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7 Days Chongqing Yangtze River & Zhangjiajie Tour

Leisure Cruise Plus Visual Feast of Avatar Mountains and Splendid Gorges

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Imagine you are traveling in a beautiful Chinese landscape painting with a long scroll, how amazing it is! Embark on an enchanting 7-day odyssey through China's heartland, where the vibrant cityscapes meet the ancient whispers of nature. This curated journey will have you immersed in the splendor of China's most iconic landscapes, from the sprawling metropolis of Chongqing to the ethereal vistas of Zhangjiajie through the magnificent Three Gorges, via luxury Yangtze River cruise and convenient normal train ride.

This 7-day adventure is more than a trip; it's a moving masterpiece that unveils China's diverse landscapes and cultural treasures. Book now to embark on a voyage that transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary!

Highlights of this tour

  • Marvel at the beautiful Yangtze River and Three Gorges Dam by taking a luxury 5 star cruise sailing downstream from Chongqing to Yichang - the golden section of Yangtze Cruise;
  • Completely relax yourselves to enjoy the worry free onboard living with three meals provided and interesting entertainment and cultural activities performed by the talented staff;
  • Get amazed by the miracle that can only be created by our Mother Nature - endless pillar-like stone mountains and peaks standing in the mysterious clouds, forming the Pandora World in real;
  • Challenge yourselves to walk on the highest and longest glass bridge in the world over Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon which is with a length of 430 meters and height of 400 meters above the deep valley.

Basic Trip Information

Price:
from Request
  1. 1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one double-bed room in a 4-star hotel and traveling in low seasons;
  2. 2. This price is subject to change according to your traveling season, group size, hotel class, change of activities and possible fluctuation of currency exchange rate.
Travel Route:
Chongqing / Yangtze Cruise / Yichang / Zhangjiajie
Travel Length:
7 Days and 6 Nights
Tour Code:
CD-ZJJY-07
Group Size:
You, your family, friends or group
Experience:
HikingMountaineeringPhotograph
Departure:
Any day you want
Make an Inquiry

Full Itinerary Day by day

Day 1 Chongqing Arrival

Ni Hao! Welcome to Chongqing, the mountain city of China! Upon arrival, be greeted by our tour guide in the arrival hall of the airport / train station, and be transferred by private car/van to downtown area.

In the late afternoon, you will be escorted to Chaotianmen Dock to board the Yangtze cruise ship between 18:00-20:00. Your memorable Yangtze River cruise will sail around 21:00!

More notes and tips regarding the Yangtze River Cruise’s embarkation:

  • 1. There are 13 sub-piers of Chaotianmen Dock and different ships will dock at different piers. Please check the info with your travel consultant and know where to board your ship at least one day beforehand.
  • 2. The boarding time and departure piers change based on the cruise line, water level, season, weather and other factors. Your travel consultant will ensure you have the departure time and boarding pier before boarding.
  • 3. Some cruises do not include dinner on the embarkation night, you can have dinner or buy some snacks at Chaotianmen Square before embarkation.
  • 4. Chaotianmen Dock is currently under refurbishment and does not have escalators, only wooden stairs. When embarking or disembarking at Chaotianmen, you may need to carry your luggage up or down the stairs. If you have difficulty with this due to physical constraints, please inform your travel consultant in advance. They can arrange for a luggage porter to assist you for a fee of 20-30 RMB per package.
Chongqing Chaotianmen Dock Chongqing Chaotianmen Dock Night View
Day 2 Yangtze River Cruise (B, L, D)

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.

Next, follow a local guide and make a shore excursion in Fengdu County. Fengdu County, a vital part of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, boosts unique natural and cultural landscape, including Fengdu Ghost City, Mount Shuanggui, Snow Jade Cave, Jade Emperor Scenic Area, Xiaoguanshan Folk Residences, etc.

Out of all these sites, Fengdu Ghost City is the most famous and attractive one. It is filled with mysterious tales of the underworld, brutal tortures, and various types of demons and Chinese devils. Entering this ghost city, you will find many statues of demons and vivid scenes of their perfidious activities. Some cruise companies arrange the site visit as an included, and others classify it as optional, which requires extra payment; you may check with your travel consultant while booking.

An Optional Excursion: Leaving Fengdu County, your cruise will reach and dock at Zhongxian County in the late afternoon, where a marvelous large-scale real landscape show is coming. The Feng Yan San Guo Show brings a cultural feast for Yangtze River cruise visitors to know the brilliant historical culture of the Three Kingdoms Period and the spirit of loyalty of great military officer Guan Yu. With amazing effects of lights, sounds, and special effects during the show, historical scenes seem to return vividly in front of you.

More notes and tips regarding today’s itinerary:

  • 1. Even sailing the same route through the Three Gorges, different cruises would have different shore excursion arrangements. The sites abovementioned refer to common and most frequent situations. The specific itinerary of the day depends on the ship you booked.
  • 2. Physical demands and dressing tips: Comfortable shoes are highly recommended since there will be a long distance walking at Fengdu Ghost City and many stairs to climb up at Shibaozhai Pagoda!
Enjoy a Yangtze Three Gorges Cruise Peter's Family enjoyed a leisure break on Yangtze River Cruises Shibaozhai Pagoda Fengdu Ghost City - Tianzi Hall Feng Yan San Guo Show
Day 3 Yangtze River Cruise (B, L, D)

Today, you will sail through the essential section of the Yangtze River - Three Gorges! You shall relax on the sun deck and soak up the breathtaking gorge scenery passing by as you drift through Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge. While the ship cruises toward the mouth of the Gorges, especially at Kui Gate, you’ll hear the wind whistling fiercely and witness the rolling hills stretching towards the skyline, leaving you marvelling at nature’s ingenious workmanship.

Today’s shore excursions would mainly be arranged at counties along the Three Gorges, in Fengjie, Wuxian or Badong. Different cruise companies draw up different itineraries. But in general, most luxury Yangtze River cruise companies, such as Century Cruises, Victoria Cruises and Yangtze Gold Cruises, etc., would port in Fengjie in the morning and offer an optional shore excursion (required extra payment) to the White Emperor City. This famous ancient “Poem City” is mentioned in about 1,400 Chinese poems. A tour through the scenic area tells a touching story of Liu Bei entrusting his son to his prime minister, Zhuge Liang. What’s more, the Viewing Platform in the scenic area is the best place to take a photo of the top representative landscape of the Qutang Gorge, Kui Gate, the same scenery on the background of the CNY 10 Note.

Cruise journey continues. In the afternoon, your cruise will stop at Wu Gorge. You will take a shore excursion here by switching to a smaller boat to sail down a 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. Shennv Stream, Shennong Stream and the Lesser Three Gorges are the frequently-chosen ones.

This evening, you’ll enjoy the Captain’s Farewell Party with all your mates and appreciate or join the fascinating dance show to spend a wonderful night.

More notes and tips regarding today’s itinerary:

  • 1. Besides the shore excursions mentioned above, two newly pop-up sites selected by cruise companies have gained high recognition from guests: Three Gorges Summit and Goddess Sky Road. Both are constructed on mountaintops for customers to enjoy the panoramic view of the natural splendor!
  • 2. Different cruises have different shore excursion arrangements. The specific itinerary of the day depends on the cruise you booked.
Our customer Lone took a photo with a Yangtze River Cruise Sailing on Yangtze River in Autumn Carolyn took a shore excursion to Goddess Sky Road with Yangtze 3 Shennv Stream
Day 4 Yangtze Cruise & Train to Zhangjiajie (B)

Today’s highlight is a morning 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.

After visiting the Three Gorges Dam, your tour guide will pick you up at Three Gorges Dam Site or Dock in Yichang (depending on your train time to Zhangjiajie). Then drive to the Yichang train station and take a train to Zhangjiajie (about 5hrs). Zhangjiajie is an awesome place that features the unique Karst mountains and picturesque forests, bringing you to the most surreal world - AWATAR world.

After arriving in Zhangjiajie, the local guide will pick you up at Zhangjiajie Railway Station and transfer you to your hotel in Wulingyuan.

The Magnificent Three Gorges Dam Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal
Day 5 Zhangjiajie National Forest Park - Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge & Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (B, L)

Today, after breakfast, you will be met by our guide and driver and then driven to start your exciting visit to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. You will first take the cable car up to Huangshi Village to appreciate the wide forest park on its peaks. The village site has an altitude of 1080 meters, which is praised for its similar charm of pillar forest of Colorado in the USA. Enjoying the flat the wide visual environment, it is so far the largest natural viewing deck for visitors for a perfect admiration of its various rising stones and hills. Enjoy your fresh walk to visit the top famous sights including Star Picking Stand, Five Finger Peak, and so on, and find those looking like bridge piers, etc. from a distance. Take cable car to get down.

Later, change your angle to explore the famous Golden Whip Stream deep in the valley. This totally 7.5 kilometers long brook is one of the most beautiful places in the whole forest park area. Because time is limted, you will only explore the essential part. Take an inspiring roam along the whispering pristine water on the paved path to immerse into tranquil wonderland with fresh air, colorful blooming flowers in different seasons, lush vegetation, etc. and be prepared to encounter with some wild monkeys.

After that, take a sightseeing bus to exit the park and be driven to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon for about 40 minutes. Now, its your bold moment to take the challenge and walk on the transparent Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge to feel like walking on the clouds, which is the world longest and highest glass-bottomed bridge so far in the whole universe, with total length of 430 meters and height of 400 meters above the deep valley. After the thrilling moment, take the elevators and enjoy the Nuokeli Slideway to the valley bottom for a cooling down and please your both eyes with the fascinating natural sceneries of the lush forest, emerald lake, various vegetation, etc. at the popular Rainbow Square, Momo Cave, the Holy Spring Lake, etc.

After the visiting, be driven for another 40 minutes back to your hotel in Wulingyuan. Have a good sleep!

Our customers Bernhard’s group from German visited Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, Zhangjiajie, Hunan on August 31, 2020. Remaining Piers of the Heavenly Bridge, Huangshi Village, Zhangjiajie Our clients Susa's group from Germany visited Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon in October, 2021
Day 6 Yuanjiajie - Tianzi Mountain (B, L)

Kick off your day with an early breakfast, then head to the UNESCO World Heritage site - Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. You will visit Ten-mile Gallery, Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain which is the Core Scenic Area of the national park.

Begin your adventure at the Ten-mile Gallery, where sightseeing trams glide past stunning formations like The God of Longevity Welcoming Guests, the Old Herb Picker, and the Three Sisters Peaks. This leisurely journey leads you through a captivating valley filled with storytelling landscapes. To fully immerse yourself in the experience, you’ll take a tram in and stroll back out, soaking in the beauty along the way.

Your next destination is Yuanjiajie. Begin your exploration on the Bailong Elevator, the world’s fastest and tallest outdoor lift, which ascends from the valley floor to the peak in just 1.5 minutes, providing a stunning bird’s-eye view of the remarkable landscape. Once you arrive at Yuanjiajie, immerse yourself in the area's natural beauty, renowned for its towering sandstone columns. Hike through this enchanting terrain, often shrouded in mist, and discover the inspiration behind the floating Hallelujah Mountains from the film Avatar. At the Ecstasy Terrace, soak in breathtaking vistas of hundreds of distinctive stone peaks. Finally, explore the natural wonder of The First Bridge, a striking stone bridge connecting two peaks with a 5-meter platform, showcasing a rare geological marvel.

After exploring Yuanjiajie, hop on a sightseeing bus to Tianzi Mountain. At Helong Park, you'll discover one of the area's finest viewing decks, providing close-up views of the majestic and unique Yubi Peak, and find the romantic Fairy Flowers among the hundreds of bizarre sandstone peaks. If you have the energy, you can venture a bit deeper to the Warrior Training Horse where dozens of unusual peaks stand tall, among which one peak resembles a proud steed with its mane held high, while next to it, a rock looks like a warrior holding the reins of a horse. End your visit at Tianzi Mountain with an exhilarating ride on the Cable Car, descending through a landscape of sandstone pillars that seem to rush past your window.

Following this thrilling tour, your guide and driver will take you to Zhangjiajie’s downtown area for hotel check-in.

Today 's Optional Attraction - Kongzhong Tianyuan, also known as The Field in the Sky (around 1~2 hours):

Kongzhong Tianyuan is a scenic spot that is less frequented by tour groups but features breathtaking views, making it especially suitable for photography. Typically, visitors need to take a sightseeing bus to reach the area (round trip CNY 64/pp not included in the ticket price). Here, you can see dozens of terraced fields layered amidst hundreds of towering stone peaks, and you can also gaze at the Bailong Elevator rising like a giant dragon into the sky. It’s important to note that to get a close-up view of the Avatar peaks from the lower observation platforms, you'll need to walk about half an hour. Be extra cautious while walking during rainy days and in winter.

Optional Evening Show: Enjoy your night to watch the popular Tianmen Fox Fairy Show at the foot of Tianmen Mountain, which is an excellent large-scaled musical drama performance with real landscape being the background and stage telling the touching story. Performance time: 20:15-21:50.

Our Customer Claire visited Tianzi Mountain in October 2023 Our client Ryan from USA visited Yuanjiajie of Zhangjiajie National Park in 2018 Ecstasy Terrace, Yuanjiajie
Day 7 Tianmen Mountain & Zhangjiajie Departure (B, L)

After breakfast, your guide and driver will collect you from your hotel to embark on an exhilarating journey to Tianmen Mountain, a must-see attraction in Zhangjiajie, renowned for its record-breaking single-track circular alpine cableway and the awe-inspiring natural phenomenon, Tianmen Cave.

You'll begin by taking the Tianmen Mountain Cableway, which ascends from downtown Zhangjiajie to the top of the mountain, over 1,400 meters above sea level. This approximately 7,455-meter-long cableway is currently the longest of its kind globally, offering a breathtaking view of the meandering Tongtian Avenue (Avenue toward Heaven) as seen from the transparent carriage.

The first part of your journey will be along the West Line Visiting Route (Looking for a Wonderland), which leads you through the mountain’s peak area. En route, you’ll be surrounded by natural marvels and thrilling experiences. The Guigu Cliffside Path awaits your adventurous spirit. At the end of the West Line, you’ll find the Tianmen Mountain Temple, which dates back to the Tang Dynasty and is situated atop the mountain.

After visiting the temple, you have the option to continue exploring the East Line (Jasper Terrace in The Green Field), hiking towards Yuhu Peak, and passing through South Overlooking Tianmen Cave, Immortal Source, Yu Hu Peak and Happy Grove, etc. Alternatively, you can take a refreshing forest sightseeing cable car (requires an extra fee of 25/pp for a single run) up to the Yunmeng Fairy Summit, the best vantage point on Tianmen Mountain, then walk down to the Turbulent Water at Tianmen (Upper Station of Transmountain Escalator).

Next, you’ll take the Transmountain Escalator from the peak down to Tianmen Cave to witness the colossal natural opening in the mountain. This cave, formed by natural compression and collapse, measures 131.5 meters in height, 57 meters in width, and 60 meters in depth, making it an extraordinary geological wonder. Afterwards, you’ll walk down the extremely steep 999 steps (Stairway to Heaven), with an incline of up to 45°. Finally, you will take the Tianmen Mountain Express Cableway down to the mountain gate parking lot, then transfer to a shuttle bus back to the Tianmen Mountain Tourist Center, where your tour guide and driver will be waiting for you.

Following your exhilarating day, you’ll be escorted to Zhangjiajie’s airport or train station for your next adventure or journey home, marking the end of our services. Safe travels and fond memories!

Tianmen Mountain Travel Tips: 1. At Tianmen Mountain, there are three glass skywalks: one to the east and two to the west. It costs CNY 5-10/pp to walk on them. 2. If you have trouble moving around or want to save energy, you can take the escalator down to Tianmen Cave square. It costs an extra 32 per person per ride. 3. The tour of Tianmen Mountain offers great flexibility in operation. The guide arranges the specific order of sightseeing according to the flow of visitors in the scenic area on the day. If you have specific places you're keen on exploring, please share this with your guide.

Zhangjiajie Tianmen Mountain - Ghost-Valley Plank Road Tongtian Avenue, View from Tianmen Mountain Cableway Tianmen Cave of Tianmen Mountain Taken by Our Client Mona and Thomans from Germany in November, 2021 Our client Ronit from Israel enjoyed Glass Skywalk in Tianmen Mountain in May, 2019

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