Yangtze Cruise Adventure (13 Days Tour)

Welcome to Shanghai, China Upon arrival, you will clear customs and immigration before being transferred by private vehicle to your hotel. Just mentioning the name Shanghai conjures images of romance, mystery and adventure. But you need only stand in the city's historic Bund and look across the Huangpu River to see the high-tech Oriental Pearl TV Tower looming over the ambitious Pudong Development Area like a space rocket. Alongside the glittering, 88-story Jinmao Building and the futuristic, cubic Shanghai Stock Exchange, the 1,377-foot tower is a symbol of this modern city and its mission-to embrace the challenges of the new millennium and become one of the world's great commercial centers. If Shanghai succeeds, it will be a return to glory days of old. Shanghai's quaint European architecture, flashy nightlife venues and sophisticated elegance often surprise visitors from overseas. The city offers a fascinating glimpse into China's potential. Save some energy to experience some of its fantastic nightlife-from an exquisite dinner at M on the Bund, to clubbing throughout the French concession's cornucopia of nighttime extremes-the place pulsates with an energy all its own. A night-time stroll on the Bund is a must-do.

Fly Shanghai to Yichang Transfer from your hotel to the airport by private vehicle for your onward flight. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred by private vehicle to the Yangtze River pier.

Yangtze River Cruise Today you will disembark for a small boat excursion to the Daning River Small Gorges or Shennong Stream. The day concludes as you sail through the Three Gorges ship locks. Board a ferry boat for a relaxing ride up this tributary of the Yangtze, which has its own attractive gorges. You will dock very close to the head of the reservoir created by the Three Gorges Dam, and switch into smaller wooden boats called 'pea-pod boats'. You are then poled up to the shallow, clear areas further upstream. Trackers take over where the current is strong, and pull the boats about 100 or 200 yards. Later you will sail back to the waiting ferry to return to your Victoria ship. Wushan is the starting point for the popular boat trips through the Lesser Gorges on the Daning River. The river winds its way 20 miles through the beautiful Lesser Gorges; birds singing and monkeys chattering can sometimes be seen from both banks. The water is strikingly clear in contrast to the muddy, turgid waters of the Yangtze. Returning to the ship sail through Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge this afternoon. One of nature's most extraordinary sculptures had been carved along the Yangtze river from Fengjie, Szechuan Province in the east; the San Xia (Three Gorges) - Qutang Xia, Wu Xia, and Xiling Xia. The first of these three masterpieces, Qutang Xia (Qutang Gorge), is the shortest (5 miles), narrowest (500 feet), and most dramatic. Two mountains, Chijia Shan (Red Passage Mountain) and Baiyan Shan (White Salt Mountain), guard the entrance to this gorge like giant castle doors. Below Wushan is the 25-mile long Wu Xia (Witches Gorge), with cliffs so sheer that the sun barely penetrates the precipices. This middle gorge is best known for twelve unique peaks. Often hidden in swirls of mist, six line the north side of the river and six staggered peaks stand to the south.

Yangtze River Cruise The vessel’s anticipated disembarking time in Chongqing is 9 am. This big city (pop. 6,500,000) is a favorite simply because it has character. In contrast to many of China's flat, uniformly gray cities, Chonqing (pronounced chong-CHING) is on the hilly banks of the Yangtze. Fly Chongqing to Xi’an: You will be met at the Chongqing Yangtze River pier and transferred directly to the airport. On arrival you will be met and transferred by private vehicle to your hotel. Except for its old city wall, some 8 miles around, Xi’an (pronounced she-on) looks like any other large industrial city. However, it holds several important treasures: Foremost is the Qin Army Vault Museum, home to the army of 2,200-year-old terra-cotta soldiers unearthed 25 miles east of town. In Xi’an itself, look for the Great Mosque (behind a long wall in a residential area). Used by Xi’an's large Islamic population, its buildings look mostly Asian, but with obvious Arabic influence. Also visit the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum (artifacts, relics and murals from the Tang and Qing Dynasties) and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. (Built in AD 625, it is one of China's most-famous pagodas-it has a great view from the top.) Finally, take some time to stroll around the night markets, where you can sample and take in the sights, sounds and tastes of the city's prevalent Muslim Hui minority.

City Wall, Drum Tower and Goose Pagoda Today your guide will take you to the Xian City Wall, Drum Tower and following that will be a visit to the Great Goose Pagoda and other sights of interest. Xi’an's city wall is the largest and best-preserved city wall in China. The pieces of the wall have recently been reconnected so that you can do the 8.75-mile loop around it by foot or bicycle. The walls were built during the early Ming dynasty, on the remains of Tang palace walls. Next visit the exquisite Drum Tower, the outside of which is ringed with enormous drums. Inside the tower you'll see the museum-quality collection of percussion instruments from all around the region. Conclude at the Great Goose Pagoda, which commenced in 652 during the Tang Dynasty and originally had five stories. The pagoda was built to hold sutras and figurines of Buddha that were brought to China by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang. Early in the 8th century under the ruling of Empress Wu Zetian five more stories were added; however, later wars damaged the pagoda reducing it to its current height of seven stories. It stands 64 meters tall and from the top it offers great views over the city of Xian. Fly Xi’an to Beijing: Transfer from your hotel to the airport by private vehicle for your onward flight. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred by private vehicle to your hotel. For centuries, Beijing has played a major role in China's imperial rule. It was Kublai Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan, who reunified the Chinese territories and transferred the capital to Beijing during the 13th century. Beijing was not only a lasting imperial city, but also a thriving trading city that served as the easternmost terminus of the caravan routes of the Silk Road. Today, Beijing remains as it was centuries ago-a great center of power and commerce. It is a bustling metropolis of soaring high-rises, gaudy billboards, teeming highways and a growing international stature. Although a number of Beijing's historical sites are slowly being preserved, many of the city's ancient neighborhoods have been razed in recent years to make way for glitzy commercial skyscrapers and apartment blocks. Nevertheless, Kublai Khan's imperial spirit remains in the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall and the Summer Palace.

Great Wall at Mutianyu and Summer Palace A walk along the Great Wall of China ranks high on the wish list of many travelers and today's excursion will confirm it is one of the world's greatest travel experiences. Travel 43 miles by private vehicle northeast of Beijing to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, known for its beautiful surroundings of dense woods and rich pastures changing colors with each season of the year. It winds its way over a thousand meters to the crest of a mountain before turning sharply and dipping downhill, forming a triangle known as 'Ox-Horn Wall'. Linger at the towers and broad promenades; contemplate on the spectacular scenery and the lives lost in building this monumental construction that never truly fulfilled its purpose. There is ample time to stroll along its ancient stone promenade and photograph the wall as it winds across impossibly steep mountain areas. A cable car is available to help visitors and is included in today's tour. Stop for lunch at Xiaolongpu Restaurant nearby, where their specialties include Sturgeon from neighboring Dongting Lake. Continue on to the Summer Palace, formerly an imperial garden and palace for the Qing emperors. First built in 1750, largely destroyed in the war of 1860 and restored on its original foundations in 1886 - is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value. Stroll along the famous 700 meter Long Corridor, with its beautiful Painted Gallery (each archway depicts a different scene), and enjoy some peaceful time on Kunming Lake by boat, soaking in the majesty of China's imperial past.