11 Days Odyssey of the Yangtze

On arrival into Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) or Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), you will be met by your dedicated tour guide outside the baggage claim area. On the way to your pre-booked four or five star inner city hotel, your guide will point out the highlights and history of Beijing. Spend the rest of the day exploring this incredible city.

Meals included: None

After breakfast today explore Beijing with your guide who will collect you from your hotel. Visit the world’s largest city square, Tiananmen Square. Make your way across the road to the magnificent Forbidden City, a culturally historic landmark in China, which was the former residence of Chinese royalty for five centuries. After the Forbidden City tour, exploration continues with a visit to the Summer Palace. Appreciate the beautiful gardens and imagine the lifestyle of royalty who enjoyed this summer resort during imperial times. A stopover at Beijing’s stadium and pool – the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube – built for the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics – provides a modern contrast to China’s ancient history. Return to the hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

Note: Your tour guide may adjust your itinerary due to closure of the Forbidden City each Monday.

Before heading to the Mutianyu Great Wall, sample the famous local food market Sanyuanli where you can stock up on fruit and snacks for today’s trip. Continue on and enjoy the drive to explore the Mutianyu Great Wall, a less frequented part of China’s 1,400-year-old iconic landmark, located approximately 70 kilometres from Beijing. Take a pleasant and comfortable round-trip cable cartransfer over the picturesque scenery, then walk the wall to take in the Ming dynasty guard towers and sensational views. On return to the city in the afternoon, exploration continues with a visit to the Confucius Temple and Imperial College Museum. Stroll through Wudaoying Hutong and experience local life as you wander through quaint shops, enjoy a coffee, and gain an insider’s view of a real Beijing community.

Meals included: Breakfast

Start today with a visit to the remarkable Temple of Heaven, where emperors from the Ming and Qing Dynasties performed ceremonies and rituals to pray for good harvests and blessings for the country. Transfer to the Beijing West railway station and be checked in by your guide to travel by high speed rail train to Xian. Approximately a five hour trip, travelling at 300 kilometres per hour, you can relax and absorb the diverse landscape along the way. On arrival at the Xian North Station, your local tour guide will meet and escort you to your inner city four or five star hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

After breakfast and check out from your hotel, the tour guide will take you to Shaanxi History Museum where you’ll discover over 370,000 relics of Chinese history. Take in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, one of two iconic Buddhist pagodas in Xian. There may be an opportunity to explore the top of the pagoda and look out over Xian’s 1,400 years of history, before enjoying a contemplative walk through the temple and gardens. Following on from the morning’s activities, you’ll be driven to the airport for your flight to Chongqing. Upon arrival in Chongqing, your local guide will meet you and take you through the Ciqikou Old Town if the travel schedule permits. You’ll then be escorted to embark your Yangtze River cruise ship, which finally weighs anchor at 9.30pm. Watch the spectacular Chongqing city lights go by from the deck as you cruise on by.

Meals included: Breakfast

Note: Your tour guide may alter your itinerary as the Shaanxi History Museum is closed on Mondays. You will be required to attend a safety, orientation and river briefing when you board the ship.

Today’s tour highlight is the world-renowned Terracotta Army. Recognized as the largest underground military base in the world, take in this extraordinary archeological discovery, which houses thousands of unique life-sized figures. Return to the city and explore Xian’s ancient City Wall, currently the largest and best-preserved wall of its type in China. Enclosing China’s former capital city and almost 14 kilometres long, enjoy your free time by exploring on foot or bicycle. For a change of pace, take in the quiet of Xian’s Great Mosque, located in the middle of the city’s old block. Built mid seventh century, the Great Mosque is the oldest and largest Islamic mosque in China. Mix with locals and find food of every flavor in Muslim Street, which is bustling with authentic eateries and travel souvenirs. Today’s final destination is Xian’s famous Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square. Return to your hotel for a relaxed evening or book a dinner, show, or both for an evening of entertainment.

Meals included: Breakfast

After breakfast and check out from your hotel, the tour guide will take you to Shaanxi History Museum where you’ll discover over 370,000 relics of Chinese history. Take in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, one of two iconic Buddhist pagodas in Xian. There may be an opportunity to explore the top of the pagoda and look out over Xian’s 1,400 years of history, before enjoying a contemplative walk through the temple and gardens. Following on from the morning’s activities, you’ll be driven to the airport for your flight to Chongqing. Upon arrival in Chongqing, your local guide will meet you and take you through the Ciqikou Old Town if the travel schedule permits. You’ll then be escorted to embark your Yangtze River cruise ship, which finally weighs anchor at 9.30pm. Watch the spectacular Chongqing city lights go by from the deck as you cruise on by.

Meals included: Breakfast

Note: Your tour guide may alter your itinerary as the Shaanxi History Museum is closed on Mondays. You will be required to attend a safety, orientation and river briefing when you board the ship.

Sail along the Yangtze today and soak in the relaxing pace of traveling this magnificent river, which has inspired poets and peasants alike. Go ashore for an excursion to the Fengdu Ghost City or Shibaozhai (will depend on water level and cruise company). Join the crew at the Captain’s Welcome Party held in the evening. Sit back and enjoy the Chinese folk dancing and music performance – or get up and be part of it!

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Note: Shore excursions may vary due to different cruise lines and some are optional tours.

Scenic spots along the way: In Chinese mythology, Fengdu Ghost City is considered the final resting place for all souls. Visit this ancient ghost town while on your Yangtze River Cruise. Shibaozhai is a tower nearly 56 metres in height leaning against the Yuyin Hill and is now encircled by a moat after completion of the Three Gorges Dam project in 2003.

Continue sailing past the beautiful river scenery and admire the impressive view of the Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge. Following this stretch of the river, take an excursion to Badong and experience a small wooden boat trip on the magnificent Shennong Stream or Goddess Stream (Shennv Stream). Return to the ship and enter the western section of the Xiling Gorge. Enjoy a relaxing evening on board the river boat by taking advantage of the entertainment or enjoy the view from the deck.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

After breakfast, disembark from the cruise boat at Maoping Pier in Yichang. Board a bus and drive to the largest hydroelectric project in the world, the Three Gorges Dam where you’ll take a tour to learn how the dam was designed, built, and how it now serves the local people and region. After the tour, you’ll be transferred by shuttle bus to the Yichang Three Gorges Tourism Center and met by your guide who will escort you to the airport for your flight to Shanghai. In Shanghai, your local guide will meet and transfer you to the hotel pointing out this bustling city’s local landmarks along the way. Enjoy a free evening in downtown Shanghai.

Meals included: Breakfast

Note: Guests may also choose an optional tour when disembarking at Maoping Pier. On this tour, you will board a ferry and sail through TGP ship’s elevator where you’ll have a chance to explore the Three Gorges Dam. Arrangements for this tour are to be made onboard the cruise prior to disembarking.

Commence your tour of Shanghai with a visit to the Shanghai Museum, a massive museum housing over 140,000 artifacts, presenting the full history and culture of this cosmopolitan city. Enjoy a walk along The Bund, iconic and prestigious, one of the most well-preserved examples of old Shanghai glamour. Walk Nanjing Road, the busiest shopping precinct in China. Change tempo and visit Yuyuan Garden, where you can marvel at the artistically designed traditional Chinese gardens; then stroll around the nearby Chenghuangmiao bazaars and make a worthwhile detour and visit the Shikumen Museum in New Spot (XinTianDi) for a true taste of old world Shanghai. Make the most of your afternoon by wandering the quieter streets of Dongping Road or Sinan Road in the Former French Concession, where you will find the essence of classic Shanghai.

Meals included: Breakfast

Note: As the Shanghai Museum is closed to public on Mondays, a visit to the Shanghai History Museum is arranged as an alternative.

Your tour guide will collect you at the hotel and drive you to the airport for your flight home.

For small group tour travelers, a transfer service from your hotel to Hongqiao or Pudong Airport can be arranged on request.

Meals included: Breakfast