The Wild Side of China: A Nature Odyssey

© 
Meet Pandas Up Close & Search for Rare Wildlife on Remote Nature Reserves
Deep in the Minshan Mountains of Sichuan province, great rivers and gorges dissect lush forests that shelter some of the world’s most endangered wildlife. This is the last wild habitat of the giant panda, which subsists on the bamboo protected within a network of remote nature reserves. Supported by WWF, these little-visited wilderness enclaves also harbor rare moon bears, golden snub-nosed monkeys, shaggy takin, Chinese goral, blue sheep and exquisite birds, including the golden pheasant. Discover a side of China most travelers never experience on our unique itinerary, carefully crafted to reveal rarely seen panda habitat, up-close encounters with pandas, and Chinese nature at its most entrancing. We also visit the ancient Silk Road city of Xi'an, where the Terracotta Army has guarded the tomb of China's first emperor for more than 2,200 years.
Giant panda, Dujiangyan Panda Base, China.
Daniel Ho
Giant panda, Dujiangyan Panda Base, China.
Nat Hab guest, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China.
Brad Josephs
Nat Hab guest, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China.
Giant pandas, Genda Wolong Panda Base, China.
Giant pandas, Genda Wolong Panda Base, China.
Golden snub-nosed monkeys and Nat Hab guest, Golden Monkey Nature Reserve, China.
Brad Josephs
Golden snub-nosed monkeys and Nat Hab guest, Golden Monkey Nature Reserve, China.
Siguniangshan National Park, China.
Brad Josephs
Siguniangshan National Park, China.
Giant panda, China.
Melissa Scott
Giant panda, China.
Terracotta warriors, Xi
Eddy Savage
Terracotta warriors, Xi'an, China.
Red panda, China.
Eddy Savage
Red panda, China.
Tibetan woman, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China.
Tibetan woman, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China.
Giant panda cub, Genda Wolong Panda Base, China.
Brad Josephs
Giant panda cub, Genda Wolong Panda Base, China.
Golden snub-nosed monkeys, Golden Monkey Nature Reserve, China.
Brad Josephs
Golden snub-nosed monkeys, Golden Monkey Nature Reserve, China.
Sichuan takin, Wild Panda Nature Reserve, China.
Sichuan takin, Wild Panda Nature Reserve, China.
Wild Panda Reserve Hotel, Minshan Mountains, China.
Wild Panda Reserve Hotel, Minshan Mountains, China.
Giant panda cubs, Dujiangyan Panda Base, China.
Giant panda cubs, Dujiangyan Panda Base, China.
Rhesus macaques, Wild Panda Nature Reserve, China.
Rhesus macaques, Wild Panda Nature Reserve, China.

Trip Highlights

Extended Visits to Three Panda Bases

Watch and photograph giant pandas at close range at three world-renowned panda research centers—plus an exclusive opportunity to volunteer in their care

Exclusive Wildlife Reserve Access

Special permits secured by Nat Hab allow us into a remote, rarely visited national wildlife sanctuary where highly elusive wild pandas live and breed freely

Close Encounters with Golden Monkeys

Get close-up photos of golden snub-nosed monkeys, charming blue-faced primates found only in a small area of temperate forest in central China

Photo Departures Available

On this unique nature and culture photography immersion, capture landscapes and wildlife in secluded nature reserves and national parks, get close-ups of giant pandas at research and breeding bases, and photograph scenes of daily life in traditional Tibetan villages and the ancient walled city of Xi'an. Your Nat Hab Expedition Leader is both a naturalist guide and an accomplished nature and wildlife photographer, offering personalized and techniques to help you get your best shots.
View Photo Itinerary

We Show You the Natural China Most People Never See!

Google “China tours” and you’ll find plenty that will show you Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. Yet virtually no one offers nature adventures, and no one else takes you to the remote, rarely visited wildlife reserves that we do. Nat Hab holds special permits that grant us access into a nature sanctuary that few Westerners—and very few local tourists—ever see. When you visit China with us, leave behind crowds, traffic and polluted city air for wild mountain terrain.

  1. See Giant Pandas Up Close on Visits to Three Different Sites
    Compare China itineraries—we don't think you'll find another that offers the panda immersion ours does, with unhurried visits to three different panda research bases: Dujiangyan Panda Base, which focuses on rescuing injured and ill wild pandas and disease control; the newly rebuilt Gengda Wolong Panda Center, which integrates scientific research, captive breeding and reintroduction of pandas into the wild; and Dujiangyan Panda Valley, a new facility that is both a panda research and breeding base and a center for conservation education.
  2. A Rare Opportunity to Volunteer with Panda Care
    At Dujiangyan Panda Base, you'll have an optional opportunity to help with aspects of the pandas' care. This could involve preparing their food, cleaning enclosures, and other tasks that place us directly into the daily activities of the pandas' caregivers at this research base. Please note we cannot guarantee that this volunteer opportunity will always be available. 
  3. Exclusive Access to Search for Pandas & Other Rare Wildlife  
    This is a genuine Nat Hab privilege: We have secured special permits to visit remote sectors of a totally untouristed nature reserve deep within the Minshan Mountains, a global biodiversity hotspot that's home to some of the world’s most endangered wildlife. We'll search for giant pandas and moon bears that inhabit the park, though we won't expect to see them, as both are highly elusive. We have better chances to find other rare Chinese animals like takin, goral, serow and golden pheasant, within a completely natural habitat that few tourists have ever laid eyes on—and only a handful of Westerners (mostly other Nat Hab travelers). The terrain is steep and heavily forested, and animals are often sheltered, camouflaged or seen at a distance—but just being in their midst in such a quiet, wild place is a moving experience.
  4. Get Close to Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys
    Visit a golden monkey nature reserve where we're sure to have close-up encounters with a habituated family group of these entertaining primates. It's a rare opportunity to see and photograph this endangered species that is endemic to a very limited part of central and southwest China. 
  5. Our Small Groups Go Places Larger Groups Can't 
    Because we limit this trip to approximately 12 guests, we’re able to take you where larger bus tours cannot go, including a remote national park where we have exclusive permits to search for wild pandas (though they are exceptionally elusive and rarely seen).
  6. Travel with Two Guides for Exceptional Expertise
    Our China trips benefit from the leadership of two guides: a native English-speaking Nat Hab Expedition Leader accompanied by a warm and hospitable Chinese naturalist guide who is highly trained in natural history and interpretation, not to mention being our cultural and linguistic "go-between." It's an optimal combination of interpretive guiding, cultural knowledge and personalized attention.
  7. Experience Traditional Tibetan Culture  
    Our travels include an overland traverse along the edge of the vast Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where small villages, prayer flags and chortens dot the landscape. Learn more about the deeply traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture, which offers a dramatic counterpoint to the urban setting of Chengdu.
  8. Savor Outstanding Sichuan Cuisine
    While nature may be your primary interest, food lovers will be thrilled by the culinary delights this trip offers. Sichuan is famed for its piquant cuisine, and we get to sample a wide selection of restaurants and dishes, with items carefully chosen by our local guide to appeal to Western palates. Since food is typically served family-style at a large round table, multiple tastes and dietary preferences can be catered for at every meal (though be sure to make special needs known to us ahead of time). And you won't be eating only in hotels or touristy restaurants: we choose locations popular with local people, for a truly authentic Chinese dining experience that Western visitors will also enjoy.
  9. Our Accommodations Offer the Best in Location and Comfort
    From a 5-star luxury hotel in Chengdu to a quiet mountain inn where other travelers are few, our comfortable lodgings place you in close proximity to famous Chinese landmarks and remote and wild natural settings. Each offers a regional experience of China with plenty of amenities. 
  10. Travel with Expert Expedition Leaders 
    Our Nat Hab Expedition Leaders are outstanding North American naturalist guides who are passionate about China and its wildlife. In addition, you’ll travel with a Chinese tour guide who is a nature expert, ensuring an optimal balance of scientific knowledge, authentic cultural insight and attentive personal service. Furthermore, our Expedition Leaders have the benefit of additional training and resources from WWF's renowned scientists and researchers. See Expedition Leader bios and traveler comments regarding the quality of our leaders.
  11. Our Quality-Value Guarantee Ensures Your Outstanding China Tour
    With Natural Habitat Adventures, you receive our exclusive guarantee that clearly states that we will meet the high expectations we set forth in our promotional materials. To our knowledge, this is the most ambitious guarantee made by any adventure travel company. Read our important promise.
  12. Feel Good About Your Carbon-Neutral Journey
    We care deeply about our planet, as we know you do. When you travel with us, the carbon emissions from your trip are 100% offset—including your round-trip flights from home. Natural Habitat Adventures has been the world’s first carbon-neutral travel company since 2007.
  13. Natural Habitat Adventures Is WWF's Travel Partner
    Because of our commitment to environmentally friendly travel, as well as the exceptional quality of our small-group nature adventures, World Wildlife Fund, the world’s leading environmental conservation organization, has named Natural Habitat Adventures its worldwide travel partner—a designation that makes us exceedingly proud!

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