Private Dujiangyan Panda Base Panda Rescue Center Volunteer for a Day
Badge of Excellence
Chengdu, China
- 7 to 8 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Go beyond a standard zoo visit with a private volunteer experience at the Dujiangyan Giant Panda Center. With included transport from Chengdu, head to the center to work alongside keepers to observe panda behavior, help clean enclosures, and prepare food, gaining rare insight into the daily care of the endangered species. The hands-on visit offers a more meaningful way to connect with giant pandas while learning about conservation.
- Enjoy an ethical way to see and support giant pandas
- Round-trip transport saves you the hassle of securing a cab
- Dine on a delicious buffet lunch—included in the cost
- A private experience ensures you get plenty of personal attention from your guide
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Volunteer and donation fees
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Entry/Admission - Dujiangyan Panda Center
- Buffet lunch
- Honorary certificate and souvenir from Panda Center
- Private comfortable air-conditioned vehicle
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Departure point: Free picking up service from your city hotel or residence in Chengdu (all hotels within 3rd Ring Road), if you stay outside the 3rd Ring Road, then need to be picked up at the main gate of Wuhouci, or please contact us in advance to arrange to be picked up from your hotel or airport and pay extra cost to driver. Return point: Returns to original departure point or can be drop-off at the city center.
Operating hours.7:00 am
Itinerary
Travel from your Chengdu hotel to the Dujiangyan Giant Panda Center, a nonprofit research base set at the foot of a sacred mountain, where carefully designed habitats allow pandas to live in environments that closely reflect the wild. After arriving, ride the internal shuttle up the mountain to reach the main conservation area and begin your behind-the-scenes experience.
Meet the panda keepers and join a brief orientation to understand the day’s activities and the center’s conservation work. Then take part in your first hands-on session, helping prepare fresh food before assisting with feeding. Along the way, gain insight into panda behavior, diet, and daily care routines.
After a traditional lunch, enjoy time to walk through the landscaped grounds and observe the pandas in their enclosures before returning to your volunteer duties. Help clean indoor and outdoor areas, record observations such as behavior and weight, and support a second feeding session, contributing directly to the center’s ongoing care work.
Following your volunteer activities, explore the center at your own pace, including the volunteer service area, where you can learn more about panda conservation efforts. At the end of the day, receive a commemorative certificate in recognition of your contribution, then relax on the private return transfer to your hotel.
Meet the panda keepers and join a brief orientation to understand the day’s activities and the center’s conservation work. Then take part in your first hands-on session, helping prepare fresh food before assisting with feeding. Along the way, gain insight into panda behavior, diet, and daily care routines.
After a traditional lunch, enjoy time to walk through the landscaped grounds and observe the pandas in their enclosures before returning to your volunteer duties. Help clean indoor and outdoor areas, record observations such as behavior and weight, and support a second feeding session, contributing directly to the center’s ongoing care work.
Following your volunteer activities, explore the center at your own pace, including the volunteer service area, where you can learn more about panda conservation efforts. At the end of the day, receive a commemorative certificate in recognition of your contribution, then relax on the private return transfer to your hotel.
1
Dujiangyan Panda Base
6 hours • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Infant seats available
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.4
based on 41 reviews
COTY_H, May 2024
If you are looking for close up experience with pandas, this is not the tour. The closest we got was watching the keeper fed a panda for about 2 minutes, and we cannot take pictures during the process! The rest of the day was very cheesy. Not worth the money spent.
Response from Host, May 2024
It's a pity that you didn't have very good experience for doing panda volunteer, after long time close for Covid-19, the Panda Center has more and more strict rules to avoid people get too close to the pandas, as an agency, what we do first is follow the rules because it's good for panda's health, second is give them our clients' feedback and hope they can do some changes, although we know it's not easy, believe me we really hope that one day people can hold panda baby for phone as could do 7 years ago, can feed the pandas with by yourself.
HayleyAbc, Dec 2019
arrived at Wolong panda centre and was quickly put to work cleaning up the enclosure (removing bamboo & scooping poo) whilst a hungry panda watched my every move. It was great to see how well looked after they are. After cleaning, had the chance to feed a panda before wandering the centre and watching the pandas do their thing. I then got to feed a baby panda and pat it (omg cuteness overload). Then more walking around the centre before lunch at the staff canteen (delicious food). After lunch I learnt how to make panda cakes before going back to feed the panda and baby panda again before heading home. This was definitely a once in a lifetime experience and though expensive, well worth it for panda lovers. Highly recommend
Belinda S, May 2019
The overall experience was great. I had a guide “Worley” who was an absolute delight. A fountain of knowledge, a real chatter box and good English. I learnt a lot, not just about the Pandas but many things about China and Chinese life in general. However it was way too expensive. I paid almost US$400 for one person! It was worth it at $200. The Booking system was misrepresented as it advertises one price and is not even close when you click on it. I know it said “from” and certain aspects increase the price, but this was almost double! And no explanation given why! There were many tours on offer all at different prices. It was quite confusing.
Bryan B, Jul 2018
MY two daughters really enjoyed this experience. Feeding the pandas was amazing and we were really able to get close to them for some great pictures. I have always loved bears so it was wonderful to see what goes into taking care of them here. We actually wish there would have been a bit more work for us to do. It seems they have so many tourists coming through for this that there really isn't enough work to do. My other concern is also that they advertise these Pandas are being treated to be released back into the wild, however we saw no signs that they would be released. It appears they are only being kept for breeding purposes and to raise money from the tourists. All in all it was still a good experience and we are happy to help contribute to keeping the Panda Breed thriving.
Elaine T, Jan 2018
This is an amazing opportunity to be so close to pandas. I couldn't believe I would be face-to-face with a panda, so close that I could feel their breath while feeding them. All the chores we performed were easy and fun. Our super guide, Jenny, was very knowledgeable of the Panda Center as well as Chengdu. Sam, from Samtour, always responded quickly to all of my questions. Thank you Jenny and Sam for making our visit so magical and memorable.
Matthew C, Nov 2017
This was a breathtaking experience. Special thanks to my tour guide, Jenny. She and the driver picked me up from my hotel in Chengdu City and drove me 90 minutes away. Jenny was with me the entire day and took amazing photos and videos of meshe wasnt allowed to come pet/hug the panda with me, but the staff took photos and videos for me with my iPhone. Volunteer work was easy and not demanding at all. Great exposure to the pandas and seeing truly a magical place.
Donna V, Nov 2017
This was a great experience. You do get up close and personal with the pandas and the knowledgeable panda keepers. The buffet lunch is local food and fantastic. The guide and driver made this experience exceptional Thank you Worlay and Mister Pan. I would recommend this to any panda or animal lover and any US residents who want to see Bao Bao she looks great. Thanks Samtour, for a great day.
Alison W, Oct 2017
Awesome and just the best thing ever. This is a once in a life time chance and I enjoyed every moment. It was educational as well as fun. The lovely lunch was a bonus.
Elizabeth R, Aug 2017
My only complaint was the hot polyester green shirt we had to wear. Everything else was perfect. Cleaning panda poo wasn't too hard and was interesting. Of course feeding the pandas was amazing. And surprisingly scary being so close to them. Plus they give you two chances to get the best pics possible. The hour long documentary is very interesting. And walking around the grounds and seeing pandas at play was awesome. We did have to wait in the office a couple times in between activities but we made friends with the other volunteers so we were never bored. And the Chinese cafeteria food was great and plentiful.
Nancy O, Jul 2017
I would give this tour higher rating if this was possible. The three of us who did the tour together, are still overwhelmed with the experience of working so closely with the pandas. Our guide took excellent pictures of our adventure.
trlosch, May 2017
Would rate it 6 stars if possible. An amazing experience and one that shouldn't be missed. It isn't some lame just stand around and do nothing experience. You actively participate and it is fulfilling in many ways. This was the best thing my wife and I experienced during our visit.
Wesley Jin Fai I, May 2017
Amazing day! Up close and personal with the pandas! Paying to hold panda was excessive but all the money goes to the sanctuary so it's worth it. Wonderful creatures!
Yvonne P, Jan 2017
This was the most over priced ordinary experience I have had. Based on other reviews I thought this would be awesome but it is extremely over rated.
Even the itinery is misleading, not completely false but the day actually goes like this
7.30 pick up from hotel
8.40 arrive at Pandas get overalls, gloves, sign a waiver and rules sheet
9.00 clean enclosure of old bamboo and waste then break bamboo and replenish enclosure
10.15 go back to office and wait
11.00 feeding time, a few minutes each
11.15 lunch then free time to wander around and look at all the pandas sleeping like any other tourist
1.00 clean enclosure again, much quicker this time round, fed pandas again,a few minutes each
1.45 back to office and wait
2.00 watch a very interesting film about Panda research then wait some more
3.00 made panda cakes it was a huge bowl of pre-made mixture that we had to roll into a rissole, 3 per person
3.05 returned overalls and gloves and got a certificate
3.10 left pandas
4.30 back at hotel
Several times during the morning cleaning I stopped to watch the panda antics and I was abruptly told to work now, time to watch pandas after lunch, but they were all asleep accept one by then, and all the guides and keepers tell you after lunch that they all sleep now
I chose not to have my photo taken with the panda at the booking stage and at no point was this an option for me on the day
Over all for more than 500 australian this was a disgusting rip off
If this is something you really want to do be prepared for a lot of waiting around,its as boring as bat guano
Oh and the lunch is adequate but if you dont like chinese food take your own snacks as there is nothing available at the research centre itself
Bettina C, Jan 2017
I would give this 10 stars if only I could!!! On a trip of superlatives, this stood out as the most magical one even though my partner did at some point trip and broke her wrist, sigh. Neil, our tour guide, was simply fantastic...he took such excellent care of us, at times I was trying to figure out how to smuggle him back home. Transportation was in a clean and spacious Land Cruiser, all of our memories were captured expertly by him on photo and video. The experience itself starts after appropriate gear is distributed and donned with cleaning out the Panda enclosures predictably messy in the morning. It was at this point that my partner tripped over a piece of bamboo, took a fairly hard spill and incurred a hairline fracture on her wrist which we didn't find out about until our return. Neil as well as the staff at the center couldn't have been more attentive, sourcing ice and generally tending to her every need. Not letting bad luck get in her way, we continued the day: the two feedings were our absolute favorite as these are not rushed. The photo opp which we added on on-site and in my mind, is a must...how many times in your life are you going to get THAT opportunity was not too rushed, either, but this depends on the number of participants: they use one panda and feed him/her bamboo shoots which will only keep them occupied for so long. This time must be divided among the participants...luckily, we had relatively few as it was off-season. You get a lot of opportunity to watch the Pandas between chores and the younger ones are very active and playful, especially after they had their lunch. Our own lunch was very flavorful and it was really fun being part of the staff, all of whom tried their very best to ensure that everyone had a good experience. After the day, we decided to have some x-rays taken at a local hospital unfortunately, they did not reveal the fracture because of the position it was in and this added a substantial amount of time. Neil stayed with us the whole time, translating and expediting the process...really, a gem of a tour guide and the crown jewel of things to do in China!
Elisabeth M, Nov 2016
Words will not express the joy and knowledge we gained from this experience. We felt part of the crew of this extraordinary reservation. They shared so much knowledge and understanding about the Panda and its unique evolutionary path. This was a wonderful experience for us and we hope more of you can contribute to this worthy cause, one that fills the soul.
David B, Nov 2016
A very unique and educational experience with hard work involved. We were lucky to visit on a rainy day when the pandas were their most active. Our guide was helpful and friendly throughout the day and we had an amazing, one-of-a-kind experience.
Gregory W, Sep 2016
My wife and enjoyed this very much. It was such an awesome experience! We ended up paying for one picture with the panda once we got there. The money goes back to the Reacue Center so felt it was a worthy cause. Worley was a great guide and never left our side. Would hightly recommend this tour.
DouglasJ_M, Aug 2016
Once in a lifetime experience! This is currently the only place in the world that allows such close contact with such an amazing animal. Sam's email communications were quick and spot-on. Our fabulous guide Worley and our driver met us in our hotel lobby right on time and we enjoyed a pleasant drive through Chengdu and out to the more rural town of Dujiangyan. Along the way we had the pleasure of Worley's company and discussed the past, present and future of Chengdu. This one on one cultural exchange is something my wife and I value during our international travels as much as the must see sights. Worley is a terrific guide and she stayed with us throughout the day to help translate with the Panda center staff and take pictures for us. We helped our keeper care for two Pandas throughout the day, cleaning their outdoor and indoor enclosures, clearing the old bamboo and unloading and prepping the fresh bamboo. The two hand-feeding sessions were incredible and we had the opportunity to see the majority of the other Pandas during our tour of the grounds later in the morning. Note, do not go in the afternoons during the summer as most of the Pandas will be beating the heat indoors. The photo session with the 2 year old Panda was unforgettable and worth every penny especially since most of the funds go right back into the center and breeding efforts. Lunch at the onsite cafeteria was simple but delicious and we had plenty of time to take a breather in the 97 degree F heat of late August. If you're even considering this tour, book it, you won't regret it!!!
Mitchell_W, Jul 2016
This was a very enjoyable day, however, there was a lot of waiting around without anything to do. Our guide was very good, she ensured that we had a full day at the rescue center and ensured that we were able to take part in all activities.
Suchirana S, Jul 2016
I had brilliant day volunteering at Panda Rescue Center. This is by far the best thing to do in Chengdu
Karen F, Apr 2016
This is an amazing five start experience and family friendly. The staff were helpful and knowledgable, worth every penny! Def do the photo with a panda portion -- the absolute best!
Angela H, Nov 2015
This is an expensive day, especially if you have the photo too which I did and would highly recommend, plus much of that cost goes towards the wellbeing of pandas, but it is an amazing once in a lifetime, must-do, experience. cant recommend enough. This day will stay with me forever... but I do love pandas!
mliu01, Aug 2015
This tour is expensive but worth it! It gave my daughter and I opportunity to get close to the pandas. We had great fun feeding them...even cleaning the poop in the cage.
Martin S, Aug 2015
Any experience not to be missed. The facility is developing well but the process and managing volunteers still needs to be improved. In addition a better transportation option of getting from Chengdu needs to be established. Perhaps train and then private car would be much more efficient and faster.
BA pwd, Jun 2015
what a fantastic day - up close to the pandas! Not too many people, so perfect for those also to the pandas experiences, feeding them by hand etc. The work programme was pretty relaxed and low energy if you wanted - broke the day up nicely, great lunch in the workers canteen, excellent food! Overall a real highlight of our China/Tibet trip and highly recommended. our guide was a star, spoke excellent English and very helpful and knowledge able etc.
William S, Apr 2015
Great experience and great tour. Expensive but in the end, worth every penny. Picked us up on time in the morning from hotel in a clean spacious car. We went to a panda center about 1.5 hours away which is not open to general public. Only organized tours. In 8 hours, maybe only saw another 30 tourists. No crowds but tons of pandas. We got to clean the cage a little, feed pandas, walked around and ate lunch with the local workers. The best thing was we paid the additional RMB 1,800 for our kid to sit with panda. The panda even looked over and put his paw on her at one point. Amazing. Such a wonderful day.
Susan M, Oct 2014
This was a brilliant day, we helped to look after pandas all day had a lovely lunch and my daughter and me had photos with a 2 year old panda. This tour was organised through Samtours and Sam picked us up from our hotel and looked after us all day at this wonderful place. We used Samtours all week including airport transfers. We had an excellent driver Mr Cheung and Andy, Lilleth, Rosa and Carol were our tour guides. We had a brilliant time in Chengdu with wonderful memories. Thank you Sam
ed m, Oct 2014
Very interesting day of work. My center guide was very knowledgeable and I learned much about the Pandas. When you volunteer to work, you work! It was a once in a lifetime experience and I was glad that I could help support the Center.
Lina Stock, Sep 2014
Volunteering to work around the Panda's for a day was a magical experience. If you are looking for something different than the typical visit to the research center, don't hesitate to book the volunteer program.
damon.lieu, Jul 2014
An excellent experience for me and my wife. We absolutely love pandas. We had a chance to feed the pandas two different times and spend a lot of close up time with them. The panda holding was something we will remember for the rest of our lives. The whole experience was unrushed and was exclusive the day we were there. My wife is already talking about doing the experience again on a future trip to China.
Response from Host, Jul 2014
Please note, the itinerary of this tour has changed since this review has been posted. The opportunity to hold a panda is no longer available to ensure the health and well-being of the animals.
From $307.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Private Dujiangyan Panda Base Panda Rescue Center Volunteer for a Day
41
8 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$307.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in Chengdu, China
- Mt. Emei (Emeishan) Tours & Tickets
- Mt. Qingcheng (Qingcheng Shan) Tours & Tickets
- Wenshu Monastery (Wenshu Yuan) Tours & Tickets
- Huanglongxi Ancient Town Tours & Tickets
- Renmin Park (People's Park) Tours & Tickets
- Lingyun Temple Tours & Tickets
- Wangjianglou Park (Wangjiang Tower Park) Tours & Tickets
- Luodai Ancient Town Tours & Tickets
- Sanxingdui Museum Tours & Tickets
- Leshan Giant Buddha (Da Fo) Tours & Tickets
- Jiuzhai Valley National Park (Jiuzhaigou) Tours & Tickets
- Wuyou Temple Tours & Tickets
- Kuan Zhai Alley (Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi) Tours & Tickets
- Wuhou Memorial Temple (Temple of Marquis Wu) Tours & Tickets
- Dujiangyan Panda Base Tours & Tickets
- Chengdu Culture Park (Wenhua Gongyuan) Tours & Tickets
- Museum of Sichuan Cuisine (Chuancai Bowuguan) Tours & Tickets
More attractions near Chengdu, China
- Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding Tours & Tickets
- Leshan Giant Buddha (Da Fo) Tours & Tickets
- Dujiangyan Panda Base Tours & Tickets
- Jiuzhai Valley National Park (Jiuzhaigou) Tours & Tickets
- Huanglong National Park (Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area) Tours & Tickets
- Mt. Emei (Emeishan) Tours & Tickets
- Sanxingdui Museum Tours & Tickets