Private Day Tour: Dujiangyan Panda Base Volunteering From Chengdu

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Tour Information

Key Details

  • Mobile Voucher Accepted
  • Hotel pickup Available
  • Duration: 8 Hrs
  • Language:
    English
  • Departure Time :
    07:00 AM Hotel pickups commence prior to this time, you must contact the local service provider to verify your exact pickup time.
  • Return Details :
    • This tour pricing is not including panda holding for photos program. If you wish to join panda holding program, you will need to pay RMB1800 to Dujiangyan Panda Base directly when you are there (P.. read more
  • Cancellation Policy :
    This activity is non-refundable Tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.

Overview

Dujiangyan Panda Base is one of the bases in Sichuan where you may join the Panda Volunteer Program. This private 8-hour tour will give you record behavior, clean enclosures and prepare food for the adorable mammals. Learn how the center's professional stafflooks after these endangered animals on a daily basis.

Know More about this tour


07:00 Your tour guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel within the 3rd ring of Chengdu and drive to the Dujiangyan Panda Base to check into the volunteer program. 8:30am Clean the panda enclosures and prepare the foodPanda keepers need to supply fresh bamboo to these national treasures three times each day. The pandas usually eat only 30% of the bamboo, wasting 70% of it.10:00am–11:00am Take a break and tour around the panda baseHave a relaxing walk in the well-paved base and listen to the legendary stories of these pandas.11:30am–1:00pm Have lunch and a rest in the base1:00pm–2:00pm Watch a panda movie that lasts for about 40 minutesYou will see a special documentary about how the shy pandas mate, give birth, grow up, and are returned to the wild.2:00pm–3:30pm More cleaning, and making panda's cakes3:30pm–4:00pm Get a certificate, and drive back to Chengdu

Itinerary:


07:00 Your tour guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel within the 3rd ring of Chengdu and drive to the Dujiangyan Panda Base to check into the volunteer program. 8:30am Clean the panda enclosures and prepare the food Panda keepers need to supply fresh bamboo to these national treasures three times each day. The pandas usually eat only 30% of the bamboo, wasting 70% of it. 10:00am–11:00am Take a break and tour around the panda base Have a relaxing walk in the well-paved base and listen to the legendary stories of these pandas. 11:30am–1:00pm Have lunch and a rest in the base 1:00pm–2:00pm Watch a panda movie that lasts for about 40 minutes You will see a special documentary about how the shy pandas mate, give birth, grow up, and are returned to the wild. 2:00pm–3:30pm More cleaning, and making panda's cakes 3:30pm–4:00pm Get a certificate, and drive back to Chengdu

Inclusions

  • Private normal car or luxury car (please choose)
  • English-speaking tour guide
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Bottled water
  • Private tour
  • Lunch
  • Volunteering fees
  • Travel Insurance

Exclusions

  • Gratuities

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Please note: Program could be modified based on the health of the pandas

The age restriction of program is between 12 and 65 years old. If your children are under 12 years old, they are still able to attend, and will be chaperoned accordingly

There is a daily limit of 20 volunteers for the Panda Keeper Program, so please reserve in advance and ensure your vacancy.

In order to ensure the health of Giant Pandas, do not spray perfume and paint nail polish, do not wear exaggerated ornaments, do not wear slippers, on the volunteering day. Wear sneakers.

Passport name and number is required at time of booking for all participants for Travel Insurance

Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking

Traveler Reviews

  • 06-May-2019

    We were very underwhelmed with this tour and disappointed because it isn’t as advertised. The information on the tour indicates close contact with Pandas and an optional picture and cuddling session with them for an extra fee. We planned our trip specifically for this reason, including taking extra cash for payment, filled out physician certified health screening forms, and rearranging our vacation to accommodate. When we arrived however, our guide said close contact or touching the pandas at all is not allowed and hasn’t been since the beginning of 2019. This was not disclosed in the information about the tour and is very misleading. Also, it is advertised as a “private tour” but it is really just a private transport to a group tour, where on our tour day, the were a total of 39 people volunteering. The only interaction we had with the pandas at all was a 10 second episode of feeding 2 small pieces of bamboo to a panda through a cage, and even then the zookeepers were mostly interested in making sure we were sufficiently far away from the pandas to have no contact whatsoever. Lastly, our guide was very detached and spent most of our tour texting and talking on his phone, rather than interacting with my wife and I on our “private tour”. It was so bad, we left early following lunch (which was an unappetizing cafeteria lunch line with the park staff by the way) so we wouldn’t have to waste our afternoon too. Overall, very poor experience that was misleading in description and absolutely not worth the money. Save your money and time and just see the pandas in the zoo, or visit the park on your own and walk around because you’ll have basically the same experience.

  • 03-May-2019

    We were very underwhelmed with this tour and disappointed because it isn’t as advertised. The information on the tour indicates close contact with Pandas and an optional picture and cuddling session with them for an extra fee. We planned our trip specifically for this reason, including taking extra cash for payment, filled out physician certified health screening forms, and rearranging our vacation to accommodate. When we arrived however, our guide said close contact or touching the pandas at all is not allowed and hasn’t been since the beginning of 2019. This was not disclosed in the information about the tour and is very misleading. Also, it is advertised as a “private tour” but it is really just a private transport to a group tour, where on our tour day, the were a total of 39 people volunteering. The only interaction we had with the pandas at all was a 10 second episode of feeding 2 small pieces of bamboo to a panda through a cage, and even then the zookeepers were mostly interested in making sure we were sufficiently far away from the pandas to have no contact whatsoever. Lastly, our guide was very detached and spent most of our tour texting and talking on his phone, rather than interacting with my wife and I on our “private tour”. It was so bad, we left early following lunch (which was an unappetizing cafeteria lunch line with the park staff by the way) so we wouldn’t have to waste our afternoon too. Overall, very poor experience that was misleading in description and absolutely not worth the money. Save your money and time and just see the pandas in the zoo, or visit the park on your own and walk around because you’ll have basically the same experience.

  • 05-Mar-2019

    Incroyable d'approcher si près les Pandas Guide Winnie très sympathique et claire dans les explications Toute la famille était rejouie

  • 04-Nov-2017

    Met by Summer and driver at my hotel right on time. Arrived at the base in time to get quickly dressed for the days adventure. It was so much fun. I loved the day. It was well organized. Enjoyed cleaning out the enclosures, feeding the pandas and making panda cakes. Lots of opportunities to take panda pictures. I took the optional panda picture with a two year old panda. Great memories. If you love pandas as much as me you wont be disappointed.

  • 04-Nov-2017

    Met by Summer and driver at my hotel right on time. Arrived at the base in time to get quickly dressed for the days adventure. It was so much fun. I loved the day. It was well organized. Enjoyed cleaning out the enclosures, feeding the pandas and making panda cakes. Lots of opportunities to take panda pictures. I took the optional panda picture with a two year old panda. Great memories. If you love pandas as much as me you wont be disappointed.

  • 13-Jul-2017

    We loved this tour. My 16 year old daughter has always loved Panda's, but has never seen one. This day of volunteering at the Dujiangyan Panda Base, exceeding our expectations. So much more than just looking at the Panda's, being involved in their feeding and care was really special. I paid the extra fee so my daughter could sit next to a Panda and get her picture and a short video made - it was a dream come true for her. Our guide, Summer, was wonderfull and I think something my daughter will always remember.

  • 13-Jul-2017

    We loved this tour. My 16 year old daughter has always loved Panda's, but has never seen one. This day of volunteering at the Dujiangyan Panda Base, exceeding our expectations. So much more than just looking at the Panda's, being involved in their feeding and care was really special. I paid the extra fee so my daughter could sit next to a Panda and get her picture and a short video made - it was a dream come true for her. Our guide, Summer, was wonderfull and I think something my daughter will always remember.

  • 25-May-2016

    The tour was really well organized and a great experience. I was traveling alone and my tour guide and the staff at the panda center made me feel really welcome. The volunteering part includes cleaning the panda enclosures, preparing bamboo and feeding the pandas, throughout the activities you will be staying close to the pandas and while we did some hard work it was an unbelievable experience to be close up and watch these lovely creatures go about their daily routine mostly eat, sleep, play Volunteers were provided with a shirt and gloves, make sure to wear comfortable clothing as you'll be moving a lot during the day. The place is also less touristy than the main center in Chengdu, you have a much better chance to observe the pandas play. Talking to the keepers and watching the panda documentary also helped to learn a lot about the research done at the center. Don't miss the photo session with the panda - an optional extra. Even though it's pretty short it's absolutely worth it and I'd do it again any time.

  • 08-Mar-2016

    There are different listings for panda volunteering on Viator, but this one allowed us to book a Saturday tour with less than 48 hours notice in advance. The operator, Third Pole Tour, contacted me swiftly to ask if my group had recent health certificates, which we did not. Fortunately they were able to make assurances to Dujiangyan and we were allowed to volunteer. Confirmation of the tour was made in less than 2 hours altogether. Our guide Ruby was in the hotel lobby waiting for us at 7am the next morning. Unfortunately one of us thought pickup time was 7:30, so we were late leaving the hotel. We still arrived in comfort at Dujiangyan around 8:30. Ruby escorted us to the volunteer registration and came with us out to the panda enclosures to provide some information and translation for the keepers. The woman running the volunteer program for the base also spoke good English, so between her and Ruby we felt very comfortable. In the morning, my group and another volunteer cleaned 2 panda enclosures and fed one panda. My group also paid extra for the photo with the young panda. Lunch at the canteen was good, followed by some free time until 1pm, then the Pandas 3D movie, an afternoon feeding session, walk through the base past the different panda enclosures, and shaping of panda cakes. On the way back, the guide and driver graciously stopped to let us explore a street market for about 30 minutes. We were back at the hotel around 5pm after a good nap in the car. I definitely recommend the tour and this agency.

  • 07-Mar-2016

    There are different listings for panda volunteering on Viator, but this one allowed us to book a Saturday tour with less than 48 hours notice in advance. The operator, Third Pole Tour, contacted me swiftly to ask if my group had recent health certificates, which we did not. Fortunately they were able to make assurances to Dujiangyan and we were allowed to volunteer. Confirmation of the tour was made in less than 2 hours altogether. Our guide Ruby was in the hotel lobby waiting for us at 7am the next morning. Unfortunately one of us thought pickup time was 7:30, so we were late leaving the hotel. We still arrived in comfort at Dujiangyan around 8:30. Ruby escorted us to the volunteer registration and came with us out to the panda enclosures to provide some information and translation for the keepers. The woman running the volunteer program for the base also spoke good English, so between her and Ruby we felt very comfortable. In the morning, my group and another volunteer cleaned 2 panda enclosures and fed one panda. My group also paid extra for the photo with the young panda. Lunch at the canteen was good, followed by some free time until 1pm, then the Pandas 3D movie, an afternoon feeding session, walk through the base past the different panda enclosures, and shaping of panda cakes. On the way back, the guide and driver graciously stopped to let us explore a street market for about 30 minutes. We were back at the hotel around 5pm after a good nap in the car. I definitely recommend the tour and this agency.