ADHD Family Tours · Chengdu 成都
Chengdu
Pandas & a Slower Pace
Six days in Chengdu built around the pandas: early mornings at the panda base when they're most active, a short Sichuan opera show with face-changing, big parks and relaxed lanes, plus an optional consultation at West China Second University Hospital's developmental-behavioural centre.
Trip length
6 days / 5 nights
Trip type
Family trip + specialist consultation
Best time to go
March–June and September–November
Best for
Younger children; families who want a gentler pace
Overview
Pandas first thing, parks and teahouses after: a city that runs at an easy pace.
Chengdu suits families who want a slower trip. The panda base is best at opening time, so the big outing is over by late morning and the rest of the day can be easy: a park, a playground, an early dinner.
West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University's women's and children's hospital, has a developmental-behavioural centre at its Gaoxin branch that sees children with ADHD and learning difficulties. Consultations are in Chinese, with your coordinator interpreting.
This route suits
- Families with a younger child with ADHD
- Children who are crazy about pandas
- Parents who'd like a developmental-behavioural opinion
- Families who prefer parks and playgrounds to big crowds
Trip type · Family trip + specialist consultation
What the trip includes
Medicine travel plan
Sorted before you book flights, not at the border.
- Checklist of your child's medicines against Chinese controlled-drug rules
- Doctor's letter template: diagnosis, medicine, dose and quantity, for personal use
- Trip length planned around how much medicine you can sensibly carry
- Time-zone dosing plan to agree with your child's doctor
ADHD-friendly itinerary
Built around attention, energy and routine.
- One hotel base for the whole stay, so no repacking
- One main outing a day, mostly in the morning
- Timed or pre-booked tickets to avoid long queues
- Visual day-by-day schedule you can share with your child
Specialist consultation (optional)
With a child psychiatry or developmental-behavioural team.
- Records sent ahead: past assessments, school reports, rating scales, medicine history
- Consultation with your coordinator interpreting
- Discussion of diagnosis, medication or behavioural support
- Written summary to share with your doctor at home
Family coordinator
One person who knows your child's plan.
- Airport pick-up and a calm first evening
- On call through the trip for changes of plan
- Restaurant picks with plain, familiar food options
- Backup indoor plan for rain, heat or a hard day
Medicine plans are always agreed with your child's own doctor. Any consultation is optional. Background reading: pediatric care · medical travel checklist
Want a route planned around your child?
Tell us your child's age, medicines, what they love and what's hard. We'll shape the Chengdu days around them — free, with no obligation.
Treatment timeline
Before, during and after
| Visit | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Before you go | 6–8 weeks ahead | Medicine plan agreed with your child's doctor; doctor's letter; tickets booked; visual schedule sent. |
| The trip | This itinerary | One base, one main outing a day, quiet afternoons. Optional consultation early in the week. |
| Afterwards | At home | Any consultation summary goes to your child's doctor; a short call with your coordinator about how it went. |
Built for ADHD
How the days are paced
- Pandas at opening time, twice if your child wants
- Short evening show rather than a long one
- Big park time every afternoon
- Consultation in the middle of the trip, on a non-panda day
If you add a consultation
What happens at the clinic
| Before | We send your child's past assessments, school reports, rating scales and medicine history to the clinic, translated where needed. |
|---|---|
| 08:30 | Breakfast and usual medicines; your coordinator meets you at the hotel with snacks and something to do in the waiting room. |
| 09:00 | Registration (bring your child's passport). |
| 09:30 | Consultation with the doctor; your coordinator interprets at public hospitals. |
| Late morning | Plan and next steps explained; a written summary follows for your doctor at home. |
| Afternoon | Something fun and physical as a reward. |
Itinerary · 6 days / 5 nights
Day by day
- Day 1
Arrive
- Airport pick-up; one hotel for the stay
- People's Park in the late afternoon
Overnight: Central Chengdu
- Day 2
Pandas
- Panda base at opening time
- Afternoon rest; early dinner
Overnight: Central Chengdu
- Day 3
Consultation
- Morning: optional consultation at West China Second University Hospital
- Afternoon: park and playground
Overnight: Central Chengdu
- Day 4
Lanes & opera
- Slow morning
- Kuanzhai Xiangzi, then an early face-changing show
Overnight: Central Chengdu
- Day 5
Pandas again or free
- Back to the pandas, or a free day
Overnight: Central Chengdu
- Day 6
Depart
- Transfer to the airport
Make this itinerary yours
Change the dates, add rest days, upgrade hotels or combine it with another route. Your coordinator sends a revised plan and itemised quote.
Travel
What you’ll see
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Pandas, including cubs in season, in a large wooded park on the city's northern edge.
Tip: Arrive at opening time, when the pandas are feeding and most active.
Sichuan opera face-changing
A variety show of Sichuan opera highlights, starring performers whose masks change in a flash.
Tip: Choose an early show and seats near an aisle for an easy exit.
People's Park
A big central park with a lake, boats, a teahouse and plenty of space to run.
Tip: Good for an energy-burning afternoon.
Kuanzhai Xiangzi
Restored Qing-dynasty lanes with snacks, street performers and shops.
Tip: Go early in the evening, before it gets crowded.
Hospitals
Optional care on this route
West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University 四川大学华西第二医院
Public women's and children's hospital
Its developmental-behavioural centre at the Gaoxin branch sees children with ADHD and learning difficulties. Consultations in Chinese, with your coordinator interpreting.
We use it for
- Developmental-behavioural review
- Second opinion
Consultations are optional and confirmed after we've seen your child's records. An English-speaking coordinator comes to every appointment and interprets where the clinic works in Chinese.
Medicines sorted before you book?
Send us your child's medicine names and doses. We'll explain how China's rules apply and what to agree with your child's doctor.
Aftercare
Travelling with ADHD
Medicines & time zones
Agree a plan with your child's doctor before you go for shifting doses across time zones. Keep medicines in hand luggage, in original packaging, with the doctor's letter.
Routine
Keep the anchors your child relies on: wake-up, meals, medicine and bedtime at about the same times, even on holiday.
Movement & breaks
Build in running-around time every day, and take breaks before your child needs them, not after.
Food & sleep
New food and jet lag can unsettle anyone. Pack familiar snacks, and keep the first two days light while sleep settles.
General tips only. Your child's own doctor decides anything to do with medicine.
Practical tips
Before you go
- Sichuan food is spicy; ask for 不辣 (bù là, not spicy). Plain rice, dumplings and noodles are easy wins for picky eaters.
- Chengdu is often overcast and humid; bring a light rain jacket.
- Talk to your child's doctor 6–8 weeks before travel about every ADHD medicine they take, and whether it can be carried into China.
- Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta and others) is a controlled Category 1 medicine in China. Under Chinese regulations you may carry it for treatment with a medical diagnosis certificate and ID, up to the maximum of a single prescription; customs releases it on a personal-use, reasonable-quantity basis.
- Amphetamine-based medicines (such as Adderall or dexamfetamine) are also Category 1 controlled drugs in China, and no amphetamine product is approved there. Discuss alternatives with your child's doctor and check with the Chinese embassy well before you travel.
- Atomoxetine, guanfacine and clonidine are not on China's controlled-drug list; still carry the prescription and a doctor's letter.
- Bring your child's passport to every appointment; hospitals use it to register patients.
FAQ
Chengdu ADHD family tour — answered.
- Is one panda visit enough?
- Many children want to go back. The base is best in the early morning, so we leave Day 5 open for a second visit.
- Is the face-changing show too loud or long?
- Shows are usually short and lively. Choose an early one, sit near an aisle and leave whenever your child has had enough.
- Can we bring ADHD medicine into China?
- It depends on the medicine. Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) is a controlled Category 1 medicine in China; Chinese regulations allow it to be carried for treatment with a medical diagnosis certificate and ID, up to the maximum of a single prescription, and customs releases it on a personal-use, reasonable-quantity basis. Amphetamine-based medicines such as Adderall are also Category 1 controlled drugs and aren't approved in China, so speak to your child's doctor and the Chinese embassy well before travel. Atomoxetine and guanfacine aren't on the controlled list.
- How much methylphenidate can we carry?
- The regulation says up to the maximum of a single prescription. In China, a single prescription of methylphenidate for childhood ADHD is limited to 15 days' supply. Customs hasn't published how it applies this to foreign prescriptions, so we plan trips of up to about two weeks and suggest you carry only what the trip needs, with a doctor's letter.
- Can we buy ADHD medicine in China if we run out?
- Some ADHD medicines are approved in China, including long-acting methylphenidate (Concerta) and atomoxetine, but they're prescription-only and methylphenidate is tightly controlled. A Chinese doctor would need to see your child. Bring enough for the trip rather than relying on this.
- Do we have to see a doctor on this trip?
- No. Four of the seven routes (Xi'an, Guilin, Sanya and Hangzhou) are travel-only, and on the other three the consultation is an optional add-on.
- Can we combine two routes?
- Yes, and many families do: Beijing with Xi'an, Shanghai with Hangzhou, or Chengdu with Guilin. We keep it to one hotel per city and a calm travel day in between.
- Will the doctors speak English?
- At public hospitals, consultations are in Chinese with your coordinator interpreting. That works well for second opinions and medicine reviews. For an assessment that relies on talking directly with your child, the Shanghai route includes an English-language private clinic.
- How common is ADHD in China?
- A 2017 meta-analysis of 67 studies with more than 275,000 children and adolescents in China estimated a pooled prevalence of 6.26%, so Chinese child psychiatry and developmental-behavioural teams see it often.
Related guides
Other routes
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View routeShanghai · Disney, Museums & English-Language Care
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View routeXi'an · Bikes on the Wall & the Terracotta Army
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View routeGuilin · Rafts, Bikes & Caves
6 days / 5 nights · Outdoor-loving children; families who want nature over cities
View routeSanya · Beach, Water Park & Rainforest
6 days / 5 nights · Families who want a calm, simple beach holiday; younger children
View routeHangzhou · Lake Bikes & Wetland Boats
4 days / 3 nights · Families adding a second city to Shanghai; children who like bikes and boats
View routeChengdu, care included.
Get your itemised quote.
Share your dates, your child's age and medicines, and what your family enjoys. We'll confirm the route, hotel and any consultation, and pace the days around your child.