How to Get Around Sichuan

Getting in: Chengdu has two international airports and is a major hub, with flights from across Asia and Europe. High-speed rail connects it to Xian in three hours, Chongqing in one, and Shanghai and Beijing in seven to eight.

Within the basin: high-speed and conventional rail reach Leshan, Emeishan, Mianyang and the other cities quickly and cheaply. Chengdu has an extensive metro.

To Jiuzhaigou: flights to the park’s own airport at 3,400 metres, or an eight-to-ten hour drive on mountain roads that are subject to landslides.

To the west: buses and hired cars from Chengdu to Kangding and beyond. Roads are improving but the journeys are long and high, and some areas require permits or are periodically closed to foreigners.

Practical note: you will need a Chinese mobile payment app for almost everything; cash is increasingly refused.