Shanghai & Yangtze Cruise Tour
Highlights of this tour
Ni Hao! Welcome to Shanghai, the biggest metropolis of China!
Upon arrival, be greeted by our tour guide in the Arrival Hall who is holding a sign with your name. Before transferring to your hotel, you will firstly be taken to experience one of the fastest trains in the world - Shanghai Maglev Train (Optional).
Started operation at 2003, the Shanghai Maglev Train is the first commercially operated high-speed magnetic levitation line in the world. Running at a speed of 431km per hour, the Shanghai Maglev Train takes only 8 minutes to transfer from Pudong International Airport to Longyang Road Station in the central downtown of Shanghai. Passengers hardly can hear any noise, and feel any jolt, because the maglev trains run with touching the railway line. The facilities inside the trains are very modern, clean and comfortable. (Note: The Maglev Train only operates between Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Luoyang Road Station from 06:45 AM to 21:42 PM )
You will take a full day of sightseeing to explore both the past and present of Shanghai. Your first stop is Shanghai Museum, one of the Best Four Museums in China. This modern museum, with a round top and a square base which symbolizing the ancient Chinese perception of the world as "round sky, square earth", has collected many international-standard exhibits of bronzes, paintings, calligraphy, sculpture, ceramics, jade from more than 5,000 years ago to the Qing dynasty. To help you learn about the history and facts about the relics in the museum easily, an Audio Explanation Device will be prepared for you.
Then, take an interesting visit to Yu Garden, a shining star among all the ancient Chinese gardens in Jiangnan. This garden fully embodies the traditional design of Chinese architecture with jagged pavilions with elegant decorations, glittering pools with roving fish, and pine trees sprouting to the sky, all designed to refresh your mood and spirit. Adjacent to the garden is the Yuyuan Bazaar where you can savor tasteful local snacks and explore elaborate traditional Chinese handicrafts and art works. Next you will drive several kilometers to enjoy a panoramic view of the modern face of Shanghai from the 100th floor (474m) of “the Eye of Shanghai” - Shanghai World Financial Center.
You will then be transferred to another popular landmark of Shanghai, Nanjing Road, a shopping paradise as well as a great place to take a wonderful walk to experience the modern atmosphere of the City. Lastly, you will stop at the Bund, originally a simple towpath for transporting goods but now transformed into a feverish trading district. You will stroll along the Bund, seeing and feeling the perfect fusion of Chinese and Western cultures while at the same time taking in the stunning Shanghai skyline with your own eyes!
Optional activities: 1). Take a relaxing Huangpu River night cruise to see the city’s most significant edifices and streets sparkling under the atmospheric cover of darkness (about 50 minutes); 2). Enjoy an entertaining and breathtaking Acrobatic Show at Shanghai Circus World or other acrobatic theatres (usually performs during 19:30~21:00).
After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. First, you’ll pay a wonderful visit to Jade Buddha Temple, the site of the largest Jade Buddha in the world and numerous religious artifacts, ancient statues and Buddhist scriptures. This peaceful kingdom of Buddhism hidden among modern blocks and dominating mansions is a great place for a nice break in this very busy city.
Next, you’ll be transferred to Tianzifang which is touristic arts and crafts enclave that has developed from a renovated traditional residential area in the French Concession area of Shanghai. It is the typical tourist attraction to appreciate the preservation of local Shikumen architecture. In this place full of rich flavor of life, you can leisurely stroll along the clean old alleys to watch the daily life of local Shanghai people, savor a cup of drink at the open-air café, and find some interesting things in the novel shops to feel the international feature mixed with real Shanghai culture.
In the afternoon, your guide will escort you to the airport for your flight to Yichang (2hrs). Upon arrival, you’ll be transferred to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal (or Yichang East Railway Station) for a bus arranged by the cruise company heading to Maoping Port for embarkation. Your lifetime Yangtze River cruise starts!
Embarkation Tips: (1) The Shanghai to Yichang flight in the afternoon is not always available every day. If there is no such flight, to embark your cruise ship on time, you will have to cancel your visit to Jade Buddha Temple and Tianzifang in Shanghai and change your transfer to Yichang with 2 optional arrangements. (a). Take the early morning flight (around 7:30 a.m.) to Yichang to have a half-day tour. After the city tour, your guide would escort you to take the arranged bus to the port for Yangtze River cruise embarkation; (b). Take a morning bullet train (about 6-7 hours) from Shanghai to Yichang, and after arrival, take the arranged bus to the port for Yangtze River cruise embarkation. (2)All the cruise companies will arrange free transfer service at Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal or Yichang East Railway Station during 16:00~21:00. You could choose either one to take the tourist bus to Maoping Port. If you take a train arriving at Yichang East Railway Station, you can take the bus at the exit directly. (3) The boarding time and departure piers may change based on the ship line, water level, season, weather and other factors. Please pay attention to the important info your travel consultants sent to you before your boarding.
In the morning, wake up leisurely and enjoy the gentle sunshine shining over the tranquil and beautiful Yangtze River. It will be colorful and interesting whether you decide to stay onboard or go ashore at river stops.
Onboard you will enjoy different kinds of activities, like practicing Tai Chi on the boat’s sundeck, drinking a relaxing morning coffee, attending a Yangtze River history and culture lecture, or taking part in the Captain’s Welcome Party and evening shows.
Today’s highlight is an afternoon excursion to Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydropower project, located at the middle of Xiling Gorge near Yichang. You will marvel at this gigantic dam from different angles, learn more of the background history of the Three Gorges Dam Project and enjoy the surrounding beautiful landscape and scenery. If you like, you can take optional experience to sail through Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift, the largest ship lift in the world, which takes only 40 minutes with fresh insight into the dam project.
Optional excursion: take shore excursion to the Tribe of Three Gorges in the Xiling Gorge which charges extra fee. It has lovely scenes everywhere - waterfalls, boats, fishermen, laundry girls washing in the stream, a mock wedding ceremony…Take an easy boardwalk in the valley to enjoy impressive scenery and explore the life and customs of Bai people of this region.
Today you will sail through the spectacular Three Gorges! You will relax on the sun deck and soak up the breathtaking gorge scenery passing by as you drift through Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge respectively.
In Wu Gorge you will take an enjoyable adventure to primitive Shennv Stream (Goddess Stream). You’ll be switched to a smaller boat to sail down this beautiful stream running in a narrow side gorge where you will have close-up views of high mountain peaks and hanging coffins on the steep cliff faces. During this side trip you will be entertained with local music and dance offered by the Tujia ethnic minority.
Optional excursion: Take a shore excursion to White Emperor City for an extra fee. Located at the entrance of Qutang Gorge, this excursion offers the best viewing spot to appreciate the magnificent Kuimen Gate.
In this morning, you will follow a local guide and make a shore excursion to Shibaozhai Pagoda, one of the “Pearls” of the Yangtze River. A gem of Chinese architecture, this 12-story, 18th century red wooden temple on the northern bank of Yangtze River is an architectural delight full of legends and beautiful stories. (Note: Comfortable shoes are highly recommended since there will be lots of stairs to climb up!)
Optional excursion: Take a shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City for an extra fee. Called the “City of Ghosts”, it is endowed with mysterious stories about underworld and cruel tortures and different kinds of devils and Chinese demons. Entering this ghost city, you will find many statues of demons and vivid scenes of their perfidious activities. (Note: Once again, the visit to Fengdu Ghost City requires much walking and comfortable shoes are again highly recommended!)
In this evening, enjoy Captain’s Farewell Party with all the mates onboard and cherish your last night on the relaxing Yangtze River cruise.
In the morning, your ship will arrive at Chongqing Chaotianmen Port around 09:00 where you will go through a check-out procedure and disembark. You will be picked up by our local tour guide at the port and escorted to the railway station / airport for a train or flight to next destination!
Departure Ideas: Travelers can take a flight from Chongqing Jiangbei Airport to Xian, Guilin, Lhasa, Beijing, Guangzhou, Kunming, Shangri-La and Dali, etc. Or you can take a high speed train from Chongqing North Railway Station to Chengdu (about 1.5hrs) and more cities in China.
Xian, as the capital of 13 ancient China dynasties, is filled with amazing historic and cultural wonders.
With only 2 days, you can travel the best highlights of ancient capital Xian at an enjoyable pace. The Day 1 is a full day visit to the famous Terracotta Warriors, Ancient City Wall, Local Snack Street - Muslim Quarter. In the Day 2, you have a half day for visiting to the symbol of Xian - Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and having an educational learning in Shanxi History Museum. The rest time is free for departure.
Beijing, the 'forbidden' city, now is open to the world!
As the capital city of China for more than eight-hundred years, Beijing possesses rich cultural deposits of China. You will need at least 3 days to explore its best highlights. Here is the plan - Day 1 is for you to visit the imperial historical sites, including Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Summer Palace; Day 2 is to hike the magnificent Great Wall while Day 3 is for you to have a half-day visiting of the Temple of Heaven,local Hutongs, and depart from the city.
Shanghai / Chongqing / Yangtze Cruise / Yichang
Shanghai / Yichang / Yangtze Cruise / Chongqing / Xian / Beijing
Shanghai / Yichang / Yangtze Cruise / Chongqing / Guilin / Yangshuo / Xian / Beijing
“Very good experience”
“WONDERFUL 25 DAYS IN CHINA - PRIVATE TOUR”
“Awesome China tour from northeast to southwest”
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