China is the homeland of pandas and currently the only place where you can experience being a volunteer .Through firsthand experience of caring for pandas, you can gain a deeper understanding of the challenges pandas face and enhance your awareness of panda conservation and global endangered animals. Also, you will gain a deeper respect and understanding for the hard work that goes into animal protection.
Dujiangyan Panda Base is the closest base to Chengdu. The unforgettable opportunity will give you the chance to personally prepare food for these fluffy giant pandas and observe them eating up close. Additionally, you will get more interesting information from your guide who is even familiar with every panda of the base.
Tour Highlights
Watch the keeper feeding a panda at a very close distance.
Learn and experience preparing bamboo for pandas.
Make cakes in different shapes for the pandas.
Receive a unique certificate issued proving your love for pandas.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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12 Day Family Tour to the 4 Corners of China!
The activities were carefully picked, some of them were obvious like the things you have to see (Forbidden City, Great Wall, Panda bears...), but even these involved good choices by the guides of exactly where to go inside a massive site. We saw a lot of panda bears! The guides were super knowledgeable in the history and culture, and we learned so much more from their contribution than if we just went and looked at old (beautiful) buildings. ? more
Sep 2024, motif one
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Loved Chengdu with guide EVAN
Our guide Evan was excellent. He was knowledgeable about the places we visited in and around Chengdu, as well as about Chinese history and Buddhism. He was also adept at navigating the complexities of crowds, hot weather, and ticket lines. He knew the best places to go at the Panda center, so we saw a lot of pandas even on a hot day.He still remained in contact, helped us see a Sichuan opera, and offered useful advice to us. Evan was really top as a guide and just a great guy to hang out with, and thanks also to Ellen at China Highlights who expertly organized the whole tour. more
Sep 2024, motif o
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Fantastic tour from start to finish
Our guide, Fi Fi, was so much fun, so enthusiastic, so accommodating and packed so much into our limited time. She made the whole day special. more
Aug 2024, Keth
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Suggested Itinerary
Your guide will call you at your hotel one day in advance or will leave a message to confirm the collection time with you. You will be picked up at around 7:15am from your hotel. After arrival at the panda base, sign up and get a uniform. Your guide will introduce you to the professional panda keepers. The panda keepers can speak simple English but your guide will be there for you at all times, helping to translate.
Panda volunteers need to supply fresh bamboo three times a day. You will break bamboos and wash some bamboos shoots for pandas with the panda keepers. And then clean the glass of their enclosures.
Take a break and tour around the panda base. Our guides are veritable panda lovers — they are familiar with the base and know a lot about pandas. Some of them have even hosted a live cam feed about pandas on Facebook and YouTube.
There are about 10 pandas at the base and some of them are overseas returnees, including the most popular Tai Shan and Bao Bao, who arrived from the US. You will also have the chance to meet four naughty red pandas.
Dine with the panda keepers at the staff canteen at the panda base.
During this time, you'll gain an understanding of the working conditions of panda caretakers, basic panda knowledge, and the ultimate goal of panda conservation.
Having seen the panda keeper feeding the pandas with panda cakes, aren't you curious as to how they are made? It is time to make some panda cakes with your own hands. The ingredients will be prepared in advance. Get creative about the shapes of the cakes. You will also cut the bamboo leaves into small pieces for old pandas
The volunteer work ends here and you will receive a certificate for this unforgettable day. Say goodbye to the pandas you have taken care of. Your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel in Chengdu and you will arrive at about 4:00pm.
Trip Notes
1. Booking Panda Volunteer Program
As the first tour company in China to operate the program, China Highlights has developed stable relationship with the Dujiangyan Panda Base. Sometimes the program is subject to change due to force majeure. Usually we are able to get the first-hand information that is very helpful for your tour arrangement. Your early booking is also useful to guarantee the availability of the program. Sometimes the activities listed in the description will be adjusted according to health condition of the pandas. Hope customers can understand this.
2. Age Limit
The age restriction of volunteer is between 10 to 70 years old. Even though the pandas look harmless, they are carnivores. Parents must ensure that they prevent their children from coming into direct contact with the pandas. The cost for children of 10 years old and above is the same as the cost for adults. If your children are between 0–9 years old, you can still take them with you during the program. The children can not enter the room where the panda cage is. Your guide can help take care of them if you like.
3. Dress Code
Certain pavements in the base can be very wet and slippery. To avoid slipping, please do not wear short pants or slippery footwear. Also, pandas have a very keen sense of smell. As you will get very close to them during the tour, please do not wear perfume or nail polish. Our sincere thanks for your extra care and respect towards the pandas.
4. Transportation Suggestions
If you need to catch a flight or train after the program, flights departing after 8 pm or trains departing after 7 pm are recommended. For international flights, flights after 9 pm are suggested. If your flight or train leaves earlier than the recommended times above, you may need to skip some arrangements in the afternoon and head earlier to the airport or train station.
Tour Price
Price includes: