Grand Yangtze Cruise - Wendy Wu Tours

Days 1-2 : UK – Shanghai
Fly overnight to the cosmopolitan city of Shanghai, also known as the 'Paris of the East'.

Day 3 : Shanghai
Sightseeing today includes a stroll through the beautiful Yu Gardens and the Old Town as well as a visit to the Shanghai Museum, which houses over 120,000 pieces of bronze, coins, jade, ceramics, paintings and calligraphy. We also walk along the famous Bund with its colonial architecture and explore the restored Xintiandi area with its unique 1920's style shikumen buildings. In the evening, enjoy a cruise on the panoramic Huangpu River.

Day 4 : Shangahi – Yangtze River Cruise
Enjoy the morning at leisure before transferring to Wusong (approx 1 hour) to board the five-star Victoria cruise ship sailing from Shanghai to Chongqing over eight nights. During this time the tour may be subject to change at the discretion of the cruise company. The following represents a typical itinerary as we sail up one of the world's greatest waterways.

Day 5 : Nanjing
As we cruise upstream from Shanghai, we will pass through the densely populated agricultural plains of the lower Yangtze delta. Enjoy a full day shore excursion to the ancient capital of Nanjing, where we visit memorial sights such as the ancient Ming tomb walk, the Dr Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum at Purple Mountain and the memorial to Nanjing's Second World War victims. Return to the cruise ship in the evening.

Day 6 : Mt Huang
Enjoy a full day shore excursion to the beautiful Mt Huang. Take a cable car to the summit to enjoy the spectacular views of the oddly shaped peaks, rock formations, thousand year old pine trees and mysterious ever-changing mist, all of which have inspired local artists for centuries. Return to the cruise ship in the evening.

Days 7-8 : Wuhan – Yichang
Cruise to Wuhan and take a shore excursion to the Hubei Provincial Museum and other sights. The city of Wuhan with its large population is one of the power houses of industry and trade along the modern day Yangtze. Return to the cruise ship in the evening. Spend the next day relaxing onboard as we continue cruising upstream towards Yichang, where we travel through the Gezhou Dam.

Days 9-11 : Three Gorges
Over the next three days, we pass through the three famous gorges of the Yangtze River. We start by visiting the massive and impressive Three Gorges Dam. We then cruise through the Xiling Gorge; once the most treacherous stretch of the Yangtze, now tamed by the new dam. Further upstream we reach the larger Wu Gorge and then finally travel through the narrow and dramatic Qutang Gorge. We will enjoy various shore excursions along the way including a side-trip to the striking Shennong Stream in a pea-pod boat. At the Lesser Three Gorges, the higher water levels mean we can now travel further upstream to the unspoiled villages and lushly forested steep river banks.

Day 12 : Chongqing – Chengdu
Disembark from our cruise vessel this morning and transfer to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. Enjoy a delicious Sichuan meal in the evening.

Day 13 : Chengdu – Xian
Visit the famous Panda Reserve to see these adorable animals being reared in wooded surroundings reminiscent of their natural habitat. Later in the day, we fly to the former ancient capital of Xian. In the evening we will enjoy a traditional Shui Jiao dumpling meal followed by a performance of Tang Dynasty dancing.

Day 14 : Xian
Visit one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century – the Terracotta Warriors, followed by a walk along the Ancient City Wall.

Day 15 : Xian – Beijing
Fly to Beijing, tour the unique Temple of Heaven and enjoy a fascinating Chinese Acrobatic show in the evening.

Day 16 : Beijing
Sightseeing today includes a stroll through Tiananmen Square, past Chairman Mao's Mausoleum to the treasure-filled Forbidden City, which has the largest and best preserved collection of ancient buildings in China. Our evening meal includes the local delicacy, Peking Duck.

Day 17 : Beijing
Walk on the Great Wall to appreciate its historical significance and to admire the panoramic views and then tour the exquisite Summer Palace.

Days 18-19 : Beijing – UK
Fly overnight to the UK, arriving home the following day. (NB. dinner is included)