Songpan is a small walled town in northern Sichuan that has found its identity as the gateway to Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong. It sits in a mountain valley at around 2,800 metres, and despite the volume of travellers passing through, it has retained enough of its historical character — surviving sections of city wall, carved stone gateways you can climb, a covered market bridge — to be worth more than a quick transit stop.
The horse-trekking operations based here have been running for long enough to develop a genuine reputation. Multi-day trips into the surrounding mountains, staying overnight in Tibetan villages at high altitude, are available for around ¥200 per day per person all-inclusive. The routes pass through grasslands, forests, and alpine terrain that most visitors to Jiuzhaigou never see, and the logistics are handled by outfitters who have been doing this for decades. It is one of the better-value wilderness experiences in Sichuan.
Jiuzhaigou National Park lies about two hours south by bus, and Huanglong Scenic Area is accessible in a similar time in a different direction — Songpan's position between the two makes it a logical base for visiting both without the inflated accommodation costs inside the parks themselves. The Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport nearby also makes it possible to fly in from Chengdu rather than endure the eleven-hour bus ride, though the mountain road journey has its own appeal.
The town is small enough to walk across in twenty minutes. The ancient city wall and its carved gateways are walkable and well-preserved; the covered market bridge over the Minjiang River connects the walled town to the market area. Suan Can Mian Kuai, a Tibetan noodle soup made with yak meat, is the local speciality worth seeking out. Mounigou Valley, 40 kilometres away, offers travertine lake scenery similar to Huanglong with far fewer visitors. Altitude effects are mild for most visitors at Songpan, though the onward destinations at Huanglong — which tops out above 3,700 metres — require more consideration.