Are we there yet?
Usually, big cities tend to be less dog-friendly than smaller cities and towns due to government regulations and of course complaints from the public. However, there are many dog friendly things to do in Chongqing.
We saw dogs in almost every tourist spot we went to. No-one seemed surprised or even looked twice at our dogs. The people seemed so used to seeing dogs of all sizes out and about. The numerous food streets and ancient streets all seemed to be dog friendly. We had no issues taking our dogs with us to most places and restaurants.
Dog Friendly things to do in Chongqing
Nanshan
Nanshan is a beginner level hike in the city. It goes through a small village and is mainly stairs. We had our dogs off leash most of the time during the hike and no-one paid our dogs any attention. We saw quite a few dogs on the hike.
There is a parking lot past the village, so if you want a shorter walk, you could always park there and head up the stairs to continue the walk. There is also a small tea house and a few places that sell drinks and small snacks.
If you continue past the car park area at the top of Nanshan you will get to Huangjiuya old street, which is also dog friendly.
The only downfall is that there wasn’t a view at the top of the hike, but it was a nice hike.
Huangjiuya Old Street
Huangjiuya is one of many old streets. It is one street with lots of little shops. This street is lively and colourful. It has the vibe of an ancient street with the hustle and bustle of a city. The street was not overly long, but it was a really nice finish to our Nanshan hike. We had 3 dogs with us (1 small, 2 medium) and no-one cared about the dogs. We were able to look at the shops and walk around the street no problem with the dogs.
The street was filled with shops selling souvenirs galore. There were a few shops selling drinks and snacks if you’re feeling peckish after your Nanshan hike.
It was very easy to get a taxi with the dogs from this location as it is very well known among the taxi drivers.
Longmenhao Old Street and River Walk
Longmenhao old street is more like a little village. There are restaurants and shops. You can easily wander around the alleyways. There is also a wall that resembles the Great Wall that was used to protect the city. You can walk along the wall. If you are interested in history there is a lot of signage about the historical significance of the different areas of the old street. We had our dogs with us while we explored the area.
There is also a pretty cool cafe called Moon Cafe. The drinks were really good, and the vibe of the cafe was really fun. They had their own corgi that they let out to play with our dogs.
Across the street from Longmenhao there is a river with a very nice walking area. We wandered around the river for a while with our dogs off leash.
Hongyadong (Hongya Cave)
Hongyadong is a stilted group of buildings leaning on a mountain. It has many floors full of souvenir shops, restaurants and stalls of street food. They have a really interesting paid section that had a short changing face opera show as well as different rooms and materials to show how China was in the past. The bicycles and other props were able to be used/sat on.
Hongyadong is beautiful at night all lit up. It is definitely a top thing to do in Chongqing, which is why I was surprised to see it was dog friendly.
I myself did not bring my dogs. It is very busy, too busy for my nervous pups. But I saw many dogs in the tourist area. There was a really cute schnauzer dressed in clothes and boots. We also saw a big lab meandering through the busy alleys. No-one seemed to mind them.
Note: I would only bring your dog is they are used to/ are comfortable in crowds.
Shibati
Shibati is another ancient town style area. It is relatively new and much quieter than the previously mentioned Hongyadong. It has a few souvenir shops and restaurants. It even has a Tim Hortons for all the Canadians out there.
When we first came across this place (it was 2 minute walk from our guesthouse) I asked about tickets and dogs and the bao’an politely told me that it was free and that dogs were welcome inside.
If you have a shy or nervous dog this is a much better option than Hongyadong!
Check out where we stayed in Chongqing
