DAY 1 USA – Beijing, China: Fly to China

Depart from your home city and begin your journey to Beijing, China’s dynamic capital and one of the most historically significant cities in East Asia.

DAY 2 Arrive in Beijing: Arrival & Leisure Time in Beijing

Upon arrival, meet your local guide and transfer to your hotel. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure to relax or begin exploring the capital at your own pace.

DAY 3 Beijing: Full-Day Beijing City Tour

Discover the layers of Beijing’s imperial and modern legacy. Visit Tiananmen Square, the world’s largest public plaza, then explore the UNESCO-listed Forbidden City, where 24 emperors ruled from behind vermilion walls and golden roofs. In the afternoon, stroll through the Summer Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its classical Chinese landscape design surrounding tranquil Kunming Lake. Enjoy a photo stop at the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube stadiums from the 2008 Olympics. In the evening, savor a traditional Peking Duck dinner, a signature dish dating back to the Ming dynasty.

Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 4 Beijing: Great Wall & Temple of Heaven Tour

This morning, journey north to the majestic Badaling section of the Great Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Stretching across rugged mountains, the wall once served as an imposing barrier against northern invasions during the Ming dynasty. Walk along its storied ramparts and admire panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Later, visit the Temple of Heaven, a harmonious masterpiece of Ming architecture where emperors once performed elaborate rituals to ensure prosperous harvests. The evening is yours to enjoy at leisure.

Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch

DAY 5 Beijing - Yichang - Yangtze River Cruise: Fly to Yichang & Board Yangtze Cruise

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Yichang, a gateway city to the Yangtze River. Upon arrival, enjoy a brief city tour before continuing to the Maoping pier. There, board the Victoria Isabella, one of the newest ships in the fleet, and settle into your comfortable Superior cabin for the start of your four-night Yangtze River cruise.

Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6 Yangtze River Cruise: Three Gorges Dam & Xiling Gorge

Begin your cruise with a shore excursion to the monumental Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric project and a marvel of modern engineering. Later, cruise through the dramatic Xiling Gorge, the longest and deepest of the famed Three Gorges.

Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 7 Yangtze River Cruise: Scenic Cruise: Goddess or Shennong Stream

Depending on the weather today, enjoy a memorable excursion to cruise along the serenely beautiful gorges of the Shennong Stream or the Goddess Stream, two tributaries of the Yangtze. Afterward, rejoin your main ship to glide past the sheer cliffs of mountainous Wu Gorge and navigate the slender Qutang Gorge through its terraced hillsides.

Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 8 Yangtze River Cruise: Fengdu Excursion

After breakfast, visit Xiaoguanshan in Fengdu, a site steeped in Chinese mythology and known as the “City of Ghosts.” According to legend, it is the gateway to the afterlife, featuring a mix of Taoist and Buddhist sculptures and temples.

Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 9 Yangtze River Cruise - Chongqing - Xian: Disembark in Chongqing and see panda + Fly to Xian

Disembark your cruise ship this morning at Chongqing. Visit the Chongqing Zoo to see its famed giant pandas and stroll Liberation Square and the Mountain City Trail before flying to Xian, one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China.

Included: Breakfast at hotel, Dinner at hotel

DAY 10 Xian: Terracotta Warriors & Tang Dynasty Show

A crossroads of ancient civilizations, Xian was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. Visit the UNESCO-listed Terracotta Army, buried in 210 BC to guard Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife. View the ranks of 8,000 life-sized soldiers, horses, and chariots, each with unique facial features. This afternoon, visit the 7th-century Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a symbol of Tang dynasty architecture and Buddhist culture. This evening, enjoy a lively Tang Dynasty cultural performance with dinner.

Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner and show

DAY 11 Xian - Guilin: Xian City Wall + Fly to Guilin

Begin the day at Xian’s 14th-century City Wall, one of China’s oldest and best-preserved fortifications. Later, fly to Guilin, famed for its otherworldly karst landscapes immortalized in Chinese poetry and painting.

Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch

DAY 12 Guilin: Li River Cruise to Yangshuo + Return to Guilin

Admire Guilin’s magical landscapes as you cruise on the Li River today. Pass rice fields, conical-shaped karsts and waters dotted with bamboo fishing rafts — some with fishermen who use cormorants to catch their prey. After lunch on board, disembark at Yangshuo to take in the quintessential Chinese buildings along its main thoroughfare, West Street. Back to Guilin late in the afternoon and enjoy dinner at the hotel.

Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner at hotel

DAY 13 Guilin - Shanghai: Reed Flute Cave + Fly to Shanghai

Today, visit the symbol of Guilin, Elephant Trunk Hill , which resembles a giant elephant drinking from the Li River. Its natural arch, Water Moon Cave, forms a moon-like reflection on the water. Travel to the remarkable Reed Flute Cave, a natural limestone cavern named after the nearby beds of reeds that can be sculpted into melodious flutes. Explore the dramatic caverns and chambers to witness their beautifully illuminated stalagmites, stalactites and other bizarre rock formations. Afterward, fly to Shanghai, China’s largest city.

Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch

DAY 14 Shanghai: City Tour: Bund, Nanjing Road & Farewell Dinner

Once known as the 'Pearl of the Orient' for its key role in the trade of tea, silk, and opium, Shanghai today is a dynamic blend of past and present. Discover this vibrant metropolis on a guided city tour featuring iconic sights such as the elegant Bund waterfront, the bustling Nanjing Road shopping district, the lively City God Temple Bazaar, and the stylish Xintiandi area. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner and take a scenic cruise along the Huangpu River, where colonial facades and modern skyscrapers illuminate the city’s skyline.

Included: Breakfast at hotel, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 15 Shanghai: Leisure Day or Optional Suzhou Tour

Spend the day at leisure. Explore at your own pace or join an optional full-day excursion to Suzhou, famed for its classical gardens, canals, and silk industry.

Included: Breakfast at hotel

DAY 16 Shanghai – USA: Depart from Shanghai

Transfer to the airport for your return flight home, concluding your journey through the ancient and modern wonders of China.

Included: Breakfast at hotel