Chenghua District · north Chengdu
The Giant Panda Base, planned properly
Everyone arrives at the same hour and everyone is disappointed by 11am. Book the morning slot, take Line 3 to the right gate, and be at the enclosures while the pandas are still eating.
Prices and hours checked 21 October 2026panda.org.cn — tickets and opening hours
What you are actually visiting
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is not a zoo with a panda corner. It is a research and breeding facility on the wooded slopes of Futou Mountain, about 16km north of the city centre, where giant pandas, red pandas and occasionally cubs in the nursery are housed in large enclosure clusters connected by bamboo-lined paths.
That matters for planning: the site is big, the walking is real, and the animals behave like animals. They eat in the cool of the morning and sleep through the hot middle of the day. Arriving at opening time is not enthusiastic, it is the only way to see the pandas doing anything other than sleeping on a rock.
Ticket prices and who gets in free
- Adult (18–59)
- CNY 55
- Student (undergraduate or below, with student ID)
- CNY 27
- Seniors 60 and over
- Free, no reservation needed, ID required
- Children 6 and under, or under 1.3m
- Free, no reservation needed
- Annual pass (ages 7–59)
- CNY 168 per year, one entry per day
- Daily visitor cap
- 85,000, sold out means sold out
Prices and rules as published on the Base's official English ticket page, checked 21 October 2026.
Opening hours, by season
- March–October, morning entry
- 7:30–12:00
- March–October, afternoon entry
- 12:00–17:00
- March–October, park clearance
- 18:00
- November–February, morning entry
- 8:00–12:00
- November–February, afternoon entry
- 12:00–16:30
- November–February, park clearance
- 17:30
- Panda Tower (Bamboo Tower)
- 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30
Entry is split into a morning and an afternoon slot; the park is cleared at closing, not at the end of your slot.
Getting there: metro, shuttle and bus
- 1
South Gate via Panda Avenue
Metro Line 3 to Panda Avenue station, Exit A, then shuttle bus 408 straight to the South Gate. This is the busiest entrance and the one most tours use. The Base's transport page gives no timetable and no fare for 408, so do not plan around a departure time you saw somewhere else.
- 2
South Gate by bus, skipping the shuttle
Metro Line 3 to Zoo station, then bus 655 or 87 direct to the South Gate.
- 3
West Gate via Junqu General Hospital
Metro Line 3 to Junqu General Hospital station, Exit B, walk 20 metres to the Junqu General Hospital metro station bus stop, then shuttle 409 to the West Gate — about ten minutes by road. Fewer people, faster entry.
- 4
West Gate by bus, skipping the shuttle
From that same bus stop, buses 110, 110A or 659 run to Yulei Road Cuiwei Intersection, and it is a 600-metre walk from there to the West Gate.
- 5
From Shuangliu Airport (CTU)
Line 10 is the metro line that serves the airport; ride it north and change to Line 3 at Taipingyuan, then get off at Panda Avenue or Junqu General Hospital for the gate shuttles.
- 6
From Tianfu Airport (TFU)
Line 18 runs from Tianfu Airport North to Chengdu South Railway Station, which is still a change or two short of Line 3. The Base publishes no route for that leg, so plan it on the Chengdu Metro journey planner rather than from a figure printed here.
- 7
Direct shuttles from the tourist districts
The Base lists special shuttle buses from downtown attractions including Chunxi Road and Kuanzhai Alley, aimed at visitors staying in the centre. It publishes no times and no fares: enquiries go through the Scenic Shuttle Bus mini program, the Chengdu Bus app, or the Chengdu Tourist Sightseeing Bus WeChat account.
- 8
By taxi or ride-hailing
Set the destination to the South Gate or the West Gate by name, not to a vague 'panda park'. Panda Avenue in front of the main entrance is pedestrian-only, so a car cannot drop you at the door.
- 9
By car
West Gate: park at Bolinghui Underground Parking and take shuttle D569 to the gate. South Gate: park at Yingying Parking and walk about 15 minutes. Both are the Base's own directions, and neither car park is at the entrance.
Taxi reference from the airports and stations
- Shuangliu International Airport (CTU)
- About CNY 100, 40–50 min
- Tianfu International Airport (TFU)
- About CNY 200, 60–70 min
- Chengdu East Railway Station
- About CNY 40, 25–30 min
- Chunxi Road, downtown
- About CNY 40, 25–35 min
Fares and durations as published on the Base's official transportation page (panda.org.cn/en/service/transit), checked 22 October 2026. The page warns that traffic can change both figures.
The timing that actually works
Take the first entry slot you can book and be at the gate about fifteen minutes early. Walk the farthest enclosure cluster first and work back towards the entrance: the crowds bunch up at the first pandas they meet, and stay bunched for the rest of the morning.
By 11:00 the pandas have eaten and gone to sleep, and the paths are full. That is the moment to leave, not to push on. The Bamboo Tower, the Base's viewing tower, opens at 9:00 and closes its doors at 16:30 if you want it on the way out.
The Base sells tickets only for itself: a ticket here does not cover the separate Dujiangyan Panda Valley site, so do not plan to use one ticket for both.
Questions people actually ask
How much is a ticket to the Chengdu Panda Base?
CNY 55 for adults aged 18 to 59, CNY 27 for students, free for visitors aged 60 and over and for children aged 6 or under (or under 1.3m). An annual pass costs CNY 168.
Do you need to book Chengdu Panda Base tickets in advance?
Yes. All visitors except exempt seniors and young children must reserve online with their real name, up to 14 days ahead, and enter with the original ID document used for the booking.
What is the best time of day to visit the panda base?
The first morning entry slot. Pandas eat and move in the cool hours; by late morning they sleep, and the walkways are at their fullest.
How do you get to the panda base by metro?
Take Metro Line 3. For the South Gate, get off at Panda Avenue, Exit A, then shuttle 408; bus 655 or 87 also reaches the South Gate from Zoo station. For the West Gate, get off at Junqu General Hospital, Exit B, then shuttle 409, or buses 110, 110A or 659 to Yulei Road Cuiwei Intersection and a 600-metre walk.
Is the panda base the same as Panda Valley in Dujiangyan?
No. The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is in Chenghua District, north Chengdu. Dujiangyan Panda Valley is a separate site about an hour further out, and tickets are not interchangeable.