12 days Yangtze River Cruise from Shanghai to Chongqing
12-day Yangtze River cruise from Shanghai to Chongqing aboard Century Legend, traveling through historic river cities and the Three Gorges, with shore excursions along the way.
Itinerary
Journey from Shanghai to Chongqing along the Yangtze River, traveling from the cities and waterways of eastern China through the middle Yangtze and into the mountains of the Three Gorges. Over 12 days aboard Century Legend, experience how the landscapes, cities and culture change as you travel upstream.
Tour Highlights:
- Sail more than 2,300 km along the Yangtze River, from Shanghai to Chongqing aboard Century Legend.
- Explore Nanjing, Yangzhou, Mount Jiuhua, Jiujiang, Wuhan, Yueyang and Jingzhou through shore excursions along the journey.
- Watch the scenery change as you travel from eastern China through the middle Yangtze and into the mountains of the Three Gorges.
- Visit the Three Gorges Dam, sail through Xiling, Wu and Qutang Gorges, and explore Fengdu Ghost City before arriving in Chongqing.
B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
Your Yangtze journey begins in Shanghai, near the mouth of China's longest river.
Board Century Legend at Shanghai International Cruise Terminal, with boarding generally between 12:00 and 14:30. Century Cruises also provides shared transfers from designated Shanghai airport and railway station locations at scheduled times, or you can make your own way to the cruise terminal.
The ship is scheduled to depart at around 15:00. Settle into your cabin and watch Shanghai gradually recede as you begin the long journey upstream toward Chongqing.
Later, join the Captain's Welcome Party, enjoy dinner onboard and attend the cruise safety and itinerary briefing.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Onboard
Your exact transfer, boarding and departure arrangements will be confirmed before your cruise.
Enjoy a relaxed morning onboard as the ship cruises toward Nanjing.
After lunch, go ashore to visit Niushou Mountain Cultural Park, generally from around 13:00 to 17:30.
The highlight is the remarkable Usnisa Palace, built largely within the mountain and known for its grand Buddhist halls, elaborate interiors and sacred relic associated with Sakyamuni Buddha. Explore the palace and surrounding park before returning to the ship.
Dinner and evening entertainment are onboard.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Onboard
Today brings your first full day ashore.
Leave the ship in Nanjing and travel by coach to Yangzhou, a historic city known for its gardens, waterways and Huaiyang culture.
Visit Slender West Lake, where traditional bridges, pavilions, gardens and willow-lined waterways create one of Yangzhou's most characteristic landscapes. Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong visited the area during their imperial journeys through southern China.
Enjoy a Huaiyang-style lunch during the excursion before returning to Nanjing and reboarding the ship in the late afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Onboard
Arrive near Chizhou, where you can choose between two very different Buddhist cultural experiences.
Option A: Mount Jiuhua
Spend the day exploring Mount Jiuhua, one of China's Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains and an important pilgrimage center associated with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
The excursion includes mountain scenery, Buddhist sites and a cable-car journey, with a vegetarian-themed lunch along the way. The full-day excursion generally runs from around 08:30 to 16:30.
Option B: Jindizang Temple
For a shorter day ashore, visit Jindizang Temple, a large Buddhist temple complex near Pingtian Lake known for its monumental Buddha statues. An Anhui-style lunch is included before returning to the ship at around 14:00.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Onboard
Arrive in Jiujiang this morning and choose from three shore excursions.
Option A: Jingdezhen
Spend the day in Jingdezhen, China's historic center of porcelain production. Visit the Ancient Kiln and Folk Customs Expo Area to see traditional porcelain-making techniques and learn how the city became known as China's “Porcelain Capital.”
Option B: Mount Lushan
Travel into the mountains to explore Mount Lushan, known for its dramatic scenery and long cultural history. Take the cableway and walk through scenic areas such as Flower Path Park and Splendid Valley.
Option C: Donglin Temple & Xunyang Tower
Choose a shorter morning excursion to Donglin Temple, an important site in the history of Pure Land Buddhism, followed by Xunyang Tower, a historic riverside landmark associated with Jiujiang's literary heritage.
Return to the ship and continue upstream along the Yangtze.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Onboard
Today you'll spend much of the day exploring Wuhan, one of the major cities along the middle Yangtze.
Start at Yellow Crane Tower, Wuhan's best-known historic landmark. From its elevated position above the river, enjoy wide views across the Yangtze and the city.
After a Wuhan-style lunch, continue to the Hubei Provincial Museum, home to an important collection of archaeological finds, ancient bronzes and artifacts from the region's long history.
Return to the ship in the late afternoon and continue your upstream cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Onboard
This morning, go ashore in Yueyang, beside vast Dongting Lake.
Visit Yueyang Tower, one of China's celebrated historic towers south of the Yangtze. From the tower, look across Dongting Lake toward Junshan Island before taking a walk along nearby Bianhe Street.
Return to the ship around midday and spend the afternoon cruising upstream. Relax onboard, enjoy afternoon tea or simply watch the river scenery change as you continue toward Jingzhou.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Onboard
Today brings you into the history of Jingzhou, once an important center of the ancient State of Chu.
Choose between two morning excursions:
Option A: Chariot and Horse Mausoleum of the King of Chu
Visit the Xiongjia National Archaeological Site Park, where archaeologists uncovered ancient chariots, horse remains and royal burial objects dating back more than 2,000 years.
Option B: Jingzhou Museum & Ancient City Wall
Explore Jingzhou Museum and its archaeological collection before visiting the well-preserved Jingzhou Ancient City Wall.
Return to the ship for lunch. The afternoon is spent onboard as you continue toward Yichang and the Three Gorges.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Onboard
Morning cruise passes through the Gezhouba Ship Locks and continue upstream into Xiling Gorge, the longest of the Three Gorges. Later in the morning, join an onboard lecture about the Three Gorges Dam and its ship-lock system.
After lunch, go ashore to visit the Three Gorges Dam, one of the world's largest hydroelectric power projects and a landmark of modern engineering on the Yangtze near Yichang. Visit the River Closure Memorial Park and Three Gorges Project Museum to learn more about its construction and operation.
Return to the ship for dinner. At around 20:00, the ship is scheduled to enter the Five-Step Ship Locks, where you can watch the ship gradually rise through the lock chambers. In the evening the cruise will sail through the west section of Xiling Gorge to Wushan.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Onboard
Today is one of the scenic highlights of your Yangtze River cruise.
In the morning, join an onboard lecture about the Three Gorges, then sail through Wu Gorge, known for its steep, forested mountains. Continue through Qutang Gorge, the shortest and most dramatic of the Three Gorges.
Upon arrival in Fengjie, choose between two shore excursions:
Option A: White Emperor City
Visit White Emperor City, a historic site overlooking the entrance to Qutang Gorge and one of the classic viewpoints of Kuimen, the dramatic gateway to the gorge.
Option B: Three Gorges Summit
Travel to the Three Gorges Summit for panoramic views over Qutang Gorge, the Yangtze River and the surrounding mountains.
In the evening, enjoy the Return to the Three Gorges cultural performance.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Onboard
Enjoy a leisurely morning onboard as the ship continues toward Fengdu.
After lunch, go ashore to visit Fengdu Ghost City. This historic temple complex explores traditional Chinese beliefs about the afterlife through a mixture of Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian traditions.
Return to the ship for your final dinner onboard. In the evening, the cruise program normally concludes with a photography sharing session and farewell party.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Onboard
Wake up in Chongqing on the final morning of your Yangtze River cruise.
After breakfast onboard, disembark at Chaotianmen Port at around 08:30.
Located where the Yangtze and Jialing rivers meet, Chongqing is a natural place to continue your China journey. Stay to explore the city's mountain landscapes, food and neighborhoods, or continue onward to Chengdu and other destinations.
Century Cruises provides a shared transfer to designated Chongqing airport or railway station locations at scheduled times. Alternatively, you can make your own onward arrangements.
Meals: Breakfast
Inclusions
Tour notes:
General inclusions:
General exclusions:
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