Beijing-Chongqing-Yangtze River-Chengdu-Shanghai Tour

Welcome to Beijing! Upon arrival at the airport, you will be greeted and transferred to your hotel.

Today visit the Temple of Heaven, where ancient emperors prayed for peace and prosperity. Then proceed to Tiananmen Square, the world's largest city square. Finally, visit the Forbidden City, the imperial palace of China's Ming and Qing dynasties with approximately 600 years of history.

Visit the Mutianyu Great Wall, located 80 kilometers northeast of Beijing. The Mutianyu section is characterized by numerous watchtowers distributed among rolling mountains, with walls built of stone slabs and brick battlements on both sides. After enjoying a late lunch at a local restaurant, return to the city center.

Visit the Summer Palace - the largest and most famous royal summer resort garden from the Ming and Qing dynasties, showcasing China's exquisite craftsmanship and architectural excellence throughout history. After lunch, proceed to Chongqing and transfer to your hotel upon arrival.

After breakfast, watch the Liziba Light Rail passing through a residential building - see the train pass through the middle floors. Then visit Shibati and Shancheng Lane, experiencing the most authentic local street life. In the afternoon, visit Liberation Monument, Chongqing's core landmark with upscale shopping malls and diverse snacks. Finally, visit Hongyadong, the iconic stilted buildings built against the mountain, creating a spectacular night view over the two rivers. After the tour, proceed to Chaotianmen Pier to board your Yangtze River cruise. You will board the cruise between 18:00-20:00, and this unforgettable journey will begin around 21:00!

Enjoy the beautiful Yangtze River in the morning. On board, you can participate in various activities: practice Tai Chi on the deck, enjoy a relaxing morning coffee, listen to lectures about Yangtze River history and culture, or attend the captain's welcome party and evening entertainment. Follow your local guide for a shore excursion to Fengdu County, an important part of the Three Gorges Reservoir area with unique natural and cultural landscapes including Fengdu Ghost City, the most famous and fascinating attraction filled with mysterious stories about the underworld, cruel torture methods, and various demons and ghosts.

Today, you will sail through the most famous section of the Yangtze River - the Three Gorges! While relaxing on the sun deck, you can admire the breathtaking canyon scenery as the ship navigates through Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge. Today's shore excursions are mainly arranged along the Three Gorges at Fengjie, Wuxi, or Badong. Premium cruise companies typically dock at Fengjie in the morning and provide shore excursions to Baidi City (additional fee). In the afternoon, the cruise will dock at Wu Gorge where you'll take smaller boats along beautiful streams flowing through narrow gorges for shore excursions. Tonight, join the captain's farewell party and enjoy spectacular dance performances.

After breakfast, you will check out and disembark at Maoping Port. The most worthwhile activity today is visiting the Three Gorges Dam in the morning. The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest hydroelectric power project, located in Xiling Gorge near Yichang. You can admire this massive dam from different angles, learn about the background history of the Three Gorges Dam construction project, and enjoy the beautiful natural scenery around. Optionally, you can experience the world's largest and most advanced Three Gorges Dam ship lift (40 minutes). After visiting the dam (around noon), you will take a bus arranged by the cruise company to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal, where our local guide will meet you, then transfer to high-speed train to Chengdu, and transfer to your hotel upon arrival.

After breakfast, drive about 1 hour to the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, 50 kilometers north of Chengdu. Enter a world of ancient mystery, exploring artifacts from the lost capital of the Shu Kingdom dating back 3,000 to 5,000 years. The museum houses over 4,000 precious artifacts including the famous bronze standing figure, bronze sacred tree, gold staff, bronze masks with protruding eyes, and many other exquisite bronzes, jades, pottery, and gold objects. These reveal a civilization as advanced and fascinating as the Maya or ancient Egypt. After the museum visit, proceed to Shanghai and transfer to your hotel.

Today visit Yu Garden, an exquisite private garden representing classical Chinese garden style. Then take a Huangpu River cruise to admire the modern skyline of China's largest city. Finally, stroll along The Bund.

You'll have free time before your departure flight. After the tour, you'll be escorted to the airport for your departure flight, marking the end of our journey together.