❤️ Accommodation:
We stayed at the Sunshine View Suite at Licheng Huating Resort Hotel in Jiuzhaigou. The overall experience was excellent with hot water and relatively quiet rooms. The hotel offers a buffet breakfast, which is perfect for fueling up before exploring Jiuzhaigou.

🏨 Accommodation Details:

• Hotel Name: Licheng Huating Resort Hotel, Jiuzhaigou (丽呈华廷度假酒店)
• Room Type: Sunshine View Suite
• Comments: The room was comfortable, and the breakfast was hearty.

🚗 Transportation:

• High-speed Train: From Chengdu East Station to Zhangjiangguan (镇江关). During peak seasons, it's crucial to book tickets in advance. If traveling with a companion, avoid selecting adjacent seats to increase booking success.

• Timings:

  • Chengdu East to Zhangjiangguan: 7:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 4:20 PM
  • Zhangjiangguan to Chengdu East: 9:24 AM, 12:51 PM, 6:15 PM

• Upon Arrival: Contact the pre-booked bus driver via Ctrip (携程). We reserved a direct shuttle. The driver will be punctual, and vehicles typically wait at the parking lot. Be quick if you need to use the restroom, as the lines can be long, especially for the women's restroom.

• Shuttle Drop-off Points: Xingyu Hotel (星宇酒店), opposite Tibetan King's Banquet (藏王宴舞), opposite Tiankou Bridgehead (天堂口桥头), Orange Hotel (桔子酒店), opposite Thousand-year Love (千古情), Luneng Town (鲁能小镇).

🎟️ Ticket Prices:

• Self-driving: 145 CNY (approximately $20 USD) per person for 24 hours; 190 CNY (approximately $26 USD) per person for 48 hours.
• Scenic Drive: 92 km (approximately 57 miles).

🗺️ Sightseeing in Jiuzhaigou:
Jiuzhaigou is shaped like a "Y," and the park's vehicles randomly drop passengers at major points.

Day 1:

• On the road: No park entry.

Day 2:

• Afternoon Entry: We entered the park around 1 PM. The queue for the park vehicles was long, but buses arrived quickly, and we boarded within 20 minutes. Unfortunately, we boarded a bus to Shuzheng Village (树正寨), requiring a 30-minute walk to Rhinoceros Lake (犀牛海) before catching another bus. We traveled to Long Lake (长海) and walked to Five-Color Pond (五彩池), then took the bus to Nuorilang (诺日朗). We then took a bus towards the Virgin Forest (原始森林), but the bus stopped at Arrow Bamboo Lake (箭竹海), as the upper part was closed. We walked to each lake, but time was limited, so we couldn’t reach Pearl Shoal (珍珠滩). At 4 PM, some paths were blocked, so we took the direct bus to the exit.

Day 3:

• Better Planning: We entered the park around noon. This time, we disembarked at Nuorilang (诺日朗) and walked to Mirror Lake (镜海), which took about 45 minutes with photo stops. We continued to Pearl Shoal Waterfall (珍珠滩瀑布), which we missed the previous day. After visiting Pearl Shoal, we took the direct bus to Nuorilang Transfer Center. From there, we walked almost the entire route: Nuorilang Waterfall (诺日朗瀑布) - Rhinoceros Lake (犀牛海) - Tiger Lake (老虎海) - Shuzheng Village Waterfall (树正寨瀑布) - Wolong Lake (卧龙海) - Sparkling Lake (火花海) - Double Dragon Lake (双龙海) - Reed Lake (芦苇海) - Bonsai Beach (盆景滩), then took the direct bus to the exit. We left the park at 4:45 PM.
• Tip: Walking to Reed Lake (芦苇海) can be tiring, and there’s no bus stop there. Continue to Bonsai Beach (盆景滩) for the nearest bus stop.

Day 4:

• Return to Chengdu: We took the direct bus at 5:30 AM to Zhangjiangguan. Note that there are almost no elevators, so pack lightly.

Estimated Costs for the Trip:

• Tickets: 380 CNY (approximately $54 USD) per person for 48 hours
• Accommodation: 1,800 CNY (approximately $256 USD) for 3 nights
• Food: 600 CNY (approximately $85 USD) for 3 days
• Transportation: 800 CNY (approximately $114 USD)

Total Estimated Cost: 3,580 CNY (approximately $509 USD)
Note: Costs may vary depending on meal, accommodation, and travel timing.