Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1

Board your transpacific flight.

Day 2Arrive in Shanghai, China

Welcome to China’s most populous city and center of trade and industry. Hotel rooms are available for mid-afternoon check-in.

Day 3Shanghai

Full day of sightseeing. Stroll along the Bund, the city’s riverfront boulevard lined with historic buildings, housing, banks, and trade houses. You’ll visit a SILK FACTORY and experience the YU YUAN GARDENS. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and visit the CHILDREN’S PALACE, one of China’s famous kindergartens. Your Tour Director will host a welcome dinner tonight as you meet your traveling companions. This evening you’ll be amazed by the fabulous ACROBATIC SHOW. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 4Shanghai–Yichang (Embarkation)–Yangtze River Cruise

Visit the SHANGHAI MUSEUM before flying to Yichang. Board the Victoria Anna

Asia’s mighty Yangtze

Day 5Cruising: Three Gorges Dam Site

This morning, visit the THREE GORGES DAM SITE, where the Chinese progress toward building the largest dam of its kind in the world. After lunch, sail through the Three Gorges ship locks and the Xiling Gorge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 6Cruising: Shennong Stream or Daning River

This morning, disembark for a BOAT EXCURSION down either the Daning River or Shennong Stream, depending on conditions. After lunch, head upstream through the Qutang Gorge, the shortest but most dramatic gorge, and the Wu Gorge, known for its quiet beauty and forest-covered mountains. You can nearly touch the perpendicular walls rising from the riverbanks as your captain negotiates this narrow gap. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 7Cruising: Wanxian or Shibaozhai or Fengdu

Depending on river conditions, one of the following shore excursions will be offered: Wanxian, “Gateway to Eastern Szechuan Province,” where you will see an acrobatic show, market, and possibly a school; Shibaozhai with its 400-year-old, 12-story red wooden pagoda perched high on a cliff; or Fengdu, where you’ll visit Snow Jade Cave. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 8Cruising: Chongqing (Disembarkation)–Xi’an

Bid farewell to your ship’s crew upon arrival in Chongqing, China’s capital during World War II. The city is high on a hill overlooking the Jialing and Yangtze Rivers. Visit a local ZOO to see pandas before boarding your flight to the city of Xi’an in central China. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 9Xi’an

One of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world when China dominated the silk trade, Xi’an today is an archaeological treasure-trove. Sightseeing begins with the nearby DAYAN PAGODA, built in 652 AD, followed by a LACQUER WORKSHOP. Next, visit the enormous tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, accidentally discovered by local farmers in 1974. Marvel at the legion of TERRACOTA WARRIORS that has been guarding the burial site for 2,000 years. During lunch, enjoy a NOODLE-MAKING DEMONSTRATION by a master chef and learn how Chinese noodles are made by hand. Then, visit the Xi’an City Wall South Gate and learn to write like a local during a traditional Chinese CALLIGRAPHY CLASS. This evening, enjoy “The Tang Dynasty” DINNER SHOW, featuring a colorful assemblage of classical performances. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 10Xi’an–Beijing

Today, fly to Beijing, China’s capital. Enjoy a rickshaw ride through a HUTONG, one of the city’s ancient alleys. Experience life in this historic neighborhood as you are invited into a daycare center, and into the courtyard of a family’s home for a tea ceremony. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 11Beijing

Your full-day sightseeing starts with a visit to the FORBIDDEN CITY and its IMPERIAL PALACE, once the home of China’s great emperors. Nearby is 100-acre TIAN’ANMEN SQUARE, the largest public square in the world. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and continue to the former SUMMER PALACE, a complex of pavilions, temples, and galleries set among beautifully landscaped grounds and situated on Kunming Lake. Tonight, experience local culture at the PEKING OPERA, including a behind-the-scenes look at the colorful makeup being applied to the performers. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 12Beijing

The GREAT WALL OF CHINA once stretched 4,000 miles across China’s barren northern terrain from the Bohai Sea to the Gobi Desert. Head north to a village where the Great Wall is well preserved and walk along the wall to enjoy sweeping vistas of this mammoth fortress. Then, visit a CLOISONNÉ WORKSHOP and see local artisans use the techniques of this ancient art form to turn pieces of copper into colorful decorative items. After lunch in a local restaurant, take a leisurely walk down the SACRED WAY of the Ming Tombs and marvel at the impressive hand-carved stone statues. This evening you’re hosted to a special PEKING DUCK DINNER in a local restaurant. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 13Beijing–Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Today, fly to Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia. After some time in the hotel, enjoy a city tour that includes Sukhbaatar Square and Zaisan Hill, offering sweeping views of the city. Next, visit GANDAN MONASTERY. With more than 150 monks in residence and numerous temples, it is the most important Buddhist monastery in Mongolia. The last stop is the NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, housing fascinating exhibits that showcase the geography, flora, and fauna of Mongolia, as well as dinosaur fossils excavated from the Gobi Desert. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 14Ulaanbaatar–Gobi Desert

Today, fly to the Gobi Desert. Covering most of southern Mongolia, the Gobi is the world’s fourth-largest desert. Visit EAGLE VALLEY NATIONAL PARK and drink in stunning mountain scenery and the Gobi Glacier. The Gobi supports more than 300 varieties of flora and fauna and several endangered species, including the Snow Leopard and the Bactrian Camel. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 15Gobi Desert

Today, visit Bayan Zag to explore the CEMETERY OF DINOSAURS, where the world’s best-preserved dinosaur skeletons and their petrified eggs were excavated. Then, visit a CAMEL BREEDERS CAMP to learn about the nomadic lifestyle and culture and to try some traditional food. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 16Gobi Desert–Ulaanbaatar

Fly back to Ulaanbaatar. Upon arrival, visit the BOGD KHAN WINTER PALACE and the NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM with a rich collection of exhibits covering the history and people of Mongolia. This evening, enjoy a MONGOLIAN FOLKLORE PERFORMANCE featuring traditional musical instruments, songs, and dances. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 17Ulaanbaatar. Excursion to Terelj National Park

After breakfast, drive north to TERELJ NATIONAL PARK, famous for its amazing rock formations and natural beauty. Here you will visit TURTLE ROCK, a unique rock formation shaped like a turtle, and the ARIYABAL MEDITATION TEMPLE. After lunch, enjoy an ARCHERY LESSON and an optional horse ride. Later, return to Ulaanbaatar. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner with your traveling companions. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 18Ulaanbaatar–Beijing

Today, return to Beijing and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Perhaps join an optional excursion to the Temple of Heaven. (Breakfast)

Day 19

Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (Breakfast)