Grand Yangtze

The Yangtze River is immense and is the lifeblood of China. Over 6000km long, it is the largest and longest river in China. This amazing river forms the backbone to this most wonderful tour. Over eight nights you will cruise down this magnificent river on board the 5 star MV Victoria Prince, the flagship of the Victoria Cruise boats – and the leader in Yangtze cruising. The highlight for many will be viewing the stunning river landscapes; dramatic gorges, majestic peaks and ancient temples from your own private balcony. Shore excursions will take you to sites such as Nanjing, Mt. Huang (Yellow Mountain) and Wuhan.

This special journey goes beyond the Yangtze River. You will visit the ancient sites of Xian, see the adorable Giant pandas in Chengdu and be captivated by the cosmopolitan city of Shanghai. Our tour concludes in Beijing with an opportunity to enjoy its wonders and maybe reflect on your unforgettable and truly diverse Chinese experience.

TOUR ITINERARY

DAYS 1-2: SOUTH AFRICA TO SHANGHAI

Fly overnight with Cathay Pacific to Shanghai for a two-night stay.

DAY 3: SHANGHAI

Enjoy a tour of the exciting city of Shanghai today. Starting with a visit to the Yu Gardens, we continue to the Old Town, view the antiques and fine arts at the Shanghai Museum and explore the Xintiandi area, with its 1920s style ‘shikumen’ buildings unique to Shanghai. Stroll along the famous Bund to see its collection of neo-classical buildings. Enjoy a panoramic cruise on the stunning Huangpu River this evening.

DAY 4: SHANGHAI TO WUSONG - EMBARK YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE

This morning is at leisure before transferring to Wusong (approx 1 hour) to board the 5 star Victoria Prince cruise vessel. We spend the next eight nights onboard sailing to Chongqing.

DAY 5: NANJING

Enjoy a full day shore excursion to the ancient capital of Nanjing. We continue cruising towards Mt. Huang this afternoon.

DAY 6: MT. HUANG

Today we enjoy a shore excursion to Mt. Huang (Yellow Mountain). Take a cable car to the summit where we will see the spectacular views of the oddly shaped peaks, rock formations and housand-year-old pine trees.

DAY 7: WUHAN

Continue cruising to Wuhan where we enjoy a shore excursion to the Hubei Provincial Museum.

DAY 8: CRUISING

Spend the day relaxing onboard whilst we cruise towards Yichang.

DAY 9: YICHANG

Enjoy a shore excursion visiting the Three Gorges Dam, before sailing through the Gezhou Dam.

DAY 10: DANING RIVER SMALL GORGES

Sail through the Wu Gorge and enjoy an excursion to the Daning River Small Gorges.

DAY 11: FENGDU

Arrive at Fengdu early this morning and visit the ancient ‘Ghost City’.

DAY 12: CHONGQING TO CHENGDU

We disembark from our cruise vessel in Chongqing this morning and transfer to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. At our dinner this evening we enjoy a sumptuous banquet of raditional Sichuan cuisine.

DAY 13: CHENGDU TO XIAN

Visit the famous Panda Research Centre to see these adorable animals being reared in surroundings reminiscent of their natural habitat. Fly to Xian where this evening we feast on a traditional Shui Jiao Dumpling banquet, a specialty of the region, while enjoying a performance of music and dance from the Tang Dynasty.

DAY 14: XIAN

Enjoy a visit to one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century, the life-size Terracotta Warriors. We also visit the ancient City Wall, one of the best preserved in all of China.

DAY 15: XIAN TO BEIJING

We fly to Beijing this morning and visit the 15th-century Temple of Heaven. Tonight we sample the local delicacy, ‘Peking Duck’.

DAY 16: BEIJING

Today we stroll through the famous Tiananmen Square past Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum and visit the treasure filled Forbidden City. This evening enjoy a fascinating Chinese Acrobatic show.

DAY 17: BEIJING

An often quoted saying in Beijing goes ‘you have not been to China until you have climbed the Great Wall’. Built over 2,000 years ago, it stretches all the way from the Shanhaiguan Pass on the east coast to the Gobi Desert in the west, more than 5,000km away. Walk along the wall, admiring the panoramic views and reflect on the enormity of the material and labour required for its
construction. This afternoon we will also wander through the Summer Palace, admiring the landscaped beauty.

DAY 18: DEPART BEIJING

We transfer to Beijing airport this afternoon for our overnight flight to South Africa.

DAY 19: ARRIVE SOUTH AFRICA

Arrive home this morning.

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Images from Grand Yangtze