4 Days Wolong Panda Tour

1. Hotels and Meals in Wolong

Tourism in Wolong is still in the early stages of re-development after the earthquake in 2008. Hotel and restaurant options are still limited, and standards are rather basic. China Highlights has carefully selected the best restaurant and hotel available, based on criteria like location and environment. Your private guide will assist you in ordering the dishes you like and will accompany you to check in to your room.

2. Taking Photos with a Panda

A donation program that allows you to pose for photos with a panda for about 20 seconds is not included in the Panda Keeper Program. It is only available in Wolong and at the Dujiangyan Panda Base, and the standard donation is CNY1,800 per person [September 2017].

About 40 tourists are allowed to take close-up photos with pandas each day. If you would like to take part in this donation program, please tell your travel advisor in advance because we have to book at least one week in advance. Even with booking, the program is subject to the availability of pandas on the day. Please take enough cash in Chinese yuan, as payment by a non-Chinese credit card may not be accepted there.

Please note again that the photo program is totally dependent on the availability of pandas on the day. We will double-check on bookings one day in advance and inform you as soon as we know of any unexpected change.

3. Seeing and Tracking Wild Giant Pandas

Giant pandas are solitary animals. Wild pandas usually don’t have a fixed resting spot. Most of the time they wander in a big habitat, feeding on bamboo and resting wherever they go.

Wild pandas don’t have good eyesight, but they have very sharp sense of smell and hearing, and they are easily frighten by humans, so they will usually hide themselves before they can be seen. The number of wild pandas is still low and their habitat is huge, so there is no guarantee of seeing wild pandas or their spoor.

In winter, when there is a lack of food, their foraging will extend to more easily accessible areas. Therefore, the possibility of seeing panda activity is slightly larger from December to March.

China Highlights has conducted three field inspections in Wolong Nature Reserve in 2016, building partnerships with the new Wolong Panda Research Center and experienced local guides.

We can travel to Huangcaoping (where pandas are trained for release into the wild), Wuyipeng (the most well-known panda observation station), and Niutoushan (for mountain camping and tracking wild pandas). The hiking difficulty and length of the tour can be customized to fit your physical strength, time, and budget.

4. More Trip Information

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