Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Shanghai Arrival

   Our tour guide and driver will be waiting for you at the exit of Shanghai airport, holding a welcome sign with your name on it. Then you will be transferred to the hotel where we have booked for you and check in. In the rest of the day, take the time to relax yourself or explore the city.

   Accommodation: Shanghai

2. Day 2: Shanghai
   Shanghai Museum, Yuyuan Garden, the Bund area (Breakfast+Lunch)

   AM: In the morning, visit Shanghai Museum. It is a large museum exhibiting the ancient art while featuring bronze ware, chinaware, calligraphy and painting. Then, proceed to the Yuyuan Garden. It is one of the most famous southern China gardens, where you can appreciate the typical architecture of Chinese gardens.

   Noon: Lunch in a local restaurant.

   PM: In the afternoon, you will enjoy a short cruise tour along the Huangpu River, having totally different scenes about Shanghai along the banks of Huangpu River. Disembarked at the Bund area, you will have some free time to walk around.

   Accommodation: Shanghai

   

3. Day 3: Shanghai - Yichang by Flight - Yangtze River Cruise Ship
   Jade Budda Temple (Breakfast)

   AM: This morning you will pay a visit to the Jade Buddha Temple. The highlights of this temple are a Sitting Buddha and a Recumbent Buddha both carved with whole white jade.

   Then you will take a flight to Yichang, and our local guide will be waiting for you with holding your name at the Yichang airport. If time is available, you will visit Yichang Museum, which mainly displays the local cultural relics with the earliest exhibitions dating back to 400,000 years ago.

   Evening: You will board the luxurious President Ship and begin your Yangtze cruise.

   Accommodation: President No. 1

   

4. Day 4: Yangtze River Cruise
   Three Gorges Dam (Breakfast+Lunch+Dinner)

   Today will be the highlight part of your cruise. Along the Yangtze River, you will appreciate the unique scenery of the Three Gorges. Sailing along the eastern Xiling Gorge, you will first disembark and pay a visit to the magnificent Three Gorges Dam Site. The Captain’s Welcome Party will be held on board. You are invited to participate.

   Accommodation: President No. 1

   

5. Day 5: Yangtze River Cruise
   Three Little Gorges or Shennong Stream (Breakfast+Lunch+Dinner)

   Sail through the Wu Gorge in the morning. There is the famous Shennong Stream on the border between the Wu Gorge and the Xiling Gorge, where you will disembark and take an interesting sampan adventure. You will take a small boat to navigate deep into the gorges. Sitting on the special local wooden boat, you will travel along the zigzagging watercourses and enjoy the grotesque rocks and picturesque scenery along the banks, accompanied by the folk songs from the trackers. The Shennong Stream adventure will last about 3 to 4 hours. Doubtlessly, the perfect natural beauty makes the best setting for your China holiday.

   Accommodation: President No. 1

   

6. Day 6: Yangtze River Cruise
   Fengdu Ghost City (Breakfast+Lunch+Dinner)

   Today, you will disembark at Fengdu for an excursion. You will have a visit at the Fengdu Ghost City. Fengdu Ghost City is a place to learn about Chinese ghost culture, the afterlife, and to see what the Chinese would call a “model of hell.” After that, you will be back to the ship and the cruise continues sailing to next destination-Chongqing. Tonight, you will feast on a farewell party on the cruise. Please enjoy yourself thoroughly.

   Accommodation: President No. 1

   

7. Day 7: Chongqing - Xian by Flight
   Panda house, Residence of General Joseph W. Stilwell (Breakfast+Lunch)

   AM: The cruise is scheduled to arrive in Chongqing at around 08:30 to 09:00 Today your amazing ship journey will end at Chongqing at around 08:30 to 09:00.

   Our guide will meet you on board and transfer you to downtown Chongqing. You will visit the panda house in the Chongqing Zoo to have a close contact with the cute pandas, and then visit the Residence of General Joseph W. Stilwell. The General Joseph W. Stilwell Museum was the former residence house of General Stilwell from 1942 to 1944. The museum was opened to the public in 1991. It covered only 500 square meters (598 square yards) but received more than 30,000 American visitors every year. After the renovation in 2002, the museum reopened in 2003.

   Noon: Lunch in a local restaurant.

   PM: After the included lunch, you will take a flight to Xian. Our local guide will be waiting for you at the airport. A comfortable private transfer will take you the appointed hotel in downtown area.

   Accommodation: Xian

   

8. Day 8: Xian
   Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Ancient City Wall, Tang Dynasty Dance Show and Dumpling Dinner (Breakfast+Lunch+Dinner)

   AM: After the breakfast, we will first visit the ‘Eighth Wonder’ of the world, Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. The museum covers an area of 16,300 square meters, divided into three sections: No. 1 Pit, No. 2 Pit, and No. 3 Pit respectively. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China.

   Noon: Lunch in a local restaurant.

   PM: Visit one of the landmarks of Xian, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Standing in the Da Ci’en Temple complex, it attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion, its simple but appealing style of construction, and its new square in front of the temple. Last we will pay a visit to the Ancient City Wall in the morning, which is known as the most complete and the best preserved city wall in china. The city wall of Xi’an is an extension of the prior Tang dynasty structure. It was stared in 1370 and finished in 1378 and has a rectangular –shaped construction.

   Evening: You will have a Dumpling Dinner and enjoy a marvelous Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show. The show will bring you back to 1400 years ago – the dreamy and glorious Tang Dynasty. After the tour, we will transfer you back to your hotel.

   Accommodation: Xian

   

9. Day 9: Xian - Beijing by Flight
   Shaanxi History Museum and Small Wild Goose Pagoda (Breakfast)

   AM: After the breakfast, you will visit Shaanxi History Museum, known as “ancient capital pearl, Chinese treasure house”, is an artistic hall which displays Shaanxi history, culture and Chinese ancient civilization. Then we will come to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, which is a famous well-preserved Buddhist pagoda of the Tang Dynasty. The extant pagoda has thirteen stories and it still keeps the primitive features. With delicate appearance, it is reputed to be the exquisite artistic heritage of Buddhist architecture in the Tang Dynasty.

   Noon: Have lunch on your own. Then our tour guide and driver will transfer you to the airport to take a flight to Beijing. Arriving in Beijing our local driver will meet you at airport and transfer to hotel.

   Accommodation: Beijing

   

10. Day 10: Beijing
    Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Chinese Kung Fu Show (Breakfast + Lunch)

    AM: After the breakfast, our guide will pick up you at 9:00am in your hotel hall. We will begin our today’s trip from the Tiananmen Square, which is known as the world’s largest urban center square. The Square has an area of 44 hectares (109 acres) that can accommodate as many as one million people for public gatherings. It has witnessed may historical events in China’s modern history and is a place for celebrations on such festive days as international Labor Day on May 1st and national Day on October 1st. Next we come to the largest as well as best-preserved imperial palace complex, Forbidden City, located in the center of China’s capital, Beijing. It displays an extraordinarily harmonious balance between buildings and open space within a more or less symmetrical layout.

    Noon: Lunch in a local restaurant.

    PM: After the included lunch, we will continue our tour to the Temple of Heaven, which is the largest ancient imperial worship architecture group in the world. Finishing the day tour, you will appreciate a lively Chinese Kung Fu Show at night. Different from traditional Kung Fu Show, this show is featured with a story of dramatic interest, which makes it more interesting and attractive. After the tour, we will transfer you back to your hotel.

    Accommodation: Beijing

    

11. Day 11: Beijing
    Badaling Great Wall, Ming Tomb (Breakfast+ Lunch)

    AM: After breakfast, first you will visit the Badaling Great Wall. As one of the greatest wonders of mankind, the majestic Great Wall is always a must-see attraction for many visitors to Beijing. Nowadays, the Great Wall of China has become the symbol of the Chinese nation and its culture.

    Noon: Lunch in a local restaurant.

    PM: After the included lunch, we will come to the Ming Tomb. On the way to the Ming Tomb, you will pass through the Sacred Way. The Ming Tomb is the place where 13 emperors of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) were buried. On the way back to downtown center, last we will visit the Bird’s Nest (Olympic National Stadium), which is the main assembly hall of the 29th Olympic sports games in Beijing at the year of 2008. After the tour, we will transfer you back to your hotel.

    Accommodation: Beijing

    

12. Day 12: Beijing Departure

    Our guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel and send you to the airport for your flight back home after this pleasant journey. Your 12-day Shanghai Yangtze River Xian Beijing tour ends here.