Best of China with Yangtze Cruise

Asia China (Peoples Republic)
OVERVIEW
Discover the cityscapes of Beijing and Shanghai, Xi'an's Terracotta Warriors and the rare giant pandas of Chengdu on this mesmerising encounter with China, which includes a leisurely cruise along the Yangtze River.
EXPERIENCES
: Visit the cliff-top temple Shibaozhai.

Beijing: Gain insights into this fascinating city during a sightseeing tour of Beijing. See the Great Hall of the People and Tiananmen Square before stepping through the south gate of the Forbidden City.

Beijing: Hop on a traditional rickshaw and weave through Beijing's ancient alleyways.

Beijing: Indulge in a foot massage at the Foot Reflexology Centre.

Chengdu: During your orientation of Chengdu, visit People’s Park and experience the energy of Jinli Old Street.

Chongqing: Enjoy an introductory orientation of Chongqing prior to boarding your river cruise.

Fengdu Ghost City: See the mystical Ghost City of Fengdu and visit its shrines, temples and monasteries dedicated to the afterlife.

Fortifications of Xian: Visit the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang and see the terracotta warriors.

Great Wall of China: Visit the Great Wall of China to marvel at the historical and physical prominence of this renowned landmark.

Shanghai: Enjoy a performance by the world-famous Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe.

Shanghai: Join a Local Specialist for a walking tour through the Shanghai French Concession and Xin Tian Di district.

Shanghai: Join your Local Specialist for a sightseeing tour of Shanghai. See the famous Bund waterfront and Yu Garden.

Shanghai: Visit Jin Mao Tower and take in panoramic views of Shanghai from 88 floors up.

Xi'an: Discover the traditions and techniques of dumpling making, indulging in an opportunity to sample them.

Xi'an: Visit a jade factory to admire the "imperial gem" and marvel at the mineral's historic value.

Yangtze: Cruise on a small motorboat through the magical landscape of the Goddess Stream.
DEPARTURE DATES AND PRICES
Tour
Departs		 Tour
Returns		 Starting From
(price per person)		 Definite Departure
What's this?		 Book Now!
27/07/2025 10/08/2025 £5,482 Book
14/09/2025 28/09/2025 £5,685 Book
12/10/2025 26/10/2025 £6,250 Book
29/03/2026 12/04/2026 £5,709 Book
12/04/2026 26/04/2026 £5,709 Book
10/05/2026 24/05/2026 £5,709 Book
31/05/2026 14/06/2026 £5,484 Book
28/06/2026 12/07/2026 £5,484 Book
12/07/2026 26/07/2026 £5,484 Book
26/07/2026 09/08/2026 £5,484 Book
23/08/2026 06/09/2026 £5,709 Book
13/09/2026 27/09/2026 £5,709 Book
11/10/2026 25/10/2026 £5,709 Book
ACCOMMODATION
DAY 1: Novotel Peace - Meals:
DAY 10: Victoria Jenna, Victoria Sabrina - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 11: Victoria Jenna, Victoria Sabrina - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 12: The Kunlun Jing An - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 13: The Kunlun Jing An - Meals: Breakfast
DAY 14: The Kunlun Jing An - Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 2: Novotel Peace - Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 3: Novotel Peace - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 4: Wyndham Grand Xi'an South - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 5: Wyndham Grand Xi'an South - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 6: Rhombus Park Auro - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 7: Rhombus Park Auro - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 8: Rhombus Park Auro - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 9: Victoria Jenna, Victoria Sabrina - Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
WHAT'S INCLUDED
  • All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
  • All porterage and restaurant gratuities
  • An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
  • Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
  • Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
  • Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
  • Flight from Beijing to Xi'an and Yichang to Shanghai.
  • Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
  • Must-see sightseeing
  • On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilised.
  • Optional Experiences and free time
ITINERARY

Journey to the “Northern Capital” – a land of emperors, epic monuments and the cultural heart of China. On arrival in Beijing, you’ll be transferred to your hotel where you can relax before meeting your Travel Director for a welcome drink and appetisers at a local restaurant.

Visit the iconic Great Wall of China at Juyongguan this morning – its stone ramparts and walls snaking thousands of miles into the distance to defend the empire against nomadic invaders since 5th century B.C. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure and this evening for dinner indulge in a regional dinner of succulent Peking Duck – a must during any visit to Beijing.

Surround yourself with the grandeur of Beijing’s landmark Great Hall of the People, Qianmen Gate and the mausoleum of Mao Zedong as you walk through one of the world’s largest public areas, Tiananmen Square. Delve into China’s imperial heritage, passing the south gate into the frozen-in-time Forbidden City – once home to emperors and their households and today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After lunch, indulge in a relaxing foot massage at the Foot Reflexology Centre to ease you into an evening at leisure or consider joining an Optional Experience.

Navigate the ancient alleyways of the courtyard Hutong residences, weaving through lively neighbourhoods on the back of a traditional rickshaw. Stop at the home of a local family where you’ll Connect With Locals, enjoying a Be My Guest experience with lunch of traditional Chinese cuisine, then visit a nearby tea house. Here, you’ll delve into the art of chayi, joining a Local Specialist who’ll share first-hand the age-old ritual of tea-making. Leave Beijing behind, bound for Xi’an, an ancient departure point on the Silk Road.

Descend into the subterranean tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang to view his legendary army of Terracotta Warriors and Horses, followed by a delicious traditional meal of Chinese noodles. Your final stop today is to a Jade factory where you’ll admire the favoured stone of emperors, more precious to the Chinese people than gold.

This morning, your choice of activities gives you an opportunity to join a Local Specialist in their T'ai Chi practice or embark on a cycle tour around part of the ancient City Wall of Xi'an. Get stuck in to the ancient art of dumpling making next, with an opportunity to sample the juicy results for lunch, then transfer to the railway station for your high-speed bullet train trip to Chengdu. On arrival in the hometown of the giant panda, you’ll Check in to your hotel and savour the leisurely pace of local life on your terms.

Witness the ground-breaking work being done by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding this morning. Join a Local Specialist and learn how this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience supports the non-profit research breeding facility which rescues and protects the endangered giant panda, of which fewer than 2,000 remain. Afterwards, return to your hotel for an afternoon at leisure.

Indulge in the bold and spicy flavours of local cuisine as you Dive Into Culture and learn about regional cooking practices at the Museum of Sichuan Cuisine. Experience the art of grinding chili into powder using a Qing Dynasty pestle and mortar, and discover ancient kitchenware, books and manuscripts faithfully recording the history of Sichuan culinary cultures. Immerse yourself in the intoxicating scents wafting through Restaurant Alley, pay tribute to the Kitchen God before attempting to create your own culinary magic under the guidance of a local chef. Stomach and soul sated after a delicious encounter with Chengdu, you’ll have an afternoon to relax, explore further or perhaps take the opportunity to do some shopping.

Rub shoulders with the locals during a visit to People’s Park with its beautiful Chinese gardens, lake and tea houses. Gain insights into the day-to-day lives of the locals who spend their free time in tranquil surrounds indulging in a leisurely game of mah-jong, a quiet nap or neck massage. Venture to lively Jinli Old Street next, crossing beneath the imposing archway into a world of intricate handicraft, paintings and calligraphy. Stroll along the narrow street whose façades were modelled on the architectural style of a traditional old town in western Sichuan Province, then transfer to the railway station for a high-speed bullet train ride to Chongqing. Here, you’ll enjoy a city orientation tour with dinner before boarding your Yangtze River Cruise.

Disembark this morning for a short visit to Shibaozhai, home to a striking 12-storey cliff-top temple built in the 19th century. Stretch your legs and climb up to the temple, passing through the red pavilion that leans against the steep peak—now an island due to the rising waters of the Three Gorges Dam. You may choose to visit Fengdu’s ‘Ghost City’ on an Optional Experience. Explore eerie temples and shrines depicting China’s vision of the afterlife and hear the legend of two officials-turned-immortals. This evening, another Optional Experience awaits. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms retells the epic battle for dominance between three dynasties, with stunts, acrobatics and cutting-edge visual effects. Feel the excitement and intensity of the Three Kingdoms era come to life in this thrilling open-air show.

Wake up to another day on the Yangtze. This morning, choose one of two Optional Experiences: visit the White Emperor City, where rulers and poets once admired Qutang Gorge, or head to Chijia Mountain’s peak for sweeping views from the top of the Three Gorges. Return to your cruise and journey through Qutang Gorge’s towering cliffs, past Wu Gorge’s misty peaks, and into Xiling Gorge’s dramatic landscapes. Swap the ship for a small motorboat this afternoon and explore the Goddess Stream, gliding past sheer limestone cliffs covered in lush greenery—you’ll gain another perspective on this mighty river.

View the engineering marvel that is the world's largest hydroelectric project, the Three Gorges Dam, before disembarking your cruise ship and transferring to the airport for your flight to Shanghai. Upon arrival into China's biggest city, check into your hotel and spend the remainder of the day at leisure.

Shanghai’s famous ‘Bund’ waterfront is the first stop on a day of sightseeing with a Local Specialist. Admire the ornate neoclassical colonial buildings and skyscrapers that have sprung up from this former marshland, then Dive Into Culture during a visit to a silk museum. Embrace the tranquillity of the famous Yu Garden next, with its pavilions, halls, rockeries, ponds and cloisters. Then, enjoy some free time for a local lunch of soup dumplings perhaps and shopping in the Old Town, a treasure trove of winding streets and vibrant markets that was once enclosed by the ancient walled city of Shanghai. Our final stop this afternoon is a visit to the Jade Buddha Temple, built in 1928 after the original temple was destroyed during the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Admire the beauty of its precious jade Buddha statues made out of crystal-clear white jade, before you settle into an evening performance by the world-renowned Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe.

Ascend to the 88-storey Jin Mao Tower for panoramic views of the skyscrapers that loom over the most populous city on earth. Then embark on a walking tour with a Local Specialist through the Shanghai French Concession, for an exhilarating encounter with the opulent age of French colonial China. Wander through the narrow alleyways, past elegant villas and apartments dating back to the early 1900s when the territory was proclaimed a French settlement. Later this morning, you’ll see where the First Conference of the Communist Party took place in Xin Tian Di, whose charming antique façades hide a 21st century world of bars, cafés, boutiques and theme restaurants. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure, letting the sights and sounds of Shanghai infuse every sense or consider joining an Optional Experience. Say a fond farewell to newfound friends this evening during dinner.

Our epic encounter with China at its end, take a transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
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