How to Get to Daocheng Yading from Chengdu

Where is Yading Natural Reserve?

Yading Natural Reserve is situated in the southern reaches of Daocheng County in western Ganzi Tibet Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province. It is about 850 kilometers to Yading Nature Reserve from Chengdu. Yading Nature Reserve is known as the "Soul of Shangri-La" and "The Last Shangri-La" which is praised by international friends as "the last piece of pure land on the water blue planet", and a paradise for photographers. Due to the long distance, traveling to Daocheng Yading Natural Reserve does cost a lot of money or time. How to get to Daocheng Yading Natural Reserve from Chengdu? There are a couple of ways for you to get to Daocheng Yading Natural Reserve from Chengdu.

Location of Yading National Reserve

How to get to Yading Nature Reserve from Chengdu?

By Air

Taking a plane is undoubtedly the most convenient and comfortable way to get to Yading Natural Reserve from Chengdu. Then how to get to Daocheng Yading Natural Reserve from Chengdu by air? There are 2-3 flights between Chengdu and Daocheng Yading every day. The flights depart from Chengdu Shuangliu international Airport at 6:20, 8:40, 9:40 and arrive in Yading Airport at 7:30, 9:40, 11: 00 (it may be adjusted quarterly). It only takes one hour from Chengdu to Yading by flight which is the fastest but the most expensive way with full price ticket of CNY 1650 per person per way. At an altitude of 4,411 meters, Yading airport is the world’s highest-altitude civil airport. It is not recommended to fly directly to high altitude airports if you have altitude sickness or not in good health condition. Upon your arrival at Daocheng Yading Airport, you can take local taxi or minibus to the scenic area with 159- kilometer distance which will take you about 3 hours on the way.

By Long-distance Bus

♦ Long-distance Bus

How to Get to Daocheng Yading Natural Reserve from Chengdu by long-distance bus? Taking bus is one of the relatively cheap and convenient ways to get to Yading Nature Reserve. There is only one direct bus leaving for Daocheng Yading every day. The bus departs at 10:00 a.m. from Chengdu Xin Nan Men Bus Station(新南门汽车站). And it takes almost 2 days (22 hours) to take you to the destination. In the first day, it runs for 8 hours to get to Kangding first. It will stop at Kangding Bus Station, and you are supposed to stay overnight at Xinduqiao of Kangding on your own. Then it will restart at around 6:30 a.m. in the next morning from Kangding and then stop at Yajiang for lunch time. It will finally arrive at Daocheng Bus Station(稻城汽车站) at around 7:00 p.m.

♦ Transfer Bus
If you can not catch direct bus leaving for Daocheng Yading Natural Reserve from Chengdu, you can also take the transfer bus. You should catch a bus at Chengdu Xin Nan Men Bus Station to reach Kangding first. The buses to Kangding usually set off from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. So you have to consults the bus schedule and buy the ticket one day in advance. It takes about 6 to 7 hours to take you to Kangding Bus Station. Upon your arrival in Kangding County, then transfer to the bus which leaves for Daocheng. Then you can take a taxi or minibus in Daocheng to reach Yading Nature Reserve.

♦ Notes:

1. Address of Xin Nan Men Bus Station: 57 linjiang road, chengdu

2. From April 1, 2019, the direct bus from Chengdu to Daocheng will arrive on the same day. It will depart at 6:30 am and arrive at Daocheng at 8:15 pm. The journey takes about 13.5 hours, with stops of 4 to 5 times for passengers to go to the toilet. The price is approximate RMB 240 for one way.

3. Due to the influence of the season, especially the dangerous road conditions caused by snow in winter, the bus from Chengdu Xin Nan Men Station to Daocheng Yading sometimes stops. Please make sure to call or log on the website of station to confirm the departure time before you go.

By Car Rental

Car Rental is a common way for traveling in Sichuan, for most of the road outside Chengdu is winding mountain roads. Traveling by car rental would be more comfortable than taking the public coach. And it will take directly to your destinations without transfer. So you do not have to worry about find the bus station or the language difficulties which costs more than taking the public coach. It is better to invite someone to join you and share the expense.

How to get to Daocheng Yading Natural Reserve from Chengdu by car rental? TopChinaTravel can offer this kind of car rental together with a tour guide and an experienced driver. If you need, you can send the details to sales@topchinatravel.com.