Jiuzhaigou Hiking Planning Explained in Details in 2024

This article is about the hiking information of Jiuzhaigou National Park including hiking planning, hiking terrain and altitude, hiking distance, and what to see along the hiking. This is a useful guide for anyone who plans to do hiking in Jiuzhaigou.

Jiuzhaigou in June

Jiuzhaigou Five Flower Lake

Newest update on the hiking trails in Jiuzhaigou Park

Jiuzhaigou Boardwalk

All trails in Jiuzhaigou that are open for walking are boardwalks. There are total 73km of boardwalk paved inside the park of Jiuzhaigou. Up until June 2021, among this 73km boardwalk there are around 30km open for walking. Because this 30km of boardwalk are on both sides of the lakes, so one only walks on either one side of the lake. That is around 15 to 16km total.

How Much Time Required

One day is good enough for hiking in Jiuzhaigou until 2022. We recommend one to start by the morning from the park entrance by using a park bus to go to the upper end of either one of the valleys and start from there. You may choose to have two days in the park. Now (2022) Rize Valley is all open all the way to the end by the virgin forest.

How long is the walking?

There are three valleys in Jiuzhaigou Park.

From Long Lake to Nuorilang Waterfall it is Zezawa Valley.

From Virgin Forest to Nuorilang Waterfall it is Rize Valley.

From Nuorilang Waterfall to Lotus Village it is Shuzheng Valley.

The side valley of Zharu Temple is still closed up until 2022.

In Zezawa Valley, from Long Lake to Five Colored Lake it is 1.7km down. From Five Colored Lake to Nuorilang Bus Terminal one has to use a bus because they have closed the boardwalk years ago and some parts the boardwalk has been destroyed. Although you can walk the road but not recommended because there are basically no lakes on this section and it is around 20km long.

In Rize Valley one starts from Arrow Bamboo Lake (from where the boardwalk is available) and walks from there for 8.5km to Nuorilang Waterffall. Above arrow bamboo lake it is around 9km of road (without boardwalk) that goes to only one stop at virgin forest. Note by swan lake and grassland there are no stops though one can walk from virgin forest to swan lake in 3km.

In Shuzheng Valley one starts from Nuorilang Waterfall and walks from there for 8km to Bonsai Shoal (the last bus stop out).

Nuorilang Bus Terminal is also a big area of shops and restaurants, resting areas and bus terminal to go in and go out. Nuorilang Bus Terminal is is 700m from Nuorilang Waterfall.

For 1 day hiking planning, we recommend you to walk from Arrow Bamboo Lake to Nuorilang and from there walk down to Bonsai Shoal. You may use bus to detour visit Long Lake either in between or at the beginning depending on which valley the bus driver takes you to.

At almost each lake and scenic spot there is a bus stop that one can get on a bus or get off a bus (note some stops are for getting off only). The total walking is completely flexible because you can always hop on a bus at any stop.

Please note there are boardwalks on both sides of some of the lakes, normally on the side of where the road is it’s busier and more crowds and on the opposite side of where the road is it’s usually quieter and less people.

How Busy is the walking?

Pearl Shoal Waterfall

Five Flower Lake

Note Jiuzhaigou Park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in China and probably within the top 10 or even top 5 list. There are inevitable crowds of visitors all year round. There are low seasons and high season of course. Sometimes there are queues when checking in to the park and waiting time to get on the bus.

On the boardwalk it’s very busy and crowded at the usual stops such as Five Flower Lake, Pearl Shoal Waterfall, Nuorilang Waterfall, Long Lake and Five Colored Lake, etc. The less-walked parts of the trail include: between Pearl Shoal to Nuorilang, between Nuorilang to Shuzheng Village on the other opposite side of Road, beween Huohua Lake to Bonsai Shoal.

Hiking Terrain and Trail conditions

Jiuzhaigou Hiking Trail Conditions

The walking will be 100% on boardwalk. Boardwalks that are open are under good maintenance and good to walk. Because the bus will definitely take you up to either end of Rize or Zezawa Valley so the walking is from up down. The highest altitude is by Long Lake at 3000m. Normally one doesn’t feel the altitude. The rest of the places inside Jiuzahigou are between 2200m to 2400m and comfortable to walk.

Best Time to Hike Jiuzhaigou

Jiuzhaigou Beautiful Lake

Jiuzhaigou in Summer

If one prefers good color and doesn’t mind crowds of people, one should come to visit Jiuzhaigou in October.

If one prefers less people, one should avoid main Chinese holidays, summer school vacations and October.

In general Jiuzhaigou is dry and one of the good things about Jiuzhaigou Park is that it’s a four-season place, not hot in summer and not so cold in winter. You see different views in different seasons and you won’t miss much even if it’s rainy day or foggy day because the main views of Jiuzhaigou are waterfalls and lakes that you can get very close to see.

For hiking lovers, there are also other places around Jiuzhaigou to do some short hikings including Qizhanggou , Songpan and Zoige.