Chengdu To Jiuzhaigou By Flight
The best way to reach Jiuzhaigou is by flight. Chengdu’s international airport, the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU), in the southwest of the city.It is located 12 kilometres from the centre of Chengu. The facilities in the airport are comparable to the international standards. Currently there are more than twenty flights between Chengdu and Jiuhuang (Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong) each day. It may take 45 minutes to reach Jiuhuang if the weather is clear. However there can some delay when there are heavy cloud in the area because the planes will not be in operation under such condition. This is quite common to the airport which is above 12,000 ft altitude. It is best to check the weather reports before you decide your trip. Visitors are advised to book flights early plus that you may get a great discount by making early booking here :
Chengdu To Jiuzhaigou By Bus
The other way to reach Jiuzhaigou from Chengdu is by bus. The distance is 580 kilometers and it takes eight to twelve hours journey. Many opted for flight over the treacherous gorges and hairpin routes. There are early buses to Jiuzhaigou available in Chengdu Xinnanmen Bus Station before 8:00 am each day. You can also catch the bus at Chadianzi Bus Station before 10:00am. Bus fare ranges from CNY100 to 125 .
The bus goes along Minjiang River Valley (one of the ancient tea horse route) to its source Mt.Gonggangling. The sightseeing there is breathtaking!
If you want to make further tour in Tibet area, you can also change your bus at Zhuanzhusi or Songpan from where you take the bus to Huanglong or Hongyuan.
For the best of both worlds, take a flight in and then an overnight drive back to Chengdu. The drive back was worth it for it's magnificent views of natural dams, the grassland and lakes caused by a major earthquake in the past.
