What To Expect

What‘s Included

Reviews

• Memorable travel experience

  mmmnoodles,,Oct 14, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Our family thoroughly enjoyed this tour which immersed us in the culture of Leshan. For me, the draw of this tour was an opportunity to see the Giant Buddha and have a tea farm experience. I’d say the main components of the tour for us were: the drive, the Giant Buddha & tourist area, lunch, closely interacting with the local residents/business owners of Sujizhen, and going to the tea farm. Our tour guide, Patrick, and our driver were also integral to the experience. All aspects of the tour were wonderful. The tour operator was highly communicative, reaching out via WhatsApp days prior to the tour and telling us what to expect. Our driver was skilled and the van was comfortable. When we got to the Giant Buddha, Patrick helped us to secure the best places on the boat for viewing and pointed out things we wouldn’t have known on our own. My teenagers really enjoyed eating a local lunch in a 200 year old building. We all loved the food, it was a highlight. Patrick took us through the town where we got to speak with locals and even step into their homes and businesses. They were all so warmhearted, it was such a nice break from big city life in the U.S. I also loved how, in a world full of influencers and the veil of social media, we were able to see life, simply lived, and connect with others. The tea farm was very special, in my view, the most unique and treasured part of the experience. We were welcomed to a family’s home and farm, where we not only got to pick tea leaves but also see how they are pan fired, rolled, and baked. I am a tea enthusiast so this was an experience of a lifetime for me. I think it’s important to note that the experience would be very challenging for people who like glamping over camping. This tour offers a real, intimate dive into the lives of rural, or at most, non-city folk. 10/10. Thank you be to much to Patrick and Mr. Hu who are wonderful people and created such a memorable experience for our family. P.S. be sure to check out Paddy’s Home Sweet Home restaurant if you are ever in Emeishan; it is owned by Patrick’s wife!

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Well looked after

  I3473QUdennisc,,Sep 19, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  A really enjoyable authentic experience. Great communication from Sheldon, the local TripAdvisor representative and wonderful friendly informative guide named Alice. From the history of the Giant Buddha of Leshan to picking and brewing tea in the terraced tea fields, a great day.

• Great experience!

  Shun L,,Jun 10, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  A really wonderful tour. Viewing the Leshan Buddha from the water really helps with the sense of scale and offers a great overall view. It is a short, very easy boat trip. For those who want to get a closer view, hiking will be a better option. The second half of the day is where this tour really shines. Our guide Patrick was outstanding and it felt like your uncle was giving you a tour of their favorite spots. He was very knowledgeable and personable and had a lot of great stories to share. Lunch was excellent at a local, non-touristy restaurant and the stroll through a small town offered an authentic glimpse into the lives of the people. This is the exact opposite of a tourist destination such as Kuanzhai alley. Visiting a family-run tea plantation was also really fun. Picking tea leaves and enjoying a delicious cup of tea on a small, quiet, local plantation was an excellent way to end the day. Highly recommended!

• A fantastic, well-organized trip!

  petermS5836KQ,,Feb 24, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  A very well organized trip - communication was very excellent. The driver was ready and waiting at the very clearly defined pick-up location. He was very competent and friendly, spoke good English and was happy to make stop if a needed to. Patrick, the tour guide, was also very friendly, spoke excellent English and clearly knew a lot about Leshan and the big Buddha. Despite bad weather, the trip to see the Buddha was well worth it and very impressive. Continuing to see the older parts of Leshan and the tea farm provided a wonderful, enlightening opportunity to see how people live.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Nice authentic excursion

  R2482DCverar,,Oct 16, 2024

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Great trip to Buddha and then visited very authentic local city where we got to know the real life of the Chinese there. At the end we were allowed to pick green tea and watch during Processing. Our guide was super friendly and helpful. Highly recommended!

• Great full day trip from Chengdu

  Patryk K,,May 14, 2024

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  This trip is remarkable. It blends in beautiful sights (Giant Buddha) with an authentic and local Chinese cultural experience. My guide was Patrick and he and the driver were both amazing!

• Imagine drinking tea with a matriarch, hand-picked moments earlier, and dried and prepared by her.

  Vonnie Q,,Apr 14, 2024

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  This was a phenomenally rich cultural experience curated by Sheldon at U2 Panda. He’s from the area and studied Tourism at college and clearly understands and cares about the tea-economy and the broader cultural gifts Sichuan has to offer visitors. I was so lucky to have picked this tour, though the description did swing my choice. Please visit these wonderful people and see what the province gifts us. Sheldon and driver Mr. Chow made my trip so memorable (and it was already pretty culturally-full having seen the pandas and the Opera). Thank you Sheldon!!

  

• Hyper localised tour experience with great caring tour guide

  Joseph C,,Nov 26, 2023

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  Patrick and driver were extremely great hosts. Patrick had a good command of English’s dun gave clear explanations on the historical sites and local cultures/practices. The restaurants, tea drinking and plantation visits were highly personalised and localised, and hence was something most tourists would not experience traditionally. Would highly recommend this tour!

• Amazing day, amazing guide

  LauraBirkelund T,,Nov 9, 2023

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  We chose to spend my friend’s birthday with this tour and it was the best choice. We had an amazing day, experiencing the non touristy sides of a smaller city, visiting a local kindergarten, seeing the Leshan Buddha (which was so fun, because apparently it was the Buddha’s birthday as well!) and trying to pick tea leaves and see the process of making tea. We had the nicest guide, Patrick, and he was a really big part of making this day so special. So thank you, it was more than we hoped for.

  

  

  

• Great way to see the Buddha!

  Helen M,,Nov 6, 2023

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  We really enjoyed our tour guide, who was very knowledgeable about the sights and the local history. The boat tour to the Buddha was great - a spectacular viewpoint from the water. We had a lovely lunch with a local farmer and his wife, walked through Leshan, and then learned about the process of growing and harvesting tea.

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