8 Days Chengdu Leshan Mount Emei & Yangtze River Cruise Tour

Nihao! Welcome to Chengdu, the Hometown of Giant Pandas! Your private driver and guide will be ready for you when you arrive in Chengdu. Enjoy a trouble-free transfer to your hotel. The rest of today is yours to relax in panda city on your own.

Arrival Ideas:
Chengdu is well connected by air and high-speed rail. There are two airports - Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport operating many international and domestic airlines. Travelers can go to Chengdu by air from most cities in China, like Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian, Guilin, Hangzhou, Kunming, Lhasa, Lanzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen, Guiyang, Chongqing… In addition, travelers can take high speed train to Chengdu from Xian (3-4 hours), Chongqing (1.5-2 hours), Guiyang (3.5-4.5 hours), Kunming (6-6.5hours), etc.

Free Time Ideas:
You are welcome to ask your tour guide for some useful tips to spend your free time based on your time and interest.

After breakfast, you are going to fulfill your panda dream with a 17-kilometer drive to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Also called Chengdu Panda Base, accommodated over 100 pandas, it is the base with the largest population of captive giant pandas in the world. You will see giant pandas of different ages there. It’s great fun to watch them playing, eating, climbing, sleeping… If you come in autumn, you will have the chance to see the pink newborn giant panda cubs in the Sunshine Nursery House and the Moonlight Nursery House. Besides giant pandas, you can also meet the cute red pandas walking by your side in the Red Panda Playgrounds. Then follow your guide to discover more about panda’s secrets through the Panda Museum. (Note: Pandas like cool weather, so we advise you to arrive there early as pandas are more active in the morning.)

Later, be transferred to the best preserved Buddhist monastery in Chengdu - Wenshu Monastery to feel the peaceful atmosphere. Pay a visit to Chengdu’s Renmin Park to witness the city’s leisurely lifestyle and how the local people are doing. Order a cup of fragrant green tea while sitting in the time-honored tea-house, chat with your friends and see local playing mahjong and having fun. After that, return to Chengdu downtown for an relaxing stroll at Jinli Old Street. With a history over 1,800 years, it showcases the profound cultures of Ancient Shu Kingdom. Take a nice walk on the traditional stone-paved street full of delicious local snacks, delicate artifacts, interesting folk shows, etc. (Optional Activity: Try some local spicy dishes such as chuanchuan, dandan noodles, or even get out of your comfort zone and try some rabbit's head!)

Recommended Optional Evening Activities:

1)Watch a wonderful Sichuan Opera performance which includes face changing, spitting fire, hand shadows, puppet show, dancing, singing and acrobatics. (usually from 20:00 to 21:30).
2)Appreciate the city’s night view by boat (30mins) along the Jinjiang River, which winds through central Chengdu. ( 18:00~23:30)

In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel, then be driven about 2 hours from Chengdu to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site - Leshan Giant Buddha which is the largest and tallest stone-carved statue of Buddha in the world. Standing at the confluence of two rivers, the extraordinary, monumental 1200-year-old Buddha image at Le Shan is carved directly into the rock face. The monument stands 71m (233ft) tall and 28m (92ft) wide making it the largest ancient Buddha in the world. His shoulders span 28m, and each of his big toes is 8.5m long. His ears are 7m. He is indeed grand. There is a local saying: "The mountain is a Buddha and the Buddha is a mountain".

You will walk down and up and watch the Buddha from a very close distance. It allows you to see each part of Leshan Giant Buddha closely and presents you with a surprising experience with many ancient Buddhist temples, sculptures, caves and religious relics on the way up to mountain top near the head of the Buddha. (Recommended Optional Activity: The plank pathways are steep and narrow. If it is not convenient for you to walk, you can take a cruise to get a panoramic view and fully appreciate this Buddha’s magnitude on the river.)

Later you will be driven about 45 kilometers to Baoguo Temple, which is the biggest temple of Mount Emei at the mountain foot. After tour, drive to check in at your hotel and have a good rest.

You will spend a full day visiting Mount Emei, which is one of the World Heritage Sites for both cultural and natural heritages. Mount Emei is one of the four famous sacred Buddhist mountains in China, with numerous Buddhist temples and monasteries. Beyond its rich cultural heritage, the mountain also stands on the edge of the eastern Himalayan highlands and hosts a diverse range of plants and animals and amazing natural scenery.

You will take a relaxing way to visit Mount Emei by sightseeing bus+hiking+cable car. Tourist Center - Sightseeing Bus to Leidongping( about 1.5~2 hours) - Walk 30mins to Jieyin Hall - Go up to Golden Summit by cable car(5mins) - Sightseeing in Golden Summit - Ascend the Mountain in the Same Way.

It will help you save energy and focus on the highlights of Mount Emei. The Gold Summit is an extravagance of natural wonders and Buddhism spiritualism, which comprises of four marvelous spectacles of Sunrise, Cloud Sea, Buddhist Light and sacred lamp. You can stroll around the Golden Summit to explore Buddhist architecture and tradition, and enjoy a panoramic view of Mount Emei and surrounding. If weather permits, you will have luck to enjoy its magnificent wonder of Cloud Sea.

After the tour, take a high speed train from Emeishan to Chongqing (about 3 hours). Upon arrival, your guide and driver will pick you up at the train station and escort you to the hotel in Chongqing downtown area. 

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to explore Chongqing.

The first stop is Three Gorges Museum. Appreciate the vast collection of more than 280 thousand pieces of precious historical relics and have a better understanding of the great Yangtze River and formation of the Three Gorges. Also, you can know the gradual thriving of Chongqing from thousand years ago to 20th century. After the visit, you can take photos in front of the People’s Assembly Hall which is outside of the museum.

After lunch, you will be escorted to take Chongqing Rail Transit Line 2 from Huanghuayuan Metro Station to Liziba Metro Station to look at the city’s prototype from a different angle. Then, get off to have the never-seen magic of the train going through a 11-storey block of flats, existing only in the fantastically structured Chongqing built against mountains. Later, move to E’ling Park and catch the impressive panorama of Chongqing city which has been highly praised as “Little Hong Kong” with its well-arranged row upon row of modern skyscrapers and two winding rivers surrounding.

In the late afternoon, it is time to visit Hongya Cave, the must-see highlight to appreciate the layers of featured Ba and Shu regional wooden tilted houses overlapped leaning the mountain up to 11 storeys, which looks quite glittery lit by the orange lights from nightfall. And continue to get up to the 11 level with vehicles and roads alongside to catch the sparkling nightscape of Jialing River and the nearby buildings with beautiful neon. After the tour, be transferred to the Chongqing Chaotianmen Port to board your 5-star cruise ship. Your memorable relaxing cruise journey starts at 21:00!

Remarks:
1. Please call the ship one day ahead or at least in the morning on the boarding day to have clear idea about which pier you are going to use; 
2. All the times on the schedule are estimated ones which are subject to change due to weather and navigation conditions. 
3. The boarding time and departure piers may change based on the ship line, water level, season, weather and other factors.

On this day, your cruise will sail peacefully along the Yangtze River. Wake up leisurely and enjoy the fascinating river view with misty or gentle sunshine shining over the river. Have your buffet breakfast and start your beautiful day. There are some activities well designed by the cruise that you can do shore excursions to visit traditional Chinese cultural sites or stay onboard to relax and learn some Chinese culture.

In this afternoon, you will follow a local English-speaking tour guide and make a shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City in this morning. This ghost city is one large collection of temples, memorials and monasteries and you can know many legendary stories about underworld and different kinds of devils and Chinese demons. Or, you can take optional excursion to Shibaozhai Pagoda with extra fee , one of the eight extraordinary architectures in the world located in Zhongxian County. Climb up the 12-story red wooden pagoda and you can have a panoramic view of the Yangtze River.

Note: The itinerary above is provided for your reference. Attractions and shore excursions may vary slightly depending on the cruise company. We will help you choose the most suitable cruise based on your preferences.

Today, you will have a full day to view the beautiful Three Gorges. First, you will sail through Qutang Gorge which is celebrated for its magnificent, peculiar and precipitous scenery in the world. Marvel at the incredible Kui Gate. Next, go through Wuxia Gorge which is serene and secluded and presents a panorama of lovely scenery and then pass through Xiling Gorge well known for its rugged shoals and turbulent waters. Follow the guide’s live interpretation and appreciate the breathtaking scenery onboard.

In this afternoon, make a leisure shore excursion to Shennv Stream (Goddess Stream) in Wushan County. Switch to a smaller boat to sail down the primitive stream for a close look at the steep mountains and hanging coffins high on the cliffs. If you are interested, you can join local Tujia ethnic guide for singing and dancing performance. In this evening, enjoy the Captain’s Farewell Party with all your mates onboard and have a pleasant dinner together.

Note: The itinerary above is provided for your reference. Attractions and shore excursions may vary slightly depending on the cruise company. We will help you choose the most suitable cruise based on your preferences.

After breakfast, it is time to go through the check-out procedure and you’ll disembark at Maoping Port. The highlighted attraction today is the largest hydropower project in China - Three Gorges Dam. Catch the chance to view the dam and the system of locks. The body of the dam is immense with a height of 181 meters and spanning 2335 meters across the Yangtze River and 115 meters in width. (Optional experience: you can choose to sail through the world’s largest ship lift - Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift to very closely marvel at the huge dam which is a totally fresh and exciting experience for travelers.)

After the dam visiting, you’ll take the tourist bus arranged by the cruise company transferring you to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal around 12:30~13:30. In this afternoon, you will be escorted to the airport / train station to catch your flight / train to next destination. Service ends!

Yichang Sanxia Airport is 26 km (16 miles) from the city center. You can take flights from Yichang Sanxia Airport to Shanghai, Xian, Beijing, Guangzhou and Hangzhou, etc. Or 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), Guangzhou (about 7hrs) , Chengdu (about 7hrs), Chongqing (4 hrs), etc.