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Voykit pocket guide · China
Aba
Spend 1–2 days in Aba to visit its monasteries and nearby nature spots; base in town and use buses for day trips.
Aba is a transport hub in western Sichuan with several historic monasteries and easy access to Huanglong Valley and Jiuzhaigou. A short stay lets you see the main sights and sample Tibetan‑style food.
- Country
- China
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (rainy season)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥70–120 excl. bed · Mid ¥120–200 excl. bed · High ¥200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Tibetan milk tea | ¥10–15 |
| Zanba (highland barley porridge) | ¥12–20 |
| Local bus ride | ¥5–10 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CTU · Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport
- about 300 km (186 mi) by busabout 186 mi (300 km) by bus
Typical fares
- Aba → Huanglong Valley bus
- about ¥30, 1½ h each way (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Route G317 runs through town; long‑haul buses connect to Chengdu, Mianyang and nearby counties. Hire a taxi or local bus for nearby monasteries.
See and do
Known for
- Kirti Gompa monastery
- Setenling Gompa
- Nangzhik Gompa
- Huanglong Valley
- Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Huanglong Valley | Local bus from Aba to Huanglong, about 1 h 30 min | ≈2 h round trip |
| Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve | Long‑haul bus to Jiuzhaigou, about 4 h; arrange entry ticket in advance | ≈5 h total |
Sleep
- Local guesthouses on Binhe Rd
- basic rooms, book ahead; check availability
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | 对不起duìbuqǐ |
| Thank you | 谢谢xièxiè |
| How much is it? | 多少钱？duōshǎo qián? |
| Where is the bus stop? | 公交站在哪里？gōngjiāo zhàn zài nǎlǐ? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- High altitude (≈3,200 m) may affect breathing; acclimatise.
- Buses can be delayed in winter snow; check schedules.
Aba is generally safe for tourists; main risks are altitude sickness and occasional winter road closures, so carry medication and check bus schedules.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Aba yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Kirti Gompa monastery
- Setenling Gompa
- Nangzhik Gompa
- Huanglong Valley
- Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikidata – Aba: www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12345
- Wikivoyage: Aba (China), revision 4736412 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4736412
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/aba-china). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.