4 Days to Leshan Giant Buddha & Mt. Emei

If you want to have a deeper exploration of Sichuan, you can take a 4 days tour to Leshan Giant Buddha and Mt. Emei to appreciate the wisdom of ancient Chinese people and the picturesque landscape of China.

The intercity high-speed train is the best choice to Leshan from Chengdu. There are around 40 trains every day from 06:10 am. to 22:04 pm. and you're suggested to take the one leaving at around 09:30 am. and it takes CNY54 for the second class seat and around 45 minutes to Leshan railway station. Upon arrival, change to bus 302, 604 or K1 to reach Leshan Giant Buddha scenic area, which takes CNY2-5. Alternatively, you could also take a long-distance bus from Chengdu Xinnanmen Bus Station to Leshan Giant Buddha scenic area, which departs at 11:20 am and takes CNY53 and nearly 2.5 hours on the way.

The grand Buddha is 71 meters (233 feet) high, carved into a cliff face overlooking the confluence of the Dadu and Min rivers. It is hard to get a full view from the ground, so our suggestion is to take a boat ride to the center of the river. When the boat is round the corner, the gigantic Buddha will suddenly come into view and you will be in awe of it, even if you are not a Buddhist. The admission fee is CNY90 (Excluding the boat ticket which takes CNY 150 per person for a comfortable boat and CNY120 for an economical one). If you are interested, you could also walk down the stairs to the bottom of the Buddha to have a close look at the Buddha's feet. However, please kindly note that it is not very easy as the stairs are uneven and steep. Besides, you're kindly suggested to avoid the Chinese holidays; otherwise, maybe you need to wait in line for hours. If your time is unchangeable, then you're suggested to set off earlier to avoid the big crowds.

After that, continue your journey to Mt. Emei. Taxi is the easiest and fastest way, but it's a little bit expensive, which takes around CNY110. Bus is another option. If your time is enough, you can take bus no. 601 from Guichengshan bus station to Baoguo Temple Bus Station directly, which takes CNY5 and around 3.5 hours. Or you could also take bus no. K1 or 601 from Guichengshan bus station and transit to bus no. 602 from Jiadingfang bus station and finally get off at Baoguo Temple Bus Station, which takes CNY6 - 9 and around 2.5 hours. Upon arrival, you can find a hotel or hostel at the foot of the mountain. If you still have time, you can visit the nearby Baoguo Temple (Admission Ticket: CNY8 per person), which closes at 18:00. The entry ticket of Mt. Emei is CNY160 from Jan 16th to Dec 14th and CNY110 for other time.

After breakfast, you may catch the sightseeing bus from where you get off the bus yesterday to Wuxiangang Parking lot and then start your approximate 16 kilometers' (9.9 miles') hike to the half way of the mountain, Xixiangchi (Elephant-Bathing Pool). It is a beautiful hike route with the whole way paved, but the thousands upon thousands of stone stairs make it fairly challenging. Therefore, you're suggested to to have a good breakfast before leaving and take comfortable clothes and sneakers. Along the way, you will visit the Qingyin Pavilion, Wannian Temple, Huayan Peak and other temples. As for lunch, you may try a vegetarian one at one of these temples and tonight, you can stay at Xixiangchi Temple or a nearby guesthouse and you're suggested to sleep early today to get ready for tomorrow's countless stairs and a lot of hiking.