Fantastic Yangtze River Cruise

Be welcomed by our guide at the airport and driven to your hotel. The rest of today is free for you to relax or feel the historic capital city of China.

Skip the line at the amazing Forbidden City (Imperial Palace Museum) as VIP guests. Walk the Tian’anmen Square with insider’s eyesight. Enjoy a 2-hour Great Wall Hike at Mutianyu, with a convenient round-way cable car. Freshly-cooked set meal for lunch. Smart-timing arrangement with no shop visiting. Today you'll explore the most highlighted attractions in Beijing.

On this day you'll deeply explore Beijing by visiting the famous imperial garden - Summer Palace and you'll pass by the 2008 Beijing Olympics Sites (the Bird's Nest and Water Cube). After having a Beijing local style lunch, you'll have a birds-eye view of Beijing and the Forbidden City by visiting Jingshan Park. Later on, you'll visit the Temple of Heaven where the emperors used to pray for rain and good harvest.

Drive to Old Beijing's Hutongs (narrow alleys) for a rickshaw ride. After that, you will be taken to the railway station for the high speed rail train to Xian, which takes about 5 hours, and along the way you will have the chance to admire different scenery of the countryside. Upon arrival, your tour guide will pick you up and escort you to the hotel.

The highlight of the tour today lies in the world-renowned Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses. It is reputed as the largest underground military base in the world. Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to explore the ancient Xian City Wall, the largest and best-preserved wall extant in China now, running 13.75km, enclosing the old capital. In the middle of the old block of Xian stands the Great Mosque, the oldest and biggest Islamic mosque in the country, determined to have been built in mid-7th century. Around the mosque is the Muslim Street that is bustling every day with loads of the most authentic fine eateries and souvenirs shops. Also, we will stop at the nearby Bell Tower & Drum Tower Square for some great photo opportunities. Tonight, enjoy an Imperial Dumpling Banquet followed by the Tang Dynasty Stage Show.

After breakfast at the hotel, the tour guide will take you to the Xian Museum, a museum housing 130,000 pieces of archeological items, located right at the foot of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, one of the two most significant Buddhist pagodas in Xian, which was built around the early 8th century. Then you will be transferred to the airport to take the flight to Chongqing. Upon arrival, you will be met by your tour guide and visit the Ciqikou Old Town if time permits. Afterwards, you will be transferred to embark the luxury cruise ship which will weigh anchor at 22:00. There is a necessary Safety Orientation & River Briefing presentation for you.

In the morning, the river guide will give an introduction to the cruise schedule and the Yangtze River. At about 14:00, the ship will disembark at Zhongxian and our local guide will take you for an onshore excursion to Shibaozhai. Built along the Yuyin Mountain, the world famous Shibaozhai tower is known for its unique and charming architecture. The tower is one of the rare wooden structures in China and is reputed to be the Eighth Fantastic Architecture of the World for its talented and supernatural design. After the onshore excursion, you will re-board the ship and the cruise will continue towards the splendid Three Gorges. On this evening, the cruise staff will invite you to join the Captain's Welcome Party.

Another day of cruise offers you the charming sights of the spectacular Qutang Gorge and the beautiful Wu Gorge. The cruise guide will tell you more about the Three Gorges, including the ancient plank road, mengliang stairway and the hanging coffins of the Ba people. On the way, you will land at Badong for a small wooden boat trip to experience the excitement of river travel and enjoy the natural beauty of the Shennong Stream. After that we will return to the ship and continue sailing into the spectacular Xiling Gorge. You can show your talents in tonight's Farewell Party performance.

After breakfast, you will disembark for an excursion to the Three Gorges Dam, where the guide will show you around the site and explain how the dam works. Then you will re-embark and complete check-out procedures. Our guide in Yichang will pick you up on board and transfer you to the city for lunch. After that we will see you off in the airport for the flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival, your guide will meet you in the airport and transfer you to the hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to relax in the hotel or to explore the city on your own.

This morning will commence your tour of Shanghai with a visit to the Shanghai Museum, a massive museum housing over 140,000 pieces of artifacts, displaying the history and cultural scene of Shanghai. Later, you will take a walk at The Bund, the most prestigious landmark and best-preserved demonstration to the glamour of the old Shanghai, and Nanjing Road, the busiest shopping area in the metropolis or even across all of China. Afterwards, visit Yuyuan Garden, where you can marvel at the stunning view of the garden and have the most local experience by strolling around the nearby Chenghuang Miao bazaars, and New Spot (XinTianDi). At last, you will go to Pudong New Area, the highlight of Shanghai, where we you can mount Jinmao Tower, you will get to the 88th floor to have a bird’s-eye view of Shanghai.

According to your homeward flight schedule, our guide will pick you up and take you to the airport to take your homeward flight. Your memorable tour of China ends.