Last Updated on September 10, 2026 by Nadia Halfway
📜 Introduction.
Halfway through my 1-month trip in China, I reached Chongqing, the cyberpunk city and one of the country’s most futuristic and surprising metropolises. Often called the 3D city, Chongqing rises vertically on different layers, chaotic yet fascinating, and full of history.
Impressively built on steep hills and crossed by the Yangtze River, this city blends past and future in a way unlike anywhere else.
In this 4-day itinerary in Chongqing, I’ll share with you what to see, where to stay, what to eat, and my best travel tips to fully experience the cyberpunk city of China.
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Day 1: Arrival in Chongqing and First Impressions.
Right after leaving Chengdu, I reached Chongqing in about 1.5 hours by high-speed train. Getting to my hotel using public transport was an adventure itself. Chongqing is literally a vertical labyrinth of stairs, bridges, elevators, underground passages. I wandered around for over 30 minutes trying to find my hotel, which was supposed to be only 5 minutes from the metro!
Once I finally checked in, exhaustion hit me. I just had a long shower and went straight to bed. But if you still have energies, head to Raffles City, an impressive complex of connected skyscrapers filled with shops, restaurants, and rooftop views.
- h 19.08 – Train from Chengdudong (East) to Chongqingxi (West)
- h 20.45 – Arrival in Chongqing
- h 22.00 – Visit to Raffles City
Day 2: Multi-Layers City Tour
For the second day, I had booked a free walking tour on GuruWalk.com. However, the guide cancelled last minute, so I explored the city on my own.
Using Amap app, I started at Arhat Temple, a peaceful Buddhist pagoda hidden among the skyscrapers. From there, I walked to Hongyadong, a famous wooden complex built on cliffs, and then to Jiefangbei Square, and People’s Liberation Monument.
Then I headed up to the surreal Kuixinglou Square, located on the 22nd floor of a building! After lunch, I strolled around Baixiang Street and Shancheng Alley, charming old lanes full of local shops and traditional vibes. A contrast between past and future.
At sunset, I boarded a Yangtze River cruise from Hongyadong Pier. Seeing Chongqing’s skyline light up from the water was pure magic and a must-do experience in the city. On the ferry, there’s a restaurant where you can buy food, but I had already brought my own dinner and enjoyed it peacefully on deck.
- h 08.30 – Visit to Arhat Temple, Hongyadong, Jiefangbei Square, People’s Liberation Monument and Kuixinglou Square
- h 13.30 – Lunch
- h 14.30 – Exploring Baixiang Street and Shancheng Alley
- h 19.30 – Sunset Cruise on Yangtze River
Day 3: Ciqikou Ancient Town and Chongqing Hotpot
The third morning was slower. After breakfast, I took the metro to Ciqikou Ancient Town, an old riverside village filled with tea houses, souvenir stalls, and street snacks.
Afterwards, I spent the afternoon relaxing and planning the next leg of my journey in China.
Eventually, dinner was a highlight: the legendary Chongqing Hotpot at Pipayuan Restaurant, one of the largest hotpot restaurants in the world.
- h 09.00 – Day-trip to Ciqikou Ancient Town
- h 21.00 – Hotpot dinner at Pipayuan Restaurant
Day 4: A Train through a Building
Finally, on my last day, I visited two of the most famous places. First, I headed straight at Liziba Station, where the metro literally passes through a residential building. Then, I had a peaceful walk in Eling Park, a green oasis with great city views.
After lunch, I grabbed my stuff and caught my train to Zhangjiajie, ready for a new adventure.
- h 09.00 – Watching the metro passing through Liziba Station Building
- h 10.00 – Walk at Eling Park
- h 13.00 – Lunch
- h 15.07 – Train from Chongqing to Zhangjiajie
🛏️ Where to Stay in Chongqing.
I stayed at the Ashan River View Hotel: a modern hotel in central Chongqing facing Raffles City. It offers spacious rooms, a hearty breakfast, and a perfect location near the main attractions. I paid just €123 via Trip.com for three nights in a double room with a stunning city view and breakfast included.
🎁 Use the referral code below or register via Trip.com to unlock your €10 discount 🎁
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🔽 If you are looking for another type of accommodation, you can explore plenty of options in Chongqing using the map below 🔽
🍜 What to Eat in Chongqing.
Chongqing cuisine means one thing: spicy food! However, you can’t leave without trying the city’s signature dish: Hotpot.
I recommend you Pipayuan, one of the world’s largest hotpot restaurants built up on a hill. In fact, it serves up to 10,000 diners a day and can host more than 5,800 customers.
This was one of the most expensive meals of my entire trip in China, yet I only spent €26 for a full hotpot with meat, shrimp, and a few appetizers. After all, I was lucky to find a waiter who spoke good English and explained everything: from how to choose the ingredients to cooking them in the broth and eating with chopsticks.
🎫 Where to Buy Tickets.
Chongqing is like an open-air modern museum. Every place I visited was free to enter and easy to access.
The only activity I booked in advance was the Yangtze River sunset cruise. Surprisingly, it cost me only €19 via Klook. Nevertheless, keep in mind that prices may vary depending on the season and the type of cruise you choose. I went for the evening cruise departing from Hongyadong Pier, and it was absolutely worth it. On Klook, you can also book other interesting activities, such as a ride on the cable car or a visit to the 131 panoramic terrace.
Klook.com🎁 Subscribe via Klook.com to receive €5 off your next booking 🎁
📅 Best Time to Visit Chongqing.
Chongqing’s nickname is also “Fog City”. The basin geography traps moisture and the city spends much of the year shrouded in a low, atmospheric mist. However, the fog gives Chongqing its cyberpunk atmosphere, particularly at night when the neon lights blur into the haze.
October is widely considered the best month to visit. The oppressive summer heat lifts, the air clears slightly, and the city is at its most comfortable for walking. Just avoid the Golden Week.
Summer (June-August) is genuinely brutal. Chongqing regularly tops China’s list of hottest cities, with temperatures above 40°C and humidity that makes outdoor sightseeing exhausting by mid-morning. If you visit in summer, plan activities for early mornings and evenings only.
Spring (March-May) is mild and manageable, though rainfall increases from April onwards.
Winter (December-February) is cold and grey, but the fog intensifies in a way that is almost cinematic. If you are comfortable with the chill, the city looks extraordinary.
🗺️ Getting Around Chongqing.
Chongqing has one of the most extensive metro networks in China: over 500 kilometres of track across more than ten lines. It is fast, clean, affordable and, once you get the hang of it, genuinely easy to use. Signs are in both Chinese and English, which makes independent navigation perfectly manageable.
What sets Chongqing apart from every other city in China is its infrastructure of public escalators and outdoor lifts built directly into the hillsides. These are not tourist attractions but how residents get between neighbourhoods stacked at different elevations.
That said, the city’s extreme verticality means the metro and elevators alone will not always get you where you need to go. Didi (China’s Uber) fills the gaps well. Set it up before you land and link it to WeChat or Alipay. Drivers are used to tourists and the app shows the route clearly.
The unmissable highlight is the Yangtze-Jialing Elevator inside the Liziba residential building: the only lift in the world that runs through a functioning apartment block, with metro line 2 passing directly through it.
💡 Travel Tips.
Chongqing, the cyberpunk city, is a real labyrinth. So, my best advice to make sure you don’t miss anything is to book a guided city tour. You can find some free options on GuruWalk.com, or go for paid ones on GetYourGuide, but they can be quite pricey. Below, I’ve listed three of the most interesting tours, and some of them even include lunch at a local restaurant.
To conclude, Chongqing isn’t an easy city to explore, but that’s exactly what makes it unforgettable. Although you might feel overwhelmed and a little lost at times, every corner offers a new perspective.
❓ FAQ.
Absolutely. Chongqing is one of the most visually extraordinary cities in China. The vertical architecture, the river views, the hotpot culture and the sheer scale of the place are unlike anything else in the country.
Three to four days are ideal to cover the main highlights if you are short on time. However, there is always another staircase, another viewpoint or another hidden alley to discover.
You can absolutely visit independently. The metro is well signposted in English, Didi works reliably and the main attractions are straightforward to reach. Nevertheless, a guide is useful if you want deeper historical and cultural context, or if you want to explore hidden and secret corners of Chongqing.
🎈 Conclusion.
Chongqing is a vertical, dynamic city that surprises you at every corner. Its illuminated skyline reflects on the Yangtze River, the alleys of Ciqikou whisper stories of ancient merchants, and the spicy scent of hotpot fills the air every night.
In just four days, I discovered the cyberpunk city in China: a place where urban chaos turns into raw energy. Walking through its streets means climbing stairs, crossing bridges, and suddenly finding breathtaking views waiting for you.
If you love vibrant cities, dizzying skylines, and a bit of adventure, Chongqing will steal your heart. If, on the other hand, you’re a nature lover, don’t miss my next stop in Zhangjiajie.
💬And you? Do you prefer glittering skylines or ancient villages? Tell me in the comments!
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