Aba Prefecture is a long way from anywhere comfortable. The nearest large city is Chengdu, roughly 300–400 kilometres to the southeast depending on which route you take, but the mountain roads make the journey significantly longer than the distance suggests.
By bus: Long-distance buses run from Chengdu's Chadianzi bus station to Songpan, Zoige, and Aba town. Journey times range from 6 hours to Songpan to 10 or more hours to Aba depending on road conditions.
By private car or hire vehicle: The most flexible option for reaching the dispersed sights across the prefecture. Drivers can be arranged in Chengdu or in Songpan town.
By air: Jiuzhaigou Huanglong Airport at Chuanzhusi serves domestic flights from Chengdu, Chongqing, Beijing, and other major cities. This is the fastest way into the northern part of the prefecture but does not serve Aba town directly.
Roads in the prefecture are frequently affected by landslides and road construction; always check conditions before setting out and allow extra time in the schedule.