Leisurely Yangtze River Cruise Tour

After arrival, your local guide with your name sign will meet you at the airport. Then you will be transferred to the hotel, and your guide will help you check in. 

Welcome to Beijing! The capital city of China is the first stop of your 17-day leisurely Yangtze River Cruise Tour. Beijing is the most populous capital in the world, and this international metropolis is the center of China’s politics, culture, science & technology, and international exchange. With numerous historical relics and cultural landscapes, this ancient city boasts the largest number of cultural heritages in the world. We will enjoy a stay here for 3 days, and I believe this enchanting city will leave you an unforgettable memory! Today, you could enjoy wandering around or just have a good rest in the hotel. 

Free time suggestion 1: If you would like to walk around, you could head to Wangfujing Street, a world-known commercial street attracting travelers from China and afar. It serves a variety of provisions that are China’s time-honored brands. So you could buy some as gifts for friends in your hometown, or enjoy delicious regional specialties!

Free time suggestion 2: Qianmen Street serves as another popular visiting choice for tourists in Beijing. The most famous local pastry store – Daoxiangcun Pastry Store is on the street, and you could taste delicious pastry, which will tickle your taste buds a lot! Besides, I recommend you the Peking roast duck. Fresh and tasty duck meat wrapped with a pancake may have an interesting interplay in your mouth!

After breakfast, we will go to the famous Tian’anmen Square, the biggest city central square that can hold up to 1 million people to assemble. In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) Dynasties, the emperors ordered the government officials to come here to make final judgments for prisoners on death row from all over the country each August, and it was named “autumn judgment”. Today, Tian’anmen Square is a place to hold grand gatherings for the country’s commemorative events. For example, the 100th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China was held here on July 1, 2021. Standing here, you could have a sense of solemnity and be shocked by the magnificent buildings around you. The Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, the national flagpole, etc., all have many details that deserve to be known. And the guide will introduce them to you patiently. 

Then, we will enter the Forbidden City (closed each Monday) from Tian’anmen Gate Tower. Built from 1406 to 1420, it was the imperial palace for the 24 emperors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is known as the largest and most complete imperial architecture in the world covering 720,000 square meters. Here, I’d like to introduce you the Hall of Mental Cultivation on the west side of the Palace of Heavenly Purity. In the Qing Dynasty, 8 emperors lived here in succession, from Emperor Yongzheng to the last emperor in Chinese history, Emperor Puyi. Rebuilt in Emperor Qianlong’s reign, it was used for emperors’ living, studying and daily governance. Also, they met with ministers and officials here. The eastern chamber of this hall is the place where Empress Dowager Ci’an and Empress Dowager Cixi ruled the country, hidden behind a golden-colored screen. All national decisions were made by them instead of the emperor. And the two empress dowagers ruled the country during the reign periods of Emperor Tongzhi and Emperor Guangxu. After Ci’an passed away in 1875, Empress Dowager Cixi had ruled the country till 1889.

This afternoon, we will visit the Temple of Heaven, where emperors in the Ming and Qing Dynasties offer sacrifice to heaven and pray for a rich harvest. It is said that Zhu Di, the third emperor in the Ming Dynasty, came to power by launching a war named “Jingnan”. After succeeding to the throne, he worried that it would impact his governance for he usurped the throne. Therefore, he built the Temple of Heaven to declare his authority by worshiping heaven. This is the reason why the Temple of Heaven has been built. Also, your knowledgeable guide will share with you more about this attraction when you visit here. 

Our next destination is the Summer Palace, the imperial garden in the Qing Dynasty. It is known for its perfect integration with artificial buildings and the natural beauties of mountains and lakes. The Long Corridor in the Summer Palace is a must-visit spot for you. It is the world’s longest corridor extending 728 meters, supported by 548 pillars. When it was snowy or rainy, emperors stood there to appreciate the breathtaking splendors of Kunming Lake. Walking in the Long Corridor is like wandering through a gallery as a multitude of colored paintings decorate the corridor. There are around 14,000 paintings on the beams, and each of them is different from the others. Here, I’d like to describe to you the painting about the legend of “the Goddess Chang’e Flying to the Moon”. Once upon a time, there were10 suns hanging in the sky, and monsters ran around the ground to eat people. The people suffered a lot! A hero named Hou Yi shot down 9 suns and killed the monsters, for which many people came to acknowledge him as their master. One day, Hou Yi got an elixir. It was said that after taking this elixir, people would live forever and become immortal. However, on August 15th when Hou Yi went out, one of his prentices Pang Meng who was deceitful and greedy rushed to Hou Yi’s house and threatened his kind-hearted wife Chang’e to hand over the elixir. To stop Pang Meng from robbing the elixir, Chang’e swallowed it. After that, she started to fly higher and higher until onto the moon. As Hou Yi and the neighbors missed Chang’e deeply, they prepared her favorite food in the yard and looked forward to her return. Since then, the Mid-Autumn Festival on lunar August 15th has become an important day of family reunion. Would you like to know other stories about these paintings? Come and visit it.

Option: If you are interested in Chinese martial arts, we will recommend the Legend of Kung Fu Show in the Red Theatre. It usually starts at 19:30 and ends at 21:00, and there will be an added one during the peak season. Enjoying the legendary Kung Fu show, you will absolutely be amazed at the fabulous Chinese martial arts! 

Tian'anmen Square

Forbidden City

This morning, we will drive 53 KM from downtown to Chang Tomb in the northwest for about 1 hour. Built from 1409 to 1415, it is the joint tomb of Emperor Zhu Di (also known as Emperor Yongle) and Empress Xu. Maybe you could guess why it has been called the “Chang Tomb”. First, “Chang” has another pronunciation—“Zhang” in Chinese, and the latter refers to a senior one. As the first emperor who selected Beijing as the capital in the Ming Dynasty and the first Ming emperor who had his tomb built in Beijing, Zhu Di should definitely be respected as a senior. Besides, “Chang” also means that something lasts a very long time, which implies that after Zhu Di’s death, his posterity would rule the country from generation to generation for a very long time. The above reasons explain why this tomb has been called “Chang Tomb”. And if you are eager to know other things about the Chang Tomb, your guide is willing to tell you in detail. 

After lunch, we will head to the Mutianyu Great Wall in the northeast, 39 KM away from the Chang Tomb. And it takes us about 1 hour to get there by private car. With a forest coverage of over 90%, the Mutianyu Great Wall enjoys breathtaking natural splendors. As it was built on high mountains, you could go up to the Mutianyu Great Wall by cable car or chairlift. And if you want a more fantastic touring experience, we recommend you go up by chairlift and down by toboggan. Visiting the Mutianyu Great Wall will absolutely leave you an unforgettable memory!

Chang Tomb

Mutianyu Great Wall

After breakfast, the guide will help you check out. Then you will be transferred to the railway station. Getting on the estimated train G571 09:22/15:06, you will say goodbye to Beijing and say hello to Xi’an (Chang’an in ancient times) and then you will come to the second stop of your Yangtze River Cruise tour. Xi’an enjoys natural beauty, varying greatly with the change of seasons, and it is also a famous ancient city, where emperors of 13 dynasties made it the capital. Xi’an is one of the four world’s historical and cultural cities, and the other three are Cairo in Egypt, Rome in Italy and Athens in Greece, respectively. You will stay in Xi’an for three days and visit its historical and cultural landmarks, such as the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Great Mosque. Besides, you could also ride around the City Wall, where you could appreciate the different charm of this city!

After arrival, your local guide will meet you at the railway station and transfer you to the hotel. Then, you could take a good rest. 

This morning, we will take a private car to the northeastern Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, 40 kilometers away from the downtown. It will take us about 53 minutes to get there. Renowned as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum is a superb paradigm of ancient Chinese sculpture. It was discovered in the spring of 1974 when villagers were digging a well. They dug out some pottery fragments that looked like human figures. Then, their findings alerted the archeologists, who soon assembled here and unearthed a huge army composed of terracotta warriors and horses, which had been interred as the burial objects of the first emperor in the Qin Dynasty (246-210 BC) more than 2,000 years ago. This discovery caused a sensation due to its impressive size and the masterful craftsmanship of the sculptures. During your visit here, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses will definitely feast your eyes. 

This afternoon, we will first go to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It is a typical pagoda that integrates the characteristics of the Indian Buddhist temple with Chinese architectural style. This pagoda was built under the suggestion of Xuanzang, a great Buddhist master in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), to store the Buddhist scriptures, Buddha statues and Buddhist relics that he had brought back from Tianzhu (ancient India). Now, I’d like to introduce Xuanzang to you. Leaving China in 627 and returning in 645, he spent over 10 years studying Buddhism in over 110 states. After that, he worked day and night as the chief translator to translate the Buddhist scriptures with the help of 50 learned monks, and it lasted for 19 years. Finally, he and his assistants translated 75 sets of scriptures. Besides, he dictated the book – the Tang Dynasty Records of the Western Regions, which recounted the geography, climate, language, history, religion, culture, custom and other aspects of the 138 countries and states he had visited or heard about along the journey. Xuanzang devoted all his life to promote and develop Buddhism. 

The City Wall is our last visit today. Having a circumference of 13.74 KM, the magnificent City Wall, built in the Ming Dynasty, has become one of the most attractive sightseeing landscapes in Xi’an. There are four city gates in the City Wall, namely Changle Gate, Yongning Gate, Anding Gate and Anyuan Gate, which are known collectively as “Chang An Yong An”, meaning that Chang’an (ancient Xi’an) would be eternally peaceful. And if lucky enough, you may see “soldiers of the Tang Dynasty”. Actually, they are guards in ancient costumes to protect the City Wall from travelers’ graffito or damages. Besides, riding a bike on the City Wall is a perfect recommendation for you! If you visit here with families or friends, you could choose a tandem bicycle. It is the most popular way of visiting the City Wall.

Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Good morning! Following the guide, you will get to Shaanxi History Museum (closed each Monday), the first large-scale national historical museum in China. Since opened, it has held various large-scale exhibitions showcasing the historical relics and glorious civilization achievements of the Chinese nation. One highlight of its permanent exhibition is featured by the progress of ancient civilization in Shaanxi Province, which displays unique cultural relics in different times to tell people about the development of society and culture in Shaanxi. This exhibition has 3 showrooms with over 2,000 cultural relics displayed, such as colored pottery vessels, bronze wares, and eaves tiles. Visiting here, you will be totally absorbed in the sea of cultural relics. Maybe you will feel as if you were talking with them.

In the afternoon, we arrange for you a world-famous magnificent Muslim temple, namely the Great Mosque of Xi’an with a blend of Muslim culture and Chinese culture. Built in 742 in the Tang Dynasty, it is well-preserved with continuous repair and protection through Song (960-1279), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming and Qing Dynasties. When standing in this great mosque, you could try to find its largest building. It is the House of Worship with an area of 1,300 square meters that can accommodate 1,000 Muslims to worship together. What is worth mentioning is that 30 wooden carvings of the Koran both in Arabic and Chinese are inserted around the House of Worship, and each of them is 4-meter tall. The Great Mosque of Xi’an gains great popularity among Muslims around the world. In recent years, the Great Mosque of Xi’an has become a window for people to know about the Chinese Muslim culture. 

Our next stop is the Muslim Quarter that serves a variety of tasty specialties! It is a good place to taste local snacks and enjoy leisure time for both the locals and outsiders. A variety of food is served on either side of the street, such as pastries, dried fruit, and other local snacks. Here in the Muslim Quarter, you will be tempted by appetizing Pita Bread Soaked in Lamb Soup, Chinese hamburger, Beef Noodles, dumplings with various fillings and other luscious dishes. And I think the Chinese hamburger is a must-try for you! The fresh and fragrant cured meat matches well with the crispy baked bun, and it remains delicious over thousands of years. So, the Chinese hamburger is a regional specialty, and for good reason. Stop hesitating and come to enjoy these Xi’an delicacies and maybe some of them will be your new favorites! 

Shaanxi History Museum

Muslim Quarter

This morning, you will take the estimated train D1971 09:05/13:42 to Chongqing, which is the starting point of your Yangtze River Cruise tour. After arrival, the Chongqing guide will meet you at the train station and transfer you to the Ciqikou Ancient Town featured by Chongqing folk culture with a history of over 1,000 years. Wandering around the ancient town, you will see craftsmen demonstrating traditional folk art, making dough figures, Sichuan embroidery, etc. Buying some crafts or other souvenirs for your family or friends in your homeland is also a good choice, and it is a perfect way to show your love to them. Besides, in this ancient town, you will see tea houses and you could enter one of them to taste a cup of tea, and the fragrance will make your body and soul relax. 

Then, you will go to the Chaotianmen Wharf, where you will start your Yangtze River Cruise. The boarding time stops at 8:30 pm, and the Yangtze River Cruise starts 30 minutes later. To provide a pleasant cruising experience for travelers, smoking is completely banned on the ship. You need to prepare a sweater or coat if you come here in spring or autumn, sunglasses and sun cream in summer. Your guide will help you complete the boarding procedure and then you will take the Yangtze River Cruise without your guide.

Ciqikou Ancient Town

Chaotianmen Wharf

Today, you could sleep until wake up naturally and enjoy a self-help breakfast. Learning Tai Chi or reading a book is a good way for you to nourish your body or soul! And you will feel that you are so delighted and energetic during your Yangtze River Cruise. 

Today, we will have a shore excursion to visit Shibaozhai Pagoda, one of the attractive splendors along the Yangtze River. The Shibaozhai Pagoda was built against a stone hill. Divided into 2 parts, the Shibaozhai Pagoda has 9 layers backed by the hill and 3 layers on the top with a total height of 56 meters. For its peculiar structure, it is known as one of the eight fantastic buildings in the world.

Then, you could pay for an additional visit to Fengdu “Ghost City”, which is optional. Fengdu “Ghost City” is located in Fengdu County on the north bank of the Yangtze River. It is a duplicate of the legendary netherworld with a concentration on Chinese ghost culture. Walking along a hiking track, you will see the Gui Men Guan (gate of hell), Nai He Qiao (the bridge leading to the afterlife), Huang Quan Lu (the road leading to hell), and the statues of King of Hell, Judge of Hell, and so on. All of them fully reflect the Chinese traditional perceptions of life and death. If you are interested in this place, you can pay the extra fee directly to the shipping company.

This noon, you will have a buffet lunch and you will participate in a welcome reception this evening. Hope you have a great time!

Shibaozhai Pagoda

Fengdu "Ghost City"

After having a buffet breakfast, you could learn Tai Chi in the morning. 

Today, you will pass through Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge, which constitute the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. You will first pass through the Qutang Gorge. At Qutang Gorge, you could have an additional shore excursion to visit the White Emperor City located on the north bank of the Yangtze River. Located on the White Emperor Mountain surrounded by the Yangtze River, it is a town characterized by a military fortress. And there are many cultural relics, including calligraphy, paintings, steles, potteries, etc. Next, you will pass through Wu Gorge. Here you will take a small boat and visit the Goddess Stream on the south bank of the Yangtze River, which has a stunning natural beauty. The water here is green, like an emerald in the Wu Gorge. Sitting on the small boat, you could hear the stream murmuring and the birds singing, just like stepping into an otherworldly sort of place.

There is a surprise waiting for you at night! You could participate in the farewell dinner and watch a wonderful performance given by the crew on board.

White Emperor City

Goddess Stream

After enjoying a breakfast buffet, you will have an additional activity—boarding a sightseeing-ferry sailing through TGP Ship’s elevator with extra charge. After that, you will visit the Three Gorges Dam Site, the world’s largest hydroelectric project. It has become a famous landscape here since it was completed in 2006. It is also the main attraction of the Three Gorges Dam Scenic Area that covers an area of 15.28 square kilometers. This scenic area integrates modern engineering with tourism, offering visitors scientific knowledge about this huge hydraulic project as well as natural landscapes. You could go to a 262.48-meter high mountain, which is a perfect location to have a bird’s-eye view of the Three Gorges Dam Site. If you take photos here and share them on your Facebook, you will gain a lot of thumb-ups!

After that, you will be transferred to the Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal. Then, the guide will take you to the train station, and you will take the estimated train D354 14:46/22:21 to Shanghai. After arrival, your Shanghai guide, waiting for you at the station, will transfer you to the hotel and help you check in. 

Three Gorges Dam Site

Three Gorges Dam Site

Today, you will start your tour in Shanghai that is open, fashionable and dynamic. The Yu Garden (closed each Monday) serves as our first stop in this city. It used to be a private garden in the Ming Dynasty constructed by an important official—Pan Yunduan for a happy life of his parents. As “yu” means “happiness and peace” in Chinese, so this garden is also known as “Happiness Garden” that aimed to please Pan’s aged parents. However, it is a pity that Pan’s parents passed away before this garden was completed. Visiting here, you will see a Taihu Stone with a height of 2.3 meters, which has been praised as “the waist of an elegant lady”. Taihu Stone is a kind of precious material that is frequently used in gardens south of the Yangtze River. People value this Taihu Stone for its thinness, porosity, exquisiteness, and wrinkle. It is waiting for you to enjoy its mysterious beauty!

Then, we will go to Shanghai Old Street that has witnessed the economic growth of this city. Here you could choose jade, silk scarf, chopsticks, and fan with distinctive Chinese features as gifts for your sweet families and friends. You could also enjoy the local food at the Shanghai Old Street. Small steamed buns, wonton with different fillings, and green sticky rice balls with sweet fillings are all served as good choices. 

This afternoon, we will visit the Shanghai Tower, a landmark skyscraper that is 632-meter tall in Shanghai. Speaking of the Shanghai Tower, the Top of Shanghai Observatory on the 118th floor is a must-visit. You will go up to the 546-meter high observatory in 55 seconds by taking the world’s fastest elevator with a speed of 18 meters per second. Standing in this observatory, you could enjoy the astonishingly beautiful scenery of this charming city! This is a popular photo spot, so you could take amazing pictures and share them on your Twitter. Then, you will get a lot of new followers!

After that, you will visit Nanjing Road, a paradise of shopping with over 700 stores along the two sides. Many of the stores are Chinese time-honored stores, such as Hengyuanxiang (cashmere clothes and home textiles store), Laofengxianng (jewelry store), Zhangxiaoquan (scissors store). On Nanjing Road, there is the Paramount Hall, the landmark of Shanghai’s nightlife in 1920-1930. It was a ballroom and a well-known high-end social and entertainment venue in Shanghai. Wandering in the Paramount Hall is like returning to a hundred years ago. 

Then, walking to the east end of Nanjing Road, you will come to the Bund. The Bund is famous for the “World Architecture Fair” which consists of 52 buildings in both classicism and modernism. Among these buildings, I’d like to introduce the Peace Hotel at No. 20 on the Bund. It is a landmark of Shanghai, the first building of a modernistic style in the architectural history of Shanghai. The Peace Hotel has restaurants, banquet halls, pubs and a sightseeing garden on the roof. While wandering around the Bund, you could fully enjoy these magnificent buildings and the charming Huangpu River!

Yu Garden

Shanghai Tower

This morning, we will go to the Shanghai Museum (closed each Monday) that covers an area of 39,200 square meters. It is known as a large museum of Chinese ancient art because a great number of ancient Chinese artworks are displayed in the museum, including bronze vessels, potteries, calligraphy and paintings. You could see a set of pottery figurines of twelve Chinese Zodiacs with human bodies and different heads of animals including rat, tiger, monkey and so on. And they look vivid as if they were alive. Besides, it is a good idea to buy imitations of some exhibits in the souvenir store of Shanghai Museum for your family and friends!

Next, we will go to the Jade Buddha Temple, a quiet place in the hustling and bustling downtown area of Shanghai. I’d like to give you a particular recommendation for visiting, that is, the bell in this temple. It is said that the bell has a magic power that if one worshipper is not sincere, he or she will not hear the bell ring no matter how many times the bell is hit. Consequently, Buddhists from afar come to burn incense and ring the bell to show their respect and worship to the Buddha. Stop hesitating, and the Jade Buddha Temple deserves a visit!

After lunch, we will visit the Zhujiajiao Ancient Water Town in the southwest of Shanghai, which is the final attraction during your stay in Shanghai. It is 49 kilometers away and we will drive there for about 50 minutes. With pleasant natural beauty and a variety of local delicacies, this town lures visitors from all over the country as well as all around the world.

Jade Buddha Temple

Zhujiajiao Water Town

After breakfast, you will take the estimated flight FM9349 09:55/12:35 to Guilin. Upon arrival, your Guilin guide will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel. Then, your guide will help you check in at the hotel. 

This afternoon, we will have a visit to the Elephant Trunk Hill, a must-visit attraction of a journey to Guilin. The hill looks like an elephant drinking water at the Li River. The popular landscapes at the Elephant Trunk Hill are the Water Moon Cave, Puxian Pagoda and Yunfeng Temple. You could take stunning photos here! 

Our next visit is the Reed Flute Cave, which is located in northwest of Guilin. It is a famous tourist destination that is featured by karst caves and natural scenery of mountains and rivers. The Reed Flute Cave also gains great popularity among many state leaders and government officials, and over 200 of them came here when they paid a state visit to China. And Pat Nixon, the wife of former president of America, praised that the Reed Flute Cave looked like a beautiful palace and a fairy tale world. There are fantastic landscapes consisting of glittering and translucent stalactites of different shapes in the Reed Flute Cave. Come to explore the beauty of them! 

Elephant Trunk Hill

Reed Flute Cave

This morning, we will arrange a Li River Cruise for you. You will be driven for about 40 minutes to the southeast Mopanshan Wharf, 24 KM away from the Guilin downtown. Then, you will head to Yangshuo, about 83 kilometers south of Guilin, by taking the Li River Cruise. It takes about 4 hours from Guilin to Yangshuo. Being the highlight of sightseeing tours in Guilin, Li River enjoys terrific natural beauty with lush mountains and clear waters. While cruising, you could find the Nine Horses Printing Mountain and the Yellow Cloth Shoal, and each of them will leave you a memory that remains deep in your mind.

After arrival, you will visit Yangshuo West Street, which is a pedestrian street with a history of over 1,400 years. It is also known as the Foreigner’s Street, as there are a lot of visitors from all over the world coming here for a visit and residents in this area could speak fluent English. In West Street, you could taste the Beer Fish with local flavor, and its tender texture and unique taste will make you delighted with its good smell. 

Li River Cruise

Yangshuo West Street

After breakfast, you will leave for Hong Kong by taking the estimated train G319 12:38/15:57. The local guide will wait for you at the train station and help you check in after getting to the hotel. Hong Kong is the last city of your China Yangtze River Cruise tour that starts from Beijing. Hong Kong is one of the most populous cities in the world with a population of 7,474,200. It is a highly prosperous international metropolis like London in Britain and New York in America. This enchanting city enjoys a reputation as a paradise of delicacy and shopping. 

Today, we will first visit Victoria Peak. It is the highest peak in Hong Kong with a height of 554 meters. Here you could take the Peak Tram to the top of Victoria Peak, and it will absolutely be a fantastic experience. On the top of Victoria Peak, you could dining, drinking coffee, shopping or just enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Next, we will go to the Repulse Bay south of Hong Kong, which is known as Oriental Hawaii. People always choose this place to spend their holidays. There are supermarkets, restaurants and snack bars. It’s also a perfect place for a barbecue, as grills are prepared on the eastern side of the bay. I believe the sunshine, the beach, and the seawater here will make you so enchanted! 

Then, here comes the last attraction of your journey, and that is the Stanley Market. There are stores selling souvenirs, Chinese artifacts, oil paintings, clothes, and so on. Here you could not only go shopping but also enjoy the excitement of bargaining.

Victoria Peak

Repulse Bay

Today, you will be transferred to the airport according to your flight. And it’s the end of your China tour! We are ready to serve you again in other cities in China. See you later!

Author: Liu Na

Proofreader: Vivian Zhou