Chongqing is known as the mountain city where skyscrapers cling to cliffs, rivers split the skyline, and spicy food sets your soul on fire. This blog will take you on the ultimate one-day itinerary through this unforgettable city. Our one day in Chongqing itinerary will take you from the confluence of two rivers, the Yangtze River and the Jialing River, to the city’s wild skyline, spicy food, and vibrant street life. In the evening Chongqing shines after dark – the bridges, the skyscrapers, the reflections on the river – it’s pure magic. This is what to do with a one day stopover in Chongqing.
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Table of Contents
Only Have One Day in Chongqing? Here’s How to See the Best
One day is more than enough to see the best of Chongqing, will you be busy? Yes but with a city that packs a punch you have to squeeze in everything you can. Chongqing is China’s most futuristic and chaotic megacity. Follow our route for the most efficient way to cover the top highlights in 24 hours. Whether you are a first time visitor, have a short stay or stopover this is the best way to see Chongqing in one day.
Quick Overview: Your 1-Day Chongqing Itinerary
We are going to hit all the high points of Chongqing on this one day itinerary. There won’t be any down time-unless you decide to skip something and take it slow!
- Morning: Culture + history
- Afternoon: Landmarks + old streets + sailing through the air
- Evening: Neon skyline + city lights
- Night: Hot pot + river cruise vibes
Check out our day in Chongqing and see what we fit in, leave us a like and subscribe to our channel to help support us!
Where to Stay in Chongqing for One Night
If you aren’t flying (or taking a late train) out at night then this is where we stayed. It was pretty well located a door down from the cable car entrance. It is a hotel located inside a massive skyscraper, it is a unique thing we have noticed in China. Sometimes you book a hotel and end up in a massive building and the hotel is on a few floors of it.
Best Area: Jiefangbei (City Centre)
Next time I would choose to stay right in the Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street area, this would be my pick but anywhere around this area would be good. This is the most central area, it is walkable, central and the best for short stays. Close to major attractions and nightlife while still having easy transport access.
1-Day Chongqing Itinerary (Hour-by-Hour Plan)
Follow this itinerary to fit in as much as possible in our easy to follow route.
Morning: Start with culture and history:
Ciqikou Ancient Town 8am – 10:30am
Ciqikou Ancient Town is a great place to start your one day in Chongqing as it is a little out of town and you’ll need a Didi to get there. Head out here early and soak it up before it gets too busy. Ciqikou is an 1,000-year-old historic district known for its preserved Ming and Qing Dynasty architecture. It feels like stepping back in time and is packed with tiny tea houses, street food vendors, and cool little shops.
Ciqikou is an 1,000-year-old historic district known for its preserved Ming and Qing Dynasty architecture. It feels like stepping back in time and is packed with tiny tea houses, street food vendors, and cool little shops.
Transport – Jump in a Didi and head to Liziba Monorail Station.
Late Morning: Landmarks and Iconic City Views 11am – 11:30am
Liziba Monorail Station
This is one of the most famous sites, you have to see the monorail train that goes through a residential building…it’s pretty unique. Head to Liziba Monorail Station to make a quick photo stop of the famous monorail and take in the iconic Chongqing sight. There is a viewing platform where you can see the monorail pass through, it comes about every 20 minutes or so. While you are there don’t forget to look out behind you over the city views of the river and bridges. There are stalls here selling food and be prepared that a local may grab you to be in a photo, this happened to me while waiting for Mike to get a snack.
Transport – Didi to Shancheng Alley
Afternoon: Old Streets of Chongqing
Shancheng Alley 12pm – 12:20pm
Grab a didi over to Shancheng Alley and wander this old street inside busy Chongqing. Along this quiet lane you will find lovely river views, street art and coffeeshops full of the old Chongqing vibe and local life.
Transport – Option 1: A 12 minute walk or Option 2: Grab a Didi (Didi is crazily cheap in China so it doesn’t cost much to get around if you want to save time (and your feet!).
Shibati Old Street 12:30pm – 1:30pm
This is one of my favourite stops in Chongqing. It is called the Eighteen Stairs and offers a historic, hillside, stone-stepped walk that descends from the Yuzhong city top towards the Yangtze River. It has been renovated to modern standard but keeping the ancient buildings to feature traditional shops, cafes, and teahouses, it connects upper city to the lower riverfront and is how the city moved between the two areas in the past.
Transport – Walk 10 minutes
Late Afternoon
Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street 2-3pm
Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street is the main street in Chongqing. It is a commercial centre and has many snack stalls and food courts. You will eat to your hearts content while you walk through this street. Mike loved this tasty pork snack, the line up of locals was enough for him to try it. I grabbed a fried rice in one of the food courts. If you haven’t already eaten (and I am sure you have grabbed snacks everywhere, get something here)
Transport – Didi to The Yangtze River Cableway
Yangtze River Cableway 3:30 – 4pm
The Yangtze River Cableway is another iconic Chongqing moment, where else can you take a ropeway through buildings across a famous river? The trips on the cableway are really affordable and scenic, starting at $7 USD each way. You can either take it one way or both.
Early evening – The Secret Old Street
Longmenhao Old Street – 4 – 6pm
Once on the other side then head to Longmenhao Old Street and walk the old street taking in the views across the river. This is a lesser known spot and most people agree it is a quieter and more quaint experience than busy Hongya Cave. Then catch a cable car or Didi back over the bridge.
Evening: Neon Lights & Skyline Magic
The famous Honya Cave (Hongyadong) and lights 6:30pm
The Hongya Cave is very busy but it is worth seeing. It is best seen in the eveining when it is all lit up and sparkly! The cave is set on a hill side and consists of traditional-style buildings stacked along the cliff. It has multiple levels, is really huge and while inside walking through its maze of shops, restaurants, and spectacular views of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, may not be too busy outside on the ground it is usually really crowded. We walked down the inside of it around 6/7pm and by the time we got outside it was so crowded-but it is all part of the fun I guess!
You can visit it earlier in the day but without the lights it loses some of what makes it an event. At night the cave is fully lit up, this is where Chongqing gets its cyberpunk city nickname from. The best views are from the river side looking back towards the buildings. The river, lit up bridges, builidings and reflections all make great photography spots too. You can also book a river cruise to experience the light show from a different vantage point!
The Chongqing Drone Show
There is a famous Chongqing Drone Show that happens Every Saturday + holidays (May-Sept: 9pm; Oct-Apr: 8:30pm). It wasn’t on when we visited but I would try to see it if you are there on a Saturday. Apparently the best locations to watch it from are Nanbin Road Clock Tower Plaza, Chaotianmen Square and Jiangbeizui Grand Theater. It gets really busy so arrive 2 hours early if you want to see it– crowds exceed 100,000 people on holidays. Another option is to watch it from your hotel , this one has views according to the reviews and I think you could see it from the top of Raffles City which is a massice vertical mall.
What to eat in Chongqing?
Dinner: Try Chongqing Hot Pot
Chongqing hot pot is known for its spicy mouth numbing flavours, it is social so you will share with your group. While it is a signature dish of the area, you can ask for a more mild version, which in our experience will probably still be spicy!
Getting Around Chongqing Efficiently
Chongqing is easy to get around although it is a busy city so traffic can slow you down. The Metro is very extensive but also complex to manage for just one day. We found that using DiDi (ride app) is easiest for short stays like our 1 day in Chongqing. It can get busy in traffic so you may need extra time or just to be flexible. Walking is always my preferred option but be mindful that Chongqing is hilly so there can be many stairs or hills to walk up…even when maps doesn’t show them!
What Makes Chongqing Unique (Why It’s Worth a Stop)
Chongqing is a unique city and honestly such a different place for us as we usually look for more natural and nature based locations. Its multi-level city design with roads above (and sometimes through!) buildings, dense skyline + dramatic geography and night views rival other major global cities like Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo!
What to Skip If You Only Have One Day
If you want to take it a little slower or you have a little less than a day I would skip Ciqikou Ancient Town and stay in the main city area. This will make your time a little less rushed, you can also skip Shancheng Alley and just go over the cableway and straight back instead of walking Longmenhao Old Street.
What to add if you have more than one day in Chongqing?
If you have a day or two more in Chongqing then I would head out on one of the very cool day trips you can do from here. These are the ones I would love to come back and do:
- Three Natural Bridges + Longshuixia Fissure Gorge + Fairy Mountain – get out and see the famous Three Natural Bridges!
- Chongqing One-Day Tour – Dazu Rock Carvings Tour – Exploring Shuangshan – I would love to see these incredible rock carvings. The tour takes you through quite a few locations.
- Private One-Day Tour to Hidden Heishan Valley – A nature lovers dream of extensive cliffside plank roads, bamboo forests, waterfalls, and suspension bridges.
Tips for Visiting Chongqing in 24 Hours
The best things to remember for Chongqing is that you are trying to accomplish a lot in 1 day so with this in mind use these tips to help be prepared. Check out our China travel guide and tips to get all our tips for your visit to China.
- Wear comfortable shoes, you will do a lot of walking and climb a lot of stairs.
- Prepare for the weather of your visit, we were there when it was quite hot and we really appreciated using Didi for the airconditioning!
- Carry water – always a useful tip but especially in the heat
- We used Amap which is the best English translated map app in China. We also had WeChat and Didi China ready to go.
- Have hotel address in Chinese – this is a useful tip for every Chinese city. You can also get the Chinese address from your Trip booking and put it in to Didi if needed.
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Is One Day in Chongqing Enough?
One day in Chongqing is enough to see the city, however if you want to start getting out and seeing the area then another day or two for day trips is great. If you only have one day available I think it is a great city to visit as there is definitely enough to fill the day and most of it is very central. Essentially it makes a great add on to any China itinerary.
FAQ: One Day in Chongqing
What is Chongqing best known for?
Chongqing is famous for its very spicy hot pot, skyline and futuristic city layout.
Is Chongqing worth visiting for one day?
Yes, especially for the unique cityscape. This city isn’t just another city, it intertwines a unique vertical style city into modern day. From cliff side building structures to skyscrapers it has a unique skyline. Our one day in Chongqing itinerary will get you around the city easily.
How do I get around Chongqing quickly?
We used DiDi to quickly and conveniently get around Chongqing. It is really affordable and made getting straight to our next destination easy.
What is the best area to stay in Chongqing?
Jiefangbei is the centre of Chongqing, we think it is the best place to base yourself for the night.
Final Thoughts: Your Perfect 24 Hours in Chongqing
Chongqing is one of China’s megacities and there is a lot to see here! If you are looking to experience futuristic landscapes and evening excitement you will love it here…it’s a place that packs a punch and leaves you dreaming of the future. This is our perfect 24 hours in Chongqing itinerary, we hope it helps you plan your trip to include this awesome, futuristic city.
Plan your trip:
👉 Read next: Chengdu, the perfect city to visit after futuristic Chongqing
👉 Plan your trip: 2-Week China Itinerary or our 4-Week China Itinerary
👉 Don’t miss: Furong Town – China’s Magical Town on a Waterfall
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