Ten days, three cities, one clock that starts at midnight on the day after you land. Here is the version of this route that survives contact with Chinese train timetables.
Most 240-hour itineraries on the internet are drawn by someone looking at a map. This one is built backwards from two constraints: the train that actually connects these cities, and the area the permit actually lets you enter.
Both matter. The permit is regional, not national, and Sichuan’s version excludes the province’s most famous side trip. Our 240-hour self-check covers the rules; this page is the route.
The short answer
Four conditions, all of which must hold. If one fails, the rest of this page does not apply to you.
Use the eligibility checker if you want to test a specific nationality and route combination.
The 240 hours begin at 00:00 on the day after entry, so a late arrival costs you nothing.
The exact dates are stamped on the entry permit in your passport. Trust the sticker over any calculation, and do not book a departure after the printed end date.
Sichuan allows 240-hour transit stays in 11 designated cities only:
Chengdu · Zigong · Luzhou · Deyang · Suining · Neijiang · Leshan · Yibin · Ya’an · Meishan · Ziyang
Arrival day is day zero. Days refer to the permit clock.
Metro Line 18 from Tianfu Airport reaches the city in about 40–50 minutes for RMB 10–12. Stay near Tianfu Square or Chunxi Road so that day one starts on foot rather than in a taxi. Our TFU transfer guide covers late arrivals, and the Chengdu hotel guide covers foreign-guest check-in.
The Panda Base rewards a 07:30 start; by 11:00 the animals are asleep and the paths are full. Afternoon for Kuanzhai Alley or a teahouse in People’s Park, both low-effort after a long flight. Tickets are real-name and released 14 days ahead — see the panda base route.
The Giant Buddha is a half day by train: 46–70 minutes each way, RMB 54, and back in Chengdu by mid-afternoon. Book the entry slot and the train before you fly. If you would rather not move, spend the day on Wenshu Monastery, the Jinli lanes and hotpot — day three is a bigger outing.
The bronze-mask museum in Guanghan (Deyang) is the best half-day out of Chengdu that almost no English itinerary includes, and it is inside the permitted area. Return to Chengdu for the evening and pack: tomorrow is a train morning.
High-speed trains run from Chengdu East and Chengdu South to Chongqing North, West and Shapingba. Station choice decides your evening: North for Jiefangbei, West is far from everything. The station guide has the detail. Stay in Jiefangbei and walk to Hongyadong after dark.
One day, one axis: Ciqikou in the morning, the Yangtze cableway and Nanbin Road for the skyline in the late afternoon, hotpot for dinner. Chongqing is built on hills, so plan two sights per half day, not five. The district guide explains why the bank of the river matters more than the star rating.
This is the day the itinerary costs you. Roughly 34 direct trains run daily, the fastest around 5 hours 10 minutes, and second class ranges from about RMB 300 on D services to RMB 530 on G services. Take an early departure, or fly the 1.5-hour hop instead. Evening: Muslim Quarter, which is better at night anyway.
Pit 1 first, then 3 and 2, because the crowds move in that order. Go independently by train or bus, or book a guided transfer that includes entry; check what the ticket actually covers, since some “tickets” are tours. Back in the city for the city wall at sunset.
Big Wild Goose Pagoda in the morning, Shaanxi History Museum in the afternoon (book the free slot online), dumplings and the south gate at night. Xi’an rewards staying inside the city wall; the city guide has the zone breakdown.
Keep this buffer. It absorbs a sold-out train, a museum closure or a delayed arrival. Fly out of Xi’an Xianyang (XIY), which is a designated port and has direct international routes. Do not book a departure after the end date stamped on your permit.
| Item | Per person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rail, both legs | RMB 450–700 | Chengdu–Chongqing plus Chongqing–Xi’an |
| Hotels, 9 nights | RMB 2,700–5,400 | RMB 300–600 a night, mid-range |
| Attractions | RMB 500–800 | Pandas 55, Leshan 80, Sanxingdui, Terracotta |
| Food | RMB 100–200 a day | Hotpot, noodles, teahouses |
| Data | US$10–25 | eSIM installed before departure |
Rough total excluding international flights: RMB 5,000–8,000, or about US$700–1,100. Our China travel budget breaks the same numbers down by comfort level.
Whatever you choose, book the long-distance legs when the 15-day sales window opens. Our 12306 vs Trip.com guide explains the passport check and why foreign cards sometimes fail.
From 00:00 on the day after you enter, not from the minute you clear immigration. Land at 21:00 on 1 November and the clock starts at midnight, running to 24:00 on 11 November. The exact dates are stamped by border inspection on your entry permit, so read the sticker rather than doing the arithmetic yourself.
No, not on the transit permit. Sichuan limits the 240-hour stay to 11 designated cities: Chengdu, Zigong, Luzhou, Deyang, Suining, Neijiang, Leshan, Yibin, Ya’an, Meishan and Ziyang. Jiuzhaigou sits in Aba prefecture, which is outside that list, so it needs a regular visa. This is the single most common mistake in Sichuan transit plans.
If you hold a regular visa instead, the Chengdu–Jiuzhaigou train guide covers the rail-and-shuttle logistics in full.
No confirmed hotel booking is required to enter, but every foreign guest must be registered with the police. Hotels do this automatically when you check in. If you stay somewhere that does not register guests, such as a private apartment, you must register at the local police station yourself within 24 hours and keep the slip.
It fits, but only because two of the three moves are short. Chengdu to Chongqing is about 1.5 hours by high-speed rail. Chongqing to Xi’an is the expensive one at roughly 5 to 5.5 hours, which is a lost afternoon. If you would rather not spend a day on a train, fly Chongqing to Xi’an in about 1.5 hours instead, or drop Xi’an and add Leshan and a second Chongqing day.
Xi’an Xianyang (XIY) if you are following this route, because it is the last stop and has direct international flights to Southeast Asia, Europe and the Gulf. You may depart from any designated port, not just the one you entered through, so entering at Chengdu Tianfu and leaving from Xi’an is allowed under the rules.
No operator paid for inclusion. Some booking links earn a commission at no extra cost to the reader. Details change — confirm with the official source before you travel.
The onward ticket first, because without it you do not board. Then the two long rail legs, the Chongqing hotel inside your chosen district, and the timed entries for the panda base and Terracotta Army.
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