Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou by high-speed train in 2026: Huanglong Jiuzhai station, times and shuttle

Can you take a high-speed train from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou?

Yes, with one change of vehicle. High-speed trains run from Chengdu East (成都东站) to Huanglong Jiuzhai station (黄龙九寨站), and the fastest ride is 1 h 39 min. The station is not at the park. From there a shuttle takes about 2 hours to the Jiuzhaigou gate, so plan the train and the shuttle as one trip.

The line is the Zhenjiangguan to Huangshengguan section of the Sichuan-Qinghai railway (川青铁路). It opened on 30 August 2024, when train C5818/5815 left Huanglong Jiuzhai for Chengdu East at 10:36. The 69 km section has 4 stations: Zhenjiangguan, Songpan, Huanglong Jiuzhai and Huangshengguan. Trains run at up to 200 km/h between Chengdu East and Huangshengguan. For Jiuzhaigou you get off at Huanglong Jiuzhai.

The Jiuzhaigou site says Huanglong Jiuzhai station is more than an hour closer to the parks by road than Zhenjiangguan station was. It is about 27 km (35 minutes by road) from Huanglong scenic area and about 93 km (2 hours by road) from Jiuzhaigou scenic area.

How long does the Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou train take?

The fastest time from Chengdu East to Huanglong Jiuzhai is 1 h 39 min, on the railway's own announcement and on the Jiuzhaigou site. That is a minimum, not the usual time. A Jiuzhaigou notice dated 27 September 2025 puts the ride at about 2 hours. Both are official, so read it as "about 2 hours, fastest 1 h 39 min".

The railway also lists fastest times of 1 h 33 min from Chengdu East to Songpan and 1 h 54 min to Huangshengguan. It says the line runs on "regular" and "peak" schedules, with up to 30 EMU trains a day between Chengdu East and Huangshengguan. That 30 is a maximum for the whole line, not a daily count for your date.

Which Chengdu station do the trains leave from, and what do they cost?

Chengdu East is the station both the railway and the Jiuzhaigou site name. The 12306 search below also listed one train from Chengdu South (成都南) and one from Chengdu West (成都西) for the same date. For which Chengdu station is which, see Chengdu railway stations.

Fares differ by train: the railway says it applies "flexible discounts and differentiated market-based fares" on this section, so there is no single fixed price. The table is from a 12306 search made on 8 October 2026 for travel on Thursday 15 October 2026. For that date, the search listed 9 trains from Chengdu East to Huanglong Jiuzhai. It is a sample for one day, not a standing timetable, and it says nothing about how many seats were left. Prices are in RMB as 12306 showed them. A price with a discount label is already discounted, so the full fare is higher, and fares change with the train and the date.

Reading the table: the first departure listed was C5746 and the last was C5786. Five of the nine were listed at under 2 hours, and C5746 was the only one at 1 h 39 min. The slowest listed was C16 at 2 h 28 min. Second class was RMB 143 without a discount label on seven trains, and RMB 130 (C5746, 9% off) and RMB 133 (C16, 8% off) with one. First class was RMB 230 without a label, and RMB 210 (C5746) and RMB 213 (C16) with one, both 8% off. Business class appeared only on C16 (RMB 420 from Chengdu East, 17% off) and on D280 below.

The two trains from other Chengdu stations listed for that date:

• C16 from Chengdu South: 08:27 to 11:14, 2 h 47 min; second class ¥136 (8% off), first class ¥218 (8% off), business ¥431 (17% off). It is the same C16 that also calls at Chengdu East at 08:46.
• D280 from Chengdu West: 16:02 to 18:27, 2 h 25 min; second class ¥129 (9% off), first class ¥208 (8% off), business ¥408 (18% off).

The same search also listed 3 trains from Chengdu East to Songpan station: C5782 (06:45 to 08:18, 1 h 33 min; the same C5782 as in the table, which stops at Songpan first), C5762 (09:39 to 11:18, 1 h 39 min) and C5812 (11:15 to 13:01, 1 h 46 min), each at ¥135 second class and ¥216 first class.

The return trip on the same date

For the other direction, a 12306 search made on 8 October 2026 for travel on 15 October 2026 listed 10 trains from Huanglong Jiuzhai, 9 to Chengdu East and 1 (D282, 11:43 to 14:07, 2 h 24 min, second class ¥129, 9% off) to Chengdu West. The first departure listed to Chengdu East was C5748 (08:22 to 10:21, 1 h 59 min). The last listed was C5814 (21:31 to 23:12, 1 h 41 min). The fastest listed time was 1 h 41 min, shared by C5784 (09:04 to 10:45) and C5814, and the slowest to Chengdu East was C18 at 2 h 24 min. Second class to Chengdu East was RMB 143 without a discount label on seven trains, and RMB 130 (C5784) and RMB 133 (C18) with one (9% and 8% off). First class was RMB 230 without a label, and RMB 210 (C5784) and RMB 213 (C18) with one, both 8% off. Two trains from Songpan to Chengdu East were also listed, C5788 (13:33) and C5768 (17:58).

How to get from Huanglong Jiuzhai station to Jiuzhaigou

Take the official station-to-park shuttle (景区直通车). The Jiuzhaigou site says shuttles from Songpan station and Huanglong Jiuzhai station to Jiuzhaigou started on the day the line opened. An article on the park's WeChat account from the opening period names the two routes: Songpan station to the Jiuzhaigou entrance coach station, and Huanglong Jiuzhai station to the Jiuzhaigou entrance coach station.

1. After you leave the station, use the official shuttle platform 九旅悦行 ("Jiu Lyu Yue Xing"). Search for that name in WeChat; it is a mini program and also an official account.
2. Buy your shuttle ticket in advance through 九旅悦行.
3. Match the shuttle to your train. The summer notice of 8 July 2026 says shuttle departures are matched to the high-speed train arrival times, every high-speed train has a shuttle, and the ride to the park gate takes about 2 hours.

Neither the Jiuzhaigou site's ‘how to get there’ page nor its notices of 8 July 2026 and 27 September 2025 give the shuttle fare or a timetable, so there is no price or frequency to quote here. The fare and departures are shown in 九旅悦行. A notice dated 27 September 2025 also lists these phone numbers: 15388452329 for 九旅悦行 enquiries, 0837-7739900 for the Jiuzhaigou entrance coach centre, and 0837-7241000 for the station-to-park shuttle. That notice is a year old, so numbers may have changed.

If you want help planning the day around your train, we can help you plan it and tell you how to book the shuttle. For park tickets and the daily visitor cap, see Jiuzhaigou tickets.

How to buy the train ticket on 12306 with a foreign passport

You can buy it with a passport. The 12306 FAQ says foreign passengers can buy real-name tickets with a valid passport, and that the 12306 English website accepts only valid foreign passports as ID. Channels listed there include station counters, ticket agencies, automatic ticketing machines, the 12306 website and the 12306 app.

• Sales and changes: 5:00 to 1:00 the next day, and 5:00 to 23:30 on Tuesday.
• Information queries and refunds: 24 hours a day.
• How early you can buy: the FAQ does not state the advance-sale period for ordinary domestic trains. Search your date on 12306 and the result shows whether tickets are on sale.

For changing or refunding a ticket, see 12306 refund and change fees. The FAQ also says the ticket is valid only for the date and train printed on it.

Is altitude a problem at Huanglong Jiuzhai station?

The station is 2,977 m above sea level. The railway says this part of the line rises from 2,503 m at Zhenjiangguan to 3,156 m at Huangshengguan. Jiuzhaigou scenic area is at 2,000 to 3,100 m.

The park's notice of 28 September 2026 gives these tips, and we are repeating only what it says:

• Sleep well before you go, and avoid late nights and colds.
• Slow down and do not do strenuous exercise.
• Do not drink large amounts of water.
• If you feel unwell, leave the park or get medical help.

The 27 September 2025 notice adds the same water and exercise advice for the higher sights: Long Lake, Five-Color Pond and the primeval forest. Neither notice gives altitude advice for the station itself.

Train, flight or coach from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou?

On the park's own figures the train is much quicker than the coach; neither the Jiuzhaigou site's ‘how to get there’ page nor its notice of 27 September 2025 gives a flight time from Chengdu. The ride is fastest 1 h 39 min or about 2 hours, plus the shuttle of about 2 hours. The other two options, in brief:

• Flight to Jiuzhai Huanglong airport (九黄机场): the airport is 88 km from the Jiuzhaigou gate; the undated ‘how to get there’ page says 1.5 hours by road, while the notice of 27 September 2025 says about 1 h 50 min by airport bus. The Jiuzhaigou site warns that this high-altitude airport may suspend flights in bad weather such as winter snow and advises a backup for your return; check the airline for routes.
• Long-distance coach: the 27 September 2025 notice lists coaches from Chengdu Chadianzi and Xinnanmen coach stations to the Jiuzhaigou entrance coach station, with tickets bought on the Sichuan bus ticketing site for about RMB 168. The road trip is 440 km and 9 to 10 hours on the ‘how to get there’ page.

Is Jiuzhaigou open right now?

After a local debris flow on 26 July 2026, the park announced that the whole park reopened on 30 July 2026. Booking rules, prices and the daily visitor cap are on the Jiuzhaigou tickets page. For the area itself, see our Jiuzhaigou travel guide, and for the starting city our Chengdu travel guide.