Why this route
This three-day route out of Chengdu holds together as one arc of scenic-area sightseeing across Southwest China. Day 1 pairs the Dujiangyan Scenic Area (1-2 hours) with the Dujiangyan Panda Base (1-2 hours) — two brief stops in the same Dujiangyan corner of the route, totalling 2-4 hours. The route then widens out: Day 2 gives Jiuzhaigou a day of its own with 3 hours on site, the longest single visit on the itinerary, and Day 3 does the same for Huanglong with 2-3 hours.
The day split does the pacing work. The route opens with its only two-stop day and its two shortest visits, then hands each of the longer scenic stops a dedicated day, so Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong never have to share time with another stop and the trip builds from a short paired start into single-destination days.
Day by day
Day 1 stays in Dujiangyan. Begin at the Dujiangyan Scenic Area with 1-2 hours, then move on to the Dujiangyan Panda Base for a further 1-2 hours; the two stops together keep the day to roughly 2-4 hours of sightseeing.
Day 2 is a single-stop day at Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area, with 3 hours on site — the longest visit of the trip.
Day 3 closes the route at Huanglong Scenic Area, the final stop, with 2-3 hours on site.
Trade-offs
Day 1 is where the schedule flexes. It is the only day split between two stops, each just 1-2 hours, so it can start later, finish earlier, or drop one stop altogether without disturbing the two scenic days behind it. Jiuzhaigou’s 3 hours is the longest single commitment on the itinerary and the one that should not be compressed; if time runs short, take it out of Day 1, not Day 2.
Travellers who need a simpler plan should cut from the front. Dropping the Dujiangyan Panda Base frees 1-2 hours and still leaves Day 1 anchored on the Dujiangyan Scenic Area, while cutting Day 1 entirely turns the route into a two-day pairing of Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong — the two stops that already hold days of their own.
