China with the Yangtze

Your tour guide will welcome you at the airport. Afterwards, you will have a private transfer from the airport to your hotel.

In the afternoon, you'll take a relaxed stroll through the traditional Hutong district – those historic alleyways of Beijing where people still live today and the city's original character can still be felt. Along the way, you'll visit a typical residential house, among other things, gaining an authentic insight into everyday life in past times.
Through the winding alleys you'll reach Nanluoguxiang Road, one of Beijing's most famous streets, where 16 original hutongs from the Yuan Dynasty structure are still preserved. To conclude, you'll stroll along the lively Qianmen Street, which uniquely combines tradition and modern city life.
Around 5:00 PM, return to the hotel.

4 nights in a 5★ Waldorf Astoria Beijing Hotel in a Deluxe Room, including breakfast - Details about the hotel

Your tour guide will be waiting for you in the lobby of your hotel at around 09.00 am.

You will start the morning with a first visit to the Chinese capital. The first stop on the tour is the world-famous Tiananmen Square, considered the largest fortified square in the world. Behind the Gate of Heavenly Peace, the Forbidden City adjoins the vast square in the centre of Beijing. Until the revolution of 1911, the Chinese emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties resided here, and the public was forbidden entry. Today, halls, temples, and large courtyards can be visited behind the high walls.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Temple of Heaven. The emperors annually prayed for a good harvest in this UNESCO World Heritage site. Today, you will see many locals using the vast grounds for numerous sporting activities. Fancy some Tai Chi? Watch the locals practising.

Your tour guide will be waiting for you in the lobby of your hotel at around 09.00 am.

The highlight of today is a visit to the Great Wall of China. In the morning, you will see the Great Wall at the Mutianyu section. Marvel at its gigantic size and take your time to admire the monumental structure. You will be standing before a vast monument to China's history and the largest man-made structure in the world.

Afterwards, you will visit the Changling Tomb. In 1421, Emperor Yongle began the construction of the imperial tombs after moving the capital from Nanjing to Shanghai. The location was chosen with great care and aligned according to the Feng Shui philosophy.
The first tomb was built for Emperor Yongle, and the following 12 emperors subsequently had their resting places established in the same valley. Over time, this collection of tombs became an important cultural protection site and a scenic spot. Afterwards, you will visit the Sacred Way.

The afternoon is at leisure.

Your tour guide will be waiting for you in the lobby of your hotel at around 09.00 am.

In the morning, you will visit the Yonghegong Lamasery, a temple complex in Tibetan style which houses one of the Guinness World Records: the gigantic Maitreya Buddha statue in the Hall of Infinite Happiness. The 18-metre-high figure was carved from a single sandalwood tree.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Summer Palace, the largest imperial garden of ancient China. There you will have the opportunity to enjoy a dragon boat ride (except in winter, when the lake is frozen or it is too windy).

Private transfer from the hotel to the train station.

Travel by train in Business Class from Beijing to Xi'an (no guide | approx. 4.5 hours).

China has the largest high-speed rail network in the world, with 19,000 kilometres. You will travel at speeds of up to 350 kilometres per hour on some of it.

In the afternoon, you will visit the City Wall of Xi'an, the largest and most complete city wall in the People's Republic.

Your tour guide will welcome you at the airport. Afterwards, you will have a private transfer from the airport to your hotel.

2 nights in a 5-star Sofitel Legend Hotel in the Premium Room category, breakfast - Details about the hotel

Your tour guide will be waiting for you in the lobby of your hotel at around 09.00 am.

In the morning, you have time to explore the Muslim Quarter and the Great Mosque. In this part of the city, Arabic and Chinese styles merge in an exciting way.

Next, you will visit the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, a well-preserved ancient structure and a sacred site for Buddhists. It is located in a southern suburb of Xi'an, approximately 4 kilometres from the city centre. Belonging to the Da Ci'en Temple complex, its simple yet appealing architectural style attracts numerous visitors. It is also famous for the Buddhist religion. Furthermore, it was added to the World Heritage List in 2014.

She is known worldwide, and today you can view her up close: the Terracotta Warriors. In the afternoon, you will see the army of over 8,000 figures in the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huangdi. The museum covers an area of approximately 20,000 square metres and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Private transfer from the hotel to the airport. Then, a business class flight from Xi'an to Chongqing.

Chongqing, the fascinating „City of Mountains“, is considered one of the most important starting points for a Yangtze River cruise. On a city tour, you will discover the highlights of this impressive metropolis, which is more than twice the size of Switzerland in terms of area. Between modern high-rise buildings, steep hills, and spectacular views, you will experience a city full of dynamism and contrasts. Chongqing is also famous for its spicy hot pot specialities, which are considered a culinary symbol of the region.

Following this, transfer to the landing stage.

3 nights in a 5★ Yangtze Explorer Cruise in the Deluxe Cabin Wu Deck category - Details about the hotel

Yangtze Explorer Cruise:
Start your morning with an early bird tea or coffee and a traditional Tai Chi session led by our certified Tai Chi master, whetting your appetite for the breakfast buffet. This morning, choose between a visit to a fascinating, hidden project nestled in the Fuling mountains – the 816 Underground Project – or the White Crane Ridge Underwater Museum and a local market tour.

The 816 Underground Project is the world's largest artificial military cave. Over 50 years ago, more than 60,000 construction workers came to Jianzishan, a deserted place nestled between mountains and forests, to begin work on a top-secret construction project of monumental proportions. The work lasted 17 years and was almost completed when the government decided to suspend it before any nuclear material could be produced. Now that the secrets of the military caves are being revealed, you can see the true face of the 816 Project that had been hidden for 50 years.

Alternatively, you could visit the White Crane Ridge Underwater Museum and take a market tour of the locality. The museum will take you approximately 148 feet underwater to admire the riverbed and the intricate ancient rock carvings left there many years ago. Learn about the Yangtze River and its flora and fauna as you enjoy this fascinating museum. Your next stop will be at the local market where you will get to experience the culinary culture of the region. This is a daily market where farmers meet to buy and sell a variety of goods, from fruits and vegetables, fish and meat, to, naturally, a whole host of pickled cucumbers – which Fuling is famous for.

Return to the Yangzi Explorer for a buffet lunch in the Dynasty Dining Room, followed by demonstrations of Chinese Foot Reflexology and Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Tang Theatre. Learn about beautiful pearls in the afternoon lecture, „Pearls of the World“. This is followed by the Captain's Welcome Reception with complimentary canapés.

Tonight, you have the opportunity to witness an epic open-air live action show*, dramatising the lives and battles of the feudal lords and their armies from the ancient Han Dynasty. The story is based on the famous 14th-century novel „Romance of the Three Kingdoms“, and is part historical, part legendary and part mythical. The show includes battles on horseback, light and water special effects, holographic 3D projection and fireworks with the Yangtze River serving as a spectacular backdrop, as well as a 180-degree rotating auditorium.

For those disembarking at Zhongxian Circle for the Three Kingdoms Open Air Show, a late-night buffet will be provided upon their return. Guests choosing to remain on board can enjoy à la carte dinner before reuniting for karaoke and a live band performance.

Yangtze Explorer Cruise:
Today is all about the striking Three Gorges; Qutang, Wu and Xiling. Enjoy a tea or coffee and practice your Tai Chi before commentary on the Qutang Gorge begins on the Explorer Deck.

A breakfast buffet is served before guests return to Deck 6, as we cruise through Wu Gorge. Discover the myths and facts that make each gorge unique as we traverse them with commentary.

Experience a unique journey along the Shennong Stream on a sampan – a traditional long boat rowed by skilled Tujia boatmen. As we gently glide through this breathtaking river gorge, flanked by verdant forests, you will witness remnants of ancient settlements in the form of hanging coffins, stowed high up in the limestone cliffs.

Before we return, we will visit a traditional tracker village where you will gain a fascinating insight into the traditional, rural Chinese community. You will find adobe huts as dwellings, simple kitchens where meat is dried on hooks and coffins in the bedrooms. And although there are satellite dishes, the villagers are still proud of their heritage.

Tonight, we have prepared a special farewell dinner, „A Taste of China,“ followed by a lecture on the Three Gorges Project and a live band performance.

Yangtze Explorer Cruise:
Enjoy a tea or coffee alongside an international breakfast buffet before disembarking at Maoping to visit the Three Gorges Project Dam Site and Exhibition Centre.

With a length of 2,335 metres and a height of 181 metres, the dam is the largest and most expensive engineering project in the world. While the dam's 32 generators produce enough clean energy to reduce China's reliance on coal, the project has also caused much controversy. During its construction, 13 cities, 140 towns, 1,352 villages, over 600 industrial factories, and more than 1,200 archaeological sites were flooded, and 1.2 million people were relocated.

After visiting the project, you will either meet your driver in Maoping (depending on the itinerary) or continue to Yichang city centre, where your driver will be waiting.

The shipping company reserves the right to change routes or programmes due to weather and water levels.

In the morning you will disembark the ship in Maoping. You will drive to the Three Gorges Dam. From the visitor centre, an impressive view opens up of the mighty dam, making the enormous scale of this project visible.

Transfer to the railway station.

Travel by train in Business Class from Yichang/Maoping to Shanghai (no guide | approx. 6.5 hours).

China has the largest high-speed rail network in the world, with 19,000 kilometres. You will travel at speeds of up to 350 kilometres per hour on some of it.

Your driver will be waiting to greet you at the train station. A private transfer from the station to your hotel will then follow.

2 nights in the 5★ Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund Hotel in a King Deluxe River View Room, breakfast - Details about the hotel

Your tour guide will be waiting for you in the lobby of your hotel at around 08.30 am.

This morning, you will take an excursion to the garden city of Suzhou. First, en route, you will visit the water town of Tongli. You can stroll through the village, which has a thousand-year history, crossing old stone bridges in a variety of architectural styles.

Suzhou is located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province, in the centre of the Yangtze River Delta, and is a famous historical and cultural city in China. Suzhou has a history of over 2500 years and was first built in 514 BC. The city is rich in tourist attractions. The gardens and water towns of Suzhou are among the most famous of all. The gardens of Suzhou date back to the royal garden of the 6th century BC.

Your tour guide will be waiting for you in the lobby of your hotel at around 09.00 am.

Your route will take you this morning to the old part of the city, to the Yuyuan Garden. Near the Mandarin Garden, you'll find all sorts of little shops and plenty of opportunities to buy souvenirs for yourself and your loved ones back home.

You will then visit the Shanghai Tower. Officially opened in July 2016, the Shanghai Tower is located in the Pudong financial district. It offers its visitors one of the highest observation decks in the world. With its spiralling architecture, the Shanghai Tower houses several office floors, a hotel, several boutiques and shops. A kind of city within a city.

In the afternoon, you stroll along The Bund, Shanghai's long waterfront promenade. From here, you have a wonderful view of the bustling city and the Huangpu River.

Around 4.30 PM, you will return to the hotel. Afterwards, there will be a private transfer from the hotel to the airport for your onward flight in the evening.

Flight in the class of your choice from Shanghai to Germany, Austria, Switzerland. Arrival the next day.