Chengdu Panda Base: Tickets, Hours and How to Get There

The Chengdu Panda Base is the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, at 1375 Panda Avenue, Chenghua District, 10 km from Tianfu Square. As of October 2026, an adult ticket costs CNY 55 on the official ticket page. You reserve a morning or afternoon entry window online under your real name, and the base lists Metro Line 3 as its metro route.

How much are Chengdu Panda Base tickets?

As of October 2026, the official ticket page lists CNY 55 per person for adults over 18 and up to 59, CNY 27 for students in undergraduate programs or below, and free entry, with no reservation needed, for visitors aged 60 and over and for children up to age 6 or shorter than 1.3 meters. An annual pass for ages 7 to 59 costs CNY 168. These tickets do not cover Dujiangyan Panda Valley, the base’s affiliated site 50 km from Chengdu.

Reserve online up to 14 days ahead through the base’s official WeChat account or mini program, or through the authorized platforms the page names: Meituan, Trip.com, Douyin, Tongcheng Travel and the Chengdu Scenic Shuttle Bus WeChat account. Travel agencies and groups have their own official reservation channel. The page asks visitors not to buy from unofficial channels.

Which guided tours of the Chengdu Panda Base can you book?

Four tours of the base, from about 4 hours to a full day with the Leshan Giant Buddha, rated 4.3 to 4.8 on Viator and GetYourGuide as of 9 October 2026.

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Chengdu Panda Research Base Tickets And Optional Private Tour (Viator): 4.6 from 64 reviews, about 4 hours, pickup offered or meet at the base.
One Day Trip to Chengdu Panda Base and Leshan Buddha Tour (Viator): 4.8 from 62 reviews, 5 to 8 hours, pickup offered in Chengdu.
Chengdu: Panda Base Ticket or Group Tour Options (GetYourGuide): 4.3 from 56 reviews, 3 hours to 1 day, pickup within Chengdu’s 2nd Ring Road.
Chengdu panda base half day tour (GetYourGuide): 4.7 from 22 reviews, 4 hours, you meet your guide at Exit A of Panda Avenue station.

What are the Chengdu Panda Base opening hours?

From March to October, morning entry runs from 7:30 to 12:00 and afternoon entry from 12:00 to 17:00, and park clearance begins at 18:00. From November to February, morning entry runs from 8:00 to 12:00, afternoon entry from 12:00 to 16:30 and clearance begins at 17:30, according to the official opening hours page.

The maximum daily capacity is 85,000 visitors. The base turns visitors away when their ID does not match the ticket, so bring the original ID you used to reserve. The base’s notice for the 2026 National Day holiday (in Chinese, 16 September 2026) says it continues full online real-name reservation and timed entry, with 45,000 visitors in the morning and 40,000 in the afternoon, and advises public transport to the West Gate because the South Gate is busy.

How do you get to the Chengdu Panda Base by metro?

Take Metro Line 3 to Panda Avenue station (熊猫大道站), leave by Exit A and transfer to shuttle bus 408 to the South Gate, according to the base’s official transportation page. For the West Gate, ride Line 3 to Junqu General Hospital station, leave by Exit B and take shuttle bus 409, about a 10-minute drive. Buses 655 and 87 run from Zoo station to the South Gate. Special shuttle buses also run to the base from downtown attractions such as Chunxi Road and Kuanzhai Alley. The page notes that route suggestions are subject to change, so check the exit in your map app before you set out.

How do you get there from Tianfu or Shuangliu airport?

Take a taxi or ride-hailing car. The base’s official transportation page lists about CNY 100 and 40 to 50 minutes from Shuangliu International Airport, and about CNY 200 and 60 to 70 minutes from Tianfu International Airport. The introduction page puts the base about 30 km from Shuangliu and about 50 km from Tianfu. From downtown, the transportation page lists about CNY 40 and 25 to 35 minutes from Chunxi Road, and about CNY 40 and 25 to 30 minutes from Chengdu East Railway Station. Fares and times depend on traffic.

Which parts of the base can you visit, and how do you get around?

Its core area is 3,570 mu (about 238 hectares), split into four themed zones: Panda Creek Valley, Panda Forest Area, Panda Reception Hall and Panda Villa Area, according to its introduction page. Tour routes are published through the official mini program, which the map page links to by QR code. The sightseeing bus costs CNY 30 per person, and children up to age 6 or shorter than 1.3 meters ride free. No. 6 Giant Panda Villa is closed to the public every Monday except national statutory holidays, according to the Visitor’s Info page.

For more on the animals, read where giant pandas live, how long giant pandas live, what giant pandas eat and how much bamboo pandas eat a day.

How long should you spend at the Chengdu Panda Base?

A guide updated on 23 July 2026 advises 3.5 to 5 hours to see the old and new areas.

Can you take photos or use flash at the Chengdu Panda Base?

Camera flashes and loud noises are banned, and so is feeding animals in their enclosures, according to the park rules on the base’s Visitor’s Info page. Live streaming and commercial photography need the base’s permission. Breaking the rules can lead to a verbal warning, a ban on entry up to a permanent ban, or referral to law enforcement.

Cover photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.