The new "tunneltastic" road from chengdu (as described by the Lonely Planet China 2011) has not yet been completed and as of November 2011 the journey takes about 8 hours by bus in normal weather and traffic conditions. As work continues on the road and new tunnels and bridges continue to open it is claimed that times will be reduced by a number of hours. All of the work is hoped to be completed by late 2012 but there is no guarantee. It is best to check with your accommodation provider in Chengdu for the most up to date travel