13 Days China Cruise Tour with Water Town Visit

Welcome to Beijing, the Capital of China! Clear the customs and retrieve your baggage by yourself upon arrival, be greeted by our tour guide in the Arrival Hall who is holding a sign on which says your name; transferred by your private car/van to your hotel downtown. The rest of the day is your own time.

After breakfast, you will first visit the world's biggest city plaza, the Tiananmen Square; then walk to the marvelous "Egg" (National Center for the Performing Arts) to take some pictures from its outside; subsequently, go to the Forbidden City, where you can hear the echo of the ancient ages as you walk down the porch; and later proceed to the impressive Temple of Heaven, a complex of Taoist building where emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties visited for annual ceremonies of pray for good harvests. After the sightseeing tour, drive back to your hotel and have a good rest.

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests of Temple of Heaven

After breakfast, drive to the Badaling Great Wall (about 80 km, 1.5hours) where you will experience at first hand the wonder of the Great Wall. For lunch you'll sample some delicious fare in a local restaurant. Afterwards, visit the Sacred Way and Changling, one of the Ming Tombs; on the way back to your hotel, you might make a stop at the Beijing Olympic Village to take some photos of the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube from the outside。

In the evening, enjoy Peking Roast Duck dinner that you will complete today's tour!

Summer Scenery of Mutianyu Great Wall

After breakfast, take a leisurely walk in the enchanting royal garden to appreciate the masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design Summer Palace, the imperial garden.

Then head to visit the Drum Tower dating from 1420. Ascending the big Drum Tower, you will have a bird's eye view of the surrounding communities of Hutongs and Siheyuan from here. And then move on to an ordinary family courtyard home for a tea break. Afterwards, take a rickshaw to visit the most famous Hutongs keeping the original layout in the Shichahai area. Then move on to the Prince Gong's Mansion.

After the tour, our guide will escort you to the airport and take the flight to Xian.

Longevity Hill & Kunming Lake of Summer Palace

In the morning be picked up at your hotel then driven to the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses; the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century, It is one of the most popular tourist spots not to be missed by any visitor to China. After lunch, move on to visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Ancient City Wall.

In the evening, enjoy the local specialty Dumpling Dinner served in a fine restaurant.

Terracotta Warriors and Horses, the Eighth Wonder of the World

Today will be free until your guide picks you up to the airport and flight to Chongqing. After arriving in Chongqing city be met and transferred to the Chongqing downtown. Your tour guide and driver will take you to the Chongqing zoo to see the Giant Panda, and then visit the Ciqikou Old Town, if time permits.

Then, you'll be transferred to the Chongqing Chaotianmen Cruise Port, and board the ship from 17:00 to 20:00. Your lifetime Yangtze River Cruise starts in Chongqing at arond 22:00. (Note: the aboarding time changes based on the cruise ships, season, water level, weather, etc.)

Chongqing Zoo

Take shore excursion to Shibaozhai Pagoda. Shibaozhai, like a pearl on Yangtze River, is 278 kilometers away from Chongqing. As the gem of Chinese Architecture, the 12-story, 18th Century red wooden temple is an architectural delight full of Legends and beautiful stories.

Please Note: Some cruise ships make the shore excursion to the Fengdu Ghost City. Reach the top of Ming Mountain to check why it has been regarded as the "City of Ghosts". It is where the devil lives according to Chinese legend. The temples shows punish instruments and demon paintings, depicting the Chinese people’s imagination of hell. You have the final say on which excursion to make, as we can book any of the cruise ships at great rates!

Shibaozhai Pagoda, a Pearl of Yangtze River

Shore excursion to Shennv Stream by smaller vessels. Shennv Stream, called Goddess Stream, is reputed as the Original Virgin Valley of Yangtze where you could see extraordinary view.

Note: Some cruise ships make the shore excursion to the Shennong Stream. You have the final say on which excursion to make, as we can book any of the cruise ships at great rates!

Magnificent Qutang Gorge

After breakfast, you’ll go through a check-out procedure and disembark at Maoping Port. Then, take a morning shore excursion to visit the world-famous project - Three Gorges Dam. The dam is the largest hydropower station in the world with an annual energy output of 84.7 billion kilowatt-hours. The Three Gorges Dam includes three areas: the dam itself, a hydroelectric, and a system of locks. The height of the Three Gorges Dam is 185 meters (607 ft) above the sea level. The dam is about 2,300 meters (7,546 ft) long and about 115 meters (377 ft) wide. With a water capacity of 39.3 billion cubic meters, the dam will hold a huge reservoir which will efficiently prevent flooding in the middle and lower portions of the Yangtze River. (Optional experience: you can choose to sail through the world’s largest ship lift - Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift to very closely marvel at the huge dam which is a totally fresh and exciting experience for travelers.)

After the dam visiting, you’ll take the tourist bus arranged by the cruise company transferring you to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal around 12:30~13:30. Then, you will be escorted by our local guide and driver to the Yichang East Railway Station and take your bullet train to Shanghai. Upon arrival, be met by our local guide at the arrival hall of Shanghai train station and escorted to your hotel in downtown area by a private, comfortable and non-smoking vehicle. Have a nice sleep in Shanghai!

Tips & Note: No matter you take Ship Lift or not, you’ll do check-out procedure and take your luggage away from the ship in this early morning. (1) Only dam visiting: you’ll take bus from Maoping Port to Three Gorges Dam for sightseeing. You’ll arrive at Yichang downtown around 12:30. (2) Dam & Ship Lift Experience: travelers who are interested in Ship Lift will first switch to a sightseeing boat to sail through the Ship Lift and then visit Three Gorges Dam Site. You’ll arrive at Yichang downtown area around 13:30.

World-famous Three Gorges Dam

Today you will first visit the magnificent Yu Garden. Right out of the Yu Garden, you can observe local people's life at the Yuyuan Market (Yu Garden Market). Proceed to the Temple of Jade Buddha. Take a stroll or shop in the famed Nanjing Road and then down to the Bund alongside the Huangpu River to explore the modern aspect of Shanghai. Drive to the Pudong New Area to enjoy a bird's eye view of Shanghai from the Jinmao Tower.

Walk through the Zigzag Bridge of Yu Garden

After breakfast, our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to Hangzhou. Stay overnight in Hangzhou.

After arriving in Hangzhou, you’ll first visit Linyin Temple. Founded in AD 326, this temple once housed 3,000 monks who worshiped in more than 70 halls. Hui Li, an Indian monk, thought it was the spitting image of a hill in India and asked whether it had flown here. FeilaiFeng (Flying Peak) us known for the dozens of Buddhist sculptures carved into the rock, many dating from the 10th Century.

After lunch, you’ll enjoy the leisure cruising time on West Lake. Long considered one of the scenic wonders of China, West Lake situated at the Heart of Hangzhou. Fairy Island is worth it to see one the Ten Best Views of West Lake – Three Pools Reflecting the Moon.

Finally, drive to Dragon Well Tea Plantation in Dragon Well Village. It produces one of the China’s most famous varieties of green tea. You could wander around the tea terraces, catching glimpses of the different stages of production – cutting, sorting, and drying – and also buy the tea.

West Lake in Hangzhou

Today after breakfast, you’ll be transferred to Wuzhen Water Town. Located in the center of six ancient towns south of Yangtze River, Wuzhen Water Town displays its two-thousand-year history in its ancient stone bridges floating on mild water, its stone pathways between the mottled walls and its delicate wood carvings. It gives a unique experience through its profound cultural background.
The famous attractions in Wuzhen are: Former Residence of Mao Dun, Fanglu Pavilion, and Bridge in Bridge.

After visiting Wuzhen, drive back to Shanghai and escort to hotel. The rest of today is free on your own.

Wuzhen Water Town

Our guide will pick you up from the hotel to the airport in time for the scheduled flight to your next destination. Before that, you can take a rest at the hotel or go for a walk nearby.