17 Days Cultural China, Tibet & Yangtze River (PTB17)

Today you’ll board the flight from your hometown to Beijing.

Upon arrival, our guide will meet you at the airport and accompany you to your luxury hotel. Have a good rest at the hotel.

The first full day in Beijing will start after breakfast with a visit to Tiananmen Square and the magnificent Forbidden City where you can see the treasures of the Imperial collection.

After lunch, travel to the Summer Palace, the largest and best-preserved imperial garden in China and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

This evening, enjoy a Peking Duck dinner.

Today you’ll travel to the most iconic, photographed, and accessible section of the Great Wall at Juyongguan entrance.

In the afternoon, tour Beijing’s 700-year-old Hutongs (narrow alleyways) by old-fashioned pedicab, as well as visit a local family living in a courtyard style home to experience the local customs of Beijing people and their unique architecture.

The rest of the afternoon is yours to spend shopping and exploring at Wangfujing, Beijing’s must-see shopping strip.

This morning is yours to do as you please.

Later transfer to the airport for your flight to Yichang, where you will board your cruise ship for an unforgettable excursion along the Yangtze River. (Note: Due to water level conditions, the boarding port of the cruise may be changed to Sanduoping.) 

This morning, enjoy the beautiful scenery of Xiling Gorge while the cruise sails through it.

After enjoying lunch, stop at the village of San Dou Ping for a shore excursion to one of the world’s largest dams. Consisting of five-stage ship locks and the biggest hydroelectric power station in China, the Three Gorges Dam is now a major transportation hub connecting the eastern and western parts of China.

Return to the ship and continue sailing upstream for the remainder of the day. The ship will pass the five-steps lock at around 17:00. Tonight join in the Caption’s Welcome Party and enjoy.

Sail through 25-mile long Wu Gorge, celebrated for its Twelve Peaks and quiet beauty.

Later you will take an excursion to Shennv Stream via cruiser up Goddess Stream with its scenic, narrow gorges while listening to local folk songs. Alternatively, your excursion may venture into Shennong Stream with its splendid Small Gorges depending on water level condition. 

After returning to the cruise and enjoying the delicious buffet lunch, you will come to Qutang Gorge, the shortest, narrowest and most dramatic of the Three Gorges.

Disembark in Shibaozhai with its impressive wooden pagoda, appropriately named “The Pearl of the Yangtze”.

After your land excursion, consider attending various cultural programs provided on the ship.

After enjoying breakfast, the ship will disembark in Chongqing.

Our guide will meet you at the port and transfer you to the airport.

Later, arrive in Lhasa the capital of Tibet. You will be greeted at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure to adjust to the high altitude (Note: due to water level conditions, the disembarking port of the cruise may be changed to Fengdu). 

An extraordinary day of sightseeing shows Norbulingka, the Tibetan summer palace, built by the seventh Dalai Lama in the 18th century.

After that, visit scenic Drepung Monastery, once home to 10,000 lamas. This evening, enjoy a memorable Tibetan dinner and show.

You’ll not soon forget the spectacular architecture at the world-famous Potala Palace!

Former living quarters of the Dalai Lama, this massive 1,000-room structure towers over this mountain city. Continue on to the famous Barkhor Market. At Barkhor Square, tour one of Tibet’s holiest shrines, revered 7th-century Jokhang Temple.

Afterward, we will stop at a local Tangka Factory where could learn some Tibetan cultures.

Fly from Lhasa to Xian, one of the great ancient capitals in China. The remainder of the day is free.

A memorable day of sightseeing today, as you view the extraordinary life-sized Terra-Cotta army, no two alike, buried for over 2,200 years.

Next, you’ll head to the Terracotta replication factory that actually re-makes terracotta soldiers. In the afternoon visit the Ancient City Wall, one of the oldest and best-preserved city walls in China.

Tonight, enjoy an Imperial Dumpling Banquet followed by the Tang Dynasty Stage Show. 

Take a flight to Shanghai, a famous Chinese metropolis.

Today’s sightseeing tour begins with a visit to the Shanghai Old Town, and then Yu Garden, a pleasant, well-contained classical Chinese garden. Then, continue the trip to the Shanghai Museum, the Shanghai Silk factory, the Bund, and Nanjing Road.

Enjoy a buffet-dinner on the “Oriental Pearl TV Tower” followed by an astonishing performance of the world-famous Shanghai Acrobats. 

Free to explore the incredible city of Shanghai on your own.

After breakfast, you’ll be escorted to the airport for your flight home.