重庆小面
Chongqing noodles
Wheat noodles, chili oil, peppercorn. Breakfast. Peanut and sesame show up in a lot of bowls. Ask before you need to.
重庆 · 3 days
Chongqing
Chongqing is hills, fog, and a noodle shop that expects you to handle the heat. The skyline at night is the postcard. The rock carvings at Dazu are the reason to add a day. Wulong is another.
The sky
Today and the next few days
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This is the city forecast, in Celsius. A mountain, gorge, or dune an hour away can be a different day. Data comes from Open-Meteo and is refreshed on this site.
Stay near
Jiefangbei or a metro stop on a hill you can stand
Give it
Three days, more if you add Dazu or Wulong
Book first
Dazu, if that day is in the plan
Watch for
Thinking it is a suburb of Chengdu
The peninsula around Jiefangbei is the dense version: the cableway, the steps, Hongya after dark. Ciqikou is the older market town on the river, a half day. Dazu is about two hours out and is the historic day. Wulong’s karst is a different day again.
Jiangbei Airport is north. The metro and a ride-hail both work. High-speed trains use Chongqing North or Chongqing West depending on the line. Read the station name. Chengdu is a train away, not a taxi.
Chongqing noodles want chili and Sichuan pepper, often with peanut or sesame in the sauce. Ask. Hotpot here is a local argument with Chengdu’s, and both are worth having.
Getting around
How you actually move.
The metro is useful and the city is vertical. A stop can still leave you with a long stair or a lift. Ride-hail drivers know Hongya, Ciqikou, and the cableway terminals. Save the Chinese name.
Dazu and Wulong are not city hops. Each is a morning departure and a full day. Do not schedule them against each other, or against a late flight.
Where to sleep
A neighborhood, not a booking ad.
Jiefangbei puts the night view and the cableway in reach, and the streets are steep. A room higher up is quieter than one facing a neon cliff.
Ciqikou is a pleasant night if you want the old town empty in the morning, and a poor base for trains. Do not stay at the airport.
Eat this, not a poster of it
What Chongqing actually tastes like
重庆火锅
Chongqing hotpot
Often fiercer than the Chengdu pot, and less interested in a mild half. Share, and order the greens.
辣子鸡
Lazi chicken
Dry-fried chicken buried in dried chilies. You eat the chicken, not the pile of pepper, unless you meant to.
The sights
Where to go, and whether you can just show up.
Free to walk
Hongya Cave
Cultural landscapes 人文风光
The lit stilt complex on the river. Free, vertical, and rebuilt for the evening.
Free town, paid temple
Ciqikou
Cultural landscapes 人文风光
An old market town on the river. The lanes are free. The snack street knows it.
Passport reservation
Dazu Rock Carvings
Historic sites 历史古迹
UNESCO cave carvings, a day trip from Chongqing. Baodingshan is the one to book.
Cabin ticket
Yangtze River Cableway
City landmarks 城市地标
The gondola across the Yangtze. A city view, and a real way to cross.
Scenic ticket
Wulong Karst
Natural scenery 自然风景
Natural bridges and a canyon, a day trip. Boardwalks, not a backcountry hike.