Itinerary
Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description.
Day 1
HONG KONG, CHINA. Welcome to Hong Kong! Your hotel room is available for a mid-afternoon check-in.
Day 2
HONG KONG. Your sightseeing tour begins with a ride on the popular STAR FERRY from Kowloon Island to Hong Kong Island. On arrival, take a CABLE-CAR RIDE up Victoria Peak for panoramic vistas. Then, explore the old Sheung Wan neighborhood and visit the DRIED SEAFOOD MARKET. Savor a DIM SUM feast for lunch before traversing the Central District aboard the historic DOUBLE DECKER TRAM, commonly referred to as the “Ding Ding,” due to the sound of its bell. The remainder of the day is at your leisure. (B,L)
Day 3
HONG KONG. Enjoy free time for independent exploration.
Breakfast
Day 4
HONG KONG–SHANGHAI. Fly to Shanghai, China’s largest city and center of trade. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Breakfast
Day 5
SHANGHAI. Sightseeing this morning includes a stroll through the Old Town and the beautiful YU YUAN GARDENS, a place of peace and tranquility in this bustling city. Walk along the famous Bund with its colonial architecture and explore Nanjing Road, the city’s main pedestrian and shopping area. Enjoy your afternoon at leisure before dinner at your hotel tonight. (B,L,D)
Day 6
SHANGHAI–WUHAN. Visit the SHANGHAI MUSEUM, where superb antiquities and fine arts dating back 6,000 years are on display, before flying to the port city of Wuhan, one of China’s oldest metropolitan cities, located on the mighty Yangtze River.
Breakfast
Dinner
Day 7
WUHAN–YICHANG (EMBARKATION)–YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE. This morning visit picturesque EAST LAKE, before time at the HUBEI PROVINCIAL MUSEUM. The well-known museum contains over 200,000 cultural relics, including pottery, jades, lacquerwares, and ancient calligraphy, paintings, and coins. Hear musicians perform beautiful music using a replica of the ancient bronze chime bells. This afternoon, board a BULLET TRAIN for Yichang. Upon arrival, board your 4-night CRUISE through the breathtaking Three Gorges of the Yangtze. (B,L,D)
Day 8
CRUISING: THREE GORGES DAM. Start your day with a visit to the THREE GORGES DAM site. Afterward, watch endless dramatic vistas unfold before you as your ship passes through the serenely beautiful Xiling Gorge, the Yangtze’s longest. (B,L,D)
Day 9
CRUISING: WU GORGE–QUTANG GORGE. Today, disembark for a BOAT EXCURSION down Goddess Stream. Along the way, see picturesque scenery and the mysterious hanging wooden coffins. Before returning to your ship you will also board a wooden boat on a smaller section of the stream, where the crew will sing songs as you glide across the stunning deep emerald-green waters surrounded by densely forested hills. Later, sail through two of the three gorges—Wu Gorge, known for its forest-covered mountains, and Qutang, the shortest but most dramatic gorge. (B,L,D)NOTE:Depending on river conditions, the boat excrusion may be on the Shennong Stream.
Day 10
CRUISING: SHIBAOZHAI. Today, take a WALKING TOUR of Shibaozhai with its 400-year-old, 12-story, red wooden pagoda perched high on a cliff side. (B,L,D)
Day 11
CRUISING: CHONGQING (DISEMBARKATION)–XI’AN. Disembark your cruise in Chongqing, where you will visit a local ZOO to see pandas. Enjoy time at leisure in the old town area of Cikikou before your flight to Xi’an. Upon arrival, the evening is free to enjoy one of the great ancient capitals of China.
Breakfast
Day 12
XI’AN. Today, enjoy a visit to the first emperor’s funeral vault to see the amazing TERRCACOTTA WARRIORS. Nothing will prepare you for this incredible display of 8,000 life-sized model warriors, chariots, and horses. Later, visit the ancient CITY WALL, built in 1378 and surrounding the city, then visit the XI’AN ART, CERAMICS & LACQUER EXHIBITION CENTRE. (B,L)
Day 13
XI’AN–BEIJING. Take a WALKING TOUR through the lively Muslim Quarter to explore the Islamic food markets. This afternoon, fly to Beijing, the capital of China and the country’s political, social, and historical hub.
Breakfast
Day 14
BEIJING. Sightseeing today includes a stroll through TIAN’ANMEN SQUARE past Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum. You’ll also visit the treasure-filled FORBIDDEN CITY, the largest and best-preserved collection of ancient buildings in China. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was home to emperors as well as the center of politics. (B,L)
Day 15
BEIJING. The GREAT WALL OF CHINA once stretched 4,000 miles across China’s barren northern terrain from the Bohai Sea to the Gobi Desert. Head north to a village where the Great Wall is well preserved and walk along the wall to enjoy sweeping vistas of this mammoth fortress. This evening your dinner features the local delicacy, PEKING DUCK. (B,L,D)
Day 16
BEIJING. Your tour ends with breakfast this morning.
Breakfast