegetarian meal at a nunnery. Apart from being extremely delicious, the meal was definitely an unexpected highlight of the day as we shared the space in silence with the nuns and other diners. We then enjoyed a leisurely walk through the old section of Chengdu, stopping at shops and monasteries, and having all our questions met by very insightful responses from Lily. From there, Lily took us to the city center, showing us where we could buy post cards, pointing out local delicacies, and providing us a personal look into the dynamics of the city through her experience growing up there. To end the tour, she took us through the Railway Memorial Park, where she provided interesting backstory to the dance troupes and social groups meeting there. Finally, we had a nice, relaxing tea at the city's oldest teahouse, where Lily showed us proper tea etiquette and gave us an impromptu lesson on texting with Chinese characters. Upon saying goodbye, Lily reiterated that she liked to think of her tour guests as new friends and that we were free to contact her any time which we took her up on later that day in asking her for dinner suggestions. Her cheerfulness, openness, flexibility and attentiveness to our needs and style of traveling made her an impeccable guide, and the tour the best part of our visit to Chengdu. Thanks, Lily!
my husband and I had an amazing time at Chengdu, China thanks to our private tour guide Lily She is just awesome. She showed us the best places in Chengdu! Always in our hearts Lily, thank you so much!
I would, recommend this company, Lily and driver are amazing, professionals, honest, et.
Getting to the panda centre early was a great advantage. While the centre is not crowded at this time of year it is still better to get there before the numbers build up. Nothing can beat the experience of seeing pandas in something approaching their natural habitat. And, the baby pandas are just incredible!
The number of venues visited in the city was just right there is no point in trying to pack in too much. It is only by a leisurely-paced walk around the streets, parks and markets that one can get a good feel for the city and its people.
The guide, Lily, was both charming and informative with excellent English and was able to explain various aspects of the local culture.