Must-See Sights
What to see in Chongqing
Open one for why it is worth the trip and how to visit; the four decisions below show how to fit them into your days.
Four city decisions
Understand the city, then plan the details.
How many nights, which area to stay in, how to arrive and leave, where to go next. How to book each part is in Travel Advice.
Time
Three nights give you two full days in the city.
Arrival and departure days mostly go to travel, and two nights leave a single day, enough for Yuzhong alone. Wulong's stone bridges and Dazu's carvings each take a whole day, so add at least one night for either. On the evening you arrive, find your hotel entrance and eat nearby.
Stay base
First time? Stay around Jiefangbei.
Hongyadong is about fifteen minutes' walk downhill, and Shibati and Chaotianmen are within easy reach. Guanyinqiao, across the river, suits late dinners and shopping, but most mornings then start with a crossing. Streets sit on several levels, so ask which floor the lobby is on and where cars stop.
Gateways
Check which of Chongqing's four main railway stations is on your ticket.
Chongqing North, West, Shapingba and East are separate stations, and high-speed trains to Wulong leave from Chongqing East on the south bank. Flights land at Jiangbei Airport, north of the centre. Landing late or carrying big suitcases? Take a car to the hotel's vehicle entrance, not the metro.
Next place
Chengdu is the natural partner, with frequent trains between the two.
Chengdu is flatter, with pandas and teahouses; Chongqing is steep and shaped by its rivers. Start with three nights in each, then give an extra night to Chongqing for Wulong, Dazu or a Yangtze cruise, or to Chengdu for more pandas and trips around Sichuan.
Two rivers split Chongqing's centre into three
- Yuzhong · JiefangbeiA full day; Hongyadong lit up at night
- Jiangbei · GuanyinqiaoShopping and late dinners across the river
- Nan'an · NanshanRiverside dinner, looking back at Yuzhong
- Liziba · west sideTrain through a building; pair with Ciqikou
- WulongStone bridges in a gorge; better with a night
- DazuRock carvings; a whole day by road
- CKG airportNorth of the centre; a car if you land late
- Chongqing EastSouth bank; trains to Wulong, Zhangjiajie
- City centre
- Half a day or more
- A whole day
- Airport and station
Not to scale. Banks that look close can be a bridge or tunnel apart; Wulong and Dazu each need a whole day.
Why Chongqing is worth the climb
Chongqing climbs the steep banks where the Yangtze and the Jialing meet, and the whole city is stacked in layers. Roads pass beneath other streets, and at Liziba a train runs straight through a building. At Hongyadong you walk in from a city street on the top floor and come out at the bottom, on the river road. No wonder people call it the 8D city. Evenings run late, with dinner by the water, busy streets and the skyline lit up across the river.
Chongqing is also a natural place to start or end a longer journey. Chengdu is an easy train ride away, the main Yangtze cruise route runs between here and Yichang, and Chongqing East has trains to Wulong and some to Zhangjiajie. If you are boarding a cruise straight after a long flight or train ride, sleep at least one night in Chongqing first. That gives you room if anything runs late, and time for the final pier details to reach you.
Two full days: down the steps, then across the river
Three nights in a Jiefangbei hotel give you two whole days with no train or flight to catch. Day 1 stays on the Yuzhong peninsula; Day 2 crosses the river to Danzishi. Meals and rests are built in, so Wulong and Dazu each need their own day.
| Time of day | Day 1: Yuzhong peninsula | Day 2: Danzishi, south bank |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Start at the Liberation Monument, then wander down Shibati's old street of steps from the top entrance. If you'd rather not climb back up, take a car from the bottom. | Have the driver drop you at the top entrance of Danzishi Old Street, then drift down its courtyards and lanes towards Nanbin Road. |
| Lunch and early afternoon | Eat near Shibati, or ride back to Jiefangbei for lunch and a hotel rest; in heat or rain, make it a proper indoor break. | Lunch in Danzishi, then visit the Chongqing Planning Exhibition Gallery on Danzishi Square if it's open. Its displays of the city, hills and rivers make the skyline easier to read; check the day's entry rules before you go. |
| Late afternoon | Take a car to Chaotianmen for a short walk where the Jialing, usually the clearer river, meets the muddier Yangtze. Agree a real entrance or roadside pickup with the driver; the map pin at the peninsula's tip is no place to meet a car. | Stroll a short way along the Nanbin Road riverside, then sit down with a coffee. A higher viewpoint in Danzishi means more climbing, so go only if you want it. |
| Evening | After dinner, watch Hongyadong's eleven storeys glow gold from outside. Check whether you'll use the top street or the river road, and meet your car where cars may stop; if crowds close the way in, don't wait for the photo. | Dine by the river with Yuzhong's lights across the water, then meet your car at a pre-agreed roadside spot on this bank. The day is full without a river cruise or a trip up Nanshan. |
Going downhill saves climbing, but steps are still hard on the knees. If stairs are difficult, skip the full walks down Shibati and Danzishi; stroll on one level you know is step-free, take a car between stops and watch the river from a seat. Don't assume a lift on a map is open or links the two entrances you need. The planning gallery usually closes on Mondays, so swap the days, or give Monday to Danzishi, a long lunch and the riverside. In steady rain or fierce heat, cut the outdoor parts short.
Deeper answers
More on Chongqing
From where to stay to getting in and out of the city, one guide for each question.
Private tours
Private tours that include Chongqing
Ready-made routes with their itinerary and price on each page. Just your group, on your dates.
Chongqing & Wulong: 5-Day Private Tour
Chongqing · Wulong · Three Natural BridgesTravellers who want a megacity and dramatic karst scenery in the same trip.Itinerary & price
Chongqing & Yangtze Three Gorges: 6-Day Private Tour
Chongqing · Yangtze Three Gorges · YichangTravellers who want two Chongqing nights followed by a three-night downstream cruise through the Three Gorges.Itinerary & price
Chengdu, Leshan, Chongqing, Wulong & Dazu: 8-Day Private Tour
Chengdu · Leshan · Chongqing · Wulong · DazuTravellers who want Sichuan culture, a riverfront megacity and karst mountain scenery in one trip.Itinerary & price
Photos (cropped and resized): Chongqing & Yangtze Three Gorges: 6-Day Private Tour (Tan Wei Liang Byorn, CC BY 3.0)Chengdu, Leshan, Chongqing, Wulong & Dazu: 8-Day Private Tour (Jonashtand, CC BY-SA 4.0)
