🚠 Surviving Huanglong: Altitude, Long Queues & Unexpected Lessons! 🏔️

Our adventure to Huanglong started with a little mishap—I accidentally booked a shared ride on Gaode, and midway, the driver picked up another passenger! We had to rebook a new ride in a rush to Chengdu East Railway Station, which was massive and packed with people like a swarm of ants. Boarding the fast train to ABA Prefecture, we had lunch on the train, soaking in the changing landscapes. Upon arrival at Huanglong, we faced long queues everywhere—just getting to the scenic area was a test of patience. Huanglong sits at 3,100–3,500m altitude, making the uphill walk incredibly tiring. The landscape was breathtaking, with turquoise pools and unique limestone formations, but we only managed to visit one main crater due to time constraints. By evening, we barely caught the last bus back. Dinner was a hotpot feast provided by the tour agency, complete with live performances by the Aba ethnic group. After a long day, we finally checked into Howard Johnson Hotel, exhausted but excited for the next part of our journey. 📍 Timeline ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ 00:00 Introduction 00:20 Morning in Chengdu 01:14 Arriving at Chengdu East Railway Station 01:57 Bullet Train from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou 04:22 Arrival at Huanglong-Jiuzhai Railway Station 05:51 Elderly Traveler Collapses Due to High Altitude 06:10 Meet Our Tour Guide, Ah Duo 09:03 Entering Huanglong Scenic Area 11:49 Huanglong Observation Deck Views 15:17 Exploring the Iconic Travertine Pools 16:44 Tibetan Hotpot Dinner & Cultural Performance 18:29 Checking in at Howard Johnson Hotel 19:46 Key Takeaways from Huanglong 22:46 3D2N Huanglong & Jiuzhaigou Itinerary 🔗 Helpful Links ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ✈️ Book Flights to China https://leotrails.me/fly 🚄 Train Ticket: Chengdu → Huanglong/Jiuzhai (HLJZ Station) https://leotrails.me/chengdu-hlzj 🎫 Huanglong Entry + Shuttle Bus Tickets https://leotrails.me/huanglong-ticket 🚌 Scenic Bus Ticket in Huanglong Buy via WeChat Mini Programs — search: “阿坝” (Ābà) 💃 4D Romantic Show in Jiuzhaigou: A beautiful cultural performance worth seeing: https://leotrails.me/jzg-romance-show 🎟️ Jiuzhaigou Entrance Tickets: Book your tickets hassle-free: https://leotrails.me/jiuzhaigou-ticket 🏨 Hotels near Zhangzha Town https://leotrails.me/jiuzhaigou-stays 🏨 Book: Howard Johnson Hotel https://leotrails.me/howard-johnson-jzg 📶 VPN SIM Cards for China 13$ 30GB 10 DAYS 👉 https://leotrails.me/china-esim 📲 Download Must-Have China Apps https://leotrails.me/appchina 🗺️ 3D2N Jiuzhaigou Itinerary (Shorts TL;DR) https://leotrails.me/3D2N-JZG 🌿 Blog Story ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Jiuzhaigou Travel Guide: Magical Valley 👉https://leotrails.net/jiuzhaigou-trav... Exploring Huanglong: A Breathtaking Experience 👉https://leotrails.net/exploring-huang... Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong Ultimate 3 Days Travel Guide 👉https://leotrails.net/jiuzhaigou-and-...