How to Get There, Where to Stay & Top 11 Things To Do
Okay listen, if you’re thinking about going to Chongqing, you gotta prepare yourself mentally. This city is chaotic in the best way. It’s vertical. It’s neon. It’s humid. The roads make zero sense. The metro goes through buildings. I got lost. But I loved it.
So here’s your no-stress, actually-useful guide to Chongqing – from getting there to where to stay and the top things you absolutely cannot miss.
How to Get to Chongqing
Flying In and getting to your hotel
Get a flight into Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, immigration is pretty smooth, but keep your visa documents and hotel address handy for if the immigration officers ask for it.
Some tips:
- Download the DiDi app before arriving, the English version of the app works well too. This is the Uber of China. There will be touters at the airport asking you to get into their cars, DON’T. These are not regulated and if something goes wrong, you may not be able to get help. If you don’t have the app, you can actually also access it from your WeChat app, go to Me > Pay and Services > DiDi Ride Hailing
- If you choose to take the train, metro lines 3 and 10 connect directly to the city centre
- A car to Jiefangbei (main area) takes about 35 – 50 minutes depending on the traffic
Coming by high speed train
If you’re already in China, taking the high speed train is honestly superior. It’s so much more spacious than the plane plus you can catch the outside views of China.
Some popular routes include Chengdu → Chongqing (about 1–1.5 hours), Xi’an → Chongqing (5–6 hours), Shanghai → Chongqing (7–10 hours)
And try to book and catch the train to Chongqing North Railway Station or Chongqing West Railway Station. Follow my guide here on how to take the high speed train in China.
Use my code: ALYDIGITALKLOOK for 5-10% off any of your KLOOK bookings!
The Internet
China’s local sim cards dont support apps like Instagram, Whatsapp, telegram etc. So I got an eSIM instead. You can buy them on KLOOK, and there’s like a “built-in” VPN so you can access the apps easily!
Klook.comWhere to Stay in Chongqing
Location matters A LOT here. This is not a “we’ll just walk everywhere” city.
The Jiefangbei area is where most tourists are, and hence the touristy things are also all nearby. Hongyadong (the famous looking neon area) is right here as well. It’s walkable to major sights and there’s tons of food around the area. PLUS the night life atmosphere here is unbeatable.
You can also check out Nan’an District for the best skyline views, its much quieter and a lot more local. You’ll still get the beautiful skylines without being in the middle of the chaos 24/7. This location is near Nanshan One Tree.
I stayed at: Asiam International Hotel Chongqing Jiefangbei Hongya Cave. It was a pretty solid location, comfortable rooms, and good value. Nothing ultra-luxury, but clean and convenient, which is honestly what you need in Chongqing because you’ll be out exploring most of the time. It was about a 5min walk to the main touristy area. This building is privately owned and a few hotels have their rooms here. Hence when you arrive at level 1, there are a few receptions, an interesting concept for sure…
Top 11 Things To Do in Chongqing
If you’d like a more detailed day to day guide, check out my 5d4n itinerary here. Otherwise, here is a list of 11 top things to do in Chongqing!
Klook.com1: LiZhiBa Station
This is peak “8D Chongqing” energy. The metro literally passes through the middle of a residential building, and there’s a designated viewing platform downstairs where tourists gather to film it. You can sit the train too, line 2 if you’d like to be in the train while it goes into the building. The trains run every few minutes, so you won’t have to wait long for the perfect shot, and go mid-morning or late afternoon to avoid the heaviest tour groups. It’s quick (15–20 minutes max visit), but it’s one of those “okay wow, this city is insane” moments.
2: See the Glowing Night Views at Hongyadong
During the day? Pretty. At night? Unreal. When the lights turn on after sunset, the entire complex glows gold against the river and it genuinely feels like a real-life Spirited Away set. There are 11 storeys inside, packed with snack stalls, souvenir shops, small restaurants, tea houses and photography studios if you’d like to take some picture with traditional clothing. It’s layered vertically, so expect escalators, lifts and lots of wandering. A tip is to take the stairs up and down so that you don’t have to wait long for the lifts.
3: Explore the Heart of the City
Jie Fang Bei
This is your reference point for everything. Shopping, food, street performances, it’s always buzzing. The main attraction here is the Liberation Monument clock tower, there are also many photographers ready here with their camera offering to help take professional shots for a small fee, and must make sure to negotiate and agree on the rate first.
4: Eat Everything at Bayi Road
Bayi Road Food Street is located close to Jie Fang Bei, so you can easily combine both. My favourite is spicy cold noodles, lamb skewers, and stinky tofu. Honestly just commit to the chaos and try new things hehe. You might see long queues and that’s usually a good sign. Most vendors specialize in one thing, which means they do it well.
5: Visit Kuixinglou (The “8D City” Spot)
This is where your brain stops functioning. You walk in on what looks like a ground floor plaza. If you walk slightly to the other side, you’ll realise that you’re actually on the 22nd floor of another building. Chongqing is built on hills and cliffs, so buildings connect in the most confusing ways possible. This spot perfectly captures that. It’s free, quick to visit, and great for photos that make people go, “Wait… how?”
To get here, take the Chongqing Metro Line 2 (monorail) and get off at the “Linjiangmen” station, and exit exit 2. You can also follow the signs to “Kuixinglou” exit.
6: Walk Through Shibati
Shibati is a restored historic district that blends old Chongqing architecture with modern cafés and boutiques. You’ll see: traditional-style buildings, steep staircases, red lanterns, small local shops. This place was buzzzzzing with people, and you could definitely get lost walking up and down the little alleys. It’s more curated and aesthetic compared to the rest of the city chaos, perfect for slow wandering and photos. Go late in the afternoon when it’s less hot!
7: Ride the Cableway Over the River
Take the Yangtze River Cableway. It’s a short ride, about 5mins but it’s super iconic. Go during sunset time (check the weather app) for the most stunning views. You can go from Xiaoshizi Station to the Jiefangbei side, or the Shangxin Street side. Tickets are 20rmb for 1 way and 30rmb for a return trip.
8: Take a Day Trip to Wulong Karst
If you have time, go to: Wulong Karst National Geology Park
Inside you’ll see: Three Natural Bridges Massive stone arches that feel cinematic (Transformers were shot here), Longshuixia – A dramatic canyon walk with waterfalls and towering cliffs. It’s a long day (expect 8 to 10 hours total), lots of walking, and A LOT of stairs but the scenery is unreal and completely different from the city.
I had booked a tour from GetYourGuide. I would totally recommend it as it made travelling around Wulong so much easier and our driver, who was a local, brought us to try some amazing food at night the long day. And he also recommended this massage place to us which was insanely amazing.
Klook.com9: Jin Se Yin Xiang massage place
After a looong day, you will probably want to visit this place! China does massage places so differently, not only were we getting a massage for under $40, it included a private room with a huge tv screen and hundreds of movies to choose from. Plus UNLIMITED FOOD that we could order. I would go back to Chongqing just for this!
10: Relax at Jiangtan Park
Jiangtan Park is right across Hong ya dong, so if you go at night, you can get the views from a far and its seriously so stunning! There are many photographers here as well offering to help you take instagram worthy shots, they even have their own props too haha. Just make sure you agree on a price with them first! But don’t worry its usually quite standard.
11: See the Skyline From Above
Head to Nanshan One Tree This is the postcard view of Chongqing. They’re open from 9am to 1030pm and the viewing platform overlooks the entire Chongqing. It was truly unreal. It costs 30rmb to go and you can easily take a taxi here.
12: Visit Ciqikou Ancient Town
Ciqikou Ancient Town is pretty similar to Shibati. Full of shops and restaurants and narrow alleys. It’s huge and you could get lost wandering here too! Compared to Shibati, I’d say this place gave a more traditional / olden vibe