There is a reason that Jiu Zhao Gou draws in millions of travelers to this remote location every year. The scenery here is to die for. There is a saying in Chinese that the water in Jiu Zhao Gou is bluer than blue and the trees are greener than green. And every word of it is true without a doubt. The scenery is really that jaw dropping. There are mountains, forests, waterfalls and the bluest lakes you will ever see.
What time of the year is best to go?
The best time of year is autumn, anytime from September to November (even late August would be alright). The reason why this is the best time of year to go is because the water levels will be the highest of the entire year. The summer rains will make the water levels in the lakes rise and optimizing the beauty of the scenery. During the other three seasons (winter, spring and summer) there isn’t a substantial amount of water in the lakes and if the water levels are low or in some cases barren the scenery won’t look as good as it could.
In the autumn there is also the added benefit of seeing all of the different colors of the leaves. So, in the summer months while the water may be a bit more scarce the scenery will be green (from the trees) and blue (from the water). In the fall there will be a plethora of colors that will be visible. When deciding when to go, you should also consider what scenery you would prefer to see.
The Catch
There is always a catch… Whenever something sounds too good to be true it usually is right? Well, its no different in this situation either. I mentioned the con in the paragraph above for anyone who caught it. The con to this place is that there are millions of travelers both (domestic and international) that come to Jiu Zhai Gou every year. Whenever you go there is sure to be quite a bit of other travelers with you admiring the scenery. Especially during the late summer and autumn months. It seems that many of the travelers that venture to Jiu Zhai Gou have an understanding about when the best time to go is. So, during the autumn season expect there to be even more people than normal.
The Entrance Ticket
The entrance ticket for Jiu Zhai Gou is relatively expensive. It is approximately 240 RMB. When I went in May, this was the only option for buying a ticket. However, it is rumored that in peak season (autumn) people can buy a two day ticket (price unknown). There is also a ticket that is about 90 RMB to allow visitors to take the buses to each scenic stop. The bus ticket costs about 90 RMB. So in total you are looking to spend about 330 RMB on the entrance ticket.
Side note: It would be a good idea to get to the ticket office anywhere between 07:15am and 07:30am. People will line up for tickets before the park opens. If, you don’t get there early you may not get in the park until 08:30am. Which means that you’ll spend less time in the actual park.
The Bus Ticket
Here’s the scoop with the bus ticket. You will not be able to see all of the scenic areas/sites without taking the bus. Jiu Zhai Gou is just too big. Some of the scenic areas that are a bit farther away from the entrance also have some very beautiful scenery. However, if you are wondering if it is really worth 90 RMB extra just to take a bus you are not alone.
The bottom line is this to see all of the scenic areas you will need to take the bus. However, you may not need to pay the extra 90 RMB to get on the bus. There are several buses that run from the entrance to all of the bus stops at each of the scenic sites. The bus drivers will not often ask to see proof of the bus ticket that you bought at the entrance. So in theory (and as many people have done), you can get into to Jiu Zhai Gou without paying for the bus ticket and get on a bus further up the trail.
On seldom occasions the bus driver will ask to see proof of the bus ticket but as I said that is not often. It may seem like a bit of a gamble but if you didn’t want to pay for a bus ticket while still wanting to see all of the scenic areas, it could be done. Also, if you decide to not pay for a bus ticket pick the spot that you get on the bus wisely. My recommendation is to get on the bus in the middle area, where the road forks.
The Way to Avoid the Crowds
The first thing that the majority of the people do after they buy an entrance ticket to Jiu Zhai Gou is hop on a bus that will take them to the end of the line, the furthest point from the entrance (either the end of the blue line or the end of the yellow line in the map below) and then they start to work their way back towards the entrance.
As you can see in the map above Jiu Zhai Gou is a Y-shaped road, the road forks in the center. The way to avoid the crowds is relatively straightforward. Do not get on a bus to at the entrance. Walk your way up the path (the red line, in the map above). There will be very few people on this path because most of them will have taken the buses and the buses (obviously) run on the road. The walking path that starts from the entrances is separated from the road by a variety of lakes, and while there is a walkway that connects the walking path to the street it is not frequented all that often by those who are taking the buses.
Jiu Zhai Gou opens (at the time of writing) at 8:00am and it will take you 4-5 hours to make it to the center. For those 4-5 hours you will be very isolated and able to enjoy the sounds and sights of nature.
Once you get to the center (where the road forks) take the bus to the road on the right hand side (towards 原始森林, the yellow line in the map above). Then, work your way back towards the center. While on the yellow line you will encounter countless people. However, this ocean of people cannot be avoided so best to just accept that you are heading to one of the most popular travel destinations in all of China while in this section of the walking path.
The Center of Jiu Zhai Gou
How will you know if you are indeed at the center of Jiu Zhai Gou? Well, besides the one road forking into to two and the huge bus station that will take you to either side of Jiu Zhai Gou there will also be a very large waterfall that marks the center of Jiu Zhai Gou.
The Different Paths in Jiu Zhai Gou
The left side of Jiu Zhai Gou (the blue line) in the map above really doesn’t have the best scenery. Don’t go out of your way to see it or feel like you missed out on something if you didn’t. The right side of Jiu Zhai Gou (the yellow line) in the map above has both much more scenic areas and better looking scenic areas. If, time becomes an issue spend all of your time on the right side (yellow line). Hands down you will get more out of it.
Also, if you explore the right side (yellow line) of Jiu Zhai Gou you can walk from the furthest point from the entrance all the way to the center point, all the while enjoying the eye catching scenery. The walk is well worth your time. However, on the left side (blue line) there are maybe 2 or 3 scenic areas that look nice but because they are spaced so far apart it makes walking from one scenic area to another very bothersome. Furthermore the left side (blue line) doesn’t have a walking path like the right side (yellow line) does. There is only a road and every time a bus goes by you will get a whiff of the lovely smell of diesel fuel.
How to get here?
There are really two main ways to get to Jiu Zhai Gou. Neither is ideal to be completely honest. The first option is to take a 40 minute plane ride from Cheng Du to the nearest airport to Jiu Zhai Gou. Once there you will need to take a 2 hour car ride from the airport to the town just outside of Jiu Zhai Gou. That car ride will be anywhere between 100-200 RMB. If, you make arrangements with the hostel owner prior to your arrival it will be a little bit cheaper.
Be advised that the plane trip will be much more expensive than it should be for such a short flight. The average ticket price of the flight was between 650RMB and 800 RMB. At the time it was the equivalent of a little more than 100 USD for a 40 minute flight. Plus the price of the car ride… It could get a bit expensive.
The second option is to take a bus from Cheng Du to Jiu Zhai Gou. This is the much more cost effective way of going to Jiu Zhai Gou. However, the bus takes about 9-10 hours to get to Jiu Zhai Gou and it only operates in the daytime hours. It leaves Cheng Du in the mornings and arrives at Jiu Zhai Gou in the evenings. So, if you decide to take the bus, just know that at least one whole day will be devoted to traveling.
There is a potential third option for those travelers that are only going to see Jiu Zhai Gou and are not traveling to other places in Si Chuan Province. That is to take a flight in from one of the other major city’s (Beijing) airports. These flights will be some of the most expensive plane tickets you will purchase in China and you will still need to pay for the 2 hour car ride.
How to Save Money While Traveling to Jiu Zhai Gou?
Besides choosing not to buy a bus ticket at the entrance of the park, the next best thing that I can advise for you to save a bit of money is to bring a friend or two with you. That would allow you to split what would be an expensive individual car ride (both to and from the airport) into an affordable ride. There is the possibility of taking 4 long car rides while in Jiu Zhai Gou. If, you were to bring two friends that and you all had to pay 180RMB for each car ride you would save 480 RMB by the end of the trip. So, just some food for thought.
How much time should be spent here?
Spend any where from 4 to 5 days in Jiu Zhai Gou. If there are entry passes for 2 days at the time that you go, then spend 5 days. The reason that the length of time is a bit longer is because you will need to allot for the first day to arrive in Jiu Zhai Gou (regardless of the method of travel). The last day will be the departure date, because Jiu Zhai Gou is a remote destination with a small airport there may not be multiple flights (or buses) for you to choose from. Allocate 1 day as the date of departure so that you can make it out of Jiu Zhai Gou without any trouble.
Side Note: If you book a night flight, you will still need a ride to the airport. If you hadn’t arranged that prior to the day of, then you may be in a scramble to find a ride to the airport or risk missing your flight.
The itinerary will be on the last page of this post.
International Kev 