panda tours china

The Wild Side of China: A Nature Odyssey

Trip Highlights

• Extended Visits to Three Panda Bases Watch and photograph giant pandas at close range at three world-renowned panda research centers—plus an exclusive opportunity to volunteer in their care
• Exclusive Wildlife Reserve Access Special permits secured by Nat Hab allow us into a remote, rarely visited national wildlife sanctuary where highly elusive wild pandas live and breed freely
• Close Encounters with Golden Monkeys Get close-up photos of golden snub-nosed monkeys, charming blue-faced primates found only in a small area of temperate forest in central China

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We Show You the Natural China Most People Never See!

• See Giant Pandas Up Close on Visits to Three Different Sites Compare China itineraries—we don't think you'll find another that offers the panda immersion ours does, with unhurried visits to three different panda research bases: Dujiangyan Panda Base, which focuses on rescuing injured and ill wild pandas and disease control; the newly rebuilt Gengda Wolong Panda Center, which integrates scientific research, captive breeding and reintroduction of pandas into the wild; and Dujiangyan Panda Valley, a new facility that is both a panda research and breeding base and a center for conservation education.
• A Rare Opportunity to Volunteer with Panda Care At Dujiangyan Panda Base, you'll have an optional opportunity to help with aspects of the pandas' care. This could involve preparing their food, cleaning enclosures, and other tasks that place us directly into the daily activities of the pandas' caregivers at this research base. Please note we cannot guarantee that this volunteer opportunity will always be available. 
• Exclusive Access to Search for Pandas & Other Rare Wildlife   This is a genuine Nat Hab privilege: We have secured special permits to visit remote sectors of a totally untouristed nature reserve deep within the Minshan Mountains, a global biodiversity hotspot that's home to some of the world’s most endangered wildlife. We'll search for giant pandas and moon bears that inhabit the park, though we won't expect  to see them, as both are highly elusive. We have better chances to find other rare Chinese animals like takin, goral, serow and golden pheasant, within a completely natural habitat that few tourists have ever laid eyes on—and only a handful of Westerners (mostly other Nat Hab travelers). The terrain is steep and heavily forested, and animals are often sheltered, camouflaged or seen at a distance—but just being in their midst in such a quiet, wild place is a moving experience.
• Get Close to Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys Visit a golden monkey nature reserve where we're sure to have close-up encounters with a habituated family group of these entertaining primates. It's a rare opportunity to see and photograph this endangered species that is endemic to a very limited part of central and southwest China. 
• Our Small Groups Go Places Larger Groups Can't  Because we limit this trip to approximately 12 guests, we’re able to take you where larger bus tours cannot go, including a remote national park where we have exclusive permits to search for wild pandas (though they are exceptionally elusive and rarely seen).
• Travel with Two Guides for Exceptional Expertise Our China trips benefit from the leadership of two guides: a native English-speaking Nat Hab Expedition Leader accompanied by a warm and hospitable Chinese naturalist guide who is highly trained in natural history and interpretation, not to mention being our cultural and linguistic "go-between." It's an optimal combination of interpretive guiding, cultural knowledge and personalized attention.
• Experience Traditional Tibetan Culture   Our travels include an overland traverse along the edge of the vast Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where small villages, prayer flags and chortens dot the landscape. Learn more about the deeply traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture, which offers a dramatic counterpoint to the urban setting of Chengdu.
• Savor Outstanding Sichuan Cuisine While nature may be your primary interest, food lovers will be thrilled by the culinary delights this trip offers. Sichuan is famed for its piquant cuisine, and we get to sample a wide selection of restaurants and dishes, with items carefully chosen by our local guide to appeal to Western palates. Since food is typically served family-style at a large round table, multiple tastes and dietary preferences can be catered for at every meal (though be sure to make special needs known to us ahead of time). And you won't be eating only in hotels or touristy restaurants: we choose locations popular with local people, for a truly authentic Chinese dining experience that Western visitors will also enjoy.
• Our Accommodations Offer the Best in Location and Comfort From a 5-star luxury hotel in Chengdu to a quiet mountain inn where other travelers are few, our comfortable lodgings place you in close proximity to famous Chinese landmarks and remote and wild natural settings. Each offers a regional experience of China with plenty of amenities. 
• Travel with Expert Expedition Leaders  Our Nat Hab Expedition Leaders are outstanding North American naturalist guides who are passionate about China and its wildlife. In addition, you’ll travel with a Chinese tour guide who is a nature expert, ensuring an optimal balance of scientific knowledge, authentic cultural insight and attentive personal service. Furthermore, our Expedition Leaders have the benefit of additional training and resources from WWF's renowned scientists and researchers. See Expedition Leader bios and traveler comments regarding the quality of our leaders.
• Our Quality-Value Guarantee Ensures Your Outstanding China Tour With Natural Habitat Adventures, you receive our exclusive guarantee that clearly states that we will meet the high expectations we set forth in our promotional materials. To our knowledge, this is the most ambitious guarantee made by any adventure travel company. Read our important promise.
• Feel Good About Your Carbon-Neutral Journey We care deeply about our planet, as we know you do. When you travel with us, the carbon emissions from your trip are 100% offset—including your round-trip flights from home. Natural Habitat Adventures has been the world’s first carbon-neutral travel company since 2007.

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See the Giant Pandas in China on a holiday with Wendy Wu Tours

China is Open!

China's reopening is the news we've all been waiting for and we simply couldn't wait to get back to this sensational destination so we could give you an exclusive inside scoop on what travelling to China is like right now?

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Sichuan province is home to 80% of the world’s population of giant pandas, so it’s not a surprise that the province is at the forefront of the conservation effort to save them. It is also no surprise, given their adorable persona, that the panda has long been a national symbol of China. As an increasingly endangered species, the protection of this lovable bear from extinction is a top priority for China, and the frontrunner in this mission is the Chengdu Panda Research Base, located just 10 kilometres north of Chengdu's city centre.

With over 80 pandas in residence, the Chengdu Panda Research Base is first and foremost a conservation and breeding centre, working to protect the panda and maintain, if not increase, their numbers. The park is set up to resemble the mountain and forest regions in north Sichuan with extensive bamboo trees and large green spaces, mirroring the pandas’ natural habitat. There are also a population of red pandas calling the base home, which are equally as fun to watch!

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Borders Of Adventure

Leading Culture and Adventure Travel Blog by Becki Enright. Looking at the world with a different angle to change perceptions of misunderstood places, for the best in travel.

China , Responsible Tourism

Taking a Chengdu Panda Tour: Conservation and Education at China’s Cutest Tourist Attraction

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to handpicked partners, including tours, gear and booking sites. If you click through or buy something via one of them, I may receive a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you and allows this site to keep running.

As popular as visiting the Great Wall of China in Beijing or the Terracotta Army in Xian, taking a Chengdu Panda Tour at the Giant Panda Breeding Base is just as high on the list. It’s also said to be one of China’s most sustainable tourist attractions.

As soon as you arrive in Chengdu city you know you have hit the land of the panda. Their adorable faces greet you from every street corner, appear in all manner of advertisements, and are even used to decorate taxi car bonnets. Random Chengdu panda-themed goods are sold at every street market and an official panda merchandise store even exists within the city’s main shopping streets, including the Big and Small Alley and the Jinli night fair.

Excited about the opportunity of seeing a rare animal native to China, I was also apprehensive that visiting the pandas would not live up to the hype lingering all around me. Is the panda overload just another money-making tourist scheme? 

I had imagined an oversized zoo, with a few cages and uninviting box rooms scattered here and there full of pandas looking less than pleased with their lives of captivity and where tourists still found it a wonderful sight regardless. 

However, the Giant Panda Breeding Base in Chengdu is legitimately well-run and where the real action is at.

Taking a Chengdu Panda Tour: China’s Cutest Tourist Attraction

Taking a Chengdu Panda Tour – Conservation and Education

Best time to see pandas in chengdu , chengdu baby panda viewing, holding and feeding a panda, the goodness of the giant panda breeding base, private trip, metro and bus, entrance to chengdu research base of giant panda breeding, planning a giant panda tour in chengdu pin it for later.

Instead, I spent hours wandering around a never-ending open space of perfectly landscaped, dense green forest and beautiful parkland.

This is no zoo but a huge conservation base spanning 7,000 square meters.

Rather than feeling enclosed, you feel at one with nature as you meander peacefully through endless amounts of greenery, past towering trees, and across quaint wooden bridges and viewing levels. You realise that you are in a well-run establishment, where the setting has been deliberately crafted to provide a humane and self-sustaining home for the 50 or so pandas that reside here.

A Giant Panda at home in his landscaped enclosure

With no glass screens and wire mesh fencing to ruin the view, you are right the heart of the action, where the pandas are rustling about; crunching and crackling on large supplies of bamboo; lazing around without a care in the world; not flinching or becoming uncomfortable at the sight of humans.

Taking a Chengdu Panda Tour means being able to get close to these animals responsibly

Information boards are in abundance, detailing general panda facts and key insights into the research that takes place there and there’s even a short film if you like that kind of tourist reel. Plaques are also scattered around bearing the names and birth dates of some of the pandas – except they all looked the same to me so I couldn’t keep up with that kind of intricate detail.

While giant pandas are the main focus here, you can also see Red Pandas (which actually look like raccoons and are not as interesting as their giant cousins) as well as learn about the research base’s conservation programs for tigers and monkeys.

Keep a look out for the smaller Red Pandas

Open from 07:30 am – 18:00 pm, we were told that it’s best to visit before 11:30 am when the pandas are at their most active before falling asleep in the early afternoon.

Since they are pretty much lazy creatures anyway, you will want to see them in top form. At their best, they are fascinatingly humorous. I’ll never forget the sight of pandas lying on their backs, covered in a heap of bamboo and eating shreds of it from their bellies. 

A delirious life of bamboo indulgence at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base

Then there was a panda we named ‘Dozy Dave’ who climbed a small tree and had absolutely no idea how to get back down! We thought about telling one of the conservation workers about his plight but then realised he probably spends every day in this same predicament!

Dozy Dave moved all of half a metre in the 20 minutes we spent watching him and gave up very easily. I think he was either scared or lazy, although I guess it’s probably the latter. Just like his friend closeby who made the giant step up to the next level of his climbing frame and then decided to roll onto his back with exhaustion.

Giant Pandas have the space to roam here

The award-winning conservation base includes a panda hospital and a nursery, where you can see baby pandas in their incubators and resting peacefully on baby blankets. You can’t help but coo over them and try and wing out your time by the viewing window before the guard ushers you on.

You can observe the baby pandas at part of the medical side to the Giant Panda Breeding Base

Monitored around the clock by an expert team who make up part of the project’s many scientific and technical workers, you can tell they are well looked after and that the breeding process here – which includes artificial insemination and other means to overcome the mating difficulties – is successful and well managed.

Baby Pandas in Chengdu – the most wonderful sight

It’s here that you can hold a panda for around £135, except that it is out of most people’s travel budget, and in the interests of responsible practice, it is better to leave them as wild as possible in their habitat in the enclosure. Although living in captivity, the Panda is still a wild and potentially unpredictable animal. I also think this practice of being passed around humans and having a camera flashing in your face all day is a bit cruel.

You can pay for other experiences here, such as feeding the pandas, where you stand on a viewing platform, attach a piece of bamboo to a long stick, and lower it down for the panda to take from you. It was a lovely sight, except when a woman dangled the stick and moved it up and down, meanly teasing the panda who nearly fell off the ledge of its enclosure trying to catch it. Irresponsible tourists have no place here.

Feeding time during a Chengdu Panda Tour

Apart from shattering my childhood view that all pandas are black and white and fluffy (they are mainly black and yellow and slightly matted), this was one of the best and most delightful days out I have had in China. The Giant Panda Breeding Base states: “Successful conservation programs require the combination of good science and effective communication about needed human conservation behaviour” and it certainly lives up to its word.

Even if your interest doesn’t lay this deep, the sheer size and man-made beauty of the place and the close proximity you get to the pandas is an experience in itself.

Cost of a Chengdu Panda Tour

Getting to the giant panda breeding base.

There are two ways to get to the Panda base.

An inexpensive private trip of approximately 200 Yuan (£20), including round-trip transport from your accommodation.

No matter where you are in the city, you must take Chengdu’s Metro Line 3 to the Panda Avenue Station (signed posted with a Panda) and leave via Exit A. From here, you will pick up one of the buses – D025, 198, or 198A – that goes to the Panda Base Bus Station. 

Tickets cost RMB 55 per person (full price) and RMB 27 per person (concessions).

A skip the line ticket can be purchased from Get Your Guide, where the printed or mobile voucher is accepted. 

The Panda Centre is open from 07:30 AM – 18:00 PM throughout the year.

About Becki

Becki Enright is a British Travel Press Award-winning writer whose work focuses on changing perceptions about misunderstood aspects of destinations. Her writing combines storytelling with insight into the social, historical, political and economic factors that shape the country or place in relation to tourism. Becki has appeared live on Sky News and CNN and has contributed to high profile media including National Geographic, Time.com, Guardian online, New York Times, Grazia and Buzzfeed.

Traveler Tiffany says

20 October 2020 at 7:33 pm

Hi I am from chengdu. I am glad you enjoy it. Thank you for introducing my city to others.

Bethaney says

3 December 2015 at 3:12 am

I’m definitely adding this to my bucket list for 2016. I can’t wait to go to China and I think I’ll make this my first stop. 😉

19 March 2013 at 9:23 am

Do you have to make a reservation and if so can your please send me a link i am planning on going there for spring break

Backpacker Becki says

19 March 2013 at 10:29 am

No reservations when what I know, although many hostels can arrange for you. Links to the website are within the blog post 🙂

Julika says

20 November 2012 at 9:22 am

Oh the baby pandas are too adorable!! Looks like you could spend hours watching them (and I would most likely be squeaking all the time… that happens a lot with fluffy animal babies). If I hadn’t had a reason to visit China before, I would have had one now 🙂 Great post!

21 November 2012 at 4:14 am

It really is a positive side to China. I have heard really bad things about the zoos but this proper research facility is really well-run and interesting. AND you can get close to the Pandas… how awesome is that!?

Tom Bourlet says

15 November 2012 at 11:58 am

Love pandas 😀 I’m so jealous you got to do this. I’m planning on travelling through Asia, but didn’t consider China before as one of the options, might have to add it in to my list! I still reckon we should domesticate them and have them as legendary pets haha

20 November 2012 at 4:25 am

It’s such a lovely day out. You need a bit of cuddly down time away from the other crazy happenings in China! haha

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12 Tidbits You May not Know

• There are only less than 2,000 pandas living in the wild or in captivity, accurately 1,864 reported in 2015, among which 1,367 are living in Sichuan.
• Bamboo takes 99% of their diet, but not their only food. They also have some meat, cereal, vegetable, fruits, and some prefer sweets.
• They defecate 40 times a day! Due to the high-fiber bamboo diet, their excrement is clean. Some souvenirs are made from the excrement, and some cubs even eat the excrement of their mother.
• All of the world's pandas come from China!
• This animal was first known by the westerners in 1869, when a French missionary was given a black-and-white fur.
• One of the reasons why the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) chooses the image of giant panda to be the logo is to reduce the cost of printing - only black and white are needed.
• Every Year, the United States pay one million dollars for renting pandas to stay in the zoos in Atlanta, Washington, San Diego, and Memphis.
• When a cub is born in a foreign country, it will be immediately escorted to China by FedEx.
• There are only two or three days a year when the female pandas are in heat, but some do not know how to mate. Human help is necessary for their breeding.
• Newly-born cubs are like small pink mice, weighing only three to five ounces; however, they will grow to 100 pounds within one year, and become adults (over 300 pounds) in five years.
• It has the sixth 'finger' on each of its paws. This 'thumb' beside the five fingers can help it firmly hold the bamboo, and climb the tree.
• They have tails. An adult has a fluffy white tail with a length of 8 inches (20cm). Clinging to the plump hip, the tail is hard to be noticed.
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Panda Tours | Top 10 China Panda Tours

"Excellent Tour, best experience"

"A unique experience despite a difficult context thanks

to an experience team of organisers"

Best Panda Tours - Very Classic and Highly Recommended

Welcome to the hometown of the giant panda. We have carefully selected four of the best panda tour packages for you. These tours not only allow you to observe China's iconic giant pandas but also provide an opportunity to experience the leisure time of Chengdu's people, join a Panda Keeper's daily work, practice Qingcheng Kung Fu like the Kung Fu Panda Po, admire the largest and tallest stone-carved statue of buddha - Leshan Giant Buddha (a World Cultural Heritage Site), capture the stunning landscapes of Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong Valley (World Natural Heritage Sites), and more. Each of these panda tour packages provides a unique exploration of the panda's hometown, its culture, and its beloved national treasure - the giant panda. Whether you're a panda fan, a nature lover, or a cultural explorer, these panda tours promise unforgettable memories and remarkable journeys. Contact us for your panda tour , designed to offer classic, immersive, and highly recommended experiences.

2 Day Dujiangyan Panda Volunteer Tour & Mount Qingcheng Kung Fu Lesson

2 Days Chengdu Leisure Tour with Leshan Giant Buddha

4 Days Ultimate Panda Tour for Panda Fans (Chengdu - Wolong - Dujiangyan)

5 Days Jiuzhaigou Valley & Panda Tour from Chengdu by Flight

Top panda tours to chengdu, dujiangyan, and wolong.

The giant panda is an iconic symbol of China and one of the most adorable creatures in the world. Southwest China's Sichuan province is the homeland of giant pandas , with 1,387 pandas accounting for 74.4% of the total number of wild pandas in the country. Chengdu City, the capital of Sichuan, is known as the Panda City , and it is the only large metropolis in the world where both captive and wild pandas can be found. Also, the Chengdu section of the Giant Panda National Park is home to 73 wild giant pandas. Therefore, when mentioning panda tours, it is highly recommended to take a Chengdu Panda Tour , Dujiangyan Panda Tour , or Wolong Panda Tour . Here are the Top 9 Panda Tours for you to visit Chengdu , Dujiangyan, and Wolong in Sichuan. Join us to make your dream of a panda trip come true.

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Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, has two international airports and usually served as a popular gateway to China after Beijing and Shanghai. Take our Chengdu Panda Tours to enjoy a leisure time like a panda or a Chengduer.

Dujiangyan, 2 hours's drive from Chengdu, is well-known for its World Heritage Sites of Mount Qingcheng - Dujiangyan Irrigation System. Take our Dujiangyan Panda Volunteer Tours to experience panda volunteering and a Qingcheng Kung Fu lesson.

Wolong, located in the Wolong Nature Reserve and belonging to the Giant Panda National Park, is a 3-hour drive from Chengdu. Take our Wolong Panda Volunteer Tours to experience being a panda keeper while also going on a hike in the panda habitat.

1 Day Chengdu Panda Tour with Leisure Time in Renmin Park & Ancient Streets

2 Days Classic Chengdu Tour: Meet Old & Modern Chengdu

3 Days Classic Chengdu Giant Panda and Leshan Giant Buddha Tour

1 Day Dujiangyan Panda Volunteer Tour with a Visit to Kung Fu Panda Village

2 Days Chengdu Tour with Dujiangyan & Mount Qingcheng World Heritage Site

2 Days Wolong Panda Volunteer Tour - From Chengdu City to Wild Panda Habitat

6 Days Western Sichuan Tour (Siguniang - Danba - Tagong - Xinduqiao - Kangding)

Popular china panda tours - the panda hometown is waiting for you.

The panda is China's national treasure. Welcome to the panda hometown to discover more about these cute animals and the real China. Here are four of the most popular China Panda Tours for you to visit top destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Tibet, Chengdu, Guilin, Yangshuo, and Zhangjiajie. Besides pandas, China is a vast country with diverse landscapes, splendid cultures, stunning scenery, a time-honored history, and adorable and precious animals. Contact us now to plan your China Panda Tour .

17 Days China Highlights Tour with Holy Tibet Discovery & Chengdu Pandas

10 Days China Family Classic Tour with Panda Kingdom

12 Days Iconic China Tour with Chengdu Pandas & Guilin Li River

8 Days Miraculous Nature Tour: Guilin & Zhangjiajie with Chengdu Pandas

The reasons to take panda tours with aot chengdu.

What to Expect Panda Tours with Asia Odyssey Travel

1.1st Panda Base - Chengdu Panda Base, Chengdu Panda Tour

2.Be a Panda Keeper - Dujiangyan Panda Base, Panda Volunteer Tour

3.Visit Panda Habitat - Wolong Panda Base, Panda Volunteer

4.Hiking - Giant Panda National Park, Explore Wild Panda Habitat

Giant Panda and Its Neighbors Photo Collection

*Amazing Panda Photo Gallery with 200+ Pictures*

1. What are the Top 10 Fun Facts about Pandas? +

1). Pandas are good at climbing trees.

2). Pandas are good swimmers.

3). Pandas are bears that do not hibernate.

4). Pandas are carnivores but mainly eat bamboo (99% of their diet).

5). Pandas occasionally eat eggs, fish, and even small mammals.

6). Pandas spend 10-16 hours a day eating bamboo.

7). Pandas poo 40 times daily (100 droppings per day; about 20kg poo).

8). Adult pandas can weigh up to 125 kg, while newborn pandas weigh around 200g.

9). Pandas have a sixth finger, called a "Pseudo-thumbs" (helpful like a hand).

10). The name "panda" originally referred to the red panda until the discovery of the giant panda.

2. Why do people like pandas? Why do the Chinese love pandas? +

Pandas are adored for their cuteness . They have a unique appearance that is round and fluffy, making them stand out from other animals. But why do we love pandas? Perhaps it is because of the way they eat, which resembles the way humans sit on the floor. Or maybe it's because of their distinctive eyes, with eye patches that make their eyes look bigger, which people find attractive because it reminds them of children.

For the Chinese, giant pandas have long been a symbol of peace and friendship, which aligns perfectly with Chinese values and worldviews. Additionally, the black and white color of the panda is consistent with the cultural beliefs of China , specifically the connection to the Taiji Yin and Yang.

Pandas are very interesting to watch due to their unique black and white coat, bamboo diet, and "funny" behavior like rolling down hills, sleeping for over 10 hours a day, and "panda kung fu" wrestling. Their playful cub personas also attract much attention.

3. Why are pandas endangered? What is the biggest threat to pandas? +

Giant pandas are one of the most beloved animals in the world. They are bears native to central China and are easily recognizable by their large, distinctive black patches around their eyes, over their ears, and across their rotund body. Giant pandas are endangered primarily due to habitat loss, poaching, and low reproductive rates.

Habitat loss due to human activities is the main reason why giant pandas are endangered. Deforestation, urbanization, and infrastructure development have greatly reduced their natural habitat in China. As their mountain forest habitats were cleared for farming and development, panda populations became isolated and vulnerable. They have a very specialized bamboo diet, so the loss of habitat also meant the loss of their food source.

Pandas are difficult to mate because female pandas only ovulate once a year. Not only that but the window that a male panda has to inseminate the female while she has an egg ready to go is only about 36 to 40 hours.

The adult giant panda has very few natural enemies. One of the known enemies of the giant panda is the snow leopard, which may seize a baby panda that has wandered away from its mother, or a pack of wild dogs may also capture a wandering cub. However, humans are the greatest threat to pandas due to habitat destruction and poaching.

4. Where can I see giant pandas? How many giant pandas are left in the wild? +

Most giant pandas live in a few mountain ranges in central China . The best way to see pandas is at conservation and breeding centers in China, such as the Chengdu Panda Base, Dujiangyan Panda Valley, Dujiangyan Panda Base, Wolong Panda Base, Bifengxia Panda Base, and Shaanxi Foping Panda Base . You can view various pandas, including newborn cubs, in indoor-outdoor enclosures and nurseries.

Zoos around the world also have some pandas, but their populations are limited. Countries like the US, Canada, Belgium, France, Thailand, and others have pandas in zoos. For example, giant pandas can be seen at zoos in the US, such as the San Diego Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, and the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, DC.

It is possible to see giant pandas in the wild , particularly in Giant Panda National Park, although it can be challenging as they are rare and elusive animals. There are approximately 1,864 giant pandas left in the wild, mostly in the mountainous regions of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu in China. However, their numbers are slowly increasing from around 1,000 wild pandas in the 1980s due to conservation efforts.

Furthermore, research shows that 85% of wild giant pandas reside in Sichuan province , China. The Chengdu section of the Giant Panda National Park, which is the habitat of giant pandas in the wild, is home to 73 wild giant pandas, according to the fourth national giant panda survey.

5. What do giant pandas eat? How many hours a day do pandas eat? +

As you may know, pandas love to eat bamboo. However, pandas only eat about 42 bamboo species, including arrow bamboo and wood bamboo. Each species has a life cycle and will flower and die off every 20 to 40 years, depending on the species. Pandas need to have other species available to eat or be able to migrate to a different area when the bamboo dies off.

As 99% of a panda's diet is bamboo, they prefer bamboo shoots, stems, and leaves, especially shoots. Pandas are picky and clever, as they eat different types and parts of bamboo according to the season. In spring and summer, when bamboo shoots are plentiful, pandas like eating different kinds of shoots; in autumn, pandas eat more bamboo leaves; in winter, pandas prefer bamboo stems, which include more nutrients.

Although bamboo is the giant panda's favorite food, they also eat fruit (such as apples) and vegetables (such as carrots, pumpkins, and fungus). Pandas can eat small animals on occasion, such as fish, bamboo rats, or musk deer fawns.Pandas are carnivores, however, they are primarily recognized as vegetarian now.

Besides, pandas drink fresh water from rivers and streams once or twice a day. Because bamboo shoots are more than 60 percent water, pandas can get water while eating bamboo shoots.

By the way, baby pandas drink their mother's milk until they are six months old and then start eating bamboo. Pandas have very little breast milk, so captive panda cubs are fed milk made from a mixture of milk, powdered milk, and various vitamins.

With very little nutritional value in bamboo, pandas must eat 23–40 kg of bamboo every day (26 to 38% of their body weight) to meet their energy needs. To obtain this much food, a panda must spend 10 to 16 hours a day foraging and eating. The rest of their time is spent mostly sleeping and resting.

6. Why do pandas look so lazy? Do pandas get tired easily? +

Pandas often appear lazy due to their slow movements and tendency to sleep for long periods of time. However, this is actually a natural behavior for pandas. Pandas are herbivores in the body of carnivores, and with a diet of 99% bamboo, they have developed adaptations for dealing with their low-calorie food, including taking it easy.

That is why pandas look so lazy – it allows them to save energy, and the lazy lifestyle allows pandas to survive on their low-quality diet. The daily energy expenditure values for giant pandas are substantially lower than those for koalas, for example, and more akin to those of three-toed sloths. Pandas have a low metabolic rate, which means that they require less energy than other animals of their size. Besides, pandas conserve their energy by moving slowly and sleeping for up to 14 hours a day.

While pandas may look lazy, they are actually strong and agile animals. They are excellent climbers and can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour when necessary. Pandas also have a high endurance level and can swim for long distances.

Pandas don't necessarily get tired easily, but they have evolved to conserve their energy by moving slowly and sleeping for long periods of time. This behavior is a natural adaptation to their unique diet and lifestyle.

7. Can I hold a panda cub or feed a panda? Can I volunteer with pandas? +

In general, pandas are not aggressive animals. However, mother pandas can become defensive when protecting their cubs, especially during the first few months after birth. Male pandas also spar with each other during mating season. Although pandas are often assumed to be docile, they have been known to attack humans, presumably out of irritation rather than aggression.

Direct contact with pandas is not allowed since 2018. Holding panda cubs would interfere with their care, bonding with handlers, and increase the risk of disease transmission. Additionally, feeding and interacting with pandas is left to panda keepers for the safety of both the pandas and visitors.

However, it is possible to participate in a panda volunteer tour at certain conservation centers in China. Opportunities are limited, and you can contact a tour operator to book the service ahead of time.

8. Are giant pandas a type of bear? How long do giant pandas live? +

Yes, giant pandas are a type of bear and are classified as a member of the family Ursidae.

The average lifespan of a giant panda in the wild is about 15-20 years. However, with proper care in captivity, they can live into their 30s. The oldest panda in captivity was Jia Jia, who lived to 38 years old.

9. When is the best time to visit pandas in China? +

The best time of year to visit pandas in China is during the spring and fall , when the weather is mild and the bamboo is in bloom. Spring (March-May) has pleasant temperatures, and pandas are more active during this time. In the fall, you can see baby pandas that were born in the summer.

Moreover, the best time to see the Giant Pandas is during their meal times or play times. Pandas love cool weather, so early morning before 9 o'clock is a suitable time to watch them when they are more active. For instance, you can observe their playtime from 10:30 am to 11:00 am and their lunchtime from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.

10. How long is a typical panda tour? How much does a panda tour cost? +

A panda tour can range from a half-day excursion to a multi-day trip, depending on the itinerary and activities included.

The cost of a panda tour varies depending on the length of the tour, the activities included, and the level of luxury. Prices can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

Typically, panda tours include visits to conservation centers (panda bases) to see and learn about the pandas. Other activities may include a panda volunteer program , a panda habitat hike, sightseeing at world heritage sites, museum visits, kid-friendly cultural activities such as Kung Fu lessons and traditional tea ceremonies, Sichuan Opera performances, Chinese meals, and tour guides.

Panda tour prices vary but average around $100-$300 per person for a full-day visit , depending on the itinerary, accommodation, and time of year.

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The 6 Panda Bases to See Giant Pandas around Chengdu

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Where to See Pandas in China - Top 10 Best Places to Encounter Giant Pandas

Wonder where to have an intimate contact with the White and Black creature in China? Want to see the adorable giant pandas as many as possible during your China trip? Consider to join in the short panda volunteer program but have trouble with how to book?

China Discovery, based in the hometown of giant pandas, has carefully selected top 10 best places to see giant pandas in China , including Chengdu, Dujiangyan, Ya’an, Wolong, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai and more. No matter it is your first time to China with limited destinations, or your in-depth trip to do meaningful volunteering work, you can find fresh, latest and detailed panda information and ideas here!

To see the giant pandas, it is divided into two types , one is visiting the panda base with more pandas and also offering panda volunteer program; the other is visiting city zoos where have limited pandas close to the city downtown area.

Our suggestion is if you have enough time, you can come to the panda bases in Chengdu and around where your panda dream will fulfill to the most satisfaction. If your time is tight, just paying a short visit to the city zoos in different cities all around China will be great to encounter with the lovely pandas. Check the following types, pandas bases and zoos with detailed introduction and get your own idea to plan a China panda tour!

Type 1: Very Natural Panda Bases to See Giant Pandas

Travel to China and want to record real life of Giant Pandas in true natural environment? Sichuan , the Land of Abundance, is not only for many amazing natural and historical wonders, but also the real hometown of Giant Pandas . Here, transfer within 1 to 3 hours, you’ll reach the panda bases where you can get up close to the lovely creatures which are much closer than any zoo, but also involve in the interesting panda volunteer program for a full day! Choose the panda bases you are going to visit based on your time, interests and likes!

1. Chengdu Panda Base - Up Close to Giant Pandas & Red Pandas in Natural Environment Near Chengdu

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding , simply called Chengdu Panda Base, situated in the northeast of Chengdu suburb about 16 kilometers away, is the closest pandas base in Chengdu with 30 minutes’ drive.

Currently, Chengdu Panda Base is a great open park full of nature with the largest amount of CAPTIVE pandas in China. Till the end of 2018, there are nearly 120 giant pandas (including baby pandas) and 76 red pandas in the base, providing you a rare opportunity to feast your eyes with so many adorable “black and white animal” in one trip. Hence, Chengdu Panda Base is marked as the must-see tourist attraction when come to Chengdu, giving you experience of a lifetime!

Best Time to Visit

March to May is the “falling in love period” that the pandas are very active to play with each other, climb tree, crawl and roll on the ground outside...If you visit during autumn or winter, you may see tiny newborns in the nursery!

Try to visit in the morning when the pandas are most active. Feeding takes place around opening time around 08:00am. Pandas spend most of their afternoons sleeping especially during the height of midsummer. That’s to say, Spring, Autumn and Winter are very suitable to visit Pandas. And if you come in summer, try to see them in the early morning!

What Can You Do at Chengdu Panda Base

• Have a closer look at giant pandas at different ages from the new born to the aged by visiting several enclosures. You’ll get a very clear and vivid understanding about pandas’ life cycle.
• View the “baby pandas” being taken care in the Delivery House of Giant Pandas and be amazed how incredible the tiny creatures are as they just born at 100g, with huge weight difference with their “mom”.
• Go into Giant Panda Museum as well as Giant Panda Story Cinema to enrich your mind with more information about history, why giant pandas are endangered and how to protect them.
• Wander leisurely in the open green park full of lush vegetation and encounter with red pandas, swans, peacocks and have some fun with them.
• Take photos of giant pandas at any time, leaving the best memory in your camera and catch the time to take pictures together.

Recommended Visiting Length & Route

The recommended visiting lasts about 1.5 hours to 3 hours. Usually, there are two routes for travelers.

• Route 1 (about 1.5 hours’ visiting): Entrance -> Swan Lake -> Sub-Adult Giant Panda Enclosure -> Adult Giant Panda Enclosure -> Giant Panda Cub Enclosure -> Sunshine Delivery House -> No.2 Red Panda Enclosure -> Red Panda Delivery House -> No.1 Red Panda Enclosure -> Giant Panda Story Cinema -> No.14 Giant Panda Enclosure -> Scientific Discovery Museum for Pandas -> Giant Panda Museum -> Entrance.
• Route 2 (about 3 hours’ visiting): Entrance -> Swan Lake -> Adult Giant Panda Enclosure -> Giant Panda Cub Enclosure -> Sunshine Delievery House for Giant Pandas -> No.2 House for Giant Pandas -> Moonlight Delivery House for Giant Pandas -> No.1 House for Giant Pandas -> Giant Panda Kitchen -> Veterinary Hospital -> Scientific Discovery Museum for Pandas -> Giant Panda Museum -> Entrance.

No.1375 Xiongmao Avenue the Outside Northern Third Ring Road, Chenghua District, Chengdu

How to Get There

If by taxi, you can reach to Chengdu Panda Base within 30~40 minutes from your hotel which costs around 50 Yuan. Also, travelers can take metro Line 3 to “Xiongmao Avenue” Station and then hop on the bus “198a/198” to arrive at the entrance of Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. It takes about 50 minutes to 1 hour by metro.

Recommended Trips:

>> 1 Day Relaxing Chengdu Panda Tour

>> 2 Days Chengdu City Break with Panda Visiting

2. Dujiangyan Panda Base - Best Place to See & Do Panda Volunteer Program

China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda Dujiangyan Base, short for Dujiangyan Panda Base or Dujiangyan Panda Ark , located 62 kilometers away from Chengdu downtown area with 1~1.5 hours’ transfer. It is the nearest panda base from Chengdu which can see giant pandas as well as do panda volunteer program, offering you a much more relaxing, intimate and educational panda experience with less crowds!

Compared with Chengdu Panda Base, this one is even more natural situated close to Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries surrounded by verdant bamboo forest, green mountain, fresh air, providing a favorable scenic environment for giant pandas. Currently, there are over 40 giant pandas and 5 red pandas living here. China Discovery suggests you take volunteer program for a full day if you have time and your panda dream will come true in this Dujiangyan Panda Base!

With pleasant climate and suitable environment, travelers can visit Dujiangyan Panda Base all year round, particularly in spring, autumn and winter ! To catch the most active scene of pandas in different ages, you’d better arrive at the base in the morning around 08:00. If you take part in volunteer program, you’ll have 2-3 hours free time to get along with pandas. You won’t miss the best time and highlights.

What Can You Do at Dujiangyan Panda Base

• The most highlighting experience definitely should be “panda volunteering program” with amazing work - cleaning the cages and enclosures, scooping the poop, breaking bamboos for food, feeding one of the assigned panda. It offers the rare opportunity to let you get up close with the pandas. The program lasts for 7 hours from 08:30 to 15:30.
• Be a special panda nutritionist and enjoy the fun of making “panda cake” and after you can feed pandas with your hand-made cakes and observe how pandas eat and know details about their diets and eating habits.
• Share the secrets, story, pictures and funny moment with other volunteer partners. Meanwhile, volunteers can receive the panda volunteer certificate assigned by China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.
• Take photos and videos with your camera as many as possible and get a bunch of nice shots. (Note: pictures taken with panda is unavailable at present.)

Usually, it takes about half to one full day visiting Dujiangyan Panda Base. Travelers can either see pandas in Dujiangyan Panda Base only or participate in full-day volunteer program.

Suggested Route: Entrance -> Panpan Garden -> Shuangnan Garden -> Linze Garden (red pandas) -> Diequan Garden. Tourist buses are available passing through all the gardens. If your time and energy permits, enjoy a trip to the Panda Tea Gardens which are located surrounded by Diequan Garden and Linze Garden.

For travelers who only see giant pandas, it is a good idea to explore Dujiangyan Panda Base in the morning and transfer to nearby sites - Mount Qingcheng (one of the birthplace of Taoism to appreciate lots of featured temples) or Dujiangyan Irrigation System (the oldest large-scale water project in the world with a history over 2000 years) in the afternoon. Most of the travelers choose to do one full day volunteer program and spend another day to visit Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Mount Qingcheng or Jiezi Old Town .

Shiqiao Village, Qingchengshan Town, Dujiangyan city, Chengdu

For the transportation is a little bit complicated, you’d better take a private car for the transfer. If you go independently, you can first take high speed train from Chengdu Xipu Station to Qingchengshan Station. Then, hop on a bus No.102 to arrive at the entrance of Dujiangyan Panda Base. It needs about 1.5-2 hours in total.

>> 1 Day Dujiangyan Panda Volunteer Tour

>> 1 Day Kung Fu Tour with Mount Qingcheng

>> 2 Days Dujiangyan Panda Tour

3. Ya’an Bifengxia Panda Base - Awesome Site to Do Panda Volunteer Program for 3 Days and More

China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda Bifengxia Base, simply Bifengxia Panda Base , is about 155 kilometers from Chengdu downtown area which needs 2.5-3 hours’ drive. Located in the “Lung of Sichuan” - Bifengxia Valley in Ya’an City at an altitude over 1000 meters, this panda base is the best combination of nature and animals.

Bifengxia Panda Base has more than 40 giant pandas including 8 one-year-old pandas (Note: the number of pandas will change based on the real time). Reputed as “the Hometown of Panda Stars”, Bifengxia Base has sent “Tuan Tuan”, “Yuan Yuan” to Taiwan, welcomed “Tai Shan” back from America as well as provided prototype of “Beijing Olympic Panda” and “Shanghai Expo Panda”. Bifengxia Panda Base is worth 1-3 days doing a longer panda volunteer program . If you want to do a long-term volunteering work , this base is a nice choice.

What Can You Do at Bifengxia Panda Base & Bifengxia Gorge

• Travelers can choose to join in the 1-3 days even weeks long (many panda lovers do 2-week) panda volunteer programs to see, study and take care of giant pandas with no crowds of people.
• Pay an in-depth visit to three scenic spots - White Bear Ground, Panda Kindergarten, Overseas-born Giant Panda Paradise, where you can see lots of pandas ranging from the new-born to the old in different enclosures. Of course, you won’t miss overseas-born giant pandas.
• Don’t miss the beautiful 1.5-2 hours hike in Bifengxia Gorge with lots of water, waterfalls, hanging coffins and green vegetation. You’d better do it on your way back from the panda base to the visitor center, since it is downhill to save energy.
• Besides the giant pandas, if your time permits, you can extend to Bifengxia Wild Animal Park to encounter other precious animals which has over 400 kinds of species.

Bifeng Gorges Scenic Resort, Yucheng District, Ya'an (155 kilometers from Chengdu)

Travelers can take direct sightseeing bus at Chengdu International Financial Center Square / Chengdu Xinnanmen Bus Station to Bifengxia Gorge. It needs about 2.5-3 hours’ drive if by car.

>> 2 Days Inspiring Ya'an Bifengxia Panda Volunteer Experience

>> 5 Days Panda Volunteer Tour at Bifengxia Panda Base

4. Wolong Shenshuping Panda Base - the World’s Largest Breeding Center for Giant Pandas

Shenshuping Panda Base or Gengda Wolong Panda Center , is the largest breeding center for giant pandas in the world with over 30 captive pandas at present. It is about 100 kilometers from Chengdu downtown area with 2 hours’ transfer. Standing about 1700 meters above the sea, with the total area of covering 150 hectares, Wolong Panda Base offers the most harmonious, dynamic and self-sustaining base for giant pandas around the whole globe.

If you are travelers who like to see giant pandas in wild nature, do 1-day panda volunteer program or even hug a “Red Panda” in your arms, you are highly recommended to come to Shenshuping Panda Base.

What Can You Do at Shenshuping Panda Base

• Take part in panda volunteer program lasts during 08:45 - 15:20 that you will dump the poop of giant pandas, flush the enclosures, prepare bamboo for food, visiting different feeding areas of giant pandas under the guidance of the staff, make panda cakes and feed pandas personally.
• You can choose to “Red Panda Volunteer Program” which you have the rare opportunity to take photos with one of them. The program lasts from 09:30 to 16:00.

You are recommended to do 1-day volunteering work at Shenshuping Panda Base. If you just want to have a close look at the pandas, you can visit the base either by waling or taking sightseeing bus.

• By walking: Entrance -> Sub-adult Panda Garden -> Adult Panda Garden -> Panda Kindergarten ->Botanical Garden ->Exit. It needs around 2-2.5 hours.
• By sightseeing bus: Entrance & Check In (get on the shuttle bus) -> Jiang’s House -> Adult Panda Garden (get off the bus) -> Sub-adult Panda Garden -> Panda Kindergarten ->Botanical Garden ->Exit. It needs around 1.5-2 hours.

Genda Town, Wolong Nature Reserve, Wenchuan County, Sichuan

There is no public vehicle from Chengdu to Shenshuping Base right now. You’d better book our private tour package which include private car transfer, sightseeing, dining in one go. Our guide and driver will escort you to Wolong Panda Base with speed and convenience and take care of all the details.

>> 2 Days Wolong Panda Volunteer at Shenshuping Base

>> 2 Days Wolong Panda Volunteer Tour with Chengdu Highlights

Type 2: City Zoos to Visit Pandas

1. beijing zoo (8 giant pandas in its panda garden).

If you visit China for the first time (like Beijing - Xian - Shanghai ) and have no time to Chengdu, you can seize the chance to see the adorable “national treasure” - Giant Pandas in Beijing .

Built in 1906, Beijing Zoo is one of the oldest and largest zoos in China. The zoo and its aquarium have over 450 species of land animals and over 500 species of marine animals and it is home to 14500 animals. Particularity, there are 8 pandas living in the Panda Garden with three enclosures designed for adult pandas, sub-adult pandas and “mom and baby” pandas. The lovely creatures will give you fun, laughter and happiness during your visiting, making your trip more memorable.

Location & How to Get There

Address: No.137 Xizhimen Wai Dajie in Xicheng District, just west of the northwest corner of the 2nd Ring Road. It is about 10 kilometers from Forbidden City.

Outside the zoo is a local public transit hub with Beijing Zoo Station on Line 4 of the Beijing subway and terminals for Beijing bus routes 27, 87, 105, 107, 111, 332, 347, 360, 534, 563, 632 also stop at the zoo.

2. Chongqing Zoo (about 15 Giant Pandas in Its Panda Garden)

For Yangtze cruisers with no visit to Chengdu, it is a nice choice to see giant pandas in Chongqing before or after your Chongqing - Yichang cruise . Chongqing Zoo is about 14 kilometers from Chaotianmen Port and 10 kilometers from downtown area.

Chongqing Zoo has 15 pandas in its panda garden and it is the zoo with the largest number of giant pandas. Travelers can either watch the cute pandas outdoor or in the enclosures. Besides giant pandas, you can have great time with red pandas, South China Tiger, White Tiger, African Elephant and more. It is worth your time for 1-2 hours’ visiting.

Address: No.1 Xijiao Road, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing City.

Buses are available outside of the zoo with routes 275, 229, 428, 482, 413, 471, 420, 416, 822 and 341 making a stop. For travelers who want to take metro, please head to Yangjiaping Station for Line 2. It needs to walk around 700 meters.

>> 4 Days Chongqing Essence Tour with Yangtze Cruise

>> 1 Day Chongqing Short Stay Tour

3.Shanghai Zoo (2 Pandas) & Shanghai Wild Animal Park (9 Pandas)

In the modern metropolis Shanghai , you’ll not only explore stunning sites with west-meets-east culture, but also have the opportunity to see “Chinese Treasure” - Giant Pandas. There are two places to visit pandas in Shanghai, one is called Shanghai Zoo and the other is called Shanghai Wild Animal Park .

Located very close to Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai Zoo is the main zoological garden with 2 giant pandas inside. Visitors can interact with other rare animals, like golden snub-nosed monkeys, South China tigers, lions, black bulbuls and animals from other parts of the world. While, Shanghai Wild Animal Park, located near Shanghai Pudong International Airport, is the first safari park in China and rated as National AAAAA Tourist Spot. There are 9 giant pandas living happily in this safari park.

Shanghai Zoo Address: No. 2381 Hongqiao Road, Changning District, Shanghai. Metro line 10 can take you to Shanghai Zoo Station. Buses No.37, 71, 57 are available here.

Shanghai Wild Animal Park Address: No.178 Nanliu Road, Xuanqiao Town, Pudong New District, Shanghai. Xinnan shuttle bus, Huinan 6bus can reach here.

4. Hong Kong Ocean Park (3 Giant Pandas)

If you don’t visit mainland China, you can make a trip to Hong Kong Ocean Park , the second largest theme park in Hong Kong to see giant pandas and other species. Ocean Park Hong Kong is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, animal theme park and amusement park.

Three pandas called “”An An”, “Le Le” and “Ying Ying” are living in the “Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures” area. For family with kids, you can have an unforgettable encounter with giant pandas and the keepers will take you to visit where the pandas live and you will learn how to prepare food for them.

Address: No.180 Huangzhukeng Road, Hong Kong

Metro and bus are available to Hong Kong Ocean Park. Travelers can take Line Nangangdao and make a stop at Ocean Park Station. Also, bus route 15R, 48, and 629 can reach Hong Kong Ocean Park.

5. Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park (14 Giant Pandas)

Chinelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, rated as National AAAAA Tourist Spot, is the safari themed park with the largest species in the world. It contains an amazing selection of beautiful and exotic animals including the World’s largest collection of white tigers, China giant pandas, koala from Australia, black rhinoceros from Africa, Asia elephant from Thailand...over 500 species and 20000 animals.

There are 14 giant pandas living in the panda village . Maybe the main reason to Chimelong Safari Park is not only for giant pandas, but the lovely pandas will make your life happier. The opening time is during 09:30~18:00. To watch active pandas, you’d better come in the morning.

No.593 Xiangjiang Road, Fanyu District, Guangzhou .

Travelers can take metro or bus to reach Chimelong Safari Park. Take metro Line 3 / Line 7 to Hanxi Changlong Station and take the arranged shuttle bus to the safari park. Bus No.304 or 562 can take travelers to this safari park.

>> 4 Days Guangzhou Family with Kids Tour

6. Guilin Seven Star Zoo (2 Giant Pandas)

Guilin Seven Star Zoo , located in the downtown area, is the only zoo in Guilin City where you can have an intimate contact with giant pandas. The main reason to Guilin Seven Star Zoo should be “pandas”. There are two adorable giant pandas called “Yue Yue”, “Mei Xin” and several red pandas living here. If you have free time in Guilin, make a short trip to the zoo will kill your time.

Address: No.1 Qixing Road, Qixing District, Guilin

Travelers can take direct bus No.10, 11, 14, 18, 21, 24, 25, 30, 97, 204 and 206 to reach Guilin Seven Star Zoo.

>> 4 Days Guilin Highlights Tour (Li River, Yangshuo & Longji Terrace)

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There are many other zoos in China with limited giant pandas, if you are interested, you can feel free to tell us your ideas and we can tailor make a unique panda tour based on your likes.

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Panda diplomacy is back after Xi/Biden summit as China’s president learned many ‘were really reluctant to say goodbye to the pandas’

Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled late Wednesday that China will  send new pandas  to the United States, calling them “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.”

“We are ready to continue our cooperation with the United States on panda conservation, and do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples,” Xi said during a dinner speech with business leaders.

The gesture came at the end of a day in which Xi and President Joe Biden  held their first face to face meeting in a year  and pledged to try to reduce tensions. Xi did not share additional details on when or where pandas might be provided but appeared to suggest the next pair of pandas are most likely to come to California, probably San Diego.

The bears have long been the symbol of the U.S.-China friendship since Beijing gifted a pair of pandas to the National Zoo in Washington in 1972, ahead of the normalization of bilateral relations. Later, Beijing loaned the pandas to other U.S. zoos, with proceeds going back to panda conservation programs.

The National Zoo’s three giant pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji, eight days ago began their long trip to China . After their departure, only four pandas are left in the United States, in the Atlanta Zoo.

“I was told that many American people, especially children, were really reluctant to say goodbye to the pandas, and went to the zoo to see them off,” Xi said in his speech. He added that he learned the San Diego Zoo and people in California “very much look forward to welcoming pandas back.”

Xi is in California to attend a  summit of Indo-Pacific leaders  and for his meeting with Biden. He made no mention of the pandas during his public remarks earlier in the day as he met with Biden.

When bilateral relations began to sour in the past few years, members of the Chinese public started to demand the return of giant pandas. Unproven allegations that U.S. zoos mistreated the pandas, known as China’s “national treasure,” flooded China’s social media.

But relations showed signs of stabilization as Xi traveled to San Francisco to meet with Biden. The two men met for about four hours Wednesday at the picturesque Filoli Historic House & Garden, where they agreed to cooperate on anti-narcotics, resume high-level military communications and expand people-to-people exchanges.

The National Zoo’s exchange agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association had been set to expire in early December and negotiations to renew or extend the deal did not produce results.

The San Diego Zoo returned its pandas in 2019, and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year.

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National Zoo's pandas arrive in China as Washington D.C. says goodbye to beloved animals after 23 years

By Caitlin O'Kane

Updated on: November 9, 2023 / 11:19 AM EST / CBS News

The Smithsonian National Zoo's beloved giant pandas  arrived in China on Thursday, the zoo said, after the beloved animals 23 years in the U.S. The pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, were on loan for a research and breeding program and in 2020 gave birth to a baby named Xiao Qi Ji, who is also heading to China.

Ahead of the pandas' farewell to the zoo, the Smithsonian said in a news release that forklifts will be used to move each of them into FedEx trucks. The trucks will transport them to Dulles International Airport, but they will not be visible as they are moved onto the "FedEx Panda Express" – a Boeing 777F aircraft with a custom decal. 

The pandas arrived in Chengdu, China on Thursday, the National Zoo said on social media, after what was expected to be a 19-hour flight with a refueling stop in Alaska. The pandas also traveled with in-flight snacks: 220 pounds of bamboo, 8 pounds of leafeater biscuits, 5 pounds of low starch biscuits, 6 pounds of apples, 5 pounds of carrots, 6 pounds of sweet potatoes, 3 pounds of sugar cane, 1 pound of pears and 1 pound of cooked squash, the zoo said .

Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Xiao Qi Ji have landed in Chengdu! After a safe flight, they are on the way to their new home. Our team will stay for a few days as the pandas get settled. Thank you to @FedEx for transporting our Very Important Pandas in style! 🐼 🐼 🐼 🛬 #PandaStory pic.twitter.com/ATOzp1U8Ev — National Zoo (@NationalZoo) November 9, 2023

Mei Xiang and Tian Tian came to the zoo in 2000 as part of an agreement between the zoo and China Wildlife and Conservation Association and were supposed to stay for just 10 years, but the agreement was extended several times. The agreement was set to expire on Dec. 7, 2023. 

The National Zoo first received pandas from China in 1972 in an effort to save the species by breeding them. The zoo has had panda couples ever since. 

During her time in D.C., Mei Xiang has given birth to seven cubs – three who died before adulthood and three who have already been returned to China. Per the agreement, the baby pandas are returned by age 4. 

After National Zoo pandas' official departure, only four giant pandas that were part of the program will be left in the U.S.: Lun Lun and Yang Yang,  the giant pandas at the Atlanta Zoo , and their offspring Ya Lun and Xi Lun. This panda family is expected to head back to China in 2024.

San Diego also had pandas as part of the agreement, receiving its first two pandas in 1987. They were supposed to stay just 100 days, but like the deal with D.C., the zoo's agreement was extended several times and Bai Yun and Shi Shi stayed in the U.S. until 2019. They had six babies at the zoo.

The Memphis Zoo had a 20-year loan agreement with China that ended in 2023 with the return of Ya Ya in April,  according to the Associated Press.  One of their male pandas, Le Le, helped other pandas across the world conceive babies through artificial insemination,  the zoo said.  Le Le died in February ahead of the return to China. 

Breeding programs have been successful for the once-endangered species. Pandas were upgraded to "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2017,  according to the World Wildlife Fund.  But only about 1,864 pandas remain in the wild, mostly in China's Sichuan Province.

• giant panda

Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift .

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More pandas will be coming to the U.S., China's president signals

The Associated Press

Giant panda Xiao Qi Ji plays at his enclosure at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington in September. Jose Luis Magana/AP hide caption

Giant panda Xiao Qi Ji plays at his enclosure at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington in September.

SAN FRANCISCO — Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled that China will send new pandas to the United States, calling them "envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples."

"We are ready to continue our cooperation with the United States on panda conservation, and do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples," Xi said Wednesday during a dinner speech with business leaders.

National Security

Did biden and china's xi hit a reset not quite, but they did agree on a few things.

The gesture came at the end of a day in which Xi and President Biden held their first face to face meeting in a year and pledged to try to reduce tensions. Xi did not share additional details on when or where pandas might be provided but appeared to suggest the next pair of pandas are most likely to come to California, probably San Diego.

The bears have long been the symbol of the U.S.-China friendship since Beijing gifted a pair of pandas to the National Zoo in Washington in 1972, ahead of the normalization of bilateral relations. Later, Beijing loaned the pandas to other U.S. zoos, with proceeds going back to panda conservation programs.

The National Zoo's three giant pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji, eight days ago began their long trip to China. After their departure, only four pandas are left in the United States, in the Atlanta Zoo.

Washington, D.C., celebrates beloved pandas before they return to China

"I was told that many American people, especially children, were really reluctant to say goodbye to the pandas, and went to the zoo to see them off," Xi said in his speech. He added that he learned the San Diego Zoo and people in California "very much look forward to welcoming pandas back."

Xi is in California to attend a summit of Indo-Pacific leaders and for his meeting with Biden. He made no mention of the pandas during his public remarks earlier in the day as he met with Biden.

When bilateral relations began to sour in the past few years, members of the Chinese public started to demand the return of giant pandas. Unproven allegations that U.S. zoos mistreated the pandas, known as China's "national treasure," flooded China's social media.

Biden announces agreements with China on fentanyl and resuming military talks

But relations showed signs of stabilization as Xi traveled to San Francisco to meet with Biden. The two men met for about four hours Wednesday at the picturesque Filoli Historic House & Garden, where they agreed to cooperate on anti-narcotics, resume high-level military communications and expand people-to-people exchanges.

The National Zoo's exchange agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association had been set to expire in early December and negotiations to renew or extend the deal did not produce results.

The San Diego Zoo returned its pandas in 2019, and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year.

• National Zoo

The hidden power of China’s pandas — and why the U.S. is losing them all

The pandas’ imminent departure after more than 50 years in d.c. has diplomats and zoo-going children asking when — if ever — america will get them back.

Sure, they’re cute and cuddly. But for more than 50 years, China’s giant pandas have also been powerfully strategic — a diplomatic tool methodically deployed to shore up alliances, woo new partners and build goodwill.

“Many people don’t realize it, but there are actually two Chinese ambassadors in Washington: me and the panda cub at the National Zoo,” said Cui Tiankai, China’s then-ambassador to the United States, in 2013, when a pink, wrinkly newborn arrived to widespread jubilation at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

So the imminent departure of all pandas from the United States feels ominous — a sign that this complicated relationship is shifting into a new era, fraught with tension that even the most adorable bear cannot overcome.

For decades, the black-and-white animals have endured in America. Even as U.S. politicians increasingly blamed China for stealing jobs and violating human rights . Even as U.S. leaders launched a trade war and accused China of triggering the global pandemic , and as anti-Asian hate crimes spiked across the country.

Through it all, pandas remained a sturdy cornerstone of U.S.-China relations.

The love affair began at a dinner party in 1972 .

President Richard M. Nixon had just landed in Beijing, the first U.S. president to visit the People’s Republic of China. At stake was the future of the Cold War and America’s uncharted relations with China — a Communist nation and longtime adversary.

At their welcoming banquet, first lady Pat Nixon was seated next to Premier Zhou Enlai, China’s high-ranking leader, second only to Chairman Mao Zedong himself.

The first lady noticed on the table a small tin of cigarettes marked with the logo of two pandas.

“Aren’t they cute?” she said. “I love them.”

“I’ll give you some,” Zhou told the first lady.

“Cigarettes?” she replied.

“No,” Zhou said. “Pandas.”

Tens of thousands flocked to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo when the giant pandas promised by the Chinese premier arrived; tens of millions have visited since. They became not only the zoo’s star attraction, but also the unofficial mascots for the city of Washington, appearing on its Metro cards, on statues throughout the District, and on mugs, T-shirts and keychains along the National Mall.

But now, the last three pandas at the National Zoo are preparing to board a FedEx Boeing 777 headed for Chengdu, China. Already, pandas in San Diego and Memphis have made similar journeys in the past four years. The only pandas remaining in the United States will be four in Atlanta , scheduled to depart for China next year.

U.S. and Chinese officials have not commented overtly on the collapse of their panda diplomacy and what it says about the tattered state of the two countries’ relationship. Officially, China’s contracts lending pandas to U.S. zoos simply expired and weren’t renewed.

As a result, one question now weighs heavily on the hearts of diplomats, Sino-American experts and zoo-going children alike: When, if ever, will pandas return to America?

Why pandas?

As a Chinese national symbol, pandas are a relatively new development. The United States has long had the bald eagle, and Russia its bear. But before China’s Communist revolution in 1949, other animals were much more prominently used as cultural icons: dragon, phoenix, tiger, crane.

China’s new Communist leaders, however, violently rejected anything tied to the country’s imperial past. And pandas were a relatively blank canvas — as well as a powerfully appealing, non-threatening one — with which China could present itself to the world.

Russia and North Korea — fellow Communist states — were among the first in this era to receive living samples as diplomatic gifts.

Then, in 1972, came the United States and Japan — both former foes that China hoped to turn into trading and strategic partners (and ultimately succeeded).

The species at the time was so foreign to Americans that a Washington Post article in March 1972 included detailed explanations of what they looked like: “There is a black patch around each eye.”

On April 16, 1972, a male and a female — both 18 months old — arrived on a military plane at Maryland’s Andrews Air Force Base and were escorted by police to their new home at the Smithsonian zoo. (In exchange, Nixon sent two musk oxen to China, which were considerably less popular.)

The pandas became instant celebrities, gracing magazine covers and launching an entire economy of stuffed animals and toys. Their romantic misadventures and possible pregnancies were tracked with the breathless anticipation usually reserved for British royalty.

In the decades that followed, China became increasingly effective at harnessing the charisma of the bamboo-munching animal. Instead of outright gifts, its pandas became expensive loans, with China usually charging $500,000 a year per panda.

A 2013 Oxford University study revealed that the timing of China’s panda agreements with Canada, France and Australia coincided with uranium deals and contracts with those countries. Similarly, panda exchanges with neighbors like Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand correlated with signed free-trade agreements and deals. A 2021 study concluded that the number of pandas bestowed strongly corresponded with a country’s trade volume with China.

In recent years, panda recipients have included countries such as Finland, the Netherlands and Denmark. Last year, China sent its first pair to the Middle East — a strategic focus for its expanding global influence. Those pandas arrived in Qatar ahead of the World Cup, for which Chinese companies won major construction contracts.

One country that won’t fear losing its pandas any time soon: Russia.

During a 2019 visit with his proclaimed “best friend,” Chinese President Xi Jinping presented Russian President Vladimir Putin with two pandas on a 15-year loan.

“This is a gesture of particular respect and trust,” Putin said.

Bringing people together

But a true understanding of what the 51-year tenure of pandas in Washington has meant requires looking beyond the Cold War, the diplomatic strategy and loan negotiations — and at the adorable furballs themselves.

That’s what Frances Nguyen has done day after day, for hours at a time, over the past two decades.

A worker for the U.S. federal government, Nguyen remembers visiting the zoo with friends in 2006, after the female panda Mei Xiang gave birth to Tai Shan — the first panda cub born at the National Zoo to survive more than a few days. Eventually, her friends moved on to see other animals, but Nguyen couldn’t take her eyes off the pair.

“My friends got annoyed, so I just started going by myself, which was weird,” she said. “To be a single adult lady sitting at the zoo for hours.”

Watching Mei Xiang tend to her newborn cub often brought Nguyen to tears. She would think of her own childhood in Vietnam, where she was separated at age 3 from her parents as they fled by boat amid the war. The split left Nguyen with a lifelong scar, even though she later reunited with her mother in America.

“When I watch her take care of her cubs, it’s like I’m watching what I missed out on in my own life,” Nguyen said.

The pandas taught her what it meant to love. She visited them on weekends, days off and vacations. She began a group called Pandas Unlimited for fans in Washington and beyond. The enthusiasts held silent auctions for the pandas, designed pins and organized fundraisers for the zoo.

For years, the pandas brought Nguyen joy, purpose and friends. They even gave her a mate and cute offspring of her own to raise. She met her now-husband, Foo Cheung, at the panda exhibit. They both came to the zoo for hours on weekends to photograph the pandas. He saw her struggling once with a telephoto lens in the rain and came back a few days later with a plastic cover custom-fit for her lens.

“That’s when I started developing feelings,” she said.

She cried for days in 2010 when Tai Shan — the cub she fell in love with — was sent back to China. According to the loan agreements, all cubs born abroad remain property of China.

“I learned that’s what happens with love,” Nguyen said. “When it’s deep, it hurts.”

By then, Nguyen was pregnant herself. For the next few years, she withdrew from the pandas, visiting less frequently — wary of having her heart broken again and focused on her own family.

But she has returned to her obsession in recent years, often taking her husband and two children with her. She takes as many as 1,500 photos a day and posts videos of her visits on her panda group’s YouTube channel.

Like many, she struggles to understand why the pandas are leaving and how much exactly it has to do with the souring U.S.-China relationship.

“Maybe it’s political, but regardless we have to honor the agreement we signed up for,” she said. “But my pitch to China to send pandas here again would be to look at how much joy and love and happiness these pandas have created since they arrived in the U.S.”

Nguyen pointed to her own life, straddling Vietnam and America, two countries riven by their own geopolitical tensions. The pandas healed those rifts in her and brought people together in ways nothing else could.

“Don’t we want to give that to the next generation?” she said.

Sending a message

The U.S.-China relationship is more complicated now than in those early days of the Nixons’ banquet in Beijing.

The frostiness has deepened in recent years, with each side increasingly suspicious of the other: a Chinese spy balloon shot down over America. Trade wars declared. Threats made over Taiwan . Consulates forced to close on both sides.

Amid those military and economic tensions, the fate of a handful of bears may seem insignificant. But that’s the beauty of panda diplomacy, experts say. It’s a way to send a message without sending a message.

“It’s a clever move by China to bring back the pandas. They can claim there’s nothing explicit in the action, but pandas are always political,” said E. Elena Songster, author of “Panda Nation: The Construction and Conservation of China’s Modern Icon.” “The difficulty is understanding exactly what the message is that’s being sent.”

Perhaps, some analysts say, it is simply a signal of present-day reality, a wake-up call for the strained U.S.-China relationship.

Earlier this year, a panda on loan to the Memphis zoo suddenly keeled over. Lele’s death sparked widespread anger and suspicion on Chinese social media that he had been mistreated by his American caretakers. A petition on Change.org alleged malnourishment and poor medical care.

Things got worse when photos circulated showing his surviving mate, Yaya, skinny and losing clumps of her hair because of a skin disease. Chinese users — egged on by nationalistic online pundits — campaigned for leaders to “bring home Yaya.” Even a delegation of Chinese scientists — sent to Memphis to conduct an autopsy on Lele and check on Yaya — was unable quell the uproar, and Yaya was soon returned to China.

The deepening acrimony goes the other way as well.

In recent weeks, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has criticized China’s purchases of swaths of U.S. farmland. “I mean, they’re taking back our pandas,” he said. “You know, we should take back all their farmland.”

Last year, a Republican congresswoman from South Carolina introduced a bill intended to quash panda diplomacy by establishing a rival breeding program and ensuring that any cubs born in America become American.

“It’s high time the United States said ‘no’ to the Chinese Communist Party and its international propaganda campaign,” Rep. Nancy Mace declared of her bill, which ultimately failed. “Pandas born in the United States deserve to stay in our country.”

Looking to the future

As with any rocky relationship, it’s hard to tell exactly where things stand.

There are legitimate reasons for America’s pandas to return to China. Many are getting old and could benefit from specialized care. The National Zoo’s lease agreement expires Dec. 7; but its pandas are leaving on Nov. 8, well ahead of that date.

The zoo’s leaders have remained circumspect about their conversations with Chinese officials. They’ve made clear that they want more giant pandas, but neither side has revealed how serious or productive those conversations have been.

After investing decades and millions into its panda program, the Smithsonian plans to proceed with a $1.7 million renovation of its panda enclosure. It will include a new climbing structure, a big pool, and a smoke detection and evacuation system.

The plan is to have a beautiful new home ready for that day in the future when American and Chinese officials hopefully move past the fractious suspicions now consuming them both.

For that day when China and America can once again find common ground on that lowest common denominator of international diplomacy: the irresistible cuteness of pandas.

Michael Ruane contributed to this report.

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‘S.N.L.’ Mocks George Santos and Welcomes a Sassy Panda

Jason Momoa hosted an episode that also poked fun at President Biden’s meeting with Xi Jinping and Thanksgiving travel.

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By Dave Itzkoff

Making his second appearance in the role of President Biden, Mikey Day was quickly overshadowed by a sassy panda played by Bowen Yang in a “Saturday Night Live” sketch that parodied a presidential news conference from earlier this week.

Day, who became the show’s latest Biden impersonator at the end of October , wished the audience a happy Thanksgiving and said he’d try to keep things on the rails by sticking to his teleprompter.

“I had a great meeting with President Roman numeral 11,” Day said. “Excuse me, President Xi. This meeting was a total win. Sure, we made agreements about communications, fentanyl, climate change. But most importantly we got the thing America really needs right now: more pandas.”

After dodging news reporters’ questions about his age and the Mexican border, Day introduced Bowen Yang as Tian Tian, a giant panda that Washington returned to China earlier this month.

Yang was of course properly costumed for the role, though he blanched at being called a “giant panda.” “I think I’m really more slim thick,” he said.

Following a reporter’s question about whether he had liked his time in America, Yang answered, “There’s so much I’m going to miss. Legal weed. Anyway.” He went on to express concern about making friends in China now that he is an adult. “How do I panda-express this?” Yang said. “I just want to eat bamboo, sneeze in a cute way and not have sex, OK?”

Another reporter posed a question to Yang as he was munching on some aforementioned bamboo. “Sorry, bear with me,” he said. “Being cute. But as the rare person who identifies as Black, white and Chinese, I feel like I’m in the unique position to unite many peoples of the world.”

In that sense, he said, “I’m just like another hot Blasian icon, Tiger Woods. Except for, again, I hate sex.”

Yang told another reporter that the timing was right for him to leave America. “If Trump gets elected in 2024,” he said, “that would be a disaster. He said he’ll round up immigrants and put them in camps. Democracy might end. There might be a civil war.”

So would he vote for Biden?, the reporter asked. “Mmmm,” Yang answered warily. “Maybe.” He added: “I’m kidding. I’m a bear. I can’t vote.”

Day nonetheless tried to make the case that he and Yang were alike. “We’re dads,” said Day. “We’re cute. People love sharing videos of us falling down.”

History lesson of the week

This week’s host was the muscular movie star Jason Momoa and as charismatic as he is, he perhaps does not quite fit as a man of the early 1900s dressed in a porkpie hat, as he was cast in one sketch this week. He seemed more at home, however, wearing a Roman centurion’s helmet and armor in this filmed segment that riffs on viral videos about men’s obsessions with ancient Rome .

As the segment begins, Ego Nwodim (who has a lovely singing voice, by the way) muses melodically about her distant husband and what deep thoughts could be distracting him from their relationship. Momoa raps his answer:

“The Roman Empire, Ancient Rome, Five times a day, it pops into my dome. Which reminds me, they invented the dome, Which is one of the reasons that I think about Rome.”

(The couple also has a child who raps about his fixation on the juvenile equivalent of ancient Rome: dinosaurs.)

Seasonal holiday sketch of the week

Thanksgiving always seems to inspire at least one memorable “S.N.L.” sketch each season, whether it’s a segment about Ana Gasteyer playing Martha Stewart or a feuding family united by the Adele song “Hello.”

That annual tradition is proudly upheld this year by “The Hudson News Thanksgiving Week Airport Parade,” a cut-rate pageant celebrating the desperate characters who will all find themselves trying to fly home in the days ahead. Set at Gate 78 of Terminal C at Newark airport (“Everybody’s third choice”), the participants include a couple on their last Thanksgiving trip together (Day and Heidi Gardner); a woman who took her Ambien a little too early (Molly Kearney); and Chloe Fineman as a woman with service animals she clearly doesn’t need.

Explaining that she carries three dogs to treat her rosacea, eczema and anxiety, Fineman is asked why she has anxiety. She of course replies, “I’m traveling with three dogs!”

Weekend Update jokes of the week

Over at the Weekend Update desk, the anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che continued to riff on President Biden’s news conference, his re-election efforts and Representative George Santos, who was the subject of a scathing House Ethics Committee report .

Jost began:

After President Biden’s successful meeting with China’s president, Xi Jinping, the reporters asked Biden if he still believed that Xi was a dictator. And I don’t know if Biden was supposed to say yes, because look at this reaction from Secretary of State Antony Blinken. [The screen shows a video of Blinken wincing at the moment that Biden describes Xi as a dictator.] Oh man. That’s the same face I make when my uncle starts a story by mentioning the race of the waitress. It’s actually the same face I made when I heard Biden say this about LL Cool J. [The screen shows a video in which Biden calls the rapper and actor “LL J Cool J” and says that he has “biceps bigger than my thighs.”] LL J Cool J? I think the second J stands for Jesus.

Che continued:

Insiders are concerned that President Biden’s chances for re-election could be damaged by his unwavering support for Israel. But I think the bigger problem for Biden is that he is six years older than Israel. The House Ethics Committee released its report on George Santos, seen here asking your grandma for her Social Security number, and concluded there is substantial evidence that he used campaign funds for shopping and cosmetic procedures. Santos would have denied the allegations but he had to rest his new lips.

Possible George Santos send-off of the week

Yang’s remaining opportunities to play Santos on “S.N.L.” are surely dwindling as the congressman faces another vote to expel him from the House . If this appearance on Weekend Update was Yang’s swan song in the role, he gave it his all as he explained — in typical over-the-top fashion — why he spent campaign donations on Botox treatments and OnlyFans content.

“Isn’t Congress kind of like OnlyFans anyway?” Yang said. “People paying you to do nasty things on a sad, bad livestream?” He also parried Jost’s questions about his sexuality by claiming that he invented being gay. As Yang explained, “I was the one at Stonewall who said, ‘Here’s an idea: You guys should kiss.’”

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Dave Itzkoff is a culture reporter whose latest book, “Robin,” a biography of Robin Williams, was published in May 2018. More about Dave Itzkoff

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How to Plan a Panda Tour 2024/2025

There are many places to see lovely giant pandas in China. But where is the best place for you to go for a special panda trip? What is the best time to go? We will give you some insiders' recommendations and suggestions on how to plan a panda tour.

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Where are the best places to see giant pandas, panda tour itineraries, the cost of a panda tour, best times for a panda tour, accommodation tips.

The four panda bases around Chengdu are the best places to see giant pandas. Which one is best for you depends on how much time you have and what kind of experience you want to have.

If it's just to SEE pandas…

If you just want to see giant pandas, we recommend you go to Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Base . It is the most easily accessible panda base. You can see pandas at different ages, from the oldest to the newborns.

This base is huge but usually crowded. A private tour is the best way to get around the base to see the most pandas and get the best experience.

For a deeper panda experience...

There are three recommended activities for a deeper panda experience:

1. Join a panda volunteer program. Giant panda volunteer programs are available in three panda bases: Dujiangyan, Wolong, and Bifengxia. Their durations are from 1 to 3 days or longer.

Dujiangyan is the best place for a one-day program. If you want a less-crowded environment, consider Wolong and Bifengxia, though they require 2 or more days.

Your work would include weighing and cleaning bamboo, making panda cakes, watching pandas being fed, and cleaning pandas' enclosures. At the end of the program, you will receive a panda keeper certificate.

2. Join in a Red Panda Volunteer Program. Unlike with giant pandas, you can have a zero-distance encounter with red pandas — you can feed a group of them without a fence in between. If you are interested in red pandas, you can join in our red panda volunteer program in Wolong Panda Center .

3. Hike into the Habitat of Wild Pandas. If you are a lover of pandas and outdoor activity as well, consider having a hike in wild panda habitat in Wolong. Go panda tracking, and see if you will be lucky enough to see a wild panda. See our 2-Day Wolong Panda Volunteer Program Tour .

China Highlights, Asia Highlights , and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.

Here are three panda tour itineraries suitable for different needs/interests:

1. One-Day Panda Volunteer Tour

Dujiangyan Panda Base is the best place for a time-smart one-day program.

We will help you maximize your experience in your limited time. Our private transfers and flexible itineraries are the most efficient.

Activities include going into their enclosures, learning where they play, cleaning up, watching pandas fed at a very close distance, and making their favorite cakes. For more details, see One-Day Dujiangyan Panda Volunteer Program Tour .

There is a daily quota of 60 volunteers for the Panda Volunteer Program. We suggest an early inquiry and booking quickly to secure your place — preferably six months in advance.

Number in your group

Adults (≥18 years old)

Adults' ages

10-17 yrs old

3-9 yrs old

0-2 yrs old

When would you travel?

Select your travel date and trip length (days).

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2. 2-Day Panda Tour with a Wild Panda Habitat Exploration

If you have more time to spend with pandas and want more activities, we recommend a visit to Wolong Panda Base where you can enjoy more panda activities.

• Day 1: Explore the wild habitat of pandas and try to find evidence of wild giant pandas
• Day 2: A one-day panda volunteer program

If you are interested in this itinerary, check out our 2-Day Wolong Panda Volunteer Program Tour .

3. 2-Week China Tour with Pandas

If you want a complete China tour itinerary that includes the panda experience , you can check out this itinerary.

Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai are must-see cities. Chengdu is definitely included if you want a panda tour. We also recommend a Yangtze River cruise, which would start in Chongqing near Chengdu, to enjoy China's natural views.

Here is the suggested itinerary:

• Days 1–4: Beijing arrival and exploration with must-sees including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City
• Days 5–6: Xi'an sightseeing with a visit to the Terracotta Army and clay-warrior-making experience
• Days 7–8: Chengdu panda tour with a keeper program — make panda cakes, see pandas being fed at a close distance, and clean their enclosures.
• Days 9–11: Yangtze River cruise with excursions
• Days 12–13: Shanghai exploration with a visit to the Bund and some free time.

Further reading: Ultimate Chengdu Itineraries: How Long to Spend in Chengdu

It is not expensive to get a ticket to see the pandas. But if you want to have a volunteer program, it may cost a little more, about US$250–300 per person including private transfers, lunch, and a guide.

For a private China trip with a panda experience, the average cost per day is about US$220–350 per person, including flights/trains within China, 4- or 5-star hotels, lunches, attractions, guides, and private transport. Kids under 10 will get 30 to 50 percent off.

The Best Season to Visit

Giant pandas don't hibernate. You can visit them in all four seasons. Spring and autumn are the best times to see pandas when they are most active and temperatures are most comfortable.

As a bonus, if you visit between August and November , you will probably see adorable panda babies .

If you visit during Chinese holidays, e.g. May 1st–3rd, October 1st–7th, we recommend you visit Bifengxia Panda Base, which will be less crowded.

Recommended Tours:

• 1-Day Chengdu Panda and Sichuan Cuisine Tour
• 1-Day Dujiangyan Panda Keeper Program Tour
• 2-Day Wolong Panda Keeper Program Tour
• 4-day Wolong in-depth Panda Tour

The Best Time of Day

Giant pandas spend almost half their time sleeping. So, if you want to see them walking or climbing, it's important to know their general rest schedule.

Grown-up giant pandas in captivity usually eat twice a day: early in the morning and late in the afternoon . They usually sleep around noon, any time from around 10:00 a.m. to around 2:00 p.m.

We recommend you get to a panda base as early as possible ( 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. is optimal ), when it is less-crowded and the pandas are at their most active.

If you visit Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Base and Dujiangyan Panda Base, you can stay in a hotel in Chengdu city.

If you visit Wolong or Bifengxia Panda Base, we suggest a staying at nearby hotels, because the two bases are far away from Chengdu or the airport. Getting back and forth that day can be tiring and rushed. Hotel options are limited compared with in the city, and the standards are not as high. But we would carefully select the best hotels available to suit you.

When booking with us, we would coordinate your hotel booking, transfers, and lunch for a stress-free panda experience.

Popular Panda Tours

Just contact us and we'll create your ideal panda trip . We would create an itinerary according to your interests and any other requirements.

Our consultants listen to and answer your inquiries carefully and promptly and prepare the best tour plan for you.

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