Day 1: Old Town

Have breakfast at a nearby noodle shop to start the day like a local. Xiaomian, or small noodles, is a traditional spicy, mouth-numbing, aromatic noodle soup that originated in the city.

The Yuzhong Peninsula, or the Old Town, is where the city started to grow over 3,000 years ago. It is perfect for a walking tour.

Start from Chaotianmen Port, the "gate that faces heaven". This is where the Jialing River meets the Yangtze River. Near the port is a giant landmark that looks like a spaceship. Inspired by traditional Chinese sailing vessels and hailed as an engineering marvel, Raffles City Chongqing is designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie and boasts a sky bridge called The Crystal, which is said to be one of the tallest structures of its kind worldwide.

Follow the road and you will pass a Buddhist temple called Luohan Temple, built during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Luohan is the Chinese equivalent of the ancient Sanskrit word Arhat (deserving).

Featuring beautiful architecture and 500 luohan clay figurines, the temple offers a calm and quiet atmosphere despite being located in the city center. There is an endearing coffee shop inside, where you may want to have a break and try the fortune-telling lottery.