When you plan a trip to Jiuzhaigou, you'll see the name Huanglong everywhere. The nearest high-speed train station is called "Huanglong Jiuzhai". The Huanglong area is located right on the way from the station to Jiuzhaigou, only about 40–50 minutes by car from the station. And almost every tour sells a Huanglong plus Jiuzhaigou combo in the same trip.
So the question "since I'm already at Jiuzhaigou, should I go to Huanglong too?" is one almost everyone has to answer. Going gets you another UNESCO heritage site with terraced limestone pools unlike anywhere else. But in return it costs half a day to a full day more, extra transport money, and a climb to an altitude of about 3,500 m, where many people feel altitude sickness the most on the whole trip.
This post gathers what you need to decide for yourself: how Huanglong differs from Jiuzhaigou, how far it is, how the altitude affects you, 3 ways to fit it into your itinerary, ticket prices, and at the end a summary of who should go and who should skip it.
This post is part of the independent Jiuzhaigou travel guide.
What is Huanglong, and how is it different from Jiuzhaigou?
Huanglong in Sichuan (黄龙 – Huanglong) is also a UNESCO natural heritage site, inscribed in the same year, 1992, as Jiuzhaigou. If Jiuzhaigou is big lakes in the forest, then Huanglong is thousands of small terraced limestone pools, yellow and blue in color, lying along a long mountainside and looking from afar like a golden dragon – hence the name "Huanglong" (Yellow Dragon).
From reading and looking at photos, I felt these two places can't replace each other. But it's also not true that "if you've been to Jiuzhaigou, you must go to Huanglong".
Location: right on the way from the station to Jiuzhaigou
- From Huanglong Jiuzhai Station to Huanglong is about 30 km, 40–50 minutes by car.
- From Huanglong to Jiuzhaigou is about 130 km, 2–2.5 hours.
- That means if you combine them, you almost have to hire a private car or take a shared car that stops at Huanglong, or take a tourist bus on the station – Huanglong route and then catch another ride. I wrote about the ways to travel from the station in the article from Huanglong Jiuzhai station to Jiuzhaigou.
What made me think the most: altitude
This is the biggest difference from Jiuzhaigou:
The most recommended way is to take the cable car up and walk down rather than climbing on foot from the gate. Also walk slowly, drink lots of water and bring a small oxygen canister. I gathered the details on preventing altitude sickness in the article what to prepare for Jiuzhaigou.
How to combine Huanglong with Jiuzhaigou (if you go)
The three options I saw mentioned most often for people taking the high-speed train:
On the first day
Morning train → Huanglong → afternoon to Jiuzhaigou.
Pros: makes use of the route.
Cons: you go up to 3,500 m right after getting off the train, with no time to adjust to the altitude, and you have to carry your luggage.
On the last day
Leave Jiuzhaigou early → Huanglong → station → afternoon train.
Pros: you're used to the altitude after a few days in Jiuzhaigou.
Cons: you have to watch the train time very closely.
A separate day
Stay in Jiuzhaigou and make a round trip to Huanglong in a day.
Pros: the most relaxed.
Cons: 4–5 hours by car round trip.
A visit to Huanglong takes on average 3–4 hours if you take the cable car up. Opening hours and cable car times change by season, so check the latest notice before your visit. Remember to book your train ticket to match the option you choose: how to book a high-speed train ticket to Jiuzhaigou from Chengdu.
Huanglong tickets (for reference)
The prices below come from the Huanglong booking page on Trip.com (10/2026). Vietnamese dong amounts are converted at Trip.com's rate, so they may be slightly off.
- Adult ticket: peak season (1/4 – 15/11) 170 yuan (~653,800đ), low season about 60 yuan (~230,800đ).
- Youth aged 7–18 and students (visitors not from mainland China): 85 yuan (~326,900đ).
- Free: children under 7, and people over 60 who are not from mainland China (not applicable on public holidays as regulated).
- Cable car, one way up (entry ticket not included): 80 yuan (~307,700đ).
- In winter some sections may be closed, and many pools are dry or frozen.
Note: Huanglong tickets are separate from Jiuzhaigou tickets and must be booked separately. The cable car ticket is also bought separately, after you have the entry ticket. Prices can change by season, so check again when you book. For Jiuzhaigou tickets, see the article booking Jiuzhaigou tickets online.
Book Huanglong tickets on Trip.comWhy I skipped Huanglong this time
When planning, I saw that getting around alone already took too much time: the train from Chengdu, then another 1h30 – 2h on a mountain road from the station to Jiuzhaigou. If you're greedy and try to cover both, the trip easily turns into a race and you're tired every day. So I decided to visit just one place and save all my energy for Jiuzhaigou.
But on the road from Huanglong Jiuzhai Station to Jiuzhaigou, I kept being captivated by the white snowy mountain ranges far in the distance. Only later, when I looked it up, did I learn that was the direction of the Huanglong area. If I had visited, I would have seen that view much closer, and I still regret it.
If there's a next time: I'll book an earlier train to Huanglong Jiuzhai Station so I can visit Huanglong first, since my body seems to adapt to altitude quite well. And I'll choose the private charter car option so I don't have to worry about luggage or timing.
If you don't want to charter a car, there are also cars that go straight from the Huanglong scenic area to Jiuzhaigou, handy if you want to combine the two places in one day.
In short: who should add it and who should skip it?
Add it if
you have 2 days or more, are in good health, like unusual scenery and don't mind lots of travel.
Skip it if
you only have 1 day, are traveling with older people or small children, get altitude sickness easily, or want to enjoy Jiuzhaigou really slowly like I did.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need for both Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou?
Allow 2 days or more. Huanglong alone takes on average 3–4 hours if you take the cable car up, not counting travel time: about 40–50 minutes from the station and about 2–2.5 hours each way from Jiuzhaigou.
How high is Huanglong, and is altitude sickness easy to get?
The Huanglong area reaches about 3,500 m, where the most people get altitude sickness on the whole trip. Take the cable car up and walk down, go slowly, drink plenty of water and bring a small oxygen canister.
Can the Huanglong ticket be bought together with the Jiuzhaigou ticket?
No. The Huanglong ticket is separate and must be booked separately. The cable car ticket is also bought separately, after you have the entrance ticket. See the Huanglong ticket section above for the price of each ticket type.
Is it worth stopping by Huanglong in winter?
In winter some sections may be closed, many pools are dry or frozen, so the scenery doesn't look like the autumn photos. If you go in this season, check the park's latest announcement before your trip.
Is there a direct bus from Huanglong to Jiuzhaigou?
Yes. Besides chartering a private car, you can book a direct bus from Huanglong Scenic Area to Jiuzhaigou on Trip.com.
Whether or not you add Huanglong, the heart of the trip is still Jiuzhaigou. Everything else – tickets, buses, lodging, food – is in the 2026 independent Jiuzhaigou travel guide. If you've been to Huanglong, please share in the comments and I'll add it to the post.