Chongqing Mountain City 4-Day Travel Guide
4 Days 4 Nights in Chongqing|Budget 5000 RMB|2500 RMB per person to explore the mountain city and magic metropolis, full experience of 8D maze city + hotpot culture + river view night scenes! All-inclusive eating, lodging, transportation, and entertainment, the citywalk style loved by young people!
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💰 Total Budget: 5000 RMB (2 people traveling, 2500 RMB per person)
📍 Route: Yuzhong District (Jiefangbei, Hongyadong) → Shapingba (Ciqikou, University Town) → Nan’an (Nanshan, Yangtze River Cableway) → Jiulongpo (Liziba)
📅 Duration: 4 days 4 nights
🔥 Suitable for couples, besties, or students, with a light pace, checking in at popular landmarks + deep local life, climbing slopes by day, hotpot with river view by night!
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✅ 1. Transportation Arrangement (Total Budget: about 1200 RMB)
- Long-distance transport (round trip):
- Mainly high-speed rail (from Chengdu, Guiyang, Changsha): 150-300 RMB per person, about 600 RMB round trip per person
- Airplane (some cities fly to Jiangbei Airport): advance tickets round trip including tax can be controlled at 700-900 RMB per person
👉 Suggestion: High-speed rail is more convenient, Chongqing North Station/West Station subway direct to downtown
- Local transportation:
- Subway + bus + taxi: 40 RMB per person per day × 4 days = 320 RMB per person
- Chongqing’s terrain is magical, light rail is the best transport (Line 2 Liziba station passing through the building is a must-visit)
- Yangtze River Cableway (20 RMB one way per person) recommended to ride once for experience
✅ Total transportation cost: about 1200 RMB (for two)
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✅ 2. Accommodation Recommendation (Total Budget: 1200 RMB)
📌 Recommended to stay near Jiefangbei or Xiaoshizi subway station, within walking distance to Hongyadong and Chaotianmen, unbeatable night views
- Recommended areas: Jiefangbei river view homestay or comfortable hotel near Yuzhong District light rail
- Price reference: 300 RMB/night, 4 nights = 1200 RMB (twin room, some include breakfast)
✅ Total accommodation cost: 1200 RMB (for two)
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✅ 3. Itinerary Arrangement (Food + Fun + Tickets)
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Day 1: Arrive in Chongqing + Jiefangbei + Hongyadong Night View + Qiansimen Bridge Panoramic View
🌆 Arrive in the afternoon, check in and head straight to Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street
📸 Check in at “Chongqing People’s Liberation Monument,” stroll Bayi Food Street
🌃 Before 6:30 PM, go to Hongyadong (free)
- Recommended to enter from the 11th floor (top floor) and walk down floor by floor to avoid crowds
- Exit on the 1st floor to Jiabin Road, best spot for panoramic photos of Hongyadong
🌉 Want to shoot a drone-free panorama?
→ Walk to Qiansimen Bridge (pedestrian walkway), shoot Hongyadong + river view from above, night view is legendary!
🍜 Dinner:
- Bayi Food Street: hot and sour noodles, mountain city small glutinous rice balls, grilled brain, iced tofu pudding
- Or check in at popular hotpot spots: Peijie, Dalong, Jingbian Old Hotpot (about 80 RMB per person)
💰 Expense: meal + transport = 200 RMB (for two)
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Day 2: Liziba Light Rail Through Building + E’ling No.2 Factory Creative Park + Yangtze River Cableway + Nanshan Yikeshu Night View
🚄 Morning: Check in at Liziba Station (light rail through building)
- Exit B, photo at viewing platform, videos are even more stunning
🎨 Noon: Walk to E’ling No.2 Factory Creative Park (free)
- Industrial style + artsy shops + rooftop river view
- Filming location of “Passing Through Your World,” very photogenic
🚠 Afternoon: Experience Yangtze River Cableway (20 RMB one way per person)
- Recommended from Xinhua Road → Shangxin Street (less crowded, better scenery)
- Take taxi or bus back to Nan’an from Shangxin Street
🌄 Evening: Head to **Nanshan Yikeshu Viewing Platform (30 RMB per person)
- Overlook the confluence of Chongqing’s two rivers and thousands of lights, the ultimate night view!
🍽 Dinner: Nanshan hotpot restaurant (recommended: Bi Payuan Hotpot, lighting like starry sky)
💰 Cost: tickets + transport + meal = 250 RMB (for two)
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Day 3: Ciqikou Ancient Town + Baigongguan + Luohan Temple + Chaotianmen Raffles City
🏛 Morning: Subway to Ciqikou Ancient Town (free)
- Though commercialized, old alleys, teahouses, and stilted buildings still have charm
- Must-eats: Chen Mahua (don’t buy too much), spicy blood curd, hot and sour noodles
🪦 Visit Baigongguan (free, reservation required)
- Red Rock revolutionary site, heavy history, good for quiet visits
⛩ Noon: Return to downtown, check in at Luohan Temple (20 RMB per person)
- Millennium ancient temple in the bustling city, Zen and skyscrapers coexist, very magical
🏙 Afternoon: Visit Chaotianmen Raffles City
- 6th floor sky garden for panoramic shots of “Chaotian Sailing” ship-shaped building
- Underground connected to subway, very convenient
🍜 Dinner: Eat Jianghu cuisine inside Raffles City (recommended: Yangji Longfu, Mafangwan No.66)
💰 Cost: tickets + transport + meal = 200 RMB (for two)
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Day 4: Mountain City Trail + Tongyuanmen City Wall + Return / Souvenir Shopping
🚶♀️ Morning: Stroll Mountain City Alley Traditional Style Area (original Mountain City Trail)
- From Consulate Alley to Ren’ai Wasteland, climb slopes and see old Chongqing residences
- Check in: Ren’ai Hall site, cliff teahouse, riverside viewing platform
⛩ Visit Tongyuanmen City Wall Ruins Park (free)
- Ming Dynasty city gate, once a Chongqing defense fortress, full of history
🛍 Before noon: Go to Guanyinqiao Pedestrian Street or Jiefangbei to buy souvenirs
Recommended:
- Hotpot base (Qiaotou, Qiuxia)
- Chen Mahua, weird-flavored broad beans, Jiangjin rice flower candy
- Chongqing dialect cultural creations (“Bashi Deban” T-shirts)
🕐 Finish before 3 PM, return trip
🍽 Last meal: Eat a bowl of Chongqing noodles + fried egg at a small noodle shop, authentic ending!
💰 Expense: meal + transport + shopping = 300 RMB (for two)
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✅ 4. Total Cost Summary (for two)
| Item | Cost |
|------------|------------|
| Transportation | 1200 RMB |
| Accommodation | 1200 RMB |
| Tickets + Experiences | 150 RMB |
| Food + Snacks | 500 RMB |
| Shopping + Miscellaneous | 150 RMB |
| Total | 3200 RMB |
👉 Remaining 1800 RMB buffer can be used for:
- Upgrading one night to a river view room (e.g., Niccolo, Ritz-Carlton)
- Eating more authentic hotpot meals or visiting rooftop bars
- Buying more hotpot base to take home!
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✅ 5. Helpful Tips
1. Navigation fails? Normal!
- Chongqing is an 8D city, navigation often mistakes floors, ask locals: “Which floor is this?”
2. Wear comfortable shoes!
- Walking at least 18,000 steps daily, many slopes and stairs, avoid high heels
3. Hotpot tips:
- No “pot base fee” or extra “service fee,” self-serve side dishes charged by plate
- Old local shops are more authentic (e.g., Chuqi Men Eel Hotpot)
4. Photo tips:
- Hongyadong lighting time: 7:00 PM-11:00 PM (winter) / 7:30 PM-11:30 PM (summer)
- Qiansimen Bridge, Nanshan Yikeshu, Raffles City Sky Garden are the three best night photo spots
5. Food notes:
- Chongqing cuisine is numbing and spicy, you can request “mild spicy” or “no Sichuan peppercorn”
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📌 In a nutshell:
4 days to explore Chongqing, spending less than 5000 RMB, eating the spiciest hotpot, climbing the steepest slopes, shooting the most magical night scenes—
You’re not just traveling, you’re crossing through a 3D movie city.
Chongqing is a city you both love and “tire” you.
But it warms your stomach with hotpot, brushes your face with river breeze, and finally captures your heart with memories.🌶️🌉🍜