October 24th, just returned from Jiuzhaigou, here’s some harsh truth...
Listen up! Stop following the crowd! Jiuzhaigou at the end of October hides so many secret experiences, if you don’t plan right, you’ll miss half the beauty… Here’s a private guide you need to save 📝
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☁️ Recent Weather & Outfit Tips
At the end of autumn, Jiuzhaigou’s temperature difference between day and night can be as much as 15°C! During the day, a thin sweater is enough when the sun is out, but once the wind blows, you’ll need a windbreaker; at night staying in a valley guesthouse, even with a thick quilt, it’s not too warm. Occasionally there’s a short rain shower, so bring a waterproof jacket to block the wind and keep dry 🌧️
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🌊 Hidden Classic Spots Collection
- Reed Sea: Personally, I think it’s an underrated treasure! Golden reeds surround the emerald lake, and when the wind blows, it looks like golden silk floating on satin. There’s no sightseeing bus stop here; walk 1 km from Penjingtan to the middle section for great photos. The reeds are dense and the lake wide.
- Tiger Lake: The water is a rich imperial blue, and sunlight on the surface creates tiger-stripe-like light spots. Walking along the boardwalk connects to Shuzheng Waterfall, where the water flows through the forest like a silver curtain hidden among the trees.
- Five-Color Pool: Don’t be fooled by its small size, the colors are stunning, deep blue and light green overlapping like gems, even warmer under the autumn sun. Much less crowded than Five Flower Lake, perfect for quiet photos.
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🗺️ Slow Travel Route (No rushing)
1. Arrive at the park at 8 AM, take the sightseeing bus to Rhino Lake station, then walk downhill to Tiger Lake (easy and scenic all the way);
2. Have lunch at Nuorilang Center, then transfer to Reed Sea, stroll slowly along the boardwalk and shoot backlit silhouettes;
3. At 3 PM, head to Zechawa Valley, first visit Chang Lake to capture snow-capped mountains and colorful forests together, then walk to Five-Color Pool, and leave the park before closing time at dusk.
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📸 Hidden Photo Spots
- Reed Sea boardwalk: Stand backlit at 4 PM, have a friend shoot from the side, the reed outlines will be rimmed with gold, and the silhouette shots will be legendary;
- Side of Tiger Lake: When shooting Shuzheng Waterfall, go around to the side to capture the “water flowing into the emerald lake” scene, combining motion and stillness with great depth;
- Five-Color Pool boardwalk: Sit down for close-ups, framing the deadwood at the bottom and colorful forest on the shore, like a miniature fairyland.
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🍲 Tibetan Food List
- Tibetan Hot Pot: Besides yak meat, be sure to add local potatoes and greens, the broth is so fresh it’ll make your eyebrows raise;
- Tsampa: The owner will teach you to mix it with butter tea and form it into balls, with a solid texture, perfect with pickles to cut the richness;
- Roasted Yak Jerky: Freshly roasted and super chewy, buy a small bag as a perfect snack on the road.
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💡 Practical Tips
- Don’t walk the entire Reed Sea! One kilometer is enough for photos, going further repeats the scenery and wastes energy;
- Don’t walk uphill at Tiger Lake! The correct route is downhill from Rhino Lake, easy and panoramic;
- Bring a portable tripod, it helps stabilize shots of Five-Color Pool reflections for clearer photos.
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Jiuzhaigou is breathtakingly beautiful. "After seeing Huangshan, no other mountain compares; after seeing Jiuzhaigou, no other water compares." No other place is as beautiful! Snow-capped mountains, lakes, waterfalls—Jiuzhaigou is a world-class destination; you must visit it at least once in your life!
It's so convenient now; you can take a bus to every attraction, whereas twenty-odd years ago you could only walk. The scenery remains the same, but the Five-Colored Pond has shrunk and the water level has decreased, which is a bit of a shame. The bus services are excellent! Food prices aren't expensive either, about the same as in city attractions. Different seasons offer different beautiful views! Worth coming again!
Taking advantage of the kids' autumn break, we quickly went to Jiuzhaigou, a place we'd always wanted to visit. The scenery didn't disappoint; the autumn landscape was beautiful, and we were lucky enough to see the sunrise over the mountains! Aside from the tiring ride, there's nothing to complain about!
It is worth going. It is worthy of being an "old internet celebrity" who has been popular for so many years. The only bad thing is that the ticket is only valid for one day. In fact, you can learn from many scenic spots in Xinjiang and make it valid for 48 hours. After all, the scenic area is too big and one day is really tight. It is best to stay at the entrance of Jiuzhaigou in advance, go early in the morning, and play in it until the park closes. It is really not recommended to depart from Chengdu on the same day. It is a pity to only take a quick look at such a beautiful place. You have to walk a lot to Jiuzhaigou, so you must wear comfortable shoes. The management of the scenic area in Jiuzhaigou is very good. No matter how many people there are, it is managed in an orderly manner, and there will be no long queues. Specific tour routes for your reference: ❤️Sightseeing bus It is recommended to sit on the left side of the main trunk, the left side of the left line, and the right side of the right line, the scenery is better ❤️Rizegou on the right line There are many attractions on the right line. It is recommended to give up the primitive forest and Swan Sea (very far and the scenery is average), get off at Jianzhuhai and start the tour (walk nearly 1 kilometer from the get-off point to the pick-up point), and take a bus to Panda Sea after the tour (don’t walk there, the scenery is average and it’s very tiring, don’t ask me why I know), Panda Sea is far from Wuhua Sea and you must take a bus. Wuhua Sea is the most beautiful attraction, you can tour around the lake and take more photos. Continue to take a bus to Pearl Beach Waterfall, which is the filming location of the ending song of Journey to the West. You must check in, then take a bus back to Nuorilang, and you can also go to Nuorilang Waterfall. ❤️Zhechawagou on the left line There are fewer attractions on the left line. You can check in and take photos on the viewing platform when you arrive at Changhai, and then take a bus to Wucai Pool. Although Wucai Pool is small, it is very blue and beautiful. It is also a must-check in attraction, and it is very photogenic. Other scenic spots on the left line can be ignored, just drive around. ❤️Main trunk Shuzhenggou Shuzhenggou also has many highlights. You must control your time in front and don't delay the visit of Shuzhenggou. The most essential is the hiking tour from Laohuhai to Shuzhengqunhai. The scenery is very beautiful. The journey is only about 900m, which is suitable for lazy people. If you have more time, you can start from Rhinoceroshai. There are fewer people here at 4 or 5 pm, which is good for taking pictures. If you still have time when you arrive at Shuzhengqunhai, you can take a car to visit Huohuahai, and then take a car to Bonsai Beach. Walk back 800 meters to Reed Sea (Reed Sea has no station. If you get off at the previous station, you have to walk 2km). It is very photogenic and completely different from the previous scenery.
As a Sichuanese, I wanted to come here a long time ago, but I always felt that it was very close and I could come anytime, so I delayed it. Finally, in September 2023, I had a spontaneous trip. It was very convenient to drive by car. In order not to rush, I set out from Chengdu and stayed overnight in Songpan. I came to Jiuzhaigou the next day. I entered the valley at around ten o'clock in the morning. One day was not enough. I visited half of the attractions and continued the next day. It is recommended to spend two days. My favorite is Wuhua Lake and Wucai Pool. The other attractions are also stunningly beautiful. They are really the ceiling of domestic attractions. You can eat boxed lunches at the visitor center in the valley, and the price is not expensive. You can also eat at the villagers' homes. Language cannot describe the beauty of Jiuzhaigou. You must be there to know its beauty. It must be listed as a must-see attraction in this lifetime.
Jiuzhaigou 🏞️-Huanglong 🐉 is really beautiful, it can be called a paradise on earth, a natural ecological scenic spot created by nature. The water is like a mirror, and the scenic spots are more beautiful than one another👀, making you feel like you are walking into a colorful world of fairy tales! Jiuzhaigou-Huanglong must be visited in this life!!!
Now there is a direct train to Jiuzhaigou in Chengdu. You can take the train to play without choosing a tour group. First do a good job in the strategy, book a ticket and stay near the Jiuzhaigou scenic spot. The next morning, the scenic spot opened the park and went in to visit. All day, you can finish it. The evening train returns to Chengdu.
🌳Jiuzhaigou | A trip to a fairyland, a journey of a thousand years 🌳 Finally checked in at Jiuzhaigou, which I had been thinking about for a long time. It is really a place favored by nature! As soon as I entered Jiuzhaigou, it was as if I had stepped into a fairy tale world. The water was pure blue and clear green, like countless gems inlaid in the valley💎. 💙Mirror Sea is like a huge mirror, calm and waveless, perfectly reflecting the surrounding mountains, green trees and blue sky. It is so clear that people can't tell the difference between reality and illusion, as if there is an identical world hidden under the water, which truly interprets what "the harmony of lakes and mountains" means. 🌸Wuhua Lake is even more unique, with colorful colors like a painter overturning the palette, with red, yellow, green and blue intertwined. When the sun shines, the travertine and algae at the bottom of the pool interact with the light and shadow to create a dreamlike pattern. Every glance is a unique painting, beautiful to the point of suffocation🌈. 🌟The colorful pool is small but exquisite. Under the caress of the sun, it presents a variety of colors such as goose yellow, emerald green, dark blue, and navy blue. It looks like a colorful gem box left by a fairy in the world, exuding a mysterious and charming atmosphere. The waterfall is also a spectacular sight that cannot be missed. The Nuorilang Waterfall is wide and vast, and the water rushes down with a thunderous sound. The mist splashed by the water forms rainbows under the sunshine, just like a water curtain cave in fairyland🌈. The Pearl Beach Waterfall is like a string of pearls falling, lively and lively. Walking on the plank road, feeling the water vapor coming on your face, refreshing and pleasant. The mountains and waters of Jiuzhaigou are full of aura, and every scene is worth stopping to savor. Here, time seems to stand still, and the soul has gained unprecedented tranquility and healing.