Jiuzhaigou National Park is located in Zhangzha Town, Jiuzhaigou County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, in the southern section of Minshan Mountains in northwest Sichuan Province, and in the northeast of Gonggan Ridge in the southern section of Minshan Mountains. Located over 400 kilometers from Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province, it is a large branch ditch at the source of the Baishui River in the upper reaches of the Jialing River in the Yangtze River system, with a total area of 65074.7 hectares.
Jiuzhaigou is completely safe for tourists. Nevertheless, the park hosts natural attractions like waterfalls, rivers, lakes, cliffs, and primitive forest that can lead to injuries or even dath. Hence, caution and proper safety measures are required to stay safe.
The closest regional airport to Jiuzhaigou National Park (Jiuzhaigou) is Jiuhuang Airport just 88 km (1.5 hours drive)to the entrance of the park, located in Chuanzhusi Town, Songpan County, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, and is one of the three major plateau airports in China.
The best time to visit Jiuzhaigou National Park is autumn, as the mountains and valleys boast a splendid autumn palette. The great vistas of yellow, orange, red, and green beautifully contrast against the valley’s turquoise lakes. Autumn is the most beautiful season in Jiuzhaigou.
Like most other destinations, the cheapest time to visit Jiuzhaigou National Park is when demand for hotels, restaurants, and flights is at its lowest. In this case, travel anytime in winter (mid-November,December, January, February) and early spring to snag the best rates. Please note that many hotels are closed for the winter season, you can contact us for the hotel booking.
May1-7 and October1-7 are the busiest time in Jiuzhaigou. In these days, accommodations are at their most expensive and fill up early, so you should book well in advance.
From April 1st to November 15th is the peak season in Jiuzhaigou. During these months, tickets and hotels are expensive, and the park is crowded.
The off-season of Jiuzhaigou is from November 16th to March 31st. During these months, the entrance tickets and accommodation are the cheapest, and there are relatively few tourists in the park.
Since the major attractions of Jiuzhaigou National Park are concentrated in three valleys, you should plan to spend 1 to 2 days in the park.
You can visit the top sights of Jiuzhaigou in one day, but it's amazing the difference an extra day can make. If you can spend two full days in Jiuzhaigou, you will have enough time to see some of the most spectacular parts of the park that many people never see.
There is only one entrance to Jiuzhaigou National Park. This can make sure tourists easily find it and the park can make a better management.
The best choice would be Goukou (the entrance of the vally) or Zhangzha Town. In the two places, most of the star hotels (5 star international brand to 1 star) and traditional home stay accommodation are 0.5km - 30 km away from Jiuzhaigou National Park.
Currently, staying overnight in the park is not allowed. This is due to excess water usage and solid waste caused by large numbers of people. It is not sustainable to open the whole park to over night guests in the long run.
Jiuzhaigou Valley has a plateau humid climate with a mean annual temperature of 7.8 °C, with means of 9-18 °C in spring, 19-22 °C in summer, 7-18 °C in fall, and -1-4 °C in winter. Total annual rainfall is 700-800 mm but in the cloud forest it is at least 1,000 mm. 80% of rainfall occurs between May and September. The annual average frost-free period is around 100 days. Snow falls between October and April.
In Jiuzhaigou, it starts to snow at the end of October and it is likely continue to the end of March, so bring lots of layers when you plan to visit the park in these months.
Hiking in Jiuzhaigou National Park is safe, as long as you follow the safety guidelines and exercise self-responsibility.
Plans are currently underway to open Zharu Valley as a campsite. This will be possible as part of a guided tour.
Swimming is not allowed in the park because most lakes and streams are dangerously cold.