China Sichuan Panda Trekking

Wolong, Sichuan, China · China

Moderate7 daysAsia~£1,200 est.

Save ✓ I did this

Overview

Wolong is the giant panda's official capital: a reserve of bamboo-cloaked mountains west of Chengdu where China's breeding programme raises the cubs you have seen in every documentary. You split the week between volunteering at the Shenshuping base - mucking out enclosures, weighing bamboo, mixing the steamed 'panda cakes' fed to animals in the rewilding programme - and trekking the Qionglai valleys above, where a genuinely wild population lives in the cloud forest between 2,000 and 3,500 metres. Be clear-eyed about the odds: a wild giant panda sighting is a lottery win. What you will realistically find is the evidence - bitten bamboo stems, droppings, day beds - plus red pandas, golden pheasants, tufted deer and, in early summer, hillsides of blue poppies. The mist is the variable: Sichuan's mountain weather soaks everything it touches, so waterproof boots and a dry bag for optics are not optional. Volunteer places must be booked weeks ahead with passport details, and a guide is mandatory on reserve trails. Around £1,200 covers the week with programme fees, permits, guiding and simple guesthouse lodging; go in March-May or September-October between snow and monsoon.