What is a good 3-day Chengdu itinerary?

Arrive at the Panda Base around 7:30–8:00 a.m., when the pandas are active. Take metro Line 3 toward Panda Avenue and use the shuttle or a short DiDi ride for the last stretch; taxis from the center take 30–40 minutes in morning traffic. Spend three to four hours, then return to the city for lunch and rest. Buy tickets online in advance and bring your passport, since entry is tied to your booking.

In the afternoon, sit at Heming Teahouse in People's Park with a covered-bowl tea. Expect to pay a modest per-cup price and to be approached by ear cleaners; a polite no is fine. For dinner, book a hotpot restaurant and order a yuanyang pot. Start with beef slices, tofu skin, potato, and greens. If you still have energy, walk through Kuanzhai Alley after dinner; the lanes are prettier at night.

• 7:30 a.m. — Panda Base
• 3:00 p.m. — People's Park teahouse
• 7:00 p.m. — hotpot

Start at Wuhou Shrine around 9 a.m., before the largest tour groups. Allow 1.5–2 hours, then walk next door to Jinli for snacks and a slow loop. Have lunch nearby, then rest or visit Kuanzhai Alley in the late afternoon. Both streets are commercial, so treat them as atmosphere and snack stops rather than serious sightseeing; the side lanes are calmer than the main drag.

Book a Sichuan opera show for the evening, preferably at a smaller teahouse theater. Tickets vary by seat and venue, so check current prices and reserve a day or two ahead. If opera does not appeal, use the evening for a food crawl in Yulin instead. Order small plates at several places: dan dan noodles, long chao shou, grilled skewers, and a cold vegetable dish.

Choose Du Fu Thatched Cottage for gardens or the Sichuan Museum for a broader collection. Allow 1.5–2 hours, then have a long lunch. Keep the afternoon flexible: a food walk, a teahouse, or a cooking class if it rains. Du Fu Cottage is best in dry weather because much of the visit is outdoors; the museum is the safer choice in a downpour.

For your last dinner, order shared dishes such as mapo tofu, kung pao chicken, a vegetable, and a soup. It is a gentler finale than a second hotpot, and it leaves you in good shape for an early departure. If your flight leaves before noon, move the museum or garden to day two and keep the final morning empty; traffic and check-in will take longer than you expect.

• 9:30 a.m. — Du Fu Cottage or museum
• 3:00 p.m. — food walk or rainy-day backup
• 7:00 p.m. — shared Sichuan dinner

Book the Panda Base, opera, and any hotpot restaurant you care about before you arrive. Popular hotpot places issue numbered tickets in the evening; take a number early, expect a 30–90 minute wait at peak times, and use the wait for a walk rather than standing in the doorway. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you land, and keep some cash for small shops that do not accept foreign cards.

Skip a second old street, skip shopping for souvenirs at Jinli, and skip any plan that puts two major sights in one afternoon. Chengdu rewards a slower pace, and the best moments are often unplanned: a second pot of tea, a snack you did not expect, a side street with tables spilling onto the pavement. Leave at least one afternoon without a reservation.