11-Day China Tour: Beijing, Xi'an & Yangtze Cruise

Arrive in Beijing, the capital of China and the starting city of this 11-day tour through Beijing, Xi'an, Chongqing, Yichang, and Shanghai. Your personal guide meets you at the arrival hall exit with a name board and the East Marvel logo, then escorts you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to rest and recover from the international flight before Forbidden City and Great Wall sightseeing begins.

Start at Tiananmen Square, then enter the Forbidden City, the palace complex used by Ming and Qing emperors. Your guide explains the history behind the main halls and courtyards. In the afternoon visit Jingshan Park for a view back over the palace roofs, continue to the Temple of Heaven, then browse Panjiayuan Market and a teahouse stop. Optional evening plans include Peking duck or a show at your own expense.

Gallery: Forbidden City palace complex

Travel to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, a forested Ming-dynasty stretch that is usually quieter than Badaling. Take the cable car up and down for convenience, or walk sections of the wall at a comfortable pace. Afterward visit a jade factory, then continue to the Bird's Nest and Water Cube to see the Beijing Olympic venues from the outside before returning to your hotel.

Gallery: Mutianyu Great Wall ramparts

Visit the Summer Palace to walk lakeside halls and, where scheduled, take a boat on Kunming Lake. Continue into Beijing hutongs for a rickshaw ride through courtyard lanes and a look at everyday neighborhood life, with chances to try local snacks such as almond tofu or zhajiang noodles. Later board the high-speed train from Beijing to Xi'an. Your Xi'an guide meets you at the station and transfers you to your hotel.

Gallery: Beijing hutong rickshaw lane

In the morning visit the Terracotta Army Museum to see ranks of life-size clay soldiers and horses in the excavation pits. A pottery workshop stop may be included as listed in your program. In the afternoon return to the city for the City Wall, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and the North Square fountain area, with time for snacks and souvenirs in the historic streets. Optional: a Tang Dynasty show in the evening at your own expense.

Gallery: Terracotta Army excavation pit

Take the high-speed train from Xi'an to Chongqing, about five hours on the rail link between the two cities. On arrival, transfer to Chaotianmen Pier and board your Victoria Cruises ship for the Yangtze Three Gorges sector toward the Yichang (Maoping) area. Settle into your cabin and prepare for evening departure as the Chongqing to Yichang cruise portion of this 11-day China tour begins.

After breakfast, join a Tai Chi session on deck as the Victoria Cruises ship sails the Yangtze. When the vessel docks near Fengdu and Shuanggui Mountain, cultural activities continue on board, and an optional shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City is available at extra cost, with an optional cable car also at own expense. In the evening attend the captain's welcome reception while the ship remains overnight on the river.

Gallery: Fengdu Shuanggui Mountain shoreline

Sail through Qutang Gorge and Wu Gorge on the classic Three Gorges corridor between Chongqing and Yichang. History-focused guests may add an optional guided visit to Baidi City at their own expense. In the afternoon take a wooden boat onto Goddess Stream (Shennvxi), a narrow canyon tributary, to see steep cliffs and learn about riverside village life before returning to the cruise ship for dinner.

Gallery: Goddess Stream canyon boat ride

Visit the Three Gorges Dam near Maoping, a major hydroelectric project spanning the Yangtze River above Yichang. After the shore excursion, transfer to the passenger center in downtown Yichang and board the high-speed train to Shanghai. Your Shanghai guide meets you at Shanghai Railway Station and takes you to your hotel for the final city stay on this Beijing to Shanghai itinerary.

Begin at Jade Buddha Temple, then walk a riverside stretch with exterior views toward the Oriental Pearl Tower. Visit the Shanghai Silk Museum and continue to Yu Garden, a classical Chinese garden in the old city. Change pace with time in the former French Concession's tree-lined streets, then finish along The Bund for riverfront architecture from early twentieth-century Shanghai. Optional: an ERA acrobatics show with advance booking at your own expense.

Gallery: The Bund Huangpu River promenade

Enjoy free time in Shanghai at your own pace after breakfast, then transfer to the airport for your departure flight. This concludes the 11-day China tour covering Beijing, Xi'an, the Victoria Cruises Chongqing to Yichang sector, and Shanghai. If you prefer, you may take the Maglev train toward Pudong Airport at your own expense, or arrange a private driver transfer directly to your terminal.