Leshan Giant Buddha itinerary Travel Guide blog

Day Trip to Leshan itinerary: A Travel Guide Blog

by | posted in: China | 0

Last updated on June 15th, 2025

Make sure you don’t miss the Leshan Giant Buddha during your day trip from Chengdu with this Leshan itinerary.

Leshan Giant Buddha (Chinese: 乐山大佛) is a well-known and popular attraction near Chengdu. As one of China’s most famous sites, this UNESCO World Heritage Site offers stunning views, rich history, and impressive architecture. Standing at an awe-inspiring 71 meters tall, it is the world’s largest stone Buddha and a masterpiece of ancient Chinese engineering. Carved from a cliff face during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), the Leshan Buddha statue is a must-see during your visit to Leshan.

When planning your Leshan itinerary, you will find many day tour options available for a leisurely trip. Additionally, visiting the Leshan Giant Buddha can easily be organized as a DIY trip, allowing you to soak up the atmosphere at a more relaxed pace. Whether you’re opting for a day trip from Chengdu or considering other options, choose the Leshan itinerary that best suits your interests.

To help you make the most of your time exploring the Leshan Giant Buddha, here’s a suggested Leshan itinerary to ensure you’re well-prepared for an unforgettable experience.

How To Get To Leshan From Chengdu

If you’re in Chengdu, visiting Leshan is easy to do as a day trip. There are several convenient transportation options available to get you to Leshan. Here are the main choices:

By High-Speed Train: This is the quickest way to travel from Chengdu to Leshan. The journey takes about one hour. Once you arrive at Leshan Railway Station, you can take a short taxi or bus ride directly to the Leshan Giant Buddha scenic area. The ride will takes about 20 to 30 minutes.

By Bus: Frequent buses leave from Xinnanmen Bus Station or Shiyangchang Bus Station. This option takes around two hours and is more budget-friendly. When you arrive in Leshan, local buses or taxis can take you to the Buddha site. While the bus ride is slower, it offers scenic views along the way.

Private Car or Group Tour: This is the most convenient option. Many agencies in Chengdu offer day tours to the Leshan Giant Buddha, including round-trip transportation.

Ride-Hailing: Using a ride-hailing service like Didi is another reliable option if you prefer not to use public transport. These options provide flexibility based on your preferences and budget.

Leshan Giant Buddha

Leshan Giant Buddha Entrance Ticket

Carved into a cliff face during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), the Leshan Giant Buddha stands at over 70 meters tall. It is not only the world’s largest stone Buddha but also a remarkable example of ancient Chinese engineering. This UNESCO World Heritage Site serves as both a recreational and religious destination, blending captivating ancient history with impressive modern preservation efforts.

There are several options available for viewing the Leshan Giant Buddha. Visitors can choose to take a leisurely hike to the top, where they can admire the 233-foot stone carving of the Buddha from a built-in stairway on the mountain. Alternatively, visitors can descend 250 steps to reach the foot viewing area. Another option is to enjoy a view of the statue from a cruise boat.

Leshan Giant Buddha (乐山大佛)
Address: 2435 Lingyun Road, Shizhong District, Leshan City.
Admission Fee: CNY 80 For Adult.
Day Time Cruise Ticket: CNY 70 Per Pax.
Click Here to read more Leshan Ticketing and Tour Option

Our Visit to Leshan Giant Buddha

Leshan Giant Buddha Shuttle Bus

We took a high-speed train from Chengdu to Leshan and followed up with a Didi ride to the Leshan scenic area. It was quite tiring, as it took us about two hours to reach our destination.

From the entrance, there is a shuttle bus that takes you straight to the viewing platform. However, we chose to walk and follow the crowd slowly to the viewing area. The stairs lead directly to the head of the Buddha, and the hike takes about 15 minutes.

Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area Map

It’s not a long climb, and there are places to stop and rest along the way. On the journey, you will see inscriptions in the mountains and one or two small statues. Just keep following the signs to get to the Leshan Giant Buddha Statue.

Leshan Giant Buddha Statue from atop the cliff

Finally, we reached the Buddha head viewing platform, where we could see the statue from atop the cliff.

We took our time wandering around and snapped a few photos of the Buddha head. The Giant Buddha stone carving is truly enormous up close and incredibly impressive.

Climb Down to Leshan Giant Buddha Foot Area Viewing Platform

After visiting the Buddha head, you can choose to climb down to see the feet of the statue. During our visit, we descended around 250 steps from the viewpoint before making the climb back up. We joined a long line to reach the bottom of the statue. The steps going both up and down are quite narrow.

View on Leshan Giant Buddha from bottom

Finally, we managed to arrive at the statue’s feet. The view of the Leshan Giant Buddha from the bottom is very impressive.

Leshan Giant Buddha Boat Tour

There are also Leshan Cruise option to view on the Leshan Giant Buddha. We highly recommend the cruise ride, although we didn’t take this option ourselves.

Leshan Giant Buddha River Cruise Ticket

The ride lasts about 30 minutes, and you stop for 8 to 10 minutes in front of the Buddha to enjoy the stunning views from a distance. The photos taken from the river are perhaps the most beautiful.

Leshan Giant Buddha Temple Group

In addition to the view of the Leshan Giant Buddha, there are also Leshan temples grounds that visitors can explore. Lingyun Temple is situated near the Buddha’s head and offers a peaceful atmosphere along with beautiful views of the surrounding area.

Visitors also can pay an additional fee to see the indoor Buddha, the underground palace, and the Thousand Hands Buddha, which are very impressive and less crowded.

Leshan Giant Buddha Viewing Platform

All in all, our visit to the Leshan Giant Buddha took about 2.5 hours. Of course, you should plan for more time if you intend to walk down to the feet. The stairs are quite steep. Although there were many tourists in the scenic area, our visit to the Leshan Giant Buddha went smoothly thanks to the organization on site.

Our Final Leshan itinerary Travel Tips

The best time to visit Leshan Giant Buddha is from March to September, but it is best to avoid the local festival periods during the first week of May and the first week of October, when many local tourists and devotees visit the site.

Start your Leshan itinerary as early as possible before the tour groups arrive. By noon, the line to go down to the platform at the feet of the statue can get very long.

Be prepared for a lot of walking, so it’s advisable to wear comfortable walking shoes. Don’t forget to bring water, especially on hot days.

Please note that at the ticket office and once you enter the park, you may be approached by tour guides. While a guide can provide insights into the history of the site, it’s not necessary unless you are particularly interested.

Take your time here; walk slowly up the steps, and be aware that the descent to the Buddha’s feet is steep and challenging.

Remember that the Leshan Scenic Area is a functioning temple, so show respect to the monks and those who are praying.

Due to the statue’s location on the cliff, the attraction may be closed during heavy rain. Similarly, the boat tour will be halted for safety reasons.

Overall: A Visit to Leshan Giant Buddha

Trip to Leshan Giant Buddha Visit

Overall, a visit to see the impressive Leshan Giant Buddha from the Tang dynasty is truly worthwhile. The attraction itself is awe-inspiring, and seeing the statue up close is remarkable.

Although you can visit Leshan as a day trip from Chengdu, we highly recommend spending at least one night there. Considering the two-hour travel time each way, it would be a great idea to combine your visit with Mount Emei. Not only will this allow you to explore the temples at a more relaxed pace, but it will also give you the chance to enjoy the beautiful mountain views in the area.

That’s it. Enjoy your trip to Leshan!

If you want to get more inspiration on how to plan your travel to Chengdu (Sichuan), be sure to check out our travel blog below:

Traveling to Chongqing? Read for more travel stories:

Planning to visit Sichuan? Please feel free to continue read below Sichuan travel blog posts: