Day 1 - Day 1 - Welcome to Beijing
| Check in to your city central 5-star Fairmont Beijing where a luxury room awaits. |
Day 2 - Day 2 - In and around Beijing with your Trip Leader
| Join your Trip Leader after breakfast to explore Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City . Browse in a colorful local market and help your guide to select produce for your hosts, a resident family you’ll join for lunch during your rickshaw tour through a hutong, an ancient enclave in this bustling city. This evening, you’ll enjoy a delicious Peking Duck Banquet. Meals B,L,D |
Day 3 - Day 3 - Great Wall & Summer Palace
| Journey into the mountains north of the capital and ascend by cable car to walk with your guide atop the Great Wall - an unforgettable experience! Then tour the lovely Summer Palace , erstwhile seasonal retreat of China’s mighty emperors. Meals B,L |
Day 4 - Day 4 - From Beijing to your 5-star ship!
| This morning, we’ve made special arrangements for General Tours guests to have a private class with a knowledgeable Tai Chi Master. Then fly to Yichang where you’ll be met and escorted to the pier. Board the MS Yangzi Explorer, China’s finest ship, and settle in to your balcony stateroom before an elegant dinner with wine. Meals B,D |
Day 5 - Day 5 - The immense Three Gorges Dam
| Early risers can start the day with invigorating Tai Chi before breakfast. Enjoy a relaxing morning of scenic cruising or join in the ship’s enriching cultural program. After lunch, visit the massive Three Gorges Dam and return to ship for Afternoon Tea as you cruise through Xiling Gorge. Meals B,L,D |
Day 6 - Day 6 - Up Shennong Stream and through the Yangtze Gorges
| A morning sampan excursion takes you up Shennong Stream, celebrated for its spectacular mountain scenery. Back onboard, the Explorer navigates through Wu Gorge, renowned for its massive cliffs, and Qutang Gorge, the narrowest of the Three Gorges. Meals B,L,D |
Day 7 - Day 7 - Ashore in Fengdu
Get a first hand look at how life in a small river town has changed since the completion of the massive Three Gorges Dam as you explore Fengdu’s New City, built for residents who were forced by the Dam’s rising waters to relocate to higher ground. You’ll visit a local kindergarten and explore a city market filled with a wide variety of produce and locally made goods. Continue to the Old City to visit a Qing Dynasty mansion, deserted since the completion of the New City relocation project.
Back onboard, you can try your hand at traditional brush painting, learn Mah Jong, watch as the ship’s chef prepares savory Chinese dumplings – or just enjoy the captivating scenery from your private balcony or one of the ship’s inviting public areas. At this evening’s festive Farewell Dinner, your crew will be colorfully garbed in traditional Chinese dress. Meals B,L,D |
Day 8 - Day 8 - Disembark in Chongqing and Fly to Xian
| Visit the Panda’s in Chongqing Zoo before your flight to Xian. Join a Xian resident as he shares his lifetime of experience on a guided walking tour through a bustling local market, popularly referred to as the Muslim Market. Enjoy a dinner of savory dumplings, a regional favorite, and retreat to the 5-star Hilton Hotel, ideally located within the city’s ancient walls. Meals B,D |
Day 9 - Day 9 - Discover the Terra Cotta Army
| With only 16 fellow travelers, you’ll enjoy a better view and more time to marvel at the Terra Cotta Warriors. We’ve also made special arrangements for one of the site’s archaeologists to meet with us and answer questions. Enjoy a festive lunch of regional cuisine as you watch a lively noodle-making demonstration in Xian… It’s a fascinating look into an ancient Chinese culinary tradition. Meals B,L,D |
Day 10 - Day 10 - Onward to Shanghai
| Fly to Shanghai and transfer to the city central Fairmont Peace Hotel. Then step out with your guide to explore this bustling part of town. Tonight you’ll attend a thrilling performance of the Shanghai Acrobats. Meals B |
Day 11 - Day 11 - Shanghai sightseeing
| Walk along the historic waterfront Bund and delight in the lovely Yu Yuan Garden. Then tour the Shanghai Museum, highly regarded for its carefully curated exhibits spanning centuries of Chinese culture. Sit down to lunch at Xiangyue Villa and meet with the chef to learn about his fascinating life. He began his culinary career in 1987 at one of Shanghai’s most famous restaurants and then spent time working at the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco before returning to his native land where he is now overseeing the kitchen at this delightful restaurant. Meals B,L,D |
Day 12 - Day 12 - Farewell to Shanghai
| General Tours tour program ends this morning after breakfast. Meals B |
Day 1 - Day 1 - Welcome to Beijing
| You’ll be met on arrival and escorted to the luxurious Fairmont Beijing Hotel. |
Day 2 - Day 2 - In + around Beijing
| with your Trip Leader Marvel at Tiananmen Square and tour the Forbidden City, once the exclusive enclave of emperors. At a local market, help your guide select produce for your hosts, a family you’ll join for lunch during your rickshaw tour through a hutong. This evening, enjoy a Peking Duck Banquet with wine. meals b+l+d |
Day 3 - Day 3 Great Wall + Summer Palace
| Travel to Juyong Pass to explore atop one of the most scenic and historic sections of the Great Wall, the site of many ancient battles! Then tour the Summer Palace, erstwhile seasonal retreat of China’s royalty. meals b+l |
Day 4 - Day 4 - Fly to Yichang to begin your cruise
| Tour the Temple of Heaven whe re you’ll also enjoy a private class with a Tai Chi Master. Fly to Yichang and transfer to the pier to board the MS Yangzi Explorer, China’s finest ship. Settle in to your balcony stateroom before an elegant dinner with wine. meals b+l+d |