8 Days Chengdu Leshan Mount Emei & Yangtze Cruise Tour
Chengdu / Leshan / E'mei / Chengdu / Chongqing / Yangtze Cruise / Yichang
HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TOUR
- Step into the panda base to take a close sight of adorable Giant Pandas and observe how they live, sleep, play and eating bamboos, and see cute red pandas and tiny newborn baby pandas if you visit during summer and autumn;
- Experience the local leisure life in Chengdu by visiting People’s Park for locals relaxing at tea houses, playing Mahjong, enjoying square dancing and have fun strolling along Jinli Old Street;
- Extend to marvel at the largest and tallest stone Buddha statue in the world - Leshan Giant Buddha, built between 713-803 during Tang Dynasty, depicting Maitreya;
- Go to Mount Emei listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. Reach the Golden Summit to pray and enjoy sea of clouds;
- Enjoy 4 days Yangtze River cruise from Chongqing to Yichang aboard a luxury 5 star ship with interesting arrangement everyday. Relax yourselves with endless scenic sightseeing along the beautiful Three Gorges;
- Take a walk to witness the Three Gorges Dam and marvel at the world famous project which generates the biggest amount of hydroelectric power.
Sampling Itinerary Day by Day
Day 1 Chengdu Arrival
Ni Hao! Welcome to Chengdu, the Hometown of Giant Pandas and Land of Abundance! You’ll be met by our local guide at the arrival hall of Chengdu airport / train station and escorted to your hotel in downtown area by a private, comfortable and non-smoking vehicle. The rest of today is on your own to explore this leisure city.
Arrival Ideas: Chengdu is only about 2~3 hours flying from the majority of big cities in China, such as Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, etc. You can also arrive in Chengdu by high speed trains from Xian (4hrs), Chongqing (1hr), Guilin (6hrs), Kunming (6hrs), etc.
Chengdu, The Land of Abundance
Day 2 Chengdu (B, L)
After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel for a 15-km drive to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (simply Chengdu Panda Base). This world's most important panda scientific research center is home for over 100 giant pandas. Walk through the verdant bamboo-lined paths, witness the fascinating progression of pandas from baby to adult, watch the adolescent pandas aged 1-5, eating, playing, tumbling and climbing. If lucky, you may be able to see the precious panda babies in the nursery rooms. Don't miss the informative Panda Museum for more scientific facts about Giant Pandas.
After the memorable panda visit, head to Wenshu Monastery, a serene Buddhist temple in the bustling downtown of Chengdu. Walk in the spiritual temple and marvel at the exquisite Buddhist architectures, Buddhist statues, scriptures, and relics. Adjacent is (Wenshufang), a small bazaar for a leisure stroll to experience local market and living style.
Next, visit Renmin Park to feel the famed laid-back lifestyle of Chengdu. Sip a cup of Chinese tea in a century-old teahouse, chat with friends, watch locals indulging in different folk activities, like napping, ear cleaning, Mahjong, dancing, water calligraphy, etc.! Then, discover the famous Jinli Old Street, a vibrant hub full of local snacks, delicate artifacts, folk shows and other activities. Time will fly as you explore along the ancient streets!
Optional activity: 1) enjoy a delicious dinner of Sichuan cuisine or hotpot at a local restaurant; 2) watch Sichuan Opera at Shufeng Yayun Teahouse, featuring stick puppets, face changing, fire spitting, rolling lights, folk music, acrobatic and dance (usually during 20:00~21:30).
Chengdu Panda Base
Explore Three Kingdom Culture in Jinli Old Street
Wenshu Monastery
Enjoy some leisure moment in Renmin Park
Day 3 Chengdu - Leshan - Mount Emei (B, L)
In the morning, be picked up from your hotel for a 2-hour drive (148km) to Leshan Giant Buddha (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage), the world's largest & tallest stone-carved Buddha. Sitting at the confluence of Minjiang River, Dadu River and Qingyi River, the Giant Buddha was carved on Lingyun Mountain'cliff from 713-803 AD to suppress floods. Rising 71m tall, the Buddha' head is 14.7m tall and 10m wide, with 7m long ears and a knee-to-instep span of 28m, and super large insteps capable of holding over 100 people at once. On the right cliff of the Buddha is the 217-step narrow Nine Bends Plank Road with nine turns in total, ranging from 1.45m to only 0.6m wide. You will admire the spectacular Giant Buddha statue and walk down to its feet for a closer view. (Please note: you may have to queue up to enter the stairway during busy hours.)
Followed by the Buddha, move on to the foot of Mount Emei (45 minutes' drive) to visit Baoguo Temple. It is the biggest temple of the mountain and boasts serene gardens with rare plants, a library of sutras, and a huge porcelain Buddha. Explore the temple to see the famous 25-ton bronze Bell reputed as the second-largest bell in China, and enjoy different views of Mount Emei.
After the visit, drive to check in at your hotel and have a good rest for tomorrow's Mount Emei trip involving some walkings.
Optional Activity: take a 30-minutes sightseeing boat at Leshan Giant Buddha for a wonderful panoramic view of the Buddha statue on the river.
Leshan Giant Buddha
Our Customer Visiting Leshan Giant Buddha
Leshan Giant Buddha
Baoguo Temple on Mount Emei
Day 4 Mount Emei - Chongqing (B, L)
After breakfast, let's start your enchanting tour to Mount Emei Tour, a rare World Cultural and Natural heritages, and one of the Four Great Buddhist Mountains in China. This verdant sanctuary for 5,000 plants species (surpassing Europe's total) and over 2,300 wildlife species is an ideal blending resort of verdant forest and cultural treasures for your wonderful savory.
First, head to the tourist center for a 1.5-2-hour Eco-Bus ride to the mountain's top area. Walk another 30 minutes from Leidongping (2,400m) along stone steps, where you may meet wild monkeys, to the cable car station. Then, take a 5-minute cable car up to the Golden Summit (3077m), the biggest highlight and best highlight of Mount Emei. Enjoy 1.5 hours exploring the Golden Summit area. You can appreciate the 48-tall multi-faced golden Samantabhadra Bodhisattva statue, the bronze Huazang Temple tracing back to the 1st century CE, magnificent Buddhist architectures, and a panoramic view of Mount Emei surrounding. On sunny days, you can even catch the snow-capped Mount Gongga (7,556m), Wawu Mountain, more endless snowy peaks in Sichuan. If weather permits, enjoy its magnificent Cloud Sea. Finally, descend back to the tourist center via the cable car and Eco-Bus.
Your guide and driver will transfer you to take a high speed train from Emeishan to Chongqing (about 3 hours). Upon arrival, your guide and driver will pick you up at the train station and escort you to the hotel in Chongqing downtown area.
Note: The route above is classic and suitable for most tourists of various ages. If you want more hiking, please contact your travel consultant to customize the routes based on your time and physical condition. There are 4 routes available: 2 hours (Qingyin Pavilion to Wannian Temple), 4 hours (Qingyin Pavilion to Wannian Temple + Leidongping to Golden Summit), one day (Wannian Temple to Leidongping) and 2 days (Qingyin Pavilion to Golden Summit).
Golden Summit on Mount Emei
Our Customer Visiting The Golden Summit
Monkey on Mount Emei
Hiking on Mount Emei in Winter
Mount Emei Cloud Sea Wonder
Day 5 Chongqing & Yangtze Cruise Embarkation (B, L)
After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and then take you to enjoy a full day exploration of this cyberpunk metropolis! Let's start with the Three Gorges Museum, showcasing more than 280,000 pieces of precious cultural relics to introduce the great Yangtze River, formation of the Three Gorges, and the thriving history of Chongqing from 3,000 years ago to its status as a municipality in China. Next, have an impressive look at the People’s Assembly Hall which is renowned for its elegant classical exterior and was listed into the History of Architecture compiled in London in 1987.
Then, take Line 2 of Chongqing Rail Transit from Huanghuayuan Station to Liziba Station for 15-minute with cityscapes. Get off and watch a train passing through a 19-storey apartment, unique to mountainous Chongqing! Continue to visit the must-see Hongya Cave to appreciate its layers of featured Ba and Shu regional wooden tilted houses rising up to 11 storeys against the hill. As night falls and warm lights illuminate these structures, they become even more enchanting. After the tour, go to board your 4-day Yangtze River cruise at Chaotianmen Port (18:00~21:00), which will sail at 21:00!
Optional Activity (with extra payment): Enjoy Chongqing City panorama from "Eye in the Clouds" Observation Deck (altitude: 520m) with a 360° open-air platform at the city center.
Tips for Cruise Boarding: 1) There are 12 sub-piers at Chongqing Chaotianmen Port; please confirm the exact boarding pier with your travel consultant one day prior; 2) Tell your driver the exact pier to minimize walking; 3) Be aware of boarding time and pier changes based on the ship line or factors like water level, season, weather condition, etc. Please pay attention to the important info from your travel consultants.
Liziba Metro Station
Three Gorges Museum
People's Assembly Hall
Hongya Cave Night View
Hongya Cave Daytime
Board Yangtze Cruise Ship at Chaotianmen Port
Day 6 Yangtze River Cruise (B, L, D)
Good morning! Wake up leisurely and enjoy the gentle sunshine over the tranquil Yangtze. You can either follow the Taichi master to play Taichi or enjoy a cup of coffee to start a beautiful day!
Enjoy various entertainment onboard, like attending a Yangtze River History and Culture Lecture, enjoying seasonal themed activities, meeting new friends at the Captain's Welcome Party, having fun at the wonderful evening show, etc.
You will follow a local English-speaking tour guide to visit Fengdu Ghost City onshore, which is about 2,000 years old and called “the Homeland of Divine Comedy in China”. In this “City of Ghosts”, you will see a series of temples, shrines, palaces, pavilions, and more traditional styled architecture complex. The colorful statues and story scenes of afterlife in hell displayed show the underworld, cruel tortures, different kinds of devils, Chinese demons and the traditional Chinese belief: pure spirits would be rewarded, and sinful ones would be subject to severe punishments. (Please note: Fengdu Ghost City visit requires much walking and comfortable shoes are highly recommended!)
Optional Excursion to Feng Yan San Guo (Three Kingdoms Fire Show): A reputable and impressive real landscape show telling the brilliant history during the Three Kingdoms Period (over 1,800 years ago) and praising the loyalty spirit of General Guan Yu. (with an extra fee)
Beautiful & Tranquil Yangtze River
Play Taichi in the Morning
Fengdu Ghost City
Three Kingdoms Open Air Show
Day 7 Yangtze River Cruise (B, L, D)
Today, you'll sail through the spectacular Three Gorges! Soak up the breathtaking gorge scenery as you drift through Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge respectively.
You'll switch to a smaller boat to take an enjoyable shore excursion to Shennv Stream (Goddess Stream), a tributary of the Yangtze River. Sail down this primitive stream to closely marvel at steep mountains and hanging coffins high on the cliffs, hear local history, and appreciate featured dance and music by Tujia ethnic people!
At evening, enjoy the well-prepared Captain’s Farewell Party with all your mates onboard and have a whale of time of the last night onboard!
Optional Excursion to White Emperor City: This cultural and historic site at the entrance of Qutang Gorge tells the touching stories of the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” and is the best spot to appreciate the magnificent “Kui Gate” on the 10 RMB note! (with an extra fee)
Our Customer Visiting Magnificent Qutang Gorge
Qutang Gorge
Breathtaking Wu Gorge Scenery
Enjoy Wu Gorge Scenery on Sundeck
White Emperor City
Shennv Stream with Primitive Gorge Scenery
Day 8 Yangtze Cruise to Yichang & Yichang Departure (B)
After breakfast, go through a check-out procedure and disembark at Maoping Port and take the arranged tourist bus to visit the global famous Three Gorges Dam. It is the largest hydropower station in the world, with an annual energy output of 84.7 billion kilowatt-hours. 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, it can hold a huge reservoir to efficiently prevent flooding in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze. Take your time to appreciate this great project from different angles and learn more at the project museum.
After that, take the tourist bus to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal in Yichang downtown (arriving around 12:30-13:30). Your local guide and driver will pick you up there and transfer to Yichang Airport / train station for your flight or train to your home / the next destination. Trip Ends!
Optional Experience of Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift: Take a tourist boat to sail through this world’s largest ship lift with an elevation of about 113 meters (370 ft), which is totally fresh and exciting! (with an extra fee)
Departure Ideas: You can take flights from Yichang Sanxia Airport to Shanghai, Xian, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hangzhou, etc. Also, you can take high speed trains from Yichang East Railway Station to Wuhan (about 2hrs), Shanghai (about 8hrs), Beijing (about 7.5hrs), Hangzhou (about 7.5hrs), Chengdu (about 7hrs), Guangzhou (about 7hrs), etc.
Notes: 1) Only Dam visit: take the bus from Maoping Port to visit Three Gorges Dam and arrive at Yichang downtown at around 12:30. 2) Dam visit + Ship Lift: switch to a tourist boat to sail through the Ship Lift and visit Three Gorges Dam. Then, take the bus and arrive at Yichang downtown at around 13:30.
World-famous Three Gorges Dam
Three Gorges Dam - 185 Observation Deck
Three Gorges Dam in Summer
Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift, the Largest Ship Lift in the World
Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift
1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one standard double-bed room in a comfortable-class hotel and traveling with our private tour package in low seasons. The price will be much lower if your group has 4 or more members.
2. This price is subject to change according to your traveling season, month, and date. There may be huge price increasing during the public Chinese holidays, school summer holidays (usually 2 months, July ~ August), peak tourist seasons or some special dates. (Chinese Public Holidays 2026)
3. Other factors that may change the final tour price include your group size, hotel class, tour activities, real-time exchange rate, and so on.
4. This price is based on the exchange rate USD 1= RMB 7.00. The final price will be based on the exchange rate in effect at the time of agreement with our quotation.
5. This price is only valid from now to March 31, 2027.
6. This price is not the final price until the Confirmation Letter is sent.
7. The items included and excluded in this price are for reference only. The final services included, please refer to the Confirmation Letter sent to you by the travel consultant.
Price Includes:
- English-speaking guide with the professional license as listed in the itinerary.
- Entrance fees and other fees of the scenic spots as listed in the itinerary.
- Yangtze River Cruise ticket as listed in the itinerary.
- Accommodation (comfortable-class) based on two persons sharing one room with twin beds or a double bed.
- Meals as specified with “B” (for breakfast), “L” (for lunch) or “D” (for dinner) in the itinerary.
- Private Transfers between airports, hotels and scenic spots while sightseeing in each city or area by private air-conditioned vehicle with a licensed driver as listed in the itinerary.
- Transportation: Domestic flights (economy class) or trains (second-class seat) as listed in the itinerary.
- Airport / train station pick-up and drop-off service as listed in the itinerary.
- Luggage Transfers between airports, train station and hotels.
- Travel Service Charge of our travel consultant, including the planning, handling, operational and communication charges, etc.
Price Excludes:
- China Visa (We do not offer any visa service or charge any visa-related fee.)
- Scenic spots not listed in the itinerary.
- Optional activities or other sightseeing.
- Accommodation not as listed in the itinerary.
- Meals not listed in the itinerary.
- Flights or trains not as listed in the itinerary.
- Excess Baggage Charges.
- Personal expenses of a purely personal nature such as room service, laundry, drink, Internet charge, WI-FI, fax, telephone call, etc.
- Gratuities or optional tips to guides, drivers, bellboys, etc.
- Travel insurance. Please kindly note that the full coverage travel insurance from your country of origin should be purchased in advance on your own.
Read what other travelers think about this China trip / Yangtze cruise trip. We only accept reviews from actual, confirmed travelers who purchased the tour / activity from us, so you can be sure the reviews are unbiased and authentic.
Hi Elk,
"Yangtze River Cruises and more specifically Elk has been helping us organise a very good tour in China: we were aiming to visit Chongqing, and observing that this could be combined with a crude on the Yangtze River, we opted for this, and given that this cruise at this time of the year was only 4 days, I searched extension options on the company website, found 2 extensions of interest for me and my husband, namely in Chengdu (where the tour organiser is based) and in Zhangjiajie.
1. Organisation
Booking the tour, I was a little uncertain: there are so many scams online, that I was afraid we pay for that tour and end up with nothing... but it was not the case :-)
A few days before the start of our tour in Chengdu, Elk sent me the mobile numbers of the 3 guides that would be taking us through each station of our tour, and to my great pleasure, each of them was waiting for us at the agreed meeting point. All these scheduling and organisation elements were super well defined.
Elk also asked me which category of housing I wanted and booked for us hotels and cruise bedroom in the relevant category. I was pleasantly surprised in each location.
2. Comfort
Another special comment: the hotels and cruise ship have aircond, which is as expected, and also heating systems (which in December and January was very helpful as we visited Zhanjiajie under the snow). I specify this because some people told me before the trip that in these regions, considered South China, there is usually no heating system. It's true that in some restaurants and coffee shops, there was no heating, but al our hotels had some.
3. Food
In each location we had usually at least a breakfast and lunch included, plus dinner during the cruise. All was very good and to our taste: the guides asked us ahead what kind of food we can / cannot eat and esp. for us, it was "not spicy please" and we got it alright all the time.
4. Sightseeing and Guides
In each location we had a guide speaking well to very well our language and a driver; full comfort!
In Chengdu guide Ben took us to the panda reserve and visiting it has been great fun: they are so cute. Then we went for lunch in the old city in a delicious restaurant, and visited and old temple, the touristic area, and park... and he was also kind enough to propose to us to join the local theater show (not included in the tour), which was amazing... The following morning he took us to the train station from which we would join Chongqing. He insisted to take us up to the last passport check before the train platform... that's very useful for overseas tourists not familiar with Chinese trains. Many thanks to Ben!
Then in Chongqing, Jacques took us through the city museum and main places of interest before dropping us at the gate of the ship; here also, no chance to get lost :-)
During the cruise, the staff and guides speaking our language were taking care of us onboard and during the excursions. We also took the ship lift add-on at the 3 gorges dam, which I can also recommend, what an experience!
Finally in YiChang, our guide for Zhangjiajie was waiting for us at the cruise terminal to take us to Zhangjiajie. There she took us to the 2 famous parks there, the one with Avatar peaks, great even with overcast and rain, and then to the park of the Tianmen mountain, with the glass bridges and and the 999 steps... We visited that one under the snow and walking on snow, and it was amazing, even if we could not take as many glass bridges as planned, for safety reasons. Each day, we finished with delicious lunches, too much food actually, thus we did dabao.
Thus only one summary: fantastic tour, great organisation, we are looking forward to the next one!
The only thing that was a little less good was our guide in Chongqing, Jacques: he was always speaking very loud, like if speaking to a group of 20 people while we were only two. Otherwise, nothing to improve really, it was excellent!
Best regards,
Valerie
The following photos were shared by our customer Valerie:
Chengdu City Tour | Late December 2025 | Curated by Elk
Chongqing City Tour | Late December 2025 | Curated by Elk
Three Gorges Cruise Journey with Century Paragon | Early January 2026 | Curated by Elk
Two-Day Nature Escape in Zhangjiajie | Early January 2026 | Curated by Elk
- Valerie - January 8, 2026‚ ,
Hi,
Thank you for your email. The trip to China was great. I will update you when I get back to Spain. All the best to you.
Regards,
David
- David - December 25, 2025‚ ,
Hi Elk,
We had a wonderful experience booking our Yangtze River cruise through Yangtze River Cruise Company. Elk was especially helpful throughout the entire process - extremely communicative, responsive, and patient in answering all our questions, which made the booking smooth and stress-free for our family.
The cruise itself on Century Paragon was excellent. Everything was well organized, the facilities were comfortable,and we truly had a great time. Overall, it was a fantastic experience from booking to the actual cruise, and we would highly recommend both the company and Elk's services to others planning a Yangtze River cruise.
Chen
- Chen - December 22, 2025‚ ,
Thank you Rita,
The Cruise has been wonderful, everyone involved has been very helpful. My wife and I are having a good time.
Thanks again for the arrangements.
Joseph
- Joseph - December 22, 2025‚ ,
Here are recent candid photos of this China trip / Yangtze cruise trip. If you want to share your own tour photos, simply email your photos to info@yangtze-river-cruises.com with your Booking ID Number. Thanks in advance for sharing!
- Chengdu, The Land of Abundance
- Chengdu Panda Base
- Enjoy some leisure moment in Renmin Park
- Explore Three Kingdom Culture in Jinli Old Street
- Wenshu Monastery
- Leshan Giant Buddha
- Our Customer Visiting Leshan Giant Buddha
- Baoguo Temple on Mount Emei
- Leshan Giant Buddha
- Mount Emei Cloud Sea Wonder
- Hiking on Mount Emei in Winter
- Our Customer Visiting The Golden Summit
- Monkey on Mount Emei
- Golden Summit on Mount Emei
- People's Assembly Hall
- Hongya Cave Daytime
- Three Gorges Museum
- Board Yangtze Cruise Ship at Chaotianmen Port
- Hongya Cave Night View
- Liziba Metro Station
- Three Kingdoms Open Air Show
- Beautiful & Tranquil Yangtze River
- Play Taichi in the Morning
- Fengdu Ghost City
- White Emperor City
- Qutang Gorge
- Enjoy Wu Gorge Scenery on Sundeck
- Shennv Stream with Primitive Gorge Scenery
- Our Customer Visiting Magnificent Qutang Gorge
- Breathtaking Wu Gorge Scenery
- Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift
- Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift, the Largest Ship Lift in the World
- Three Gorges Dam in Summer
- Three Gorges Dam - 185 Observation Deck
- World-famous Three Gorges Dam
Recommended Add-on Options
+ 2~3 more days to visit the largest metropolis in China - Shanghai
Experience the past, present and future of China all at once!
The Huangpu River splits Shanghai into two districts: Pudong and Puxi. The Pudong skyline with stunning tall buildings like Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center and Oriental Pearl TV Tower gives you a flourishing scene of modern Shanghai. On the Puxi side, walk along the Bund to get a taste of old Shanghai. What a huge contrast!
+ 3~4 more days to step into the World Geological Park - Zhangjiajie
Reputed as “a miniature fairyland” and “a maze of nature”, Zhangjiajie is a surreal world with hundreds of grotesque peaks, beautiful waters, towering trees, deep valley, marvelous caves and exuberant forest. In Zhangjiajie, you’ll fully explore Zhangjiajie National Forest Park to catch the outstanding landscape and experience the world’s longest and highest glass bridge in Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon.
+ 2 more days to enjoy the fairyland on earth - Jiuzhaigou
Both Huanglong National Park and Jiuzhaigou National Park were listed as Natural World Heritage Sites for the superb landscape. Take two days that you can fully immerse yourself in the Fairyland on Earth to appreciate travertine lakes, green and purplish pools, waterfalls, forests and mountain scenery.
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If you have some ideas or suggestions for this tour, please feel free to talk with our professional, experienced and enthusiastic travel consultants now.
They’ll help you modify the China Yangtze cruise tour and itinerary from time to time until you are totally satisfied.
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