Utimate Mount Siguniang Trekking Guide

Mount Siguniang iis located in Aba(Ngawa) Tibetan and Qiang Prefecture, 200km west to Chengdu and it is one of the main mountain ranges in Sichuan. Mt. Siguniang is home to the easternmost 6000er mountain on earth and its east is the famous Wolong Panda Sanctuary and the eastern rim of Tibetan Plateau. Mt. Siguniang was once named as the Oriental Alps for its close resemblance to the real Alps. A trekking trip to Mount Siguniang is very popular among hikers. Mount Siguniang is also one of the top ten mountaineering training bases of China due to its rich mountain landscape and realtively easier access and comfortable hotel facilities. A trekking/hiking trip to Mount Siguniang varies from hard trek to family-friendly hikings. The popular hiking routes include Shuangqiao, Changping and Haizi Valleys. One can do day hikes in all three valleys or one can do a multi-day camping trek from Changping to Bipeng, or one can do the 2-night trekking from the town Rilong hiking to the summit of Dafeng at over 5000 meters.

Important Notice:

Please note since late 2023 we have seen huge rise of mountain travelers going to Siguniang Dafeng and Erfeng and since then the mountains are overloaded. From June 2024 the park authority has banned any trekking from November to the next May and has set a limit of 260 people a day to the summits. Read details.

How to get to Mount Siguniang

A trip to Siguniang one usually starts from Chengdu, a city of 10 million population that is a main city in southwestern China. One travels from the humid Chengdu via misty panda sactuary then on to the dry and clear Siguniang Mountains. Mount Siguniang is located 200km west to Chengdu, one can arrive in Rilong, the base town of Mount Siguniang, within 4 hours. A trekking tour to Mount Siguniang will usually start from Chengdu or end in Chengdu for international travelers. Rilong used to be a very small village and now a tourist town with many hostels available. The drive from Chengdu to Rilong takes about 4 hours via Dujiangyan and Wolong Panda Sanctuary. The landscape is also very stunning while you are on the road. After Dujiangyan you will be driving in the mountains and after a long Balang Tunnel, you will arrive in Rilong. The town of Rilong is now called Mt. Siguniang Town.

When is the best time to hike in Mount Siguniang?

Mount Siguniang Massif is locateed between sub-tropical zone and continental highland zone. Due to its high elevation, summer is cool and winter is cold. It is generally considered dry at Mount Siguniang throughout the year. Raining season come from May to September with the most rain in July normally. In spring there are usually snows and strong wind. In winter the weather calms down to low temperature and more windy days. Also due to its high elevation, temperature in a day changes a lot. You often experience a warm day but a cold night.

Generally October to the next April, the weather is clear, normally with sunny days but cold and dry. From May to September come the raining season comparing to the dry season alhough it’s still not very wet. Please read details of weather and climate of Siguniang.

How to plan a trekking/hiking trip to Mount Siguniang?

Duration and Transfer

A Mount Siguniang trekking trip usually starts and ends in Chengdu. Chengdu becomes the best stopover city for this trekking adventure. Mount Siguniang locates 200km west to Chengdu and the drive takes about 4 hours. One can either aim Siguniang as the main travel destination or to plan it as one of your travel destinations while in Sichuan and continue from Siguniang to other places such as Danba, Tagong or even further. A lot of travelers start (or end) their trip from Chengdu to Siguniang and has Siguniang planned as the first stop and continue on to Danba, Tagong, Kangding or Yading and do a circuit road trip.

A. Siguniang as one of your travel destinations in a circuit road trip. You can either start your circuit trip from Chengdu and use Siguniang to be your first stop or your last stop. Being at around 3000m, the base of Siguniang (Rilong) is a perfect place for acclimating. This is why a lot travelers use Siguniang as their first stop in the circuit trip. Normally one spend 1-2 nights here to have visit or day hikes in the valley of Changping and Shuangqiao. For such sample tour please read western Sichuan circuit hiking tour.

B. For travelers who only go to Siguniang, you will drive the 200km on road for 4 hours. If you aim to go to the summit of Dafeng or plan to go higher in the valleys then normally you take it slow on the first day. Go back from Mount Siguniang to Chengdu will use the same road as it is at present the shortest and quickest one. There is no train nor airport available between Mount Siguniang and Chengdu. There is one sightseeing train will be available in the coming years. To break the 4-hour drive one can make stops for visits along the way between Chengdu and Siguniang. Dujiangyan Irrigation Park is a good option. Mt. Qingcheng is also an option for active travelers. Wolong Panda Base is also on the way from Chengdu to Siguniang that provides a chance to see pandas at pandas’ actual hometown. While planning a trip to Siguniang, you can consider to include the places of interest to your plan and please follow the links to check more info on the locations along the way.

Lodge-Based Hiking

This way is what most of visitors to Siguniang normally do. One can use hotels in Rilong and go to the valleys to do hiking light hiking, horse riding, etc and come back to hotel every night. You are recommended to spend one to two nights there for this type of hiking. Changping Valley and Haizi Valley as well as Shuangqiao Valley are all good places to do some walking. All valleys are one way in and the same way out. Hiking in Shuangqiao usually involves using the tourist bus to end of the valley and then start to walk from there. Shuangqiao valley provides the easist hiking of all three valleys and its views are also super beautiful. Hiking in Changping Valley one starts and ends by walking basically the same way. A one-day Changping Valley walk takes you to the base of Mount Siguniang at its west side. Great views of big walls of the mountain but to get there is takes about 4 hours: also same way in and same way out. Hiking in Haizi Valley can be a 1-2 hours leisure walk just to get to the ridge where views are open or one can do a full day hiking to Laoniuyuanzi or even to Huahaizi Lake and come back. Please note all day hikes in the three valleys are flexible and can turn around at anytime.

If one only planned a big half day’s time in Siguniang, you can do the Shuangqiao Valley hiking: using the bus to end of the valley and walk from there down the boardwalk is rather easy and you can do the 8-12km essence part in a a good 4-5 hours total including the bus time. If one wants to choose between Haizi and Changping for your limited time here, Changping is recommended: in Changping if you turn around at any point you still get good views while in Haizi you only get the next good views after 12km point, which is far in one day considering you’ll need to come back the same day for another 12km. Please read 4-Day Mt. Siguniang Lodging Hike.

Camping Trek from Changping Valley to Bipeng Valley

This is a popular hiking route in China and it is listed as top 10 hikings in China. It starts in Rilong and ends in Bipenggou Valley in Lixian. You will have 2 nights camping in Changping Valley and total three days of walking. First two days are easy while third is is hard as you will need to walk over a 4500m pass that is very steep. This camping trek goes from Changping Valley to Bipeng Valley and then goes back to Chengdu on a different road. It takes 5-6 days including good visits along the way and acclimating hikes. Please read 6-Day Siguniang Changping to Bipeng Trek.

Camping Trek to Dafeng Summit

Dafeng is a 5025-meter high mountain in Mount Siguniang and a popular trekking destination in China. A Dafeng Trekking trip starts from Rilong and ends in Rilong. You will need minimum 1 night and 2 days to do the trek from Rilong, the base of Siguniang. First day to reach base camp at 4300 meters and second day to the summit and come back to base camp and go back to Rilong.This trek offers you chance to summit Dafeng of Mount Siguniang, a 5025 meters mountain. Please read details of Trek to Dafeng Summit.

Camping Trek to Erfeng Summit

This trek also starts from Rilong and ends in Rilong. You need a minimum 1 night and 2 days to do this trek. First day to reach Erfeng base camp, second day to Erfeng Summit and come back down to Erfeng base camp and then come back to the town of Rilong.

Siguniang Trekking/Hiking Tips

Mount Siguniang means Mountain of Four Sisters, indicating the four peaks from south to north, Yaomei Peak being the youngest sister and the tallest one. Local people are a sub-group of Tibetan. They are called Jiarong Tibetans. The Jiarong Tibetans are also very nice people. Considering hiking and climbing activities getting popular, people at Mount Siguniang are very experienced workers since years ago. There is no age limit for Mount Siguniang Trekking generally but normally between 12 and 60 are considered a safe age range to do this place although we have seen people over 70 y/o who did it before. Generally Trekking in Mount Siguniang is not very long but it can be difficult and can be dangerous if you are not prepared given the high altitude of its hiking.

Elevation and Walking Distance

Elevation of the walkings in Mount Siguniang is generally between 3000 meters and 5050 meters. Daily gain can be very big such as a Dafeng trek if you do it in a short time, in which it gains over 1000 meters in a day from Rilong to Dafeng base camp. Rilong is at the elevation of 3000 meters. Changping Valley is between 3200 meters and 3900 meters. The pass between Changping Valley and Bipeng Valley is at around 4500 meters. Base camp of Dafeng is 4300 meters. Base camp of Erfeng is at 4200 meters. Summit of Dafeng is at 5025 meters, Summit of Erfeng is also at over 5200 meters. Elevation of Shuangqiao is between 3500m and 3800m.

Terrain and Trails

The hiking in Shuangqiao is basically on very gradual terrain on boardwalk. The hiking in Changping is 7km boardwalk on gradual terrain and after 7km it is still gradual walking on big and recoganizable horse trails. The hiking in Haizi is mainly unpaved horse trails. Treks that go over passes and go to summits are very steep.

There are basically two kinds of trails you will experience during a Mount Siguniang Trekking. First one is the trail at lower elevation where you may see bushes and grass. These trails are recognizable and easy to walk (mostly paved boardwalks now). The second kind of trail is at high erelevation generally after the base camp or at places with elevation over 4000 meters. These trails are made out on the rocks. Although many hikers use these trails very often but you are suggested to have a local guide with you for this part because the snow may cover the trail and at such elevation and in some seasons the snow stays for a long time.

Mountain Sickness

Normally it is better to acclimate yourself before you go to higher elevation in Siguniang. Mountain sickness is possible especially when you don’t come to highland very often. Drinking water and take some Diamox maybe helpful. Extra care is necessary even for experienced hikers. It is crucial when you arrive on the first day. Remember to eat enough and drink water especially hot water when possible. Avoid getting cold and protect your stomach all the time. Normally when the hikers get through the first night without any trouble then you should be fine. But during the hiking on the second day, if you don’t feel good or if you have got mountain sickness, you are suggested to reconsider continuing to the summit.

Physical Requirement

IIt is better to have some physical training before you come to do the hard treks in Siguniang if you don’t go to mountains often. First time hikers are suggested to have enough training and preparation to do any trekking in Mount Siguniang. The hard trek is a lot of pressure on your lungs and your muscles. The walking days are not long but please be aware of the elevation gain and walking distance. For travelers who have never been to this height better to consult your doctor before you go.

Luggage and Porters

IIn a camping trek in Mount Siguniang, you will have nights at different campsites. You can leave your other luggage to your hotel and only bring things you need for the hiking. At Rilong most of the accommodations have luggage storage service for free and you can always store your luggage in your hotel in Rilong and collect them when you come back. Mount Siguniang trekking involves using porters and pack horses. One horse can carry about 40kg of gears and food. These horses will be lead by horsemen while hiking. Riding a horse is also an option that many hikers choose to do. A horseman or horsewoman will be assigned to a riding horse normally to make sure the rider is safe. But when you are on a horse back, you need always to be careful. A local guide (who will also be your horseman) is obligated on hikers who do the camping treks, meaning to spend nights inside the parks. For arranged trekking tours this will be sorted by your guide.

Camping

A camping trek in Mount Siguniang involves multi-days of camping. There are plenty places you can camp in the valleys of Mount Siguniang. In Changping Valey there are now new huts for hikers but sometimes unavailable. The Dafeng base camp is generally a very good campsite with lots of huts and big tents for hikers to sleep overnight. The elevation of the base camp is at about 4300 meters. Inside the huts there are basic bunks for hikers to sleep but you can always use your own tent. There are no dangerous animals around the campsite. And campfire is not allowed here as this is a national park although you wouldn’t be able to find any firewood easily when you are at such elevation.

While camping try to have your tents set up close to each other as there maybe lots of hikers stay overnight here as well. If you are hiking in a busy season, you need to be aware of your gears and always keep them in check especailly by the base camps. On the other hand, if you are the only camper there, do turn on the light in your tent while you go to toilet during night time because the fog can come very quick and you may get lost in the fog. In the monsoon season, sometimes the fog is very thick that you won’t be able to see outside of 5 meters. Camping around Huahaizi Lake, Dahaizi Lake you will usually see much less people or even no people around. If you wish to enjoy the complete wild nature by camping, you are recommended to go to Huahaizi (and beyond) in Haizi Valley or Kazigou and its side valley in Changping Valley. Shuangqiao Valley has a road that takes tourists up everyday along the river, making most part of Shuangqiao not so perfect as camping place although it is still very pleasant and with good camping views in Shuangqiao if you don’t mind there maybe people looking.

For any camping trips in Siguniang (the parks of Shuangqiao, Changping and Haizi) you will need to sign up at the Siguniang Outdoor Activity Administration Office and pay an extra fee for camping and fee for environment protection. This signing up is a super complicated process and usually takes up to 1 hour’s time by the office. The signing up involves using apps on your phone and it is at present all in Chinese language. For arranged trekking tours this will be sorted by your guide. At present if any hiker wants to go to the summits of Dafeng or Erfeng on their own, or wish to do camping inside the park on their own, it is not possible due to the regulation made by local Siguniang park that the signing up and a local guide are obligated on anyone who wishes to spend a night inside the parks. Please read more details on Camping in Siguniang.

Mount Siguniang Camping Trek Suggested Packing List

Trekking boots, hat, Jacket/windbreaker, Base layer/T-shirt, Walking trousers, Thermals, Fleece, Socks

Backpack, -15C down Sleeping bag, Water bottle, Walking poles

Waterproof, Sunglasses, Sun block, headlamp, Toiletries

Camera, Cell phone, batteries

First-aid kit, Personal medications

Eat and Drink

While in the mountains you can find one or two places selling local snacks in Shuangqiao and Changping during busy travel season. In Haizi there are basically no food re-supplies nor shops. While doing muti-day trkes, try to eat healthy before the trip and do not drink from the streams directly. Normally the food provided during camping are basically Chinese food in a Sichuan flavor. It is good to eat something hot and fresh while hiking although you can always use your own mountain food that you are used to. At Rilong, you can buy fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, etc. You can also find many groceries selling snacks like chocolate and other food. There is also Tibetan bread you can consider. As of drinking, you can buy bottled water from Rilong for the first day of hiking and cook water from stream while at campsite. Water purifier is also a solution. Please read food and accommodation information in Rilong.

Safety Issues

A. Avoid loss of possessions. At Rilong when you use the local guesthouses/hotels, remember to ask for a key of your room and lock it while you are not in the room. It is necessary as Rilong is having more and more travelers coming. Losing something important will usually be an unpleasant experience. While at campsite, keep your expensive gears inside of your tent and always have your valuable things in your daypack. Mount Siguniang is a more developed traveler destination and the people here are experienced workers and some are professional. Basically you won’t have any safety troubles in terms of robbery or loss of belongings.

B.Local Ettiquette. Also try not to offend local people by negotiation too much as it is not popular at present. The prices of services are actually not as cheap as before. Report to the local park authority when you find yourself ripped off by local horse people inside of park. Report to local police or government when there is dispute with local restaurants or hotels.

C.Injuries and Rescues. At Mount Siguniang, the rescue is very efficient and quick comparing to other hiking destinations in China. If you are suffering heavy mountain sickness or having an inquiry while hiking, the horsemen will decide and transfer you down to lower land quickly with their horses. In a word, the local workers are quite experienced and reliable. They started to work as mountain guides since 1980s. At present, Mount Siguniang is also considering to run a helicopter rescue service, it will have a more integrated rescue system maybe in the next few years. Please note any immediate rescue from local horse people will expect some payment ranging from 1,000 yuan to 5,000 yuan or more depending on the methods of rescuing from the mountains where cars can not access, and some places where horses can not even access.

D.Wild Animals. Wild preditors are not an issue when you keep to the hiking trails in most part of Siguniang below 4500m. Only when you travel in winter season or when you travel high you have chance to encounter wild preditors/animals altough the chance to encounter snow leopard, wolfs are very low. During summer time you also want to look out the anoying horse flies. Mosquitos and ticks are not an issue at such altitude. Yaks are mostly mild animals in Siguniang. We have never seen a yak attacking people before in Siguniang.

E.Wild Fire. Using campfire is not allowed inside Siguniang Parks at anywhere. All cooking that requires using fire is regulated to be inside huts or far from any bushes, trees. Overnight hikers inside the parks need to be aware of this and be extra careful while cooking especially during winter/dry seasons. You are required to avoid smoking inside the parks. Anyone’s false action or mistake of using fire in the parks and causes wild fire will face severe consequences in China by Chinese laws.

Read more on Mt. Siguniang Detailed Travel Guide including all things to do in Siguniang, travel maps, getting around Siguniang and our Siguniang tour packages.

Reviews of Mount Siguniang from Former Hikers

"Beautiful mountains and beautiful scenery! Our favorite place in china! You really get to experience the nature of china! We took a trip with a Chinese group from Chengdu and the entire ride we were looking out the window and saw such beautiful sites, greenery, mountains and natural creations. It was an incredible experience! When we went it was really cold so make sure to check out the weather beforehand. Enjoy!" ---Theamirs

"At the time i visit, the place still called by the named " ??" under its Tibet culture, the village is still quite and calm, the mountains are brilliant that many floral and animals species i never see.But it will change to commercial very soon, go asap " ---MaggieW