Times listed are based on the schedule at the time of visit.
Day 1
Chengdu East 0645 (China Railway C5782) > Huanglong-Jiuzhaigou 0824
Huanglong-Jiuzhaigou Station 0900 (shared van) > Jiuzhaigou 1100
・ Jiuzhaigou
Accommodation: Steigenberger Jiuzhaigou Valley
Day 1 Tips
• I booked China Railway train tickets through Trip.com, securing reserved seat tickets were challenging. Even Chengdu-Chongqing route connecting two major cities of Sichuan Province, which I traveled for work-related reasons, it was extremely difficult to book a desired train. Yet, the trains were sometimes empty when I boarded.
• It seemed that Jiuzhaigou entrance tickets could not be booked on Trip.com, I asked a friend who had a Chinese bank account to book them for me.
・Both the train and the tourist attraction entrance tickets are real-name system, passport information is required for reservation. It is also needed to have passport for entrance.
• I also booked the transfer from Huanglong-Jiuzhaigou Station to Jiuzhaigou on Trip.com. I chose a minivan that offered hotel drop-off. I thought it had been all set, however, I became nervous because I could not find the driver at the meeting point stated on the reservation confirmation. I used photos and WeChat automatic translation for the driver to find me instead. It was an analog experience in digital ways.
• The entrance to Jiuzhaigou is IT-enabled and “civilized” as Chinese government may say, but the bus stop was a dog-eat-dog world of olden China.
Day 2
・Jiuzhaigou
Day 3
Jiuzhaigou (shared van) > Huanglong
・ Huanglong
Huanglong (shared van) > Huanglong-Jiuzhaigou Station
Huanglong-Jiuzhaigou 1812 (China Railway C5798) > Chengdu East 2039
Day 3 Tips
• I had initially booked a later train in case of delays during the journey to the station, but it turned out I could easily make two trains earlier. Upon checking on Trip.com, I found there was one seat available in first class, so I changed my reservation. Even if I had to pay the cancellation fee, it was crucial not to give up the train ticket until the very last minute.