ChinaTravelMag
Start planning

Destinations / Southwest China / Chongqing

Compare by time, area and fit

Things to Do in Chongqing

A practical shortlist you can filter — from city icons to serious day trips.

  • 42 ideas
  • Must see · Hongya Cave
  • First visit · 3 full days
Explore attractions Build an itinerary

Swipe for more topics

Find your best match

Explore at your own pace

Choose by neighborhood, time and travel style. Open one result for an honest verdict, practical tips and useful mock links.

Popular
No filters applied
16 attractions foundCurated for trip fit, not paid ranking
Hongya Cave and Qiansimen Bridge reflected in the Jialing River at night

Hongya Cave

Chongqing's iconic illuminated stilt-house complex — best photographed across the Jialing River at blue hour.

  • Night View
  • Riverside
  • Photography
Area & typeYuzhong / Jiangbei riverfront · Nightlife landmark
Time & costAbout 2 hours · Free
Chongqing Line 2 monorail emerging from the Liziba building on a hillside

Liziba Monorail Viewpoint

See Chongqing’s Line 2 monorail pass straight through a residential tower, with easy access to free viewpoints and hillside photo spots.

  • Landmark
  • Photography
  • Free Entry
Area & typeYuzhong · Landmark
Time & cost45–90 minutes · Free
Details
Yangtze River Cableway crossing above Chongqing

Yangtze River Cableway

A brief ride over the Yangtze with a moving view of Chongqing's stacked riverfront.

  • Night views
  • Riverside
Area & typeYuzhong · Landmark
Time & cost45–90 minutes · ¥30 one way / ¥50 return
Visitors walking through the traditional entrance gate of Ciqikou Ancient Town

Ciqikou Ancient Town

Explore a historic Chongqing town of stone lanes, teahouses and local snacks, best visited on a weekday or from late afternoon into the evening.

  • Historic
  • Culture
  • Food
Area & typeShapingba · Culture
Time & cost2–3 hours · Free; small museums may charge
Limestone bridge and gorge at Wulong Three Natural Bridges

Wulong Three Natural Bridges

A one-way gorge walk beneath three giant limestone bridges, waterfalls and the Tianfu post station.

  • Day trip
  • Historic
Area & typeWulong · Nature
Time & costFull day from central Chongqing · From ¥70, plus transfers
Giant panda at Chongqing Zoo

Chongqing Zoo

A hilly city zoo best known for giant pandas; arrive early, especially in hot weather.

  • Family friendly
Area & typeYangjiaping · Nature
Time & cost3–4 hours · About ¥25; verify before visiting
Hong'en Pavilion rising above trees in daylight

Hong'en Temple Forest Park

A free hilltop forest park with a richly decorated pavilion and expansive sunset-to-night views over Chongqing.

  • Night View
  • Family Friendly
  • Photography
Area & typeJiangbei · Viewpoint
Time & cost2–3 hours · Free
Illustrative museum gallery with a Three Gorges landscape model and traditional river boat

Three Gorges Museum

A clear introduction to the region’s river and wartime history.

Editorial illustration of the attraction context — not documentary photography.

  • Historical
  • Free Entry
  • Family Friendly
Area & typeYuzhong · Museum
Time & cost2 hours · Free

Your next useful decision

Keep planning your Chongqing trip

Suggested itinerariesConnect sights in order. Where to stayBase yourself near priorities. Travel tipsTickets, passport and maps. City transportationPlan metro and Didi legs.

Ready to reserve the limited pieces?

Book only the tickets, performances and day trips that benefit from advance planning.

Attraction ticketsDay toursNearby hotels
Independent guidanceClear trade-offs, not paid rankings.
Secure booking handoffPrototype links never take payment.
Foreign-visitor contextPayment, language and passport notes.
Locally reviewedAdvice tuned to Chongqing’s geography.

Selected attraction

Liziba Monorail Viewpoint

李子坝轻轨穿楼

Chongqing Line 2 monorail emerging from the Liziba building on a hillside1 / 5
  • Landmark
  • Photography
  • Free Entry

Liziba Station is Chongqing’s famous “train through a building” landmark: Line 2 passes directly through a residential-and-transit complex above the Jialing River. The free viewpoint across the road gives the clearest full view; Lansheng Pavilion offers an elevated, less crowded angle, while the sixth-floor library at No. 35 Liziba Main Street requires on-site QR registration. Combine the stop with Eling Testbed 2, Third Layer Road and Fotuguan Park for a deeper half-day route.

Best time
09:00–11:00 or 15:00–17:00
Time needed
45–90 minutes
Best for
First-time visitors and photographers
Cost
Free

Nearby: Eling Testbed 2; Third Layer Road; Fotuguan Park; Jialing River promenade.

Our verdict: A signature Chongqing engineering spectacle for first-time visitors. The main viewpoint can be crowded, so the stop is most rewarding when paired with nearby hillside sights.

Classic photo stop

The free official viewing platform

30–45 minutes

Cross to the designated platform opposite the station for the clearest full composition of the train, tower and surrounding hillside. A wide-angle lens emphasizes Chongqing’s stacked urban scale.

Quieter alternatives

Lansheng Pavilion and the sixth-floor library

Lansheng Pavilion gives a higher angle over the tracks, while the library window creates a close, suspended view of passing trains. Check access conditions on arrival.

Half-day extension

Continue through Chongqing’s layered hills

Link Liziba with Eling Testbed 2, Third Layer Road and Fotuguan Park. The sequence adds creative spaces, steep neighborhood streets and a possible sunset view over the rail curve.