5 Days in Aba

Fly into Jiuhuang Airport or take the train to Huanglong-Jiuzhai station; settle in Songpan, then walk the Ming-era walls and the old town gates at dusk.

1. aba songpan ancient town

Enter early for clear skies over the Five-Color Pond at 3,570 m; descend on foot past the pools and drive on to Zhangzha for the night.

1. aba huanglong valley
2. aba huanglong five color pond

Bus straight up the right fork to Primeval Forest, then work down past Five-Flower Lake and Pearl Shoal to Nuorilang Falls.

1. aba jiuzhaigou valley
2. aba five flower lake
3. aba nuorilang falls

A second, slower day up the left fork for Long Lake and the small Five-Color Pond; the light changes by the hour at Mirror Lake on the way down.

1. aba long lake
2. aba jiuzhaigou five color pond

Zhaga Falls and the Erdaohai lakes on the way back through Songpan, then depart from Jiuhuang Airport or the rail station.

1. aba munigou