Beauty of China & Yangtze River Cruise 12 days

Departure for Beijing, overnight on international flight.

1. Flight

Arrive in Beijing, China’s imperial capital whose rich history dates back to more than 3 000 years. Then, we will transfer to your hotel. Our tour guide will help you check in, so you may enjoy some free time to relax. 

1. Beijing Shangri-la China World Hotel or similar (5 stars)
2. bus

Beijing embodies the beating heart of China, brimming with massive monuments to a storied past and robust economic centers. After breakfast, we will visit Tiananmen Square, enter the imperial-red walls of the ornate Forbidden City - the emperor’s palace. This structure has been off limits to commoners for centuries as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and only accessible to emperors, their families, and court for 500 years.After lunch in a local restaurant, we will visit another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Temple of Heaven, where the emperors went to humble themselves and pray for a good harvest. Welcome dinner at the Peking duck.

1. Beijing Shangri-la China World Hotel or similar (5 stars)
2. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
3. bus

Enjoy your excursion to the ancient Great Wall, one of the world’s most iconic sites. Built and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century AD to keep barbarian nomads out of the empire, this UNESCO World Heritage Site of sandstone and earthwork stretches some 4 000 miles. Explore its winding pathways and marvel at the panoramic views from its ramparts.
Return to the city to view outside of Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest Stadium).

1. Beijing Shangri-la China World Hotel or similar (5 stars)
2. Breakfast/Lunch
3. bus

After breakfast, take a city tour in the old town of Beijing: visit Hutong with a rickshaw ride, admire the well-kept courtyards of families who still live in this richly historic community, and enjoy a lunch at local resident. After lunch we will take a flight to Chongqing, known as the 'Mountain City'. 

1. Chongqing Marriott Hotel or similar(5 stars)
2. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
3. Flight

After Breakfast, we will visit Chongqing Zoo (Panda), and take a city tour. After dinner, we will board the Century Legend  for Yangtze River Cruise.

1. Cruise: Century Legend (5-star cabin with private balcony)
2. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
3. cruise

Excursion to Shibaozhai temple, literally meaning "the gemstone fortress", on the northern banks of the Yangtze River.This 12-story pavilion was built in 1650 along the Yangtze. 

Enjoying Capital welcome cocktail party  at night.

1. Cruise:Century Legend (5-star cabin with private balcony)
2. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
3. cruise

Travel the most scenic stretch of the Yangtze as it forces its way through a spectacular series of limestone ridges known as the Three Gorges. Cruise through Qutang Gorge, the shortest, narrowest and most spectacular of the three large gorges. Then, we will board a smaller boat for an excursion through the Goddess Stream. We will sail through these remarkable canyons flanked by towering cliffs.
Along the way, you can see fascinating sites including the hanging coffins of the Ba people and the ancient plank road carved into the cliffside. Sailing through Wu  Gorge, renowned for its magnificent scenery.

1. Cruise: Century Legend (5-star cabin with private balcony)
2. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
3. cruise

After breakfast, we will disembark for a tour of the Three Gorges Dam. The world’s largest hydroelectric power project took almost 20 years to build. You will see the inner workings of this massive structure up close. Learn how the dam controls flooding and how it led to the relocation of 1.25 million people.Transfer by bus to Jingzhou city, a very old merchandise transportation and distribution center, located in the center of a loop of the Yangtze River. Visit the Jingzhou Museum and the ancient city walls. Continue to Wuhan city.

1. Wuhan Shangri-La hotel or similar(5 stars)
2. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
3. bus

After breakfast, we will transfer by high-speed train to Shanghai. Enjoy your Huangpu River Cruise and a wonderful acrobatics show in the evening。

1. Shanghai Marriott Hotel or similar(5 stars)
2. Breakfast/Dinner
3. High Speed Train

After breakfast, we will walk along the Bund, and visit the old Shanghai district "Cheng Huang Miao" and Nanjing Road, the main shopping street of Shanghai and also one of the world's busiest shopping streets.Visit the Shanghai Museum in the afternoon. The museum has about one million items covering 21 areas. The collections of bronzes, calligraphy ceramics and paintings are particularly impressive.

1. Shanghai Marriott Hotel or similar(5 stars)
2. Breakfast /Dinner
3. bus

After breakfast, we are leaving shanghai  to the Pudong International Airport for your return flight. End of the trip

1. Breakfast
2. Flight