Pandas near

Seeing pandas near Chengdu

You do not need to plan a whole Sichuan trip to meet a panda. Below are the closest places to see a giant panda from Chengdu, with straight-line distances and honest travel times — from a panda you can reach today to the bases worth a dedicated day.

Pandas in Chengdu right now

If you are already in Chengdu, you do not have to leave the city to see a panda. Chengdu Zoo keeps giant pandas and is the fastest option when your time is short.

In the city

Chengdu Zoo

A compact city zoo with a small panda house, 20 minutes from the centre.

See on the panda map

Worth the journey from Chengdu

These are the breeding bases we actually send travellers to. They are further than the city zoo, but they are the real thing — and each is reachable from Chengdu in a day or less.

Giant panda cubs playing on a wooden climbing frame

Panda base · 20 km

Chengdu Research Base

The famous one, and still the easiest.

Travel time: Under 1 hour

View base

Panda on a forested hillside with a red panda on the boardwalk

Panda base · 64 km

Dujiangyan Panda Valley

Semi-wild hillsides, a fraction of the crowd.

Travel time: About 1–2 hours by car or high-speed rail

View base

Panda resting on a rocky slope in a mountain valley

Panda base · 93 km

Wolong Shenshuping

Where the pandas live at 1,700 metres.

Travel time: About 1–2 hours by car or high-speed rail

View base

Plan a panda trip from Chengdu

Tell us your dates and we will send a day-by-day outline with the bases that fit, plus costs. One contact, on the ground in China.

Plan your panda trip Open the panda map

Distances are straight-line estimates for planning only. Always confirm opening hours, tickets and panda availability with the venue before you travel — rosters rotate and some animals are off display.