Chongqing Deep Explore: Private Car Day with Lunch and Hotpot Dinner

Chongqing is a city that rewards a long day, and this listing is built as a full one: ten hours, a private car, lunch, a hotpot dinner and most of the city's best-known sights. The GetYourGuide page gives it a rating of 4.9 from 124 reviews and a top-rated label, and 98 per cent of the English-speaking travellers who reviewed it gave a perfect score. The host says that the plan can be changed at no extra charge, the guide speaks English and Chinese, and the price is quoted per person.

The programme is long and lists more than a dozen stops. It begins at Liziba Station, the site where a train passes through a residential building, with thirty to sixty minutes for photographs inside the station. Next is the Yangtze River Cableway, which you ride from the north station to the south, continuing by car afterwards. The route then takes in the Chongqing People's Great Hall, noted for its traditional architecture, and Baixiang Street, an old neighbourhood with creative graffiti and local street life. The Three Gorges Museum follows, where you spend between fifteen and forty-five minutes learning about the history of the city and the Three Gorges, and Kuixinglou Square, which looks like a flat street at ground level but is built on the twenty-second floor.

Lunch is at Jiefangbei, the pedestrian district in the centre, with forty to sixty minutes for eating and exploring, and a short walk leads to the Chongqing Art Gallery. In the afternoon the car goes to Hong'en Temple Park for a panorama of the skyline, to the Crown Escalator, described as the second-longest escalator in China, and to a city balcony viewpoint. The route continues to Longmenhao Old Street and Xiahaoli Old Street, ancient riverside streets, and to Luohan Temple, where you walk through for half an hour. The day ends with a hotpot dinner at a riverside park, where you can see the river lit up at night.

The listing is unusually specific about what is included. Private guide and car transfer, pickup at any hotel, railway station or airport in Chongqing, tickets to all scenic spots, museums and temples, lunch and dinner, a private photographer who takes photos after dinner and drop-off at the hotel, station or airport are all part of the price. The host stresses that no additional charges apply, and that a drone show is available on Saturdays. The price was US$183 per person on the GetYourGuide list when we checked in October 2026.

Think about the pace. A plan with this many stops means that time at each is short, between fifteen minutes and an hour, and the day finishes in the evening. Some stops are mainly for photographs, so choose the ones that interest you and ask the guide to drop the others. If you would like to spend longer at the museum or the temple, say so at the start.

Consider your appetite. Chongqing hotpot is spicy and numbing, with a broth of chillies and Sichuan pepper, and the dipping oil helps. Ask for a milder pot or a split pot if you are not used to chilli. Tell the host about any food allergies, vegetarian preferences or dislikes when you book. The lunch at Jiefangbei is a chance to try noodles or other local dishes.

Wear comfortable shoes, since the day includes stairs, slopes and long walks. Bring a charged phone, a power bank and a light jacket. The weather in Chongqing is humid, and summer heat can be intense, so carry water. Check the opening hours of museums, which vary on public holidays.

The city's layers explain many of the stops. Kuixinglou Square is one of the best examples, an ordinary-looking plaza that proves to be built on the roof of a tall building, so that the street is far below, while the Crown Escalator climbs a slope that would otherwise need a long walk. Baixiang Street and the old riverside streets show how Chongqing grew up around its docks. The guide can point out the details that make these places unusual, such as the doors on different floors that lead to the street.

Hotpot is a ritual, and it helps to learn the steps. The broth simmers at the table, and you add thin slices of beef, tripe, tofu, lotus root and leafy vegetables. A dish of sesame oil with garlic and coriander cools the heat. Do not rush, and leave the numbing pepper to the end if you are not used to it. If you prefer less spice, request a clear or tomato broth in one half of a split pot. Ask the host to recommend the order of dishes and to explain any unfamiliar items.

The tour suits visitors who want to cover as much of the city as possible in one day, food lovers who want to end with a hotpot, and groups who like the idea of a photographer. Travellers who prefer a more relaxed day with fewer stops may choose a shorter tour. As the listing is detailed and the host is flexible, it is wise to send a message with your priorities before the day.