Today we’ll show you the highlights of Beijing, (sometimes referred to as Peking, which was its old name), and the capital city of The People’s Republic of China. This is one of the most populous cities in the world with over 20 million inhabitants. You’ll visit Tiananmen Square, overlooked by the Mausoleum of Chairman Mao, where in 1989 student protests led to the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Next we’ll visit the Forbidden City, a 250-acre complex, comprising more than 9,000 rooms. After an included lunch, you’ll visit the famous Summer Palace and its park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 4

Today we visit a section of the Great Wall at Badaling. Enjoy an included Chinese lunch at a nearby restaurant and a photo stop at the “Birdsnest” Stadium and the “Watercube” from the 2008 Olympics.

Day 5

This morning transfer to Beijing airport for your early flight to Xi’an (flight approx. 2 hours). Visit the Tang Dynasty Art Museum and, after an included lunch, enjoy a Chinese calligraphy lesson.

Xi’an was once the most important city in Asia as the end of the Silk Route. Today it is home to the world-famous Terracotta Army, considered by many to be the 8th Wonder of the Ancient World; Discovered by farmers in 1974, there are over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses. After an included lunch, visit the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 709.

This morning you will fly to Chongqing (flight approx. 90 mins). You will take a panoramic sightseeing tour and visit Ciqikou, where travelers and locals alike mix in the steep and narrow pedestrian streets. Here shops sell porcelain, other handicrafts, and gifts, while restaurants and tea shops give visitors a look at what many areas of Chongqing were like before it became a vast metropolis. Other visits today include the Chongqing Zoo to see the Giant Pandas and the Three Gorges Museum. After an included dinner, you will transfer to your Yangtze River cruise ship, Victoria Anna your floating hotel for the next 3 nights.

This morning wake up to the sights and sounds of the Yangtze River, the third longest river in the world, and history and culture thrive along its banks.. This morning, there is an included shore excursion to visit Fengdu Ghost City. This afternoon we also stop at Shibaozhai where you may take an optional excursion.

Today is the day of the gorges – the 3 Gorges to be precise; Gutang, Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge. You cruise by some spectacular scenery today and enjoy an included excursion to a nearby stream or tributary. Later there is an optional excursion to visit the White Emperor City, a National Heritage Site full of historical temples and gates.

This morning there is an included shore excursion to visit The Three Gorges Dam. At over 600 feet high and 1.5 miles long, this is the largest hydroelectric complex in the world. Late morning you disembark in Yichang and after an included lunch at a local restaurant, take an afternoon drive to the city of Wuhan from where you board your evening flight to Shanghai (flight approx. 2 hours).

You will visit the French Concession (a French territory of the city until 1946), Old Shanghai, and the Shanghai Museum to see some of its collection of ancient Chinese art. After lunch on your own, it’s over to the Pudong area, famous for its skyscrapers and night time illuminations. Your tour will end with a visit to The Bund, the river embankment, to enjoy a stroll with locals and visitors. This final evening, your Tour Director will be hosting a farewell dinner.