China with 4 Day Yangtze River Cruise
11 Days Tour
Beijing, Cruise, Shanghai
From $1549 and up (air & land)
Package Includes
• Flights Los Angeles-Beijing, Shanghai-Los Angeles
• Airline taxes & fuel surcharges
• All intra-flights: Beijing-Yichang & Chongqing-Shanghai
• 9 nights First Class accommodations:
- 3 nights Beijing
- 4 nights cruise upstream on Victoria Cruise, Yangtze River
- 2 nights Shanghai
• Hotel taxes, fees & service charges. Hotel & cruise porterage.
• 19 meals: 9 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 6 dinners with beer
• Sightseeing per itinerary in modern air-conditioned motor coach
• Services of English-speaking tour manager throughout
• Services of local guides in all major cities
• Entrance fees per itinerary
• Comfortable wireless earphones for enhanced touring
Highlights
• Visit the Great Wall, the World’s longest man-made structure
• Explore the classical Yuyuan Garden and the Bund Riverside
Itinerary
DAY 1, Monday - Depart for China
Depart for China
DAY 2, Tuesday - Arrive in Beijing
Arrive in Beijing, sprawling capital of modern China; meeting and transfer to your hotel. Remainder of the day is at leisure to rest, relax and acclimate to your new surroundings
Overnight: Beijing
DAY 3, Wednesday - Great Wall of China & Ming Tombs
Take a full day excursion to the Great Wall of China, the longest man-made structure on Earth, spanning nearly 4,000 miles of China's northern frontier. Stop at a local jade shop before arriving to the Great Wall. Walk along the promenades and enjoy the unrivaled scenic views of beautiful mountain passes, plateaus and grasslands from this 7th century defensive fortification. Afterward, you have lunch at a local restaurant. Continue for a walk through the site of Ming Tombs. Later, drive by the striking ultra-modern architectural site built for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, before returning to Beijing. Tonight, gather for a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant
Overnight: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 4, Thursday - Full Day in Beijing
Spend your day at leisure to explore Beijing on your own. Or, join the fascinating optional tour that includes the Forbidden City, Summer Palace and a visit to the Beijing Zoo to see the world-famous Pandas. Tonight, savor an optional Peking Duck dinner, the most culturally famous meal in China
Optional: Peking Duck Dinner
Optional: Full Day Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Panda visit at Beijing Zoo with lunch
Overnight: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 5, Friday - Fly to Yichang, Embark Cruise
Morning optional tour to Beijing's unique Hutong area to absorb the culture and traditions of Old China, including a visit with a local family. Afterwards, transfer to the airport for your flight to Yichang. Upon arrival, continue to the port to board your ship on the Yangtze River and enjoy a buffet dinner on board. Set sail later this evening. Your next three days are going to be full of activities. There will be demonstrations on fresh water pearls and you will have the opportunity to join lectures on various topics, such as Chinese medicine, the Three Gorges and the Three Gorges Dam site. There will be evening entertainment beginning tomorrow. You will receive a full itinerary upon embarkation
Optional: Half Day Hutong Tour (AM)
Overnight: Yangtze River
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 6, Saturday - Xiling Gorge
This morning begin sailing upstream through Xiling Gorge. Today's optional excursion visits the Three Gorges Dam near Sandouping Village. This dam is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, nearly six times the size of the Hoover Dam. Continue sailing through Xiling Gorge, the longest section of the Three Gorges system, which is comprised of the rapids of Xietan, Qingtan and Kongling, collectively known as the Three Rapids of Xiling
Optional: Yangtze River Shore Excursion Package - Three Gorges Dam
Overnight: Yangtze River
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 7, Sunday - Wu Gorge, Qutang Gorge
Enjoy spectacular views of the surrounding mountain passes as you sail through the 25-mile long Wu Gorge, famous for its fabled Twelve Peaks. According to legend, the peaks are believed to be the spirits of 12 fairies, the most famous of them being the Shennu Feng (Goddess) Peak, which is topped by a huge rock resembling a kneeling maiden. Today, your optional tour will take you either on a scenic journey up Shennong Stream, traveling in small boats between rolling hills and rocky cliffs or. on a scenic journey up Shennv Stream, the journey is accompanied by local folk songs and dances. Continue through the Qutang Gorge, the smallest of the three Yangtze gorges, and admire its bluffed banks and lush terraced hillsides
Optional: Yangtze River Shore Excursion Package - Shennong Stream
Overnight: Yangtze River
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 8, Monday - Cruise to Shibaozhai
The ship arrives this morning at Shibaozhai, built during the Ming Dynasty. This pagoda is sometimes referred to as one of the eight construction wonders of the world, built into the side of a rocky cliff face and constructed without use of nails. This vermilion 12-story pagoda stands impressively over 100 feet high. The optional tour highlights the main attraction of the temple, with its traditional Chinese design. The structure is inspired by the mountains with patterns and figures that vary from odd to extraordinary. Climb the stairs and experience the most extraordinary sights of the valley below
Optional: Yangtze River Shore Excursion Package - Shibaozhai
Overnight: Yangtze River
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 9, Tuesday - Flight to Shanghai
Disembark the cruise in Chongqing and transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai, the fastest growing city in Asia, with its dramatic ever-changing skyline. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. The balance of the day is at leisure
Overnight: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 10, Wednesday - Yuyuan Garden & Bund
Today, visit the classical Yuyuan Garden, built during the Ming Dynasty by the high-ranking government official Pan Yunduan. In existence for 400 years, the Gardens were specifically constructed for Pan's aging parents as a sanctuary in which to live out their lives. Enjoy a stop at a local silk carpet and embroidery shop and then experience the old world charm of the Bund, the former "Wall Street" of the foreign powers. Walk along its park-like waterfront promenade between the Wusong River and Old Town. Tonight, gather for a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant
Overnight: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 11, Thursday - Depart China
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight
Meals: Breakfast