Songzhou Ancient City「松州古城」

Review

After visiting Mounigou and Huanglong this time, we decided to stay in Songpan Ancient City for two days, not wanting to make the itinerary too rushed. After settling in, I gained some fairly honest impressions of Songpan.

🚄 First, transportation, which may be the part of coming to Songpan that requires the most advance planning.

Taking the high-speed rail from Chengdu is actually quite convenient, taking just over two hours. However, the high-speed rail station is still some distance from Songpan Ancient City, and it took us about half an hour by car at the time.

What really took some getting used to was that local taxis were not as convenient as expected, and ride-hailing cars were relatively few. So if you want to go to places like Mounigou and Huanglong, you often still need to charter a car, and spending several hundred yuan a day is normal.

Moreover, many scenic spots near Songpan rely on national highways, and traffic volume is heavy in peak tourist season, with many large trucks. Once traffic jams start, it is really unpredictable.

On the day we went to Huanglong, luckily we set out early and barely encountered any traffic jams. But after returning, I heard that some people were stuck on the road for eight or nine hours and even missed their high-speed train in the end. So if you need to catch a high-speed train or flight the same day, I really recommend leaving plenty of time and definitely not cutting it too close.

🏔️ The second impression is that the altitude here is indeed not low.

We had a bit of altitude sickness on our first day in Songpan, so on the first day after arrival, I do not recommend planning too full an itinerary. Take it slowly to acclimatize first, and do not walk too fast.

🏯 As for Songpan Ancient City itself, I personally think you should not set your expectations too high.

You can take a casual walk around the ancient city after dinner, but if you treat it specifically as a major attraction, I think it is fairly mediocre.

Commercialization is quite obvious, and many shops sell things similar to those in other ancient cities across the country; walking around did not leave a particularly deep impression on me.

🥩 Yak meat hotpot was not as amazing as I had imagined.

Before coming, many people said you must eat yak meat when in Songpan, so we specifically tried it. Maybe we didn’t find the right restaurant, but overall it felt fairly ordinary.

The yak meat was not particularly divided into specific cuts; it was just sliced and boiled directly, and the texture and taste did not meet my expectations. Of course, food is subjective, and those who like it may find it has strong local character.

💰 The last impression: the overall cost of traveling in Songpan is really not low.

Chartering a car costs several hundred yuan, meals are not particularly cheap, and peak-season accommodation surprised me even more. The hotel we stayed in had fairly average facilities, yet it cost around 800 to 900 yuan per night. For that level of accommodation, I personally think the value for money is really not high.

So if you are visiting Songpan for the first time, my suggestion is:

Songpan is more suitable as a transit and overnight base for surrounding attractions like Huanglong and Mounigou; you do not need to allocate too much time to the ancient city itself.

If you drive yourself, it will be much more convenient; if you come by high-speed rail, be sure to arrange chartered cars, transfers, and return times in advance, especially when catching a high-speed train in peak season, and definitely allow extra time.

The scenery is the scenery of western Sichuan, but the travel costs are also real western Sichuan travel costs.

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Visit details

• Address: 66 North Street（北街66号）
• Rating: 4 / 5
• Published: September 2, 2026
• Original record: View this review on Dianping

Photos