Chongqing is a sprawling municipality in southwest China built on hills and cliffs at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. Often called a '3D city' for its stacked roads, sky bridges, and buildings that appear to grow directly out of cliffsides, Chongqing is famous for its spicy hotpot, dramatic river views, and a public transit network that runs through the middle of an apartment tower at Liziba Station. As one of China's four direct-administered municipalities, it functions as both a city and a province-level region covering a vast, mostly mountainous territory.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Dazu Rock Carvings
The Baodingshan complex holds thousands of Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian carvings cut directly into a horseshoe-shaped cliff between the 12th and 13th centuries, unified into one continuous narrative rather than scattered individual niches. The sculptures still carry traces of original paint and gilding, and the site's scale rewards a slow walk rather than a quick photo stop. It's a full day mostly because of the distance from downtown, not because the site itself takes all day.
Highlights: Baodingshan's horseshoe-shaped cliff gallery of Song-dynasty Buddhist carvings · The reclining Sakyamuni Buddha, one of the largest reclining Buddha carvings in China · The Six Ways of Reincarnation wheel and the Thousand-Hand Guanyin niche · Beishan's smaller, closely packed collection of devotional niches · UNESCO World Heritage recognition for the site's scale and preservation
Wulong Karst National Geopark & Furong Cave
Wulong is a cluster of karst formations recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, built around three natural pits (the Three Natural Bridges) and a large limestone cave system. The Three Natural Bridges area, where the film Curse of the Golden Flower was shot, involves walking through a sunken gorge beneath three enormous rock bridges rather than viewing them from a distance. Furong Cave, a separate site nearby, is a walkable cave system with mineral formations built up over hundreds of thousands of years.
Highlights: Furong Cave's illuminated stalactite chambers and underground river walkway · The Three Natural Bridges (Tianlongqiao), giant karst spans used as a film location · Xiannvshan's alpine grassland plateau, a cooler high-elevation contrast to the gorges · UNESCO South China Karst World Heritage status · Local Chongqing-style spicy fish restaurants near the geopark entrances
Fengdu Ghost City
Fengdu's Mingshan hillside is built around centuries of Taoist and folk-religion depictions of the underworld, with temples and statues themed around judgment, punishment, and the passage of the dead. It plays this concept literally and visually - devils, judges, and torture tableaux rendered in painted statuary - rather than being a somber historical site. Because the theme is unusual and the sculptures are deliberately unsettling, it's a more memorable stop than its modest size suggests.
Highlights: Mingshan hill's Taoist and Buddhist underworld-themed temples and statues · The Nothing-to-Be-Done Bridge and Ghost Torturing Pass folklore installations · Tianzi Palace at the hill summit with views over the Yangtze River · A common Yangtze River cruise shore excursion stop · Riverside restaurants in Fengdu town serving Yangtze river fish
Jinfo Mountain (Golden Buddha Mountain)
Jinfo Mountain is a high-altitude karst plateau with a distinctive flat-topped peak, cooler air than the Chongqing basin below, and a mix of alpine meadow and forest scenery reached mostly by cable car. The name refers to a golden Buddha statue near the summit rather than the mountain being a major religious pilgrimage site. It functions more as a scenery and hiking day than a cultural one.
Highlights: Alpine plateau at roughly 2,000 meters with boardwalk trails and viewpoints · Karst rock formations and the golden-hued cliff face that names the mountain · Cable car ascent through dense subtropical forest · Part of the UNESCO-listed South China Karst World Heritage area · A popular summer heat-escape destination from the Chongqing basin
Jinyun Mountain & Beibei Hot Springs
This is the easiest of Chongqing's day trips logistically, reachable by metro rather than train, pairing a forested mountain known for its old Buddhist monastery with a hot spring district in the town below. Jinyun Mountain itself is a moderate hiking area with subtropical forest cover that stays noticeably cooler than downtown Chongqing in summer. Beibei's hot springs give the day a relaxation option that most of Chongqing's other day trips don't offer.
Highlights: Jinyun Mountain's forested hiking trails and Buddhist temple sites · Cable car views over the Jialing River valley · Jingangbei Hot Spring Old Village's geothermal pools beside a reconstructed historic streetscape · Easy metro access via Chongqing Metro Line 6 to Beibei Station · Beibei town's Sichuan-style noodle shops and river-fish restaurants
Wansheng Ordovician Theme Park & Black Mountain Valley
Wansheng combines a modern adventure park built around high glass bridges, ziplines, and cliff-edge walkways with Black Mountain Valley, a separate scenic gorge area nearby known for its rock formations and greenery. The Ordovician park is aimed squarely at thrill-seekers rather than sightseers, with structures suspended over deep drops. This is the most physically active of Chongqing's day trips and not a good fit for anyone with a fear of heights.
Highlights: The Ordovician Park's glass-bottomed bridges and high-altitude ziplines over the karst gorge · Black Mountain Valley's forested canyon trails, waterfalls, and boardwalks · Aerial rope courses and adventure attractions suited to active travelers · Winter Ice & Snow World with artificial snow attractions · Panoramic viewing platforms over the Wansheng karst landscape
Laitan Ancient Town, Hechuan
Highlights: Ming and Qing-dynasty wooden stilt houses along the Qujiang River · Cobblestone lanes and ancestral hall courtyards in the old town core · A historic riverside wharf that once served regional river trade · Riverside teahouses and noodle stalls serving Chongqing-style spicy noodles · A compact, easily walkable layout suited to a relaxed half-day stroll
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
- Tours
- Organized day tours from Chongqing to Dazu, Wulong, or Fengdu typically run from CNY 250-450 (about USD 35-63) per person including round-trip transport, entrance fees, and a guide
- Private
- Private car with driver from about CNY 500-800/day (about USD 70-113); useful for combining Wansheng's Ordovician Park and Black Mountain Valley or reaching Jinfo Mountain and Laitan without waiting for connecting buses
- Public
- High-speed rail from Chongqing North, Chongqing West, or Shapingba stations serves Dazu, Wulong, and Fengdu directly; check timetables on the 12306 app
- Rental
- Self-driving is not recommended for visitors; a car with a local driver is the practical substitute for rural scenic areas without direct rail service
Multi-day tours from Chongqing
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
Browse multi-day tours from ChongqingWe may earn a commission from bookings made through this link.
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Book high-speed rail tickets on the 12306 app a day or two ahead for Dazu, Wulong, and Fengdu, especially in peak summer and national holiday weeks
Carry a passport for all train ticket purchases and station security checks, since automated e-ticket gates are keyed to Chinese ID cards
Rural scenic areas like Wulong's Furong Cave, Jinfo Mountain, and Laitan have limited or no direct public coach service from the train/bus station to the actual site - budget extra time and cash for a local taxi
Chongqing's summer heat and humidity (often 35C+/95F+ from June to August) make spring and autumn the more comfortable seasons for the outdoor karst and mountain day trips
Combine Wansheng's Ordovician Theme Park with Black Mountain Valley in one day since they are only about 20 minutes apart by car - most other day trips are single-site outings given the round-trip travel time