Yichang

You will be met by a representative at Yichang Three Gorges Airport or Yichang East Railway Station and transferred to Yichang Maoping Port to board Yangzi Explorer. Prepare for your cruise upstream through this stunning section of the Yangtze River, famous for its impressive scenery and historic and culture importance to China. In the evening, the ship will pass by Xiling Gorge. 16:00 - 18:30 Check in 18:30 - 20:30 Buffet dinner 21:00 Safety briefing in Explorer bar 21:30 Captain’s Welcome Reception

Shennongding National Nature Reserve

Start your morning with an early bird tea or coffee and a traditional Tai Chi lesson, led by our Tai Chi Master and work up an appetite for the buffet breakfast. Today, embark on a full day excursion to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, Shennongjia. Shennongjia National Park is located in the west of Hubei Province and lies between the Yangtze River and the Han River. The peaks in the area are all above 3010 m which is called the “Roof of Central China”.​ Shennongjia is also home to the iconic golden monkeys. The golden snub-nosed monkey is a rare primate unique to China, listed as a national first-class protected animal, and one of the most beautiful and precious animals in the world. In Little Dragon Pool Wild Animal Rescue Center (Xiaolongtan), follow the footprints of British famous naturalist & botanist Ernest Henry Wilson, visit the wild golden monkey family and learn about the life of the precious creatures up close.

Chongqing Qutang Gorge

Start your morning with an early bird tea or coffee and a traditional Tai Chi Lesson, led by our Tai Chi Master and work up an appetite for the buffet breakfast. In the morning, while Yangzi Explorer passes through Qutang Gorge, you can enjoy leisure time onboard. Qutang Gorge is the shortest and narrowest of the famed Three Gorges. Known for its dramatic waters and towering cliffs, it is palpable that this is where the currents of history and the breath-taking power of nature meet.

After breakfast, start a full-day in-depth tour of Fengjie. In the morning, you have two excursions to choose from. You can choose to take a 15-minute coach ride to White King Town and enjoy the history of Fengjie and the poem written by famous poet Li Bai from Tang Dynasty. Alternatively, you can choose to meander along the Poetic Trail in Qutang Gorge. It is the first part of the Trail from White King Town winding uphill to Three Gorges Summit, which is one of the classic hiking routes in the Three Gorges Region and will normally take six hours to hike and reach the summit.

Three Gorges

In the afternoon, visit the Three Gorges Summit and enjoy a magnificent sunset. It is one of the most beautiful landscape forms of the Yangtze River and the highest peak of the famous Three Gorges. After dinner, you can choose to attend a lecture by local scholar on the legendary past and present life of the thousand-year city, also known as the “City of Poems”. The lecture is in Chinese and translation will be made by our cruise director if required

Shi Bao Zhai

Today, Yangzi Explorer will dock at Shibao Pier in Zhongxian (Loyal County). It is a county with rich history and culture for more than 2300 years and its "loyalty culture" is well-known in China. After breakfast, there are two shore excursions for you to choose from. Option A: Shibaozhai (Precious Stone Fortress) Shibaozhai, which was founded in Wanli period of Ming Dynasty, is one of the only remaining ancient wooden structures in China. Shibaozhai's Pavilion represents a gem of Chinese architecture to be encountered on the Yangtze River cruise journey. From afar, the protruding 220-metre hill on the north bank appears to resemble a jade seal, and is so named. The creation of the hill is attributed to the goddess Nuwo, who caused a rock slide while she was redecorating the sky after a fierce battle between two warring dukes.

Xituo Ancient Town

Option B: Xituo Ancient Town Take a local ferry across the river from Shibaozhai to Xituo, experience the daily life of local people. Surrounded by mountains and waters, Xituo Ancient Town has greeted its millennium. It is known as the western border of Bazhou in ancient times. A time-honored street stretches to the top of the ancient town from the riverside pier. With 1,314 steps partly hidden in the mist, like a ladder reaching to the sky, it is also called “Yunti Street.” Owing to its unique pattern of being perpendicular to the Yangtze River and profound history and culture, Yunti Street is hailed as the “First Street of the Yangtze River.” In 2003, Xituo Ancient Town was listed as one of the first batches of China’s top ten famous historical and cultural towns. Xituo Ancient Town is the starting point of the Bayan Ancient Road (a transport route for the salt for Ba people). During the Qin and Han Dynasties, Xituo served as a vital commercial town in eastern Sichuan.

Chongqing

At 9:00 am, disembark the boat at Chongqing Chaotianmen Port. Chongqing, a city of towering buildings, is the world’s largest municipality with a population of over 33 million people. You will be transferred to Chongqing Airport, Railway Station, or downtown Chongqing for your onward journey.