7 Days Ancient Xian & Yangtze Cruise Tour

Ni Hao! Welcome to Xian, the ancient capital of China for 13 dynasties! Upon arrival, you will be met by our local guide at the arrival hall of Xian Xianyang Airport / train station and escorted to your hotel. The rest of today is free on your own to explore the city with more than 3,000 years.

Arrival Ideas: There are more than 130 international and domestic cities well linking with Xian by air. Also, travelers can take high speed trains to Xian from Beijing (about 4.5~6hrs), Shanghai (about 6~7.5hrs), Luoyang (about 1.5hrs), Zhengzhou (about 2.5hrs), etc.

Good morning! After breakfast, you'll be escorted about 40km to marvel at the Eighth Wonder of the World - Terracotta Warriors and Horses which was found in 1974 by local farmers and later listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. Get into the living historical classroom to witness one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world. Visit the three pits containing more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses and know the history of Qin Dynasty (221-207BC), the emperors and the funerary art.

After lunch, return to Xian to visit the 1,350-year-old Da Cien Temple, renowned for Buddhist sutra translations during the Tang Dynasty. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda with seven stories at a height of 64.5 meters is the famous building there. This pagoda was built by the famous Buddhist master Xuan Zang (the prototype character for Tang Seng in the famous Chinese novel “Journey to the West”) to preserve precious Buddhist relics, scriptures and figures of Buddha he bought back from India during the early Tang Dynasty. (Note: Please note: It charges extra 30 Yuan to climb up the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda.)

In the evening, stroll through the Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City, where nightscape illuminates and makes you recall the prosperous Tang Dynasty. A visit here at night offers a marvelous neon scene, quite different from daytime.

Optional activities: 1) Try on Hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han Chinese in the ancient periods, and take some beautiful photos! 2) Enjoy the wonderful Tang Palace Dance Show (usually from 8pm to 9pm).

Witness the Magnificent Terracotta Warriors Army

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Summer

Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City

Hanfu Experience in Xian

After breakfast, be transferred to visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, a tranquil structure smaller and 55 years younger than its “sister” - the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. Built during 707 to 709 AD, this 43.4-meter-tall, 13-tierd (originally 15) pagoda resembles a tall rectangular pyramid. Remarkably, the pagoda has survived nearly 70 earthquakes but stands firm today. Walk around to appreciate its beautiful design and take some fantastic photos. Then, walk several minutes to the nearby Xian Museum, boasting over 130,000 pieces of jade relics, seals, paintings, porcelains, Buddhist statues, stone carvings and more for your admiration.

Next, head back to downtown Xian to discover the Ancient City Wall, the largest and best-preserved existing ancient city wall in China. This rectangular city wall is 13.75km in length, 12m in height and 15-18m in width which needs about 4 hours’ walk for a full circuit. Just like the merchants and envoys on the Silk Road thousands of years ago, you'll enter the interior of the city walls through the Hanguang Gate and visit a mini museum to see the real Tang Dynasty city wall ruins from over 1400 years ago. After that, get up to the wall to have a leisure stroll and enjoy a panoramic view of Xian. Then, continue to the Muslim Quarter, where you can taste different local snacks and explore the harmonious local culture.

After the visit, be sent to the railway station for your bullet train to Chongqing (about 5hrs). Upon arrival, your local guide and driver will pick you up at the arrival hall of the railway station in Chongqing and escort you to your hotel in downtown for check-in.

Xian Ancient City Wall - Hanguang Gate

Enjoy Leisure Cycling on Xian Ancient City Wall

Small Wild Goose Pagoda

Walk along Muslim Quarter to Taste Some Snacks

After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and then take you to enjoy a full day exploration of this cyberpunk metropolis! Let's start with the Three Gorges Museum, showcasing more than 280,000 pieces of precious cultural relics to introduce the great Yangtze River, formation of the Three Gorges, and the thriving history of Chongqing from 3,000 years ago to its status as a municipality in China. Next, have an impressive look at the People’s Assembly Hall which is renowned for its elegant classical exterior and was listed into the History of Architecture compiled in London in 1987.

Then, take Line 2 of Chongqing Rail Transit from Huanghuayuan Station to Liziba Station for 15-minute with cityscapes. Get off and watch a train passing through a 19-storey apartment, unique to mountainous Chongqing! Continue to visit the must-see Hongya Cave to appreciate its layers of featured Ba and Shu regional wooden tilted houses rising up to 11 storeys against the hill. As night falls and warm lights illuminate these structures, they become even more enchanting. After the tour, go to board your 4-day Yangtze River cruise at Chaotianmen Port (18:00~21:00), which will sail at 21:00!

Optional Activity (with extra payment): Enjoy Chongqing City panorama from WFC Huixianlou Observation Deck that is a 339-meter-high skyscraper with a 360° open-air platform at the city center.

Tips for Cruise Boarding: 1) There are 12 sub-piers at Chongqing Chaotianmen Port; please confirm the exact boarding pier with your travel consultant one day prior; 2) Tell your driver the exact pier to minimize walking; 3) Be aware of boarding time and pier changes based on the ship line or factors like water level, season, weather condition, etc. Please pay attention to the important info from your travel consultants.

Liziba Metro Station

Three Gorges Museum

People's Assembly Hall

Hongya Cave Night View

Hongya Cave Daytime

Board Yangtze Cruise Ship at Chaotianmen Port

Good morning! Wake up leisurely and enjoy the gentle sunshine over the tranquil Yangtze. You can either follow the Taichi master to play Taichi or enjoy a cup of coffee to start a beautiful day!

Enjoy various entertainment onboard, like attending a Yangtze River History and Culture Lecture, enjoying seasonal themed activities, meeting new friends at the Captain's Welcome Party, having fun at the wonderful evening show, etc.

You will follow a local English-speaking tour guide to visit Fengdu Ghost City onshore, which is about 2,000 years old and called “the Homeland of Divine Comedy in China”. In this “City of Ghosts”, you will see a series of temples, shrines, palaces, pavilions, and more traditional styled architecture complex. The colorful statues and story scenes of afterlife in hell displayed show the underworld, cruel tortures, different kinds of devils, Chinese demons and the traditional Chinese belief: pure spirits would be rewarded, and sinful ones would be subject to severe punishments. (Please note: Fengdu Ghost City visit requires much walking and comfortable shoes are highly recommended!)

Optional Excursion to Feng Yan San Guo (Three Kingdoms Fire Show): A reputable and impressive real landscape show telling the brilliant history during the Three Kingdoms Period (over 1,800 years ago) and praising the loyalty spirit of General Guan Yu. (with an extra fee)

Beautiful & Tranquil Yangtze River

Play Taichi in the Morning

Fengdu Ghost City

Three Kingdoms Open Air Show

Today, you'll sail through the spectacular Three Gorges! Soak up the breathtaking gorge scenery as you drift through Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge respectively.

You'll switch to a smaller boat to take an enjoyable shore excursion to Shennv Stream (Goddess Stream), a tributary of the Yangtze River. Sail down this primitive stream to closely marvel at steep mountains and hanging coffins high on the cliffs, hear local history, and appreciate featured dance and music by Tujia ethnic people!

At evening, enjoy the well-prepared Captain’s Farewell Party with all your mates onboard and have a whale of time of the last night onboard!

Optional Excursion to White Emperor City: This cultural and historic site at the entrance of Qutang Gorge tells the touching stories of the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” and is the best spot to appreciate the magnificent “Kui Gate” on the 10 RMB note! (with an extra fee)

Our Customer Visiting Magnificent Qutang Gorge

Qutang Gorge

Breathtaking Wu Gorge Scenery

Enjoy Wu Gorge Scenery on Sundeck

White Emperor City

Shennv Stream with Primitive Gorge Scenery

After breakfast, go through a check-out procedure and disembark at Maoping Port and take the arranged tourist bus to visit the global famous Three Gorges Dam. It is the largest hydropower station in the world, with an annual energy output of 84.7 billion kilowatt-hours. The Dam is about 2,300 meters (7,546 ft) long and about 115 meters (377 ft) wide. With a water capacity of 39.3 billion cubic meters, it can hold a huge reservoir to efficiently prevent flooding in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze. Take your time to appreciate this great project from different angles and learn more at the project museum.

After that, take the tourist bus to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal in Yichang downtown (arriving around 12:30-13:30). Your local guide and driver will pick you up there and transfer to Yichang Airport / train station for your flight or train to your home / the next destination. Trip Ends!

Optional Experience of Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift: Take a tourist boat to sail through this world’s largest ship lift with an elevation of about 113 meters (370 ft), which is totally fresh and exciting! (with an extra fee)

Departure Ideas: You can take flights from Yichang Sanxia Airport to Shanghai, Xian, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hangzhou, etc. Also, you can take high speed trains from Yichang East Railway Station to Wuhan (about 2hrs), Shanghai (about 8hrs), Beijing (about 7.5hrs), Hangzhou (about 7.5hrs), Chengdu (about 7hrs), Guangzhou (about 7hrs), etc.

Notes: 1) Only Dam visit: take the bus from Maoping Port to visit Three Gorges Dam and arrive at Yichang downtown at around 12:30. 2) Dam visit + Ship Lift: switch to a tourist boat to sail through the Ship Lift and visit Three Gorges Dam. Then, take the bus and arrive at Yichang downtown at around 13:30.

World-famous Three Gorges Dam

Three Gorges Dam - 185 Observation Deck

Three Gorges Dam in Summer

Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift, the Largest Ship Lift in the World

Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift