12 Days Affordable China Yangtze River Cruise Sightseeing Tour

Day 1 Xian Arrival

Our Xian private tour guide and driver will meet you at the exit of Xian train station or airport holding with a welcome signal "Xian Private Tour" .

Our Pick Up Sign "Xi'an Private Tour"

Xi'an, the eternal city, records the great changes of the Chinese nation just like a living history book. Called Chang'an in ancient times, Xi'an is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area of the country. Firstly, we recommend you to pay a visit to Shaanxi History Museum. The museum has prepared a great feast to your eyes and knowledge - a collection of over 300,000 ancient items telling the history far from the Bronze Age to the modern time. What a marvelous treasure stove!

After lunch, then move to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a Buddhist temple built in 652A.D. As part of the artistic heritage of Buddhist architectures of the Tang Dynasty, it is witness as to how Buddhism was introduced to China and integrated with the culture of Han nationality. Tourists can watch the beautiful scenery of the whole city at the top floor.

Later, take your time easy at the Muslim Quarter, which is the main gathering place for the local Muslim community. You will find lots of shops with exotic souvenirs and taste the local delicacies and snacks. And there is a night market as well. Shopping frenzy or eating frenzy!

Afterwards, take you to have a simple dinner and drive you back to your hotel.

Day 2 Xian

Yesterday you learnt some history, today is for the excavated wonder - the life-like Terracotta Warriors, who have gone through the trial of time of over 2,200 years but still stand in their position for guarding the Emperor Qin Shihuang. Let alone the various gestures and different looks, the hairstyles of them will make you amazed. Owing to the exquisite handicrafts, all the warriors can be told apart from one position to another, officer or soldier, infantry or cavalry.

After lunch, then you will have a leisure stroll on the Ancient City Wall, the most complete ancient city wall in China and one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. It is 12 meters tall, 12-14 meters wide overing 14 kilometers in length with a deep moat surrounding it. You can walk, even cycle on the wall.

And the night is quite special arranged for you - Tang Dynasty Show plus a delicious Chinese dumpling dinner! Dumplings come in different shapes and different fillings, some even with special propitious meanings; while the show is a mixture of ancient melodious music and inspiring dances, trying to relive the golden time of Tang Dynasty (618-907A.D.). This banquet is really a great feast to your eyes and tongue.

After dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel.

Day 3 Xian-Chengdu

Check out from your hotel, transfer to the Xian railway station to catch your train to Chengdu.

Check in your hotel and have a break. Around 18:00pm, your tour guide will lead to the locals Hot-Pot restaurant. The hot pot is one of Sichuan's oldest methods of cooking and is still a popular choice for a night out in Chengdu. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat, leaf vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, and seafood. Vegetables, fish, and meat should be fresh. The hot pot in Chengdu can be very spicy because almost everyone lives here loves spicy. But there is also a choice of non-spicy hot pot.

After hot-pot dinner, drive you back to your hotel.

Day 4 Chengdu

Firstly, spend half days to explore the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center, The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base (or Chengdu Panda Base for short) specializes in baby pandas and their care. It's one of the most popular destinations for foreign travelers. And it's a must-go place when you go to Chengdu. Chengdu Panda Base not only takes care of breeding pandas, but also focuses on providing interactive activities that teach people about pandas and their protection. Besides cute giant pandas, there are also red pandas, black swans, and peacocks in the base.

Then, move on to the Wenshu Temple. The large Buddhist Wen Shu Monastery in the north of town has become a major tourist attraction in Chengdu and the surrounding neighborhood has undergone extensive renovations. The temple itself is clean and relatively quiet. There are small ponds and underused buildings in corners of the complex where you can sit and relax. Every now and then a preoccupied monk scurries past, but the grounds are mostly filled with strolling visitors.

Your lunch will be arrange at a Vegetarian Restaurant in Wenshu Temple. All the food made by vegetable.

After lunch, drive to the Renmin Park to experience the most authentic view into Chengdu local life. Have a cup of tea in a traditional tea house, watch the local older couples dancing, and enjoy the typical leisure lifestyle of Chengdu.

There are many famous scenic spots in the Renmin Park, including the Gold Water Stream, the Goldfish Island and the Potted Landscape Garden. Besides appreciating the charming landscape, you can sail on the artificial lake, drink tea in the teahouse by the lake and watch all kinds of exhibitions and performances on the Rockery Square.

Your last destination is Jinli Ancient Street to treat yourself to the local snacks and artifacts. The elegant style of the architectures gives you a glimpse at what Sichuan looked like during the Qing Dynasty.

At last, drive back to your hotel.

Day 5 Chengdu-Dujiangyan-Chengdu

In the morning, take about 1 hour drive from Chengdu to the Front Mountain of Mount Qingcheng, the home of Taoism. The famous Taoism temples are all located in the Front Mountain. Begin your Taoism exploration after stepping into the arch of Mount Qingcheng, pass through Celestial Hall of Mount Qingcheng and Nature’s Pavilion till hike up to Yuecheng Lake which lying quietly at the middle of the mountain, then take a five minute Buyun cable car up to the mountain. 

Then, walk to the mountain top and visit the historical Taoism temples along the way, including Shangqing Temple, Donghua Hall, Laojun Pavilion, etc. and experience the culture of Taoism and enjoy the fresh air and stunning scenery in the mountain. After arriving at the mountain top, go back along the same way you come.

After the Taoist mountain tour, head to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, which was an irrigation project built in 256BC. The system is still working to irrigate Chengdu plain and it’s the actual reason why Chengdu is called as the “Land of Abundance”. Visit the three main parts of Dujiangyan Irrigation System including Yuzui, Feishayan, Baopingkou, and be amazed by the wisdom of ancient Chinese.

Drive back to your hotel in Chengdu downtown.

Day 6 Chengdu-Guilin

After breakfast, transfer to the Chengdu railway station to catch your train to Guilin. 

Upon on your arrival, our guide will meet you at Guilin train station with a welcome signage "Guilin Private Tour". And then, drive you to your hotel in Guilin downtown. The rest day is free on your own to explore the city or recover the jetlag.

Day 7 Guilin

Today please enjoy your tour to Reed Flute Cave first. As the old saying goes, "Guilin's scenery is peerless in the world."  It is a natural limestone cave with multicolored lighting and has been one of Guilin’s most interesting attractions for over 1200 years. It is over 180 million years old. The cave got its name from the type of reed growing outside, which can be made into melodious flutes. Reed Flute Cave is filled with a large number of stalactites, stalagmites and rock formations in weird and wonderful shapes.

 

Have lunch at a local Chinese restaurant.

Then continue your tour to Elephant Trunk Hill, which is the symbol of the city of Guilin. It got its name because it looks like an elephant drinking water. The round opening that would be under the elephant’s trunk is known as Water-Moon Cave because at night the reflection of the moon can be seen through the arch and it looks as if it is under the water and floating on the surface of the water at the same time.

Have dinner in a local Chinese restaurant and you will be taken back to your hotel.

In addition, The Rice Noodle Banquet will be a good choice as an optional dinner if you want to have a try.

Day 8 Guilin-Longsheng Town-Guilin

After breakfast, drive you to Longsheng and have a full day excursion to Longsheng for the Rice Terraces and ethnic minority culture. Known to the world as an essential part of Guilin highlight, Longji Terrace in Chinese is also called Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces or Long sheng Rice Terraces because of its location in Long Sheng County of Guilin. The Longji rice terraces area is famous for the excessively large number of terraced rice paddy fields on its mountain, which have created an intricate pattern on the hillsides. The scenery here is absolutely gorgeous around the world.

Set amongst the Villages of the Minorities Zhuang and Yao, the area allows for easy to moderate walking/hiking possibilities along and up hillsides to view the panoramas of the terraced rice fields, as well as glimpse the rural life and style of architecture found in the forest-fringed villages.

 Then transfer back to your hotel in Guilin.

Day 9 Guilin-Chongqing

After breakfast, transfer to the Guilin railway station to catch your train to Chongqing. Upon arrive in Chongqing, our tour guide and driver will pick you up and the itinerary in Chongqing has the following attractions:

Firstly, you will be taken to visit the Ciqikou Old Town. The old town is located in Shapingba district of Chongqing and on the west bank of Jialing River, taking up an area of 1.18 square kilometers. This place is very charming with its narrow streets and small wooden houses and it provides some great opportunities for shopping souvenirs or tasting local snacks. When you are done with this, the ship will be waiting for you to take you on the cruise.

Your lunch will be arranged at the local restaurant popular with the local people to stay away from the tourists' meals.

Then drive about 13km from Ciqikou to Three Gorges Museum. It is one of the largest museum of the country. The museum opened in 2005, replacing the former Chongqing Museum. It is located near the Chongqing People's Hall. It aims to undertake education, preservation, and scientific research with respect to cultural heritage and the natural environment in Chongqing and the Three Gorges region of the Yangtze River.

In the afternoon, head to Hongya Cave, located in Chongqing‘s core commercial district of Jiefangbei on Cangbai Road and at the intersection of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. The area combines travel, business, and cultural scenery into one grand view, with an overriding theme of Stilted Buildings which stands for the famous traditional Bayu minority architectural style on raised wooden stilts. If time permits, enjoy the stunning night view of Hongya Cave at sunset.

After dinner, transfer to the Chaotianmen dock for your Yangtze River trip.

Day 10 Yangtze River Cruise

As the largest water system in China, Yangtze River is historically, economically and culturally important to the country. It has numerous tributaries including Min River, Han River, Jialing River, Gan River, and Huangpu River.

Upon you cruise along the Yangtze river, you will have an excursion to Fengdu Ghost City, visiting either the "Ghost City" known for its statues of ghosts and devils onMingshan Hill, or the new relocation village, built for families who have moved as a result of the Yantgze's rising waters brought by the Three Gorgres Dam.

After disembark, you will take a cable car up to the hill and visit the temples all over the mountain with many statues. Your tour guide will show you around this Ghost City.

Return to the ship at the appointed time, and pass towards the fantastic Three Gorges. Stay overnight on the ship.

Day 11 Yangtze River Cruise

Following the ship, and you will enter the Qutang Gorge. The Qutang Gorge is the shortest and most spectacular of China's Three Gorges. The combination of narrow canyons among high mountains with several switchbacks in only 8 kilometres creates spectacular vistas, and the Qutang Gorge is often considered the most beautiful of all the Three Gorges. Although it is primarily famous for its scenery, the Three Gorges region is also a historically and culturally important location in China.

Upon you arrive in Wuhan, the tour guide will lead you disembark the ship and board smaller vessels in order to explore either the Daning River (or Shennong Stream).

Return to the ship at the appointed time. Stay overnight on the ship.

Day 12 Yangtze River Cruise-Yichang Departure

Today, you will pass through the Xiling Gorge. It is the largest and most downstream—eastern of the famous Three Gorges.

The last destination is Three Gorge Dam, it is the world’s largest hydropower project and most notorious dam. As well as producing electricity, the dam is intended to increase the Yangtze River's shipping capacity and reduce the potential for floods downstream by providing flood storage space.

Upon cruise arrival in Yichang. Transfer from cruise to airport or train station for your next destination. Our service ends.

Price Per Person in US Dollars

Price Includes 1. All transfer and city transportation 2. Air-conditioned car or van 3. Hotels specified in the itinerary, all based     on two persons sharingone standard room; 4. Meals specified in the itinerary: Western     breakfast in hotels Chinese lunch and     dinner in local restaurants 5. Sightseeing: All arrangements mentioned     in the itinerary will be covered All first     admission/entrance fees in the itinerary 6. Tour guide: Conducted by a professional     tour guide

Price Excludes 1. International air-tickets 2. Airport departure tax. 3. International or domestic air tickets which     are not listed in the itinerary. 4. Insurance coverage of personal loss, illness     or damages incurred during your trip 5. Tips to the tour guide and driver 6. Meals not specified in the itinerary. 7. Personal expenses: phone bills, laundry,     optional tours, postage, excess baggage     charge, entertainment fees out of the     itinerary. 8. Single Room Supplement.