| Basically you're looking at a triangle. The panda reserve we went to was just out side Chengdu, about an hour's drive. We did it as 3/4 day trip.
Leshan we drove down in the morning and came back in the evening- it's about 2-3 hours one way. In hindsight we should have styed in Leshan overnight to go to Emai Shan but as it was we left early the next day for another 3 hour drive. On getting to the foot we started walking and only got to the monastery at twilight (the one we wanted to stay in, lower down, was being refurbished!). The next day we set off to finish the climb pretty early and were back down at the foot (we took a bus down) and booked into the Teddy Bear lodge (!) in time for a slap-up sichuan BBQ and copious amounts of beer!
The next morning we flew back to HK.
We knew we didn't have much time so when we went to Leshan and Emei Shan we took a private car split 4 ways so wasn't too expensive. The local buses are pretty good but do take longer. We stayed in a lodge in Chengdu with lots of other travellers so could have got together with them I guess.  | 