Planning a trip to the Leshan Giant Buddha in China? Here’s our honest travel guide with everything you need to know: from how to get there and what to expect, to whether it’s worth visiting, plus practical tips we wish we’d known before arriving.

The Leshan Giant Buddha is one of China’s most famous landmarks as it is the largest seated Buddha in the world. This statue is over 71 meters tall and carved into a cliff face. It was built more than 1,200 years ago to calm the dangerous waters where three rivers meet, and today it draws both tourists and pilgrims. It's one of the most popular day trips from Chengdu.

Visiting the Leshan Buddha was so important to us that we made a clear plan: if the view from the base didn’t feel quite right, we had a backup. There are two main ways to experience the Buddha and both have their pros and cons. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the options so you can choose the one that fits your travel style best.

HOW TO GET TO LESHAN?

Since Leshan doesn’t offer much beyond the Giant Buddha, we recommend staying in Chengdu and visiting on a half- or full-day trip. You can get there by high-speed train (about 1 hour), long-distance bus (1.5–2 hours), private driver, or taxi.

We took the high-speed train from Chengdu East Station (Chengdudong) and then grabbed a short taxi (with DiDi) to the entrance — it was the fastest and easiest way to arrive early. Whichever you choose, it’s best to book your tickets or driver in advance to secure your spot and avoid delays.

BOOK | Leshan Buddha Full-Day Private Tour + Transfer

TRAIN | Rerseve your HSR Ticket through 12go here

BEST TIME TO VISIT THE GIANT BUDDHA

Try to arrive as early as possible, ideally right when the park opens (details below). Weekday mornings are usually much calmer than weekends or holidays. We went on a weekday morning and had a peaceful experience with barely any crowds.

Avoid visiting on weekends or during Chinese public holidays, as it can get extremely crowded. In general, the best seasons to travel in China are spring (April–June) and autumn (September–November), when the weather is mild and crowds are more manageable.

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WHAT TO WEAR?

We highly recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes, as there are lots of steps. While modest clothing is not strictly enforced before entering temples in China, we advise you to be respectful by wearing clothing that covers the shoulders and knees.

Make sure to bring sun protection like a hat or sunscreen in summer, and an umbrella if the weather looks uncertain. Pack a few snacks and a reusable water bottle reusable water bottle, as food and drink options inside the park are limited. Don’t forget your passport or ID for ticket purchases, and consider downloading a translation app like Baidu Translate to make communication easier.

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LESHAN BUDDHA TICKETS, OPENING HOURS & PRACTICAL TIP

Opening hours for the Leshan Buddha Scenic Area vary slightly by season. In summer, the park is open from 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM, while in winter the hours are slightly shorter, from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.

Entrance tickets to the Leshan Buddha Scenic Area typically cost between ¥80 to ¥100 depending on the season. If you'd like to see the Buddha from the water, you can take a boat ride, which costs around ¥120–¥150 per person. Combo tickets that include the boat ride and nearby attractions like Wuyou Temple are sometimes available at the gate or online.

Be sure to have Chinese mobile payment apps like WeChat Pay or Alipay ready, as they’re often the only accepted payment methods. Not sure how these work or what else to download for China? We’ve created this full list of must-have apps.

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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LESHAN CRUISE OR PLATFORM?

Going down the stairs lets you experience the Leshan Buddha up close and from the bottom up, giving you a more immersive experience. To reach the head from the entrance you go up some stairs and will pass by two temples. This should not take you longer than 10 minutes to reach. Then at the head, you will walk down more stairs to its massive feet, passing by details that really show how enormous the statue is.

ENTRANCE FEE | ¥80 | €9 | US$10 per person

At peak hours you will have to queue for hours, people push and squeeze through, while you just wonder why you did this to yourself. However, we came across this horror stories online and could picture them. But to be honest we didn’t actually experience it ourselves. We just want you to be prepared for the worst, in case this happens to you.

Taking the boat gives you a full panoramic view from the river. It can be faster, and perfect for full-body photos, especially if you don’t want to deal with the stairs. But you won’t get that same feeling of standing right next to the statue or seeing the carving details up close.

ENTRANCE FEE | ¥120 | €14 | US$15 per person

BOOK | Leshan Cruise Tour + Huanglongxi Ancient Town

OUR EXPERIENCE

Buying tickets turned out to be more complicated than we expected. It took us over 30 minutes to understand the cashier’s explanations, as she was trying to sell us a combo ticket that included access to the Buddha Oriental Park—something we hadn’t heard of before. We were completely confused at first, but after lots of back and forth (and seeing some impressive photos she showed us), we decided to give it a try.

Since we were short on time and a bit panicked about possible long queues at the Buddha, we just wanted to get in as quickly as possible. Looking back, buying tickets online would’ve saved us a lot of stress. The staff was super helpful and gave great advice on how to plan the visit, but in that moment, we were too focused on getting to the statue. If you're tight on time too, we definitely recommend booking ahead.

BOOK | Book your tickets in advance here.

We probably reached the statue about an hour after the site opened and quickly realized we had panicked for nothing. While there were other visitors, the atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed. We could take photos in peace, admire the Buddha without any rush, and for a while, there were maybe only ten people on the viewing platform with us. The boats passing by below were already full with people. We stayed at the Buddha’s feet for a bit under an hour, soaking in the view, until the crowds started to grow. As you might have experienced elsewhere in China, it suddenly got loud with lots of chatter and non-stop photo-taking. So the peaceful, temple-like atmosphere disappeared, and we decided it was time to move on.

Since our original idea was to take the boat to see the Buddha from afar, we reconsidered it after having such a magical experience up close. After spending time at the statue’s feet, soaking in the peaceful atmosphere and seeing the Buddha in all its splendor, we simply didn’t feel the need to board a crowded boat anymore. The moment we had, had already been perfect.

WHAT ELSE TO DO IN LESHAN?

Oriental Buddha Park

The pictures we saw at the ticket counter made us believe we were about to see beautiful, ancient Buddha carvings. When we did our research on what else to do in Leshan, nothing popped up about the Oriental Buddha Park, so we had no clue what it was. So the joke was on us when we arrived and everything looked surprisingly new and perfectly crafted. We were honestly confused for a moment. That’s when we realized what had happened: due to the poor translations and the rush during ticket buying, we didn’t fully understood that it was a theme park. It all clicked in that moment, and we couldn’t help but laugh at ourselves for the mix-up.

Now to the real question: is the Oriental Buddha Park worth it? Honestly, we have mixed feelings, leaning more toward the negative side, but that’s just our personal take. The place left us a bit conflicted: it’s strange to walk through what feels like a theme park built around sacred imagery, where ticket sales fuel a business rather than support a temple or religious community. While some parts were visually impressive, the whole experience felt more like a commercial attraction than a spiritual or cultural site, and that left a sour note for us.

However, if you’re already in Leshan, want the experience, or aren’t sure what else to do in the area, then it might actually be worth it for you. The park is undeniably beautiful, with impressive carvings, massive statues, and peaceful walking paths that show the effort and artistry behind it all. If you go in with the mindset of exploring something unique rather than expecting a deeply spiritual visit, you might find it a surprisingly enjoyable stop.

ENTRANCE FEE | ¥70 | 8€ | US$9

Mount Emei

We didn’t make it to Mount Emei ourselves, but if you have the time, it’s one of China’s most sacred Buddhist mountains and a stunning day trip or overnight escape from Chengdu. You can take the high-speed train to Emeishan Station (about 1.5 hours), then use shuttle buses and cable cars to reach the famous Golden Summit, where you’ll find golden temples, mountain views, and even wild monkeys.

If you’d like to visit both the Leshan Giant Buddha and Mount Emei in one day, we recommend booking a guided tour. Organizing it yourself can be quite stressful, as the two sites are not only far apart, but each also takes time to explore properly. With a tour, you can sit back, skip the hassle, and make the most of your visit.

BOOK | Leshan Giant Buddha + Mount Emei + Jinding One-Day Tour

Wuyou Temple

Wuyou Temple is a calm and quiet place near the Leshan Giant Buddha. It’s up on a small hill and has nice views of the river and the area around. The temple has bright red walls, lots of stairs, and peaceful courtyards with old trees.

OPEN | 8:00am - 5:30pm

ENTRANCE FEE | included in the Leshan Buddha Ticket

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