When to go, how to get around, and what only locals know — quick guides for all seven destinations.
Mid-October to early November is the week everyone wants, when the forest turns and the lakes are at their most vivid. Spring and early summer are quieter, and winter freezes the waterfalls.
Jiuzhaigou valley runs from 2,000 to 3,100 metres, and nearby Huanglong goes above 3,500. It is high enough to notice, low enough that most people are fine — if they pace the first day.
Jiuzhaigou sells park entry and a compulsory shuttle bus, by real-name booking with a daily cap. How to book, which bus to take first, and why the park is a one-way system in practice.