6 Days Shennongjia & Chongqing Three Gorges Cruise Tour

Welcome to Chongqing - Magic 8D City! Your local guide and driver will meet you at the arrival hall of the airport / train station upon your arrival. Get ready to dive into this cyberpunk metropolis! Let's start with visit 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 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 enjoy Chongqing panorama from WFC Huixianlou Observation Deck that is a 339-meter-high skyscraper with a 360° open-air platform at the city center. Then, 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. (Note: As night falls, Hongya Cave becomes even more enchanting with warm lights illuminating the structures. If you want to see such night view, please discuss with your guide or travel consultant to adjust the itinerary.)

After the tour, be transferred to board your 4-day Yangtze River cruise at Chaotianmen Dock (18:00~21:00), which will sail at 21:00!

Tips for Cruise Boarding: 1) Chaotianmen Dock consists of 12 sub-piers; please confirm the exact boarding pier with your travel consultant one day prior; 2) Tell your driver the exact pier to minimize walking; 3) 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 information 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

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

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

After breakfast, go through a check-out procedure, 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.

Then, 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 drive to Muyu Town of Shennongjia (about 3.5 hours’ drive) for hotel check-in. The rest of the day is free on your own to discover the surroundings!

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)

Notes: 1) No matter you take Ship Lift or not, you’ll check out and take your luggage away in this early morning. 2) Only Dam visit: take the bus from Maoping Port to visit Three Gorges Dam and arrive at Yichang downtown at around 12:30. 3) 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. 4) During peak season, ship lift will be busy and seats on the boat may be unavailable. Please consider carefully before joining.

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

Good morning! After breakfast, let’s begin your exploration of Shennongjia, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site since 2016 and boasts the richest deciduous woody plants in the world! This unique World Geological Park is home to over 3,000 species of plants and over 1,000 species of animals. Drive about 15 kilometers and enjoy a full day’s tour at Shennongding (Peak of Shennong), which is the largest and key scenic area of Shennongjia. With its six peaks soaring above 3,000 meters, Shennongding has been praised as the “Roof of Central China.”

First, enjoy a refreshing scenic walk at Jinhouling, an oxygen bar with beautiful scenery including a chatting stream, wildflowers, emerald bamboo, and lush primitive forests. You might be lucky to meet the snub-nosed monkeys along the way. Next, pause at Shennong Valley and have a simple plank-walking tour to marvel at the terrific valley scenery with mist, strange rocks, sea of clouds, verdant forests, etc. Continue to reach Liaowangta (3105.4 meters above sea level) where you can overlook the summit of the entire Shennongjia region and overlook the contiguous original forest-clad mountains. Then, go to Banbiyan which is a scenic stone forest with various rocks of vivid and grotesque shapes. You can find the one that resembles a camel or a group of monkeys from different angles. Finally, have a pleasant walk amidst the subalpine dark coniferous forest at Taiziya, where towering fir trees, verdant bamboos, seasonal blossoms, etc. create an enchanting atmosphere.

After the visit, be escorted back to your hotel in Muyu Town.

Note: Food supplies are limited in the scenic area. Please bring some snacks and water for today’s visit.

Shennong Valley

Shennongjia Jinhouling

Shennongjia Monkeys

Shennongding in Spring

Shennongding in Autumn

After breakfast, continue you discover of Shennongjia wonders by first visiting Guanmenshan that is an interesting ecological popular spot of the species gene bank of Shennongjia. You’ll not only step into the Golden Monkey Hall, Giant Panda Hall, etc., but also watch the scene of the biological history of Darwin's biological evolution. Then, go to Tianshengqiao to marvel at the naturally formed bridge, flying waterfall, lovely pond, diverse orchids, chirping birds and turbulent flow, as well as the culture of Ba tribes. Finally, achieve your longing visit to Shennong Altar where to see the symbol of Shennongjia – the 21-meter-tall statue of Shennong, with ox’s head and human face. Do not miss a glance at the king of fir tree of over 1,000 years old, which is an awe-inspiring sight and a testament of the fertile environment of Shennongjia.

After the visit, be escorted to Xingshan Railway Station / Shennongjia Railway Station (1-2 hours’ drive) for your train to your next destination or home. Tour ends!

Shennong Altar

Guanmenshan Scenic Area