11-Day China's Golden Triangle with Yangtze Cruise

When you get through customs and reach the arrival hall, you will find your private tour guide will be waiting for you, holding an Odynovo welcoming card with your name. The guide will take care of you all the way until you settle down at the hotel. The remainder of the day is free for you to refresh yourself from your long-haul flight.

Overnight: Beijing

Meet your guide at the hotel lobby to start your city tour. The first stop is Tiananmen Square, followed by the Forbidden City - the former power seat of old China starting 600 years ago. You will spend around 2.5 hours to see the main representative sites in this grand royal building complex and listen to their stories.

After that, continue to the hutongs where you can learn about the daily life of ordinary people in the city outside the forbidding walls and perhaps take a rickshaw ride for a feel of old Beijing.

Overnight: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Start today's tour with the Temple of Heaven, where you can see or even join the locals doing morning exercise and then proceed to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. We highly recommend Mutianyu Great Wall because this part is less crowded but with very spectacular views. What's more, you can take the cable car up the hillside of the Great Wall, which will save you walking up many steps. While on the wall, you can do some leisurely hiking to enjoy its beautiful surrounding scenery.

Overnight: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, visit the imperial Summer Palace, which is regarded as a masterpiece of Chinese imperial garden design. Inside the palace, you will enjoy a short join-in boat ride on Kunming Lake if the weather permits.

Later on, have a short stop at a pearl store and then head to the airport for your flight to Xi'an. After arriving at Xi'an airport, you will be picked up and transferred to your downtown hotel.

Overnight: Xi'an
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today you will meet the legendary Terracotta Warriors. The Terracotta Army is located in Lintong town outside Xi'an, so it will take around an hour from the city by vehicle. Usually, you can spend at least 2 to 2.5 hours there marveling at this great wonder.

After the tour, you will head back to the city to visit the Ancient City Wall and Muslim Street. En route, you will make a stopover at a jade gallery.

Overnight: Xi'an
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Visit the Drum Tower and Small Wild Goose Pagoda before flying to Chongqing. At the Drum Tower, if lucky enough, you might happen to see a Chinese folk music performance. While at the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, you can take a Chinese calligraphy class.

On arrival in Chongqing, the local tour guide and driver will transfer you to the dock and help you get on board. The cruise usually departs at 9:30 pm and the dinner for the first night is not included. It is best for you to prepare some food with your guide's help before embarking on the cruise or you may like to have dinner onboard at your own expense.

Overnight: On board
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy a relaxing morning with the cruise passing by the majestic mountains along the river. In the afternoon, a short visit to Shibaozhai will provide you with spectacular views from the top of the mountain. In the evening, there will be a welcoming banquet and party. This will give you a good chance to make new friends.

Optional: An optional tour to Fengdu Ghost City organized by the cruise company is also good for visitors who are interested in mystical legends.

Overnight: On board
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning the cruise will pass through Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge, which are two of the magnificent Three Gorges. So be ready with your camera. An afternoon shore excursion to Shennv Stream will show you not only the more primitive natural landscape of Yangtze River before the dam was built but also some touching stories of ancient ancestors.

Optional: Today you can also take an optional tour to visit White Emperor City at an additional cost.

Overnight: On board
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The three days' cruise will end with a land tour to the Three Gorges Dam, the world's important and largest hydroelectric project. After that, you will be taken back to the cruise and get ready for disembarkation.

Your personal tour guide in Yichang will pick you up and then show you around the city to kill the time before heading to the airport for your flight to Shanghai. On arrival at Shanghai airport, be met and transferred to your hotel.

Overnight: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

The highlights of exploring Shanghai include Shanghai Museum - one of the best museums in China where you can trace the past from its thousands of collections; Yu Garden - a small traditional Chinese garden dotted with artificial pagodas, pavilions, fountains and some rare plants; Yuyuan Market, a silk workshop, the former French Concession and the Bund.

Overnight: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

It is time to say goodbye. At the appointed time, your guide and driver will pick you up and transfer you to the airport for your flight home.

Meal: Breakfast