Unique Things to Do in Chongqing, China: The Cyberpunk City

Chongqing is known as the 4D cyberpunk city! There are so many unique things to do in Chongqing, China. It’s known for its insane skyline full of skyscrapers, which look moody when it’s foggy (and it often is! especially in winter). The terrain is super mountainous, and you will find stairs everywhere. It’s a place you will literally get lost (even the locals do!) I mean, I really did. But it was part of the adventure. This city is really trending now, so be sure to have a visit before it gets even more popular.

I visited for a week and never ran out of cool things to do here. It was unlike any place I’ve ever visited. That being said I’ve visited over 50 countries.

I traveled here solo, and you can read my thoughts on solo travel in China here.

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Chongqing 4 Day Itinerary

Here’s how I’d spend 4 days in Chongqing, China.

Day 1:

Shibati Mountain Alley
Hongya Cave
Drone show
Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street
Dinner on Bayilu Road 

Day 2:

Full-day trip to Wulong

Day 3:

Liziba
Luohan Temple
Raffles City Skywalk
Night Cruise

Day 4:

Cloud Eye Observatory
Longmenhao Old Street
Xiahaoli
Hotpot at Huangyu Mingkaorou

Unique Things to do in Chongqing, China

1. See the Lights Switch on at Hongya Cave

The number 1 tourist attraction in Chongqing has to be Hongya Cave. And you can watch it light up every evening at 7 pm in the summer and 6.30 pm during winter (be sure to check ahead in case). Or, go anytime in the evening to see it from various viewpoints. The view directly in front is the most crowded option. I particularly loved the view across Hongya Cave so you could get the Qiansimen Bridge in the frame. It’s located at coordinates 29.56891° N, 106.58258° E.

Here, you will find a plethora of photographers asking if you want to have your photo taken. In fact, these people are at just about every landmark in China. At first, I thought it was a scam, but it’s not! I found it to be super useful as a solo traveler, so I got them to take my photo above. They have the props and lighting all ready for the perfect shot. You can get 1 photo or you can get 10, 30, you name it. The price is usually around $1 a photo. I got 15 photos for 100 Chinese Yuan (around $15). Check out my Instagram video on the full experience!

2. Get Lost at Kuixing Square

It’s easy to get lost in Chongqing – trust me! I got lost so many times, and even locals get lost here. That’s because the city is built vertically, and you will find lots of steps leading to different places. I thought I had arrived somewhere multiple times and couldn’t figure out what level I was supposed to be on. Kuixing Square is the most famous, mind-blowing place in Chongqing. You think you’re on the ground floor, but then you cross the square, and on the opposite side, you will see that you’re actually on the 22nd floor. It’s just one example of how complex this city really is!

3. Stay in an Epic Hotel with a View

China is so affordable to foreigners, and they have some incredible hotel deals. You can stay in a really nice hotel for as little as $40 or splurge a little and stay at a hotel like the above for $150+. Note: rooms with the bigger pools cost more – around $250+, but the $150 rooms still have a bathtub, the views, and everything below included, which is wild. Check out my Instagram video to see the whole room tour.

And this money is well spent for what you get. You get a private butler, a Dyson hairdryer, free laundry, access to a storm spa & steam room, free afternoon tea, and even a free photographer to take your photos.

And the bathtub? It’s basically a private pool… about the size of a king-size bed. If you need anything like extra coffee or amenities, just message your butler, and a robot will literally deliver things to your room in minutes.

For this view, this space, and all these extras, this might be one of the craziest hotel deals in the world. This hotel is called Iseya Panoramic Hotel and you can find the linke below. They have a couple around the city and the one I booked is linked below.

Another really cool hotel like this is Indition High Altitude Hotel. I stayed here too and it had the most beautiful views from my room. It’s conveniently located next to Raffles City and right next to the Chaotianmen metro station. They have rooms starting at $50 or if you splurge and go for the $200+ a night rooms, they are very cool!

If you’re more so on a budget, I’d recommend YOLO Skyline Riverview Designer Hotel. I also stayed here and it was around $40 a night. The staff were so nice and welcoming. They checked on me daily and helped me with any tips I needed. They really went above and beyond! Plus, the rooms were very cool with a bathtub and really great views.

Pro-tip: If you can’t find many hotels on booking.com, I’d actually recommend making your search on trip.com. It’s more popular in Asia and you might find more options and deals here.

4. Walk the Raffles City Skywalk

If you’re afraid of heights, this one may not be for you! I didn’t think it was scary at all, but I was a bit nervous after seeing it on social media. The whole experience is super safe. You will have to wear a harness that is latched onto the walkway, so no fear of falling over.

DSLR cameras are not allowed, and your mobile device has to be stored in a clear container with a lanyard provided by the staff. I found it difficult to shoot clear footage through this because the hole for the phone camera was not large enough. If you can bring some wearable camera gear like the Insta360 Go 3s, that would be handy in this situation!

When you arrive, it’s a one-way system. They tend to space it out between people, so you have time to take photos, but if you take your time, you will end up stopping others from passing you. I got stuck behind some people and could not pass until they continued on so keep that in mind! The whole thing takes around 30-40 minutes to go around.

There are plenty of photo stops where you can click to snap your photo and have the option to pay for it later.

I had a hard time finding the Skywalk. So be sure to navigate to the entrance, which is located on Level 1 of the Raffles City shopping mall, near Gate 7.

And while your at it, do some shopping in this huge mall!

5. Take an Evening River Cruise

Taking an evening river cruise is absolutely the best way to enjoy the views of the city. Here, you cruise along the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, passing by all the iconic landmarks. I got some of my favorite photos of the trip this way. The cruise goes right under the Qiansimen Bridge and past the famous Hongya Cave. You will also see Raffles City up close, among other landmarks. The departure point is Chaotianmen Pier (next to Raffles City) or Hongyadong Pier (next to Hongya Cave) in the Yuzhong District.

6. Watch the Train Pass Through a Building

Another top thing to do in Chongqing is to watch a train pass through a building! Yes, you heard that right. This city is really full of surprises. You can take the train directly through the building by routing your journey to
Liziba Station. After you exit, go down all the floors of the building, which is full of shops, to get to the street level. Cross the street, and you will find tons of people watching the train pass through the building.

It’s really fun to see, and the train passes by every couple of minutes. I was standing there for so long, capturing it go by!

7. Longmenhao Old Street

Longmenhao Old Street is a steep hillside neighborhood with many different levels. Each level has some pretty viewpoints, and I was actually looking for the one above, but it was not obvious at all how to get there. I got so lost and asked a security man how to get there, and he pointed me in the right direction. In order to save you the same pain, the coordinates were (29.5558632, 106.5949542). There was a long queue to take a picture here, and unfortunately, I didn’t get to the front of the line after getting lost til after sunset. However, the night view was also beautiful with the bridge illuminating red.

It’s one of the best places to photograph the cyberpunk city of Chongqing! You can see the skyline and the river at the same time. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants here where you can sit outside and enjoy the views.

9. Go to the Village of Xiahaoli

After visiting Longmenhao, there’s Xiahaoli not too far away. It’s also located in Chongqing’s Nan’an District.

First, you will come across the Xiahaoli Old Street night market in the evening. You can grab street food there if you want, or just head to the Xiahaoli Old Street.

Xiahaoli Old Street is a historical street with mountain city architecture. It’s a great place to go in the evening to see all the lights.

The origin of the old-style brick buildings you see goes back 1000 years, and they were reconstructed during the 2020s while still preserving the historic style.

There are also different viewpoints, so you can see the little village.

10. Have Hotpot with a View of the City

黄玉明烧烤 (Huang Yuming Bbq Restaurant) was honestly the highlight of my trip to Chongqing, and I almost didn’t go.

I’d read it was hard to find, and after already dealing with so many logistical problems in China, I nearly gave up on it. Someone even told me it had been shut down for safety reasons. I’m so glad I didn’t listen, because it was very much open.

Tucked high up in the mountains, you’ll find this unreal hotpot spot with views over the entire city. I was completely blown away. I even caught the end of a drone show from the hilltop as soon as I arrived – so unexpected because I was told it only happens on Saturdays. I had tried to go on the Saturday too, and it was cancelled due to rain!

Plus, the atmosphere was insane, and the food lived up to the view.

It was one of my first times having hot pot, and I had no idea what I was doing, but the staff were incredibly kind and helped me through everything.

If you’re going to Chongqing, don’t miss this place and check out my Instagram reel on how it looks!

How to get there:
🚇 Take the metro to Xiahaoli and walk up from there
🚕 You can take a taxi straight there (show the driver: 黄玉明烧烤).
🛵 The taxi can only drop you off below the hill. If you don’t want to walk, motorbike drivers usually wait at the bottom. Don’t pay more than 10–20 RMB.
📍 黄玉明烧烤 (Huang Yuming Bbq Restaurant)
Totally worth it for the view.

11. Visit Chongqing’s most Famous Street

Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street is the most lively area located in the heart of Chongqing. I recommend going at night to experience it. You’ll find lots of shopping here and spots to eat. Some of the main shopping malls include Chongqing Times Square and Starlight 68 Plaza. The prime location to explore is the People’s Liberation Monument, which commemorates China’s victory in World War II. This is where the main pedestrian plaza is, and the perfect place to people-watch.

12. Eat on Bayilu Road 

Very close to Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street is Bayilu Road. It’s a little less known to tourists and has some amazing food here. There’s an indoor food hall with endless food options, too. It’s where you will find all the locals hanging out.

The food in Chongqing is particularly spicy in some cases, so be aware if you can’t tolerate spice!

I’d recommend trying some of the local snacks, including:

• Chongqing xiaomian – Chongqing’s signature spicy noodle dish
• Mala skewers – meat and vegetables cooked in chili oil
• Suanlafen – hot and sour glass noodles
• Douhua – tofu pudding topped with chili oil and scallions
• Tangyou guozi – sweet fried glutinous rice balls coated in syrup
• Douchi bing – Fermented black bean pancake

The food is super affordable here, so be sure to try lots of it!

13. See the Most Beautiful Temple

Luohan Temple (you’ll find it labeled as Arhat Temple in Amaps) is the most famous temple located in the heart of Chongqing. It’s crazy to think a place like this exists in the midst of all the Chongqing skyscrapers. In fact, you can see the skyscrapers poking through the temple. This makes this temple even more unique and dreamy to see. It feels like a peaceful escape in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world. What’s even more impressive is that it dates back to 1064 (during the Northern Song Dynasty), making it nearly 1,000 years old.

The temple’s most famous feature is the hall of 500 Arhats. Don’t forget to light incense to wish for good fortune, health, and success in business or school.

The cost to enter is 20 yen, and it’s well worth a visit.

14. Check out Shibati

Shibati is one of the best places to experience old Chongqing. The name literally means “Eighteen Stairs,” which refers to the steep stone staircases that once connected the upper city around Jiefangbei with the lower neighborhoods near the river in this mountainous city.

You will find tons of cute alleys, tea houses, and stairs leading to different pathways. The area dates back to 100s of years, so it’s very cool to see. It is a busy place full of tourists, so the best time to visit is in the morning. Also, seeing how the vibe changes at night is nice.

After checking the area out, I relaxed at a cozy cafe with cute 2 cute cats. It was called Mountains Bestow Tea. Check out my TikTok video to see what it looks like!

15. Watch the Drone Show

One of the coolest things to do in Chongqing is to see the epic drone show. It takes place weekly on Saturdays around 8:30pm depending on the season. The best places to watch it is Nanbin Road along the riverbank, Chaotianmen Square, or the Jiangbeizui / Grand Theater area.

Just note: if there’s rain, the show will be canceled and take place on another night. I unfortunately tried to go when it was raining so it was cancelled. I had no idea it would be re-scheduled and thought I had missed out. I happened to be at the hotpot restaurant called 黄玉明烧烤 – the amazing spot I mentioned in number 10 in this post and on a Tuesday to my surprise I caught the last minute of the drone show. It was very cool – I just wished I could have seen the whole show! But was lucky to have seen a minute of it.

16. Admire the views from the Cloud Eye Observatory

The Cloud Eye Observatory is another great viewing platform in Chongqing. I’d recommend visiting before sunset if you can because getting both day and night views is ideal. The famous red staircase is super instagrammable for a photo opportunity. During the day, it’s much easier to get a shot here but at night it gets quite busy and I hear there’s a time limit and queue to take photos.

You should book tickets ahead for a quicker experience.

17. Take a Photo of the Chongqing Sign

I actually love this photo point of the iconic Chongqing Sign with all the cars and taxis in the frame. The sign has a countdown and then shows Chongqing in Chinese. It happens every couple minutes and in between are different advertisements. This particular photo point is located here. I had trouble finding it and had to ask people around as I had it marked incorrectly. It’s up some steps on a pedestrian bridge and you will spot it immediately when you see all the tourists waiting to take a photo here. I constantly couldn’t find things in Chongqing due to the lack of information so I really hope you find this post useful!

18. Take a Day Trip to Wulong National Park

Wulong National Park is one of the best day trips you can take from Chongqing. You’ll be surrounded by absolute nature, such a contrast from all the skyscrapers in Chongqing!

How to get there

To get there, you can either drive, take a train + bus combo, or hire a private driver which is what I did. It made the journey there easy and comfortable. The drive takes about 3 hours while the train and bus combo takes 2.5 to 3 hours. You can hire a private driver here.

If you take the train, start from Chongqing North Railway Station and take a high-speed train to Wulong Railway Station. The ride takes about 1.5 hours. From there, you’ll need to take a local bus or taxi to the Wulong Karst Scenic Area, which takes about 40–60 minutes depending on traffic. I recommend booking train and bus tickets on 12Go. It’s the preferred booking platform in Asia and eliminates any language barrier.

Taking an organized tour is another great option to get to Wulong and you won’t have to worry about the logistics of getting from one place to another. I’d recommend this tour which actually brings you to all 3 main sites in the Wulong area.

Once you arrive, you’ll be at the most impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are massive natural stone bridges, dramatic cliffs, and beautiful green valleys. It’s one of the most impressive natural landscapes I’ve ever seen.

Tips to visit

In one day, you will have time to see the Three Natural Bridges and Longshuixia Gap. Both will take you around 3 hours each to see.

Be prepared for a lot of walking. It’s not too difficult to walk, but the Longshuixia Gap has several stairs, and so does the Three Natural Bridges if you go up to the viewpoint area.

I felt completely fine walking it, but really felt it in my legs the next day! Longshuixia Gap can be a bit damp because there are waterfalls all around. Just be aware of that because the bottom of my dress did get wet from going down all the stairs. I would advise wearing comfortable shoes for this excursion.

Both attractions have elevators down the mountain, which helps with some of the walking! The one at Three Natural Bridges is especially cool because it’s built into the mountain, and it rotates around as you go down. It’s a beautiful photo opportunity when you get down!

For the Three Natural Bridges, you will walk along the marked path the whole way, and towards the end, there’s an option to take a shuttle bus for a small extra fee or walk if you’d like. I opted for the shuttle. The trail goes in a loop, so you’ll exit from a different side than you entered, and from there you will be able to transfer to Longshuixia Gap. It’s a short drive away.

If you have longer than a day in Wulong, I’d also recommend visiting Fairy Mountain. It’s known for its alpine meadows and has beautiful views. It’s a completely different landscape from the dramatic karst cliffs.

Fun fact: the landscapes in Wulong were actually used as a filming location for Transformers: Age of Extinction.