The Panda Base is the number-one reason most people come to Chengdu. We walk the main enclosures and see both giant pandas and red pandas. Morning is when pandas are most active (they nap by lunchtime). I'll use my DJI Pocket to catch the good panda shots so you can just watch. About 4 hours here.

Want to swap? We can drive to Dujiangyan Panda Valley in the mountains instead (2 hours each way, fewer crowds), or skip pandas entirely and head straight to Sanxingdui — just tell me the day before.

Around noon we head into the city for lunch. My default pick is a small family-run spot where locals actually eat — hot pot, Chuanchuan (skewer hot pot), or a set of home-style Sichuan dishes. If you can't do spicy, I have milder options. About 1～2 hour.

Prefer something else? We can go to the 100-year-old Chen Mapo Tofu original store, or grab quick street food if you'd rather save time for more sightseeing.

Wenshu is a 1400-year-old Buddhist temple with red walls, bamboo, and incense — a completely different pace from the pandas this morning. We walk around for 30 minutes, then sit at a traditional tea house inside for another hour. Real green tea, locals playing mahjong, some of the best relaxed photos of the trip. About 1.5 hours total.

Want more action? We can swap this for the tea house with a Sichuan Opera face-changing show.

Taikoo Li is a modern open-air shopping district built directly around a 1600-year-old Buddhist temple — weird, wild, and very photogenic. We walk it for about an hour, catch the giant climbing panda sculpture at IFS, and maybe grab a coffee. About 1.5 hours.

Want to swap for cyberpunk Chengdu instead? I can drive you to the Financial City area after dark to see the Twin Towers and SKP light towers — good if you want a real neon-skyline vibe.

We drive over to Fuqin from Taikoo Li, about 25 minutes. Fuqin is one of the older night markets in the west part of the city — this is where locals actually go for a late dinner, not tourists. We walk through the food stalls and try a bunch of small snacks: skewers, cold noodles, potato slice, little steamed buns, whatever's fresh that night. Everything's cheap. Bring an appetite. I film clips of the food and the crowd. About 2 hours here depending on how hungry you are.

Not into busy food markets? We can trade this for a quieter local restaurant, or just skip dinner and head back to your hotel earlier. Up to you.