China: Beijing, Yangtze River Cruise & Shanghai

Board your overnight flight to Beijing today.

Welcome to China! Settle in to your hotel this evening.

Delve into more than 2,000 years of Beijing’s history with a local guide.

• Stroll across the expanse of Tiananmen Square

• Wander through the Imperial Palace, also referred to as “The Forbidden City”

• Walk through Meridian Gate and see the Palace of Heavenly Purity, where the Ming dynasty emperors lived

• Admire the Imperial Garden’s traditional design features

• Exit through the Gate of Divine Prowess

Later, get to know your Tour Director and fellow travelers at a family-style welcome lunch.

Head outside of Beijing to marvel at one of the world’s most impressive structures: the Great Wall.

• Stop at a Jade Factory on the way to watch a demonstration of how the gemstone is carved to create impressive sculptures

• Tour the Great Wall at the Juyong Pass

• Enjoy free time to explore the many ramparts and towers, admiring panoramic views as you go

• Sit down for an included family-style lunch before traveling back to Beijing

Please note: The Juyong Pass cannot be reached by cable car or elevator. Walking is required to reach this less crowded, more scenic section of the Great Wall.

Enjoy a free evening in Beijing or add an excursion.

Discover Beijing’s modern and ancient traditions on today’s tour.

• Participate in a Tai Chi lesson alongside locals in Temple of Heaven Park

• Discover the health benefits of this traditional form of exercise, which combines easy, flowing arm and leg movements

• Enter the Temple of Heaven for a guided tour

• Walk down the Long Corridor to enter the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

• Learn about the history of the Ming Dynasty at the Imperial Vault of Heaven

• Watch a demonstration and enjoy free time to shop at a pearl factory

• Sit down for an included family-style lunch

• Wander through the vast Summer Palace and see its Long Corridor and Marble Boat

• Cruise along Kunming Lake to soak in local scenery

• Stop at Beijing’s Olympic Park, home of the 2008 Summer Games, where you’ll view the intriguing stadium known as the Bird’s Nest

Spend a free morning in Beijing or add an excursion.

Enjoy an included family-style lunch in Beijing. Then, fly to Yichang and embark on a cruise of the Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia. Sit down for a light family-style dinner aboard the ship this evening.

Step on shore at the man-made Three Gorges Dam, where a guide will explain its interesting history.

• Learn about the history, construction, and lasting impact of the dam

• Spend the afternoon at Xiling Gorge, the first and largest of the Three Gorges

• Choose to learn about the native tribes that have inhabited the gorges on a shore excursion to a recreated village

• Enjoy an included buffet lunch aboard the ship

Please note: All shore excursions are available for an additional cost and are booked through the river cruise boat.

Sit down for an included family-style dinner aboard the ship this evening.

Drift along the Daning River and Shennong Stream, passing the mysterious ancient hanging coffins.

• Board a wooden boat called a sampan to explore the river’s tributaries

• Enjoy an included buffet lunch aboard the ship

• Cruise to Qutang Gorge and gaze upon the Meng Liang Staircase

Choose to book a shore excursion to the White Emperor City, or enjoy a free afternoon aboard the boat.

Please note: All shore excursions are available for an additional cost and are booked through the river cruise boat.

Sit down for an included family-style dinner aboard the ship this evening.

Visit Shibaozhai, a hill that sits on the banks of the Yangtze River.

• See the red, wooden pagoda that's perched on the side of the hill

• Discover why the pagoda is called the "Pearl of the Yangtze"

• Enjoy an included buffet lunch aboard the ship

This afternoon, choose to visit Fengdu, known as the Ghost City, on a shore excursion.

Please note: All shore excursions are available for an additional cost and are booked through the river cruise boat.

Sit down for an included family-style dinner aboard the ship this evening.

Disembark in Chongqing and get to know the city with a local guide.

• Pay a visit to Chongqing Zoo, home to some of China’s famous pandas

• Stop in People's Square to view the Great Hall of the People

• Try Sichuan cuisine during an included lunch

Transfer to the airport and board your flight to Xi’an.

Take a panoramic tour of Xi’an, one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China and the starting point of the Silk Road.

• Pass the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower, which marks what was once the center of the city

• See the 14th-century city walls, watchtowers, and ramparts that were built by the Ming Dynasty

Head outside of the city this afternoon to visit one of the country’s most famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites—the Terracotta Army.

• Visit a local workshop to learn how the clay statues were made

• See some of the 8,000 life-size pottery soldiers that represent the expansive army of the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang

• Watch a noodle-making demonstration and enjoy an included family-style lunch

• See Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum

• Visit the Exhibition Hall to see two sets of bronze chariots and horses that were excavated from the archaeological site in 1980

Spend a free evening in Xi’an or add an excursion.

Fly to Shanghai this morning. Then, ride the Shanghai Maglev Train—a magnetic levitation train that’s distinguished as the fastest train in the world—on your way to your hotel. Later, get to know the local culture during today's activities.

• Visit a local restaurant to try your hand at making dumplings during a cooking class

• Enjoy an included lunch

Spend a free evening in Shanghai or add an excursion.

Meet up with a local guide to learn about Shanghai’s culture on today’s tour.

• Enter the Jade Buddha Temple to see the white jade statues of sitting Buddha and reclining Buddha

• Visit a silk factory to learn how the fabric is produced

• Enjoy an included lunch at a local restaurant

• Stroll through the Yuyuan Garden, the “Garden of Happiness”

• Enjoy free time to shop at the Yuyuan Bazaar before taking part in a traditional Chinese tea ceremony

• Walk along the Bund, Shanghai’s historic waterfront promenade

Spend the day exploring Shanghai at your leisure or add an excursion.

This evening, celebrate your trip at a farewell dinner.

Transfer to the airport for your flight home, or fly to Hong Kong to continue your trip.