Is Dujiangyan Panda Base Volunteer Program Worth It?
Dreaming of seeing pandas up close? One of the most popular things to do in Chengdu is visiting a panda base and if you want a more hands-on experience, the volunteer program At The Dujiangyan Panda Base might catch your interest. We joined it ourselves and share everything you need to know before you go.
Ingrid loves pandas, so seeing them up close was one of our top goals in China. We were excited to join a panda volunteer program, but finding reliable information was harder than expected. A lot of what we came across was outdated or unclear. In the end, the experience didn’t quite match our expectations. We wished we’d known more before booking. So here’s what we learned, and what we’d recommend if you’re planning your own panda encounter.
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THE SCHEDULE
09:00 Change into volunteer outfit
09:30 Visiting the museum or the panda base
10:00-10:30 Prepare bamboo for panda, and watch the keeper to feed panda
11:00-12:00 Guided tour of the panda base
12:20-13:00 Lunch hour for volunteers
13:00-13:30 Making panda snacks
13:30-14:30 Viewing panda documentary
14:30-14:40 Return volunteer outfit
ACTIVITY BREAKDOWN
Our tour guide added us on WeChat the day before to share the schedule and get to know us a bit. If you’re wondering what WeChat is and which other apps you’ll need in China, check out our must-have app list!
When we arrived at the panda base in Dujiangyan, we received volunteer T-shirts, optional, of course, but we wore them proudly. Our guide was assigned exclusively to the two of us and honestly, he was amazing. His English was great, and he shared fun and insightful facts about pandas throughout the visit.
Our first stop was one of the enclosures, where we watched a few pandas lounging around while zookeepers fed them. All the while, we chatted with our guide, who gave us behind-the-scenes details about their habits, personalities, and feeding routines.
Next came the volunteer part: preparing panda food. We each got a few bamboo sticks to smash and break down. Yes, pandas need this kind of help.
The real highlight and probably the only thing that made the program feel somewhat worth the price was when we got to go inside one of the panda houses. A young panda came in for a quick feeding and some light training, and for a few minutes, we were incredibly close. Ingrid was completely amazed, for her, that moment alone made it all worth it. After that, we continued exploring other parts of the park with our guide.
Since the program starts early in the morning, the park was still quiet, with hardly any crowds. We could take photos, ask questions, and move at our own pace from one panda enclosure to the next. Besides the giant pandas, we also got to see a few red pandas, which were just as charming in their own way more active, curious, and surprisingly quick.
If you’re wondering how we managed to use Instagram, WhatsApp, and YouTube during our time in China? The answer is simple: China has a strict internet firewall that blocks access to most apps we use daily. We stayed connected with an Saily eSIM and used a VPN to bypass the restrictions, so we could access everything on our phones just like at home.
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Lunch was a Chinese-style buffet, and while we’ve had our struggles with local food during this trip, especially since we don’t eat pork it was a perfectly decent meal. The spread included several pork dishes, one chicken option, a few vegetable sides, cucumber soup, rice, and fresh watermelon. The flavors were a bit spicier and oilier than we’re used to, but we appreciated the variety and it felt like a proper, filling lunch after an exciting morning.
After lunch, we chopped bamboo leaves into small pieces, basically preparing a leafy salad for the older pandas who are no longer strong enough to chew the hard bamboo sticks. Then it was time to make panda snacks, which was actually fun, even though it only lasted a few minutes. The dough was already prepared, and we could shape it however we liked, kind of like making cookies. It was harder than expected though, since the dough was dry and crumbly, so most of our creative attempts fell apart.
The final part of the day was a one-hour documentary on panda conservation and research, focusing on Tao Tao, one of the first pandas trained for release into the wild using a mother-led method. While it offered an interesting glimpse into early reintroduction efforts, the film was clearly outdated and didn’t reflect the current state of panda conservation. We were curious to know how things have developed since then, but the staff couldn’t provide much up-to-date information, which was a bit disappointing.
HOW TO BOOK THE EXPERIENCE
Since there’s no official booking website for the panda volunteer experience, we reserved our spot through GetYourGuide. The tour we chose included convenient hotel pickup and drop-off in Chengdu, which made the day super smooth. This program covers everything from entrance fees and your volunteer activities to the guided visit around the panda base. We recommend booking at least a few days in advance, especially during high season, as spots are limited.
BOOK | Dujiangyan Panda Keeper Volunteer Experience All Inclusive Day Tour
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IS THE DUJIANGYAN PANDA VOLUNTEER PROGRAM WORTH IT OR NOT?
To be honest, for us the price felt quite high for what we actually did, cutting some leaves, shaping a panda cookie, and smashing a few bamboo sticks. We had hoped to get a bit closer to the panda enclosures, especially since earlier versions of the program included cleaning the habitats or feeding them yourself.
The whole experience was shorter than expected, and ending it with an outdated documentary (which you could probably find on YouTube) didn’t add much value. So in the end, we’d say: see this experience more as a private guided tour where someone explains everything you ever wanted to know about pandas and answers all your questions. We actually learned a lot that day, and that felt like the real value we got for the price. Our guide was genuinely amazing, and despite the downsides, we had a fun and memorable day.
That said, we did get to see a very cute panda up close and for true panda lovers or families with kids, those few minutes might make the experience worthwhile. After the program, we stayed in the park a bit longer to watch the pandas on our own. The base is green and close to nature, not too large, but has enough enclosures to spend an hour or two observing. We went on a cloudy, rainy day, and the pandas were surprisingly active even in the afternoon. So while most advice says to visit early, the weather might just work in your favor like it did for us.
Alternatively, you can simply visit the Chengdu Research Base without joining the volunteer program. It's more affordable and still lets you see plenty of pandas up close. Tours like this one linked below include a guide and round-trip transfer to the panda centre, which is located closer to Chengdu’s city center. It is a convenient option if you're short on time or just want a more relaxed visit.
BOOK | Private Half-Day Chengdu Panda Breeding Center Tour with Optional Volunteer