Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park: What Visitors Should Know

1. Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park Peak Travel Seasons and Sightseeing Buses

There are two major holiday periods when Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park attracts large numbers of visitors.

The first is China’s Labor Day holiday in early May, and the second is the National Day holiday in early October.

During these peak periods, visitor numbers can be extremely high. The park’s daily visitor limit is 41,000 people.

So, rather than simply booking your tickets in advance and preparing for the crowds, the best way to avoid them is to choose the right time to visit. By traveling outside the peak season, you can enjoy a less crowded experience and often find better hotel rates.

However, if you can only visit Jiuzhaigou Valley during one of these peak periods, there is no need to worry too much about the crowds.

With the help of an intelligent visitor-management system, the park coordinates and dispatches its fleet of sightseeing buses to transport visitors throughout the scenic area.

The buses are dispatched according to visitor demand, helping large numbers of people travel between scenic spots throughout the day.

The drivers are experienced in navigating the winding mountain roads, allowing passengers to sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful scenery through the bus windows.

At designated stops, visitors can get off to explore the surrounding attractions on foot and then board another sightseeing bus to continue their journey. If you want to spend more time at a particular attraction, you can adjust your schedule accordingly, following the park’s bus arrangements and boarding instructions.

2. Lunch at Nuorilang Center Station

Around lunchtime, many visitors arrive at Nuorilang Center Station, one of the main transportation hubs inside the park. They usually take a break here.

The center provides visitor facilities, including restrooms, medical services, and a food area where you can find meals, snacks, and drinks.

The restrooms are generally clean and well maintained. But, as you might expect, women may have to wait in line, especially during busy periods.

If you are wondering what you can eat inside the park at Nuorilang Center Station, let’s take a closer look at the food options available.

There are plenty of Chinese-style meals to choose from, including hot dishes, beef hand-pulled noodles, ramen, rice noodles, pancakes, and oden, a Japanese-style dish featuring ingredients simmered in broth.

You can also find a variety of snacks and both hot and cold drinks. For coffee lovers, there is Cotti Coffee, a Chinese coffee chain similar to Luckin Coffee.

If you are visiting from overseas and prefer something familiar, fried rice is another option to consider.

Visitors can choose to eat inside the food complex or sit in the outdoor dining area.

Food Street at Nuorilang Center Station

At Nuorilang Food Street, you can find some familiar drink and fast-food chains. For example, ChaPanda is a popular Chinese tea-drink chain, while Belike is a Chinese fast-food chain offering items such as Chinese-style hamburgers, fried chicken, steak, pizza, and drinks.

If you have visited outlet malls in the United States, some of the food options here may look familiar. However, you will also find a much wider variety of Chinese-style food.

For example, beef hand-pulled noodles may look fascinating to overseas visitors, but they are a very common dish in China. You can also find Chinese stir-fried dishes cooked in a wok, Shaanxi-style food, soup-based meals, and pancakes, which are another interesting option for international visitors.

There is also oden, a Japanese dish featuring ingredients simmered in broth, along with various snacks and drinks.

A buffet is available as well.

Before deciding to eat at the buffet, I recommend taking a look at the dishes on offer and checking the price. You can then decide whether it suits your taste and budget.

I won’t try to describe the buffet food in detail here. After all, seeing is believing!

3. High Altitude and Medical Assistance

One more thing visitors should be aware of is the altitude.

Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park lies at elevations of roughly 2,000 to 3,000 meters above sea level, with some areas even higher.

Most visitors can enjoy the park without serious problems, but some people may experience symptoms related to the high altitude.

If you feel unwell, stop walking, rest, and seek assistance from park staff or the medical station at Nuorilang Center.

If your symptoms are severe or get worse, seek urgent medical attention. Jiuzhaigou County Second People’s Hospital is approximately seven kilometers from the park’s main entrance, with a drive of around 15 minutes under normal road conditions.

If you travel to Jiuzhaigou by high-speed train, you may also find oxygen products for sale or medical services at Huanglongjiuzhai Railway Station.

A little preparation can make your visit much more comfortable.

Thank you for watching, and enjoy your trip to Jiuzhaigou!