Jiuzhaigou entrance and bus ticket

Question

Hi. I have tried booking tickets on trip.com but for some unknown reason, foreign visitor 60-64 years old is not offered the 7.30 am to 10 am time slot whereas it is available for all ages including 65 years and above. Date visiting is 27 and 28 Oct but the same applied to all the dates open for booking. As we are going as a group at the earlier time slot, is it ok to book a 64 year old under the older category? The entrance tickets are free for all above 60 year's old for these dates so there is no difference. We are only paying for the bus tickets. Is anyone able to advise? At time of booking, passport details are submitted. Thanks.

Answer

Hi — good question. Here’s a detailed breakdown of what I found on Jiuzhaigou National Park (九寨沟) in Jiuzhaigou County and how it applies to your situation (foreign visitor age 64, bus-ticket problems, early entry slot).

What the official policy says:

The park divides seasons into “peak season” (April 1–November 15) and “off-season” (November 16–March 31).
During peak season, the standard policy for age categories (for the entrance ticket) states: adults: full price; 60-69 years old: discounted price; over 70: free.
Also, the official visitor information page notes for “Groups eligible for preferential treatment in the off-season”: “Free ticket package for the elderly over 60 years old … (only the scenic area entrance ticket is waived, i.e., entrance ticket: 0 yuan + sightseeing vehicle ticket: 80 yuan).”
Note: The “sightseeing vehicle” is the internal park bus/shuttle that carries you through the scenic area. The “entrance ticket” is separate.

How this seems to have been applied in practice (especially for foreign visitors):

A discussion on TripAdvisor from a visitor states: “At Jiuzhaigou you’re in luck if you’re 60+ as they do give discounts to foreign seniors (bring your passport as proof). … Note that your discount is on the entry ticket but not the internal shuttle bus, which you will need.”
A Reddit thread indicates that in China some parks apply senior discounts to all nationalities, but some places may refuse if you’re non-Chinese. The rule: “In China, seniors free entry or discounts applies to everyone, regardless of nationality. But several places refused … because he’s not a Chinese citizen.”
The park’s ticket-booking / visitor-info pages list “Free ticket package for the elderly over 60 years old” for the entrance ticket (during off-season) but do *not* clearly list separate rules for foreign vs domestic visitors or any age bracket gaps for foreign visitors.

Your specific situation & issue:

You are a foreign visitor aged 64 (so in the 60-64 age bracket), you’re trying to book on Trip.com for dates 27 & 28 October (which is still within “peak season” since peak ends Nov 15). You note that the 7:30 am–10:00 am entry timeslot is not offered for the 60-64 age bracket (foreign visitor) although it is offered for age 65+ and for all other ages. You are paying just for the bus ticket (since entrance appears free for >60) and want to know if you can “book 64-year-old under the older category” because the system is not allowing the 60-64 slot.

Interpretation & advice:

Based on the official policy, a 64-year-old qualifies for the “60-69 discounted” (or free, depending on season) rate for the entrance ticket. So eligibility wise you are within the correct age bracket.
However, the system you’re using (Trip.com) appears to have a restriction where the 7:30-10:00am time-slot isn’t visible for the 60-64 age bracket. That suggests that either: (a) the park is limiting very early entry for that age bracket, or (b) Trip.com’s category mapping is off (for foreign visitors) or (c) the booking system for that timeslot is already sold out or restricted only to certain categories/time slots.
You ask: “Can I book 64-year-old under the older category (65+)?” Technically that is *not correct* because you are not 65 yet. If you book under age 65+ it may trigger the wrong category in the system and potentially cause issues at the park entry (your passport age might be checked and mismatch). It’s risky.
Given the entrance is free for your age (since you qualify >60 in peak season? Although policies say “discounted” rather than free for 60-69 in peak — TripChinaGuide says 60-69 pay half in peak. ) you want to check bus ticket rules: The internal bus ticket appears to be a separate charge (peak bus ticket ~ RMB 90) and that one may not have a discount even for seniors. So your payment of bus ticket is correct.

What to do / recommended next steps:

Contact the park’s official ticket centre (or the support line for the ticket-booking site you used) and ask why the 7:30-10:00 am slot is unavailable for the 60-64 foreign visitor bracket. It may be a restriction or they may advise you to select “adult” category (19-59) even though you are >60 because of system constraints.
Do *not* book using the 65+ category unless you have confirmed the park accepts that classification for your age – you risk being asked to pay more or be refused entry.
You can proceed with booking “adult” bracket if the discounted/free bracket isn’t offered for your age/time slot and then present your passport at entry and ask for the senior benefit. Some Korean/foreign travellers report that senior discounts were honoured even when booking normal category. But you should expect that bus ticket cost remains regardless.
When at the park entry, present your passport (with age visible) and mention the “elderly over 60” benefit (if offered). Make sure you understand: the benefit applies to the entrance ticket, not the bus. If you already book the package including bus online, you may still be fine.
For the bus ticket/time slot: ensure the 7:30am entry slot you want is still available. If not, consider another slot just after 10:00am or try to book very early. Early entry is wise for the scenic area to get better light, fewer crowds.

Bottom line: You are *officially eligible* for the age category of “over 60” for entrance ticket benefits. The booking system’s inability to offer your age bracket for the earliest slot appears to be a system quirk or restriction. You should probably book the adult slot (or use the available time slot) and then at the park ask for the senior bracket, rather than trying to book the 65+ bracket inaccurately. Also confirm that the bus ticket is required and priced for your bracket.

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