7 Days Yangtze River Cruise Tour from Shanghai (Upstream)

Nihao! Welcome to Shanghai, China’s most internationalized and vibrant city! Shanghai's long-term fusion of Eastern and Western cultures has contributed to Shanghai's unique culture. Upon your arrival at the airport/train station in Shanghai, the tour guide and driver will meet and greet you at the exit, and then escort you to the well-selected hotel in downtown Shanghai. The rest of the day is free on your own so you can have a good rest for the jet lag or explore by yourself around your hotel.

Arrival Ideas:

Travelers can go to Shanghai easily by air or high speed train. There are two airports - Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport operating numerous international and domestic airlines. Travelers can go to Shanghai by air from most cities in China, like Beijing, Xian, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Guilin, Kunming, Lijiang, Lhasa, and more. In addition, travelers can take high speed train to Shanghai from Beijing (4.5-6 hours), Xian (6-7.5 hours), Huangshan (2.5-3 hours), Guangzhou (7-8.5 hours), Suzhou (0.5 hour), Hangzhou (about 45 mins), Wuhan (3.5-4.5 hours), 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.

Today you will spend the whole day feeling the perfect blend of the West and East in this “Paris of the East” by visiting brilliant museums, traditional Chinese-style gardens, modern skyscrapers, and exotic architecture.

First, head to Shanghai Museum for an awe-inspiring visit to view the finest collection of art and learn about profound Chinese history. Built in the shape of an ancient bronze cooking vessel called a ding, Shanghai Museum has a round top and a square base, symbolizing “round sky, square earth”. It contains 120,000 cultural relics which showcase incredible artifacts of Chinese art throughout 5000 years’ history. Immerse yourselves in the Exhibition Hall of Bronze and Ceramic to appreciate the elaborate bronzes and exquisite artifacts. You won’t miss the chance to enjoy the top treasures - Da Ke Ding (bronze food vessel over 3000 years ago), and Bianzhong of Marquis Su of Jin (ancient musical instruments). Next, move to Yu Garden, the most celebrated classical Chinese garden hidden in the bustling Shanghai downtown area. Enjoy a leisure walk and visit the Chinese architecture, and feast your years with exquisite sculptures and carvings. Yuyuan Bazaar outside the garden is a fun place to taste some local snacks as well as buy some traditional Chinese handicrafts and artworks.

After that, you will take a stroll along Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, where lots of well-known brands, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, and towering buildings stand on both sides. Continue your walk to the Bund, the top 1 place to visit on the Shanghai bucket list. Reputed as “An Exhibition of International Buildings”, the Bund is a collection of 52 buildings in various international architectural styles. Overlook the amazing skyline and skyscrapers of the Pudong Area from the Bund. The last stop today is the Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China and the second in the world, at a height of 362 meters. Ascents up to 546 meters over the 118th floor for a breathtaking panoramic view of modern Shanghai.

This morning, your guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and escort you to Shanghai Hongqiao Train Station. Then you will head to the Yichang for your high speed train to Yichang (about 6.5 hours).

Upon your arrival at Yichang, your guide will be there to greet you. Your guide will assist you in taking the cruise company's complimentary shuttle service at Yichang East Railway Station. The shuttle will transport you to Maoping Port, which is the point of embarkation for your Yangtze River cruise. (Note: the shuttle service operates within a specific time frame, from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Be sure to coordinate your arrival time to match this schedule.)

Boarding Tip:

1.The boarding time and departure piers may change based on the ship line, water level, season, weather and other factors. To ensure accuracy, it's advisable to confirm the boarding information with the cruise company or your travel consultant at least a day in advance or in the morning before departure.

2. It is advisable to keep your communication on the day of boarding to ensure you don't miss any urgent notice sent by the travel consultant or the cruise company.

Today you will enjoy your leisure time on the Yangtze River Cruise and start to explore the longest river in Asia and the heart of China. There are lots of cultural activities and entertainment for you to join, such as the Yangtze River History and Culture Lecture, the Captain's Welcome Party, the shore excursion, wonderful evening shows, and so on.

The highlighted attraction today is the largest hydropower project in China - The 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.)

Optional excursion: Enjoy a shore excursion to Tribe of Three Gorges today for an extra fee. Famed as the "Protected Center of the Popular Culture and Art of the Three Gorges", Tribe of the Three Gorges Scenic Spot is located on Xiling Gorge between the Three Gorges Dam and Gehzouba Dam. It is a dreamland garden that consists of the Village on the Water, the Brook-side Village, and the Mountain Village. You could see women wash clothes by the brook side, fishermen cast their nets in the misty distance…

Today, you will have a full day to view the beautiful Three Gorges. First, you will sail through Xiling Gorge well known for its rugged shoals and turbulent waters. Next, go through Wuxia Gorge which is serene and secluded and presents a panorama of lovely scenery. Then, pass Qutang Gorge which is celebrated for its magnificent, peculiar, and precipitous scenery in the world. Follow the guide's live interp1retation, and you will marvel at the incredible scenery onboard.

You should 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 the local Tujia ethnic guide for singing and dancing performance.

Optional excursion: Enjoy a shore excursion to White Emperor City (Baidi Cheng) today with an extra fee. It is well-known for the story of Liu Bei (emperor Shu Kingdom) who entrusted his son to Zhuge Liang (renowned strategist of the Three Kingdoms era). Also, this place is very famous in China as Li Bai (a great poet in Tang Dynasty in the 7th century), wrote a very famous poem “Down River to Jiangling” about this place. Here is a translation of the poem: “In the midst of clouds all glowing, Baidi, I left you at dawn, by evening I'll be home at Jiangling, a thousand miles I've gone. While on the cliffs of the Yangtze Gorges, gibbons ceaselessly cry, ten thousand folds of mountains, my skiff has slipped them by!”

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.

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.

Today, 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. In this evening, enjoy the Captain's Farewell Party and have a wonderful dinner. Then, have fun in the cabaret show to enjoy your last night in the cruise.

In this morning, your Three Gorges Cruise trip will finish at Chongqing Chaotianmen Port at about 09:00. After the check-out procedure, your guide will meet you at the port and transfer you to the train station or airport for your next destinations.

Departure Ideas: Chongqing Jiangbei Airport is 27 km (17 miles) from Chongqing Chaotianmen Port. You can can take a flight to Xian, Guilin, Lhasa, Beijing, Guangzhou, Kunming, Shangri-La and Dali, etc. Chongqing West Station is 20 km (13 miles) from port. Or you can take a high speed train from Chongqing North Railway Station to Chengdu (about 1.5hrs), Xi’an (about 5.5hrs), Guilin (about 5.5hrs), more cities in China.

Thank you for choosing Asia Odyssey Travel for your Shanghai Yangtze River Tour, and we are always here working for you and hope to see you again for your next trip around China/Asia. Safe journey!