Imagine driving a rented SUV along a highway at the foot of snow-capped mountains, Tibetan villages passing by the window, and navigating your way to the sapphire lakes of Jiuzhaigou. …… Stop! Don’t step on the gas first – in Jiuzhaigou, the rules of self-driving are very different from those of the US National Parks! As a travel writer who has just completed the West Sichuan Self-Driving Circuit, I will use my personal experience + official data to tell you which roads you can drive on, which potholes you should avoid, and even how to legally drive your car into the ‘no-go’ areas.
1.Can I drive in Jiuzhaigou’s core scenic areas? Directly look at the official regulations
short answer: No. But don’t be disappointed. But don’t be disappointed, here’s a smarter way to play
📜 Scenic Area Administration’s latest policy (updated in 2024)
- 🚫 No Driving Zone: 54km core area from Goukou Ticket Office to Zaru Monastery (including all lake/waterfall sites)
- ✅ Driveable Area: 12km S301 Provincial Road from Jiuzhaigou County to the Scenic Spot Gate (3 viewpoints along the way)
- 🚙 Special Permit: with a certificate of disability/scientific research documents can apply for access (30 days advance email reporting required)
Data Comparison:
| Area | Self-drive Permission | Scenery Index | Suitable for People |
|———|———|———|———|———|
| Core Scenic Area | ❌ Prohibition | 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 | All visitors |
| Zhongchagou | ✅ Allowed | 🌟🌟🌟🌟 | Deep Experiencers |
2. Will a US driver’s licence work? Unlock 3 legal driving options
Even if you can’t get into the core scenic areas, these ways will still allow you to hold the steering wheel —
🚘 Plan A: The ‘most beautiful 12 kilometres’ from the county town to the entrance of the scenic spot.
- 📍 Route: Jiuzhaigou county town → Longkang Bridge → scenic spot car park
- 🕒 Best time: before and after sunrise (7-8AM) to avoid tourist buses
- 📸 Stopping point:
- Zhangzha Town Observation Deck: photograph the Tibetan village in the morning mist (free parking)
- Baihe Golden Monkey Sanctuary: chance encounter with Sichuan golden monkeys crossing the road (15-minute parking limit)
- Ganhaizi: in winter, you can take pictures of the icefall spectacle outside the car window
True Story: When I was following the yak herd here with my drone, the Tibetan uncle warned, ‘Don’t open the sunroof! Last year a tourist had his sunglasses taken by an eagle.’
🛣️ Plan B: Zhongchagou Secret Self-Drive (90% of tourists don’t know)
This Tibetan valley, which shares a mountain system with Jiuzhaigou, allows self-driving and requires no entrance fee:
- � Road conditions: 10km asphalt road + 5km gravel road (passable for ordinary SUVs)
- 🌄 Must Experience:
- Swap motorbikes with herders at Geshita Ranch (a deal can be struck with a packet of American coffee beans)
- Visit a Tibetan family feast for non-tourists (ask your hotel housekeeper to make reservations in advance)
- ⚠️ WARNING: Enter with caution during the rainy season (July-August), there have been cases of bonnet damage from falling rocks.
🚐 Plan C: Chartered Car VIP Privileges
Want to drive in the core scenic area? The only legal way:
- 💰 Spend: 6000RMB/day (with driver + vehicle pass)
- 📦 Included Services:
- Toyota Coaster medium bus (limited to 10 people)
- Exclusive parking space at the Changhai Observation Deck
- Counter-current touring route to avoid the crowds
- ✨ Hidden Benefit: Pet dogs allowed (must bring your own quarantine certificate)
3. 5 Must-Know Kawaii Driving Rules for American Drivers
These traffic rules are very different from those in Colorado —
🚦 Rule 1: Speed Limit Trap
- The seemingly wide G213 National Highway suddenly has a 40km/h speed limit?This is no joke!
- Reason: Yak crossing section + hidden mobile speed detector
- Countermeasures: Follow the Tibetan vehicles, they know every camera position.
🅿️ Rule 2: Parking code words
- Stone on the roadside with red cloth strips = private car park (charge 20 RMB)
- Double flashing lights 3 times = request to give way (response is a short honk)
- Put a bottle of Red Bull in the front windscreen = apologise to the traffic police (for minor offences)
🐂 Rule 3: Animal Priority
- Got a herd of yaks in your way? Switch off your engine and wait (honking your horn may result in a claim for fright fees)
- Animal corridors on rock sheep infested roads (best time to watch 5-6am)
⛽ Rule 4: Filling up with petrol
- 95 petrol is recommended to be filled up in the county town (petrol stations around scenic spots may be adulterated)
- It is more cost-effective to pay with cash (the default exchange rate for code payment is 1:7)
🚑 Rule 5: Accident Handling Procedure
- Immediately place a reflective triangle 100 metres behind the car (otherwise you may be rear-ended twice)
- Call the police by dialling 122 and then contact the car rental company at the same time.
- Use mobile phone to take panoramic video (including the other driver’s face)
4. Guide to avoiding pitfalls in car hire: tips to save $500
These are the details the car rental platform won’t tell you –
🔍 Tips for choosing a car
- Best Model: Tank 300 Hybrid ($450 daily rental, 40% lower fuel consumption than Wrangler)
- Necessary equipment: chassis armour (anti-gravel), -25°C antifreeze, satellite phone interface
💸 Hidden costs
- ‘Cleaning fee’ trap: check under the seats when you return the car (one person was claimed $800 for ‘finding biscuit crumbs’)
- The road toll trap: 5 toll booths from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou only accept cash (keep 100 RMB in change).
📝 Contract minefields
- Ask for ‘unlimited mileage’ (otherwise it’s limited to 300km per day).
- Check if the insurance policy includes ‘glass insurance’ (flying rocks are common in the highlands).
5. When self-driving meets plateau reaction: a life-saving toolkit
What is the experience of driving at an altitude of more than 3000 metres?
🚨 Symptom warning
- Errors in judgement: using the brake as the accelerator (occurs in 10% of first-time plateau drivers)
- Blurred vision: colour vision deviation on the Rainbow Beach road section
🧰 Car Essentials
- Oxygen bag clipped to the sun visor (more practical than an oxygen tube)
- Elevation map on the dashboard (search for ‘Western Sichuan elevation sticker’)
- Chocolate energy gel (to prevent accidents caused by low blood sugar)
🆘 Emergency Plan
- If a traveller is unconscious: open all windows immediately and use a safety hammer to break a corner to keep the air circulating.
- Vehicle breaks down: stick a Tibetan sutra in the bonnet, locals will come to the rescue
6, from the off-road veterans of the private collection of routes
‘This way to play both over the car addiction and not illegal.’
Day 1: Chengdu rental car → Wenchuan (experience 512 earthquake site road)
Day 2: Mao County → Songpan Ancient City (test vehicle climbing performance)
Day 3: Jiuzhaigou Zhongchagou Self-drive → Participate in the Tibetan Horse Races
Day 4: Huanglong Scenic Spot→Pingwu (Challenge the ‘72 road bends’)
Day 5: return to Chengdu (remember to wash the car in advance, otherwise an additional 200 yuan cleaning fee)
Conclusion: Jiuzhaigou is even more exciting beyond the steering wheel!
Although I couldn’t gallop along the banks of the Calcium Hua Pool, I suddenly realised as I crossed the Sea of Reeds in an environmentally friendly car: it’s this restraint that has kept Jiuzhaigou’s blue unchanged and pure for 40 years. Leave the passion for driving to the snowy mountain roads, where you only need to open your eyes this ‘panoramic camera’.
Action List. 1:
- Upload your International Driving Licence (notarised by AAA) in advance on the Car Rental App.
- Pack the car inflator (tyre pressure changes drastically in the highlands).
- Bookmark this article – when you press the first car window scenic photo on the S301 provincial road, you will be glad to have made these preparations!
