Jiuzhaigou has a lot of lakes, but you can't visit them all in a day, and honestly you don't need to. After going, I felt only about ten spots are really worth lingering at, and the rest you can just watch from the bus or pass on foot.
Below is the 1-day Jiuzhaigou itinerary I followed, including the order of the lakes and the timing that worked well. Use it as a reference and adjust it to suit your own needs.
This post is part of the independent Jiuzhaigou travel guide. For how to board and which station to switch branches at, see Jiuzhaigou shuttle buses. If you don't have tickets yet, book ahead following booking Jiuzhaigou tickets online.
Should you do the left branch or the right branch first?
There are many ways to get around Jiuzhaigou: you can do the right branch first or the left branch first, both work. But from my experience, do the left branch first, for these reasons:
- The bus goes straight up the left branch first. From the gate, the bus runs all the way to the Nuorilang central station and then continues up the left branch, so you just stay seated. If you leave early, you'll be at Long Lake by around 8 o'clock.
- The left branch has very few sights, only 2: Long Lake and Five-Colour Pond. In about 1 hour you finish the whole left branch and can head back to do the right branch.
- Long Lake is where the first sunlight arrives. Go up early and you can watch the sun light up the snowy peaks in the distance and then spread slowly down to the foot of the mountains.
Note that if you go too early the lake surface is still fairly dark and photos don't look great. So adjust your timing to what you want: go early to see sunrise light on the snowy mountains, or wait until the sun is higher if you want bright lake colors in your photos.
The 1-day Jiuzhaigou itinerary I followed
A small note: This is my own real itinerary, made to save time and energy. You can freely add, drop or reorder the stops to best suit your taste and stamina.
Before 8:00: get in the gate really early
Be at the gate around 6:45 – 7:00 to queue. In peak season the gate opens at 7:30. Scan your passport to enter, then go to the stop for the shuttle bus.
Morning (8:00 – 9:00): quickly finish the left branch
This branch has few sights, so it makes the most sense to do it first thing:
- The bus takes you straight up to Long Lake (Changhai) to enjoy the view.
- From here, walk along the boardwalk for about 800 m to Five-Colour Pond (Wucaichi). This stretch is a very easy walk, with cool scenery along the way.
By around 9:00 both lakes are done. Go to the bus stop and take the bus back to the Nuorilang central station to switch to the right branch.
From 9:30: spend all your time on the right branch (the most beautiful one)
- At Nuorilang, move to the lane for the bus up the right branch. The highlights you must stop at: Arrow Bamboo Lake, Panda Lake, Five Flower Lake and Pearl Shoal & Waterfall.
- Getting-around tip: for far-apart sights, just hop from stop to stop by bus: get off, look around, take photos, then go to the stop for the next bus.
- However, if you have time to spare, it's well worth choosing a few sections to walk. The walk from Five Flower Lake down to the Mirror Lake bus stop, passing Pearl Shoal Waterfall, has truly captivating scenery on both sides, and you'd regret just gliding past on the bus.
About lunch: I recommend bringing your own food and water, like instant snacks or self-heating rice. It saves sightseeing time, so you don't have to go back to the central area to eat, and it saves money too, because food in the central area is very expensive, at least 30 yuan per portion.
Early afternoon: take it easy on the central branch and head gradually out toward the gate
From Nuorilang, work your way down toward the gate:
- Stop at Rhino Lake.
- Take the bus down to Sparkling Lake (Sea of Sparks), then stroll and enjoy the views past Double Dragon Lake, Reed Lake and Bonsai Lake (Penjing Lake) before heading straight out of the main gate.
Important note about exit time
If during the day you have an appointment with a private car or need to catch the bus out to Huanglong Jiuzhai station (Huanglong Jiuzhai Station), you must be out through the gate before 16:30.
From 16:30 on it's rush hour as everyone leaves, crowds pour out and traffic near the gate gets seriously jammed. Just a small delay and you can easily miss your ride and then your high-speed train too.
The beautiful Jiuzhaigou lakes not to miss (in route order)
1. Long Lake (长海) – the first stop of the day
The biggest and highest lake in the park, at an altitude of 3,010 m. The water isn't as vivid as Five Flower Lake, but instead it's a long, deep-blue lake lying between two ranges with snow-white peaks. Standing on the boardwalk and looking out, you see a wide, open stretch of mountains, especially when the early sun hits the peaks.
Note: if you plan to go up the left branch, especially to Long Lake at around 8 in the morning, dress really warm. It's the coldest place on the whole tour, especially when you come up here first thing in the day.
2. Five-Colour Pond (五彩池)
A small pond with the most beautiful colors in the park: blue, green and yellow in the same pond. From Long Lake, walk over on the boardwalk for about 800 m.
3. Arrow Bamboo Lake & Panda Lake
Two lakes in the upper part of the right branch. Arrow Bamboo Lake has a boardwalk loop around the lake and a waterfall below. Panda Lake also has a small waterfall, with very soft blue water.
4. Five Flower Lake (五花海) – if you only pick one
The most beautiful lake in my opinion and in almost everyone's. There are fallen tree trunks lying on the lake bed, and the water is blue mixed with jade, yellow in some spots and green in others, hence "five flower colors". It's best to look from above first (the viewpoint on the bus road/steps above) and only then go down and walk along the lake.
5. Pearl Shoal Waterfall (珍珠滩)
A sloping limestone shoal where water rushes over and throws up white foam like pearls, then pours down as a wide waterfall. The boardwalk runs right over the shoal, and standing there hearing the water under your feet is so satisfying. Pearl Shoal Waterfall is best viewed from the foot of the falls.
6. Mirror Lake (镜海)
The "mirror" lake, with calm water reflecting the mountains and forest perfectly. Once the wind picks up the reflection is lost, so the lake is best when there's no wind. I arrived at around 13:00 and the surface still reflected beautifully.
7. Rhino Lake (犀牛海)
The first lake when you go down the central branch from Nuorilang. In a calm afternoon, the surface also reflects the mountains and forest beautifully.
8. Sparkling Lake → Reed Lake → Bonsai Lake
The walk at the end of the day, working down toward the gate. Reed Lake is a long sea of reeds with a blue stream winding through the middle, and the reeds turn golden in autumn. Buses tend to zip past here, but I liked it so much that I wrote a whole post: Reed Lake – the sea of reeds few people stop at.
If you have time: optional stops
The spots below are beautiful but not required. I put them under optional so you don't fall behind schedule:
- Primeval Forest: the last stop on the right branch, for those who like trekking, with a walking path of about 3 km through the forest. Since finishing this stretch takes quite a while, if you want to trek here you should start the day with the right branch first instead of the left branch as in the route above.
- Nuorilang Waterfall: the widest waterfall in the park, right near the Nuorilang station, easy to stop at when you pass through this station to go down the central branch.
- Shuzheng Lakes: a chain of small terraced lakes next to a Tibetan village, between Rhino Lake and Sparkling Lake, lovely for a walk in the slanting afternoon light.
If you only have half a day
Choose the right branch: Five Flower Lake → Pearl Shoal Waterfall → Mirror Lake. If you still have energy, take the bus up the left branch to see Long Lake and Five-Colour Pond. Skip the central branch.
If you have 2 days
On day 1, follow the 1-day Jiuzhaigou itinerary above. On day 2, walk the right branch slowly in the early morning to photograph the reflections, add a stop at the Primeval Forest, then spend plenty of time walking the whole central branch. Note that the ticket is only valid for 1 day; to enter on a second day you must buy a completely new ticket, see the article book Jiuzhaigou tickets.
A few notes
- Entry time: in peak season (1/4 – 15/11) from 7:30, in low season (16/11 – 31/3) from 8:30. After 14:00 the park stops letting people in, and it 18:00 closes. The park sometimes adjusts its hours from period to period, so check the latest notice before your visit.
- In autumn, the best light is 8:00–11:00 and 15:00–16:30.
- The boardwalks are very slippery with early morning frost, so wear shoes with good grip.
- Don't leave the boardwalk and don't throw anything into the lakes: the fines are heavy, and it's also what keeps the water so clear.
- Following this route, you'll walk about 20,000 – 25,000 steps over the day, so wear comfortable shoes.
Frequently asked questions
Can a 1-day Jiuzhaigou itinerary cover all 3 branches?
Yes, if you are at the gate by 6:45–7:00 and do the left branch first. The left branch takes about 1 hour, the rest of the morning goes to the right branch, and early in the afternoon you head down the central branch to the gate. The Primeval Forest takes quite a lot of time, so keep it as an optional stop.
Should I bring lunch or eat inside the park?
Bring instant snacks or self-heating rice. Food at the central Nuorilang area costs at least 30 yuan per portion (about 120,000₫), and you have to go back to the central stop to buy it.
Can one ticket be used for 2 days?
No. The ticket is only valid for 1 day; to enter on a second day you must buy a new ticket. You can book an entrance ticket with park shuttle bus on Trip.com for each day.
What time does the park stop admitting visitors?
In peak season (1 Apr – 15 Nov) the gate opens at 7:30, in low season (16 Nov – 31 Mar) at 8:30. In both seasons admission stops at 14:00 and the park closes at 18:00.
Is walking all day tiring?
Following the route above, you will walk about 20,000 – 25,000 steps. Wear cushioned shoes with good grip, because the boardwalks are quite slippery with the morning dew.
The other parts, like getting around, where to stay and what to eat, are in the 2026 independent Jiuzhaigou travel guide.