Please note the tour price reflected on the brochure is subject to change. Due to seasonality, and taxes prices of the tour are subject to change without due notice. Please consult with the operator directly for the recent price.
China, Tibet & the Yangtze
Preferred
Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
- Embark on a three-night cruise on the Yangtze River aboard all-balcony Sanctuary 'Yangzi Explorer'
- Discover Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet's spiritual capital
- Visit the less-crowded and well-preserved Mutianyu section of the Great Wall
- Enjoy a private tour with an on-site archaeologist at the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit
- Visit the Panda Research Center, where you learn about China's unofficial national symbol in its natural habitat
- Experience the narrow winding lanes and courtyard residences of a traditional hutong
Short Description
Explore remarkable cultures with an intriguing tour of Asia, travelling from China's Beijing and Chengdu to Lhasa, in the heart of Tibet, where you visit Potala Palace, before cruising through the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River.
Attractions & Cities Visited
Beijing Chengdu Chongqing Great Wall of China Lhasa Shanghai Terra Cotta Warriors Tiananmen Square Tibet Xian Yangtze River YichangActivities & Interests
Culture Historic sightseeing History Kid-friendly activities River cruise Short CruiseAge Requirement
10Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Beijing, China
Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Beijing
Arrive in Beijing, China’s capital and cultural hub, where you are transferred to your luxurious hotel.
Day 2: Beijing | Imperial Beijing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Beijing
After a morning welcome briefing, participate in a tai chi lesson at the Temple of Heaven, one of the iconic sites of Beijing and a classic example of Ming architecture. After lunch, explore Tiananmen Square, and then walk in the footsteps of emperors in the Forbidden City, seat of imperial power for centuries. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner with your fellow guests.
Day 3: Beijing | Walking the Great Wall
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Beijing
Travel to the well-preserved Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China. Walk or ride a cable car to the top and view the countryside. Return to Beijing this afternoon, where you Ride Like a Local on a pedicab through a hutong — a neighborhood of small winding alleyways.
Day 4: Xian | In the Heart of China’s Eternal City
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Shangri-La Hotel, Xian
Fly to Xian, made famous by Marco Polo. Once a vital stop on the Great Silk Road, Xian has become a melting pot of Asian and Middle Eastern influences. This afternoon, view the Great Mosque, a fascinating site blending classic Chinese temple architecture and central Asian embellishments. Visit the city’s lively Muslim Quarter with its teeming markets.
Day 5: Xian | Terra Cotta Warriors, Army for the Afterlife
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Shangri-La Hotel, Xian
Today, view the incomparable Terra Cotta Warriors, lost to the world for two millennia until accidentally discovered by a farmer in 1974. Explore them with an on-site archaeologist at your side. Then, enjoy a private Chef’s Table experience in dumpling-making. Later, enter the Ancient Gate of Xian’s City Wall and cycle or stroll along its ramparts.
Day 6: Chengdu | Spicy Sichuan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Shangri-La Hotel, Chengdu
Fly to Chengdu. Visit the People’s Park, the city’s largest public park, where you immerse yourself in local life and culture, watching area residents play traditional Chinese instruments, practice calligraphy and engage in tai chi. Enjoy a tea demonstration at a local teahouse. This evening, savor local Sichuan specialties at a traditional hot pot dinner.
Day 7: Chengdu | Up Close with Pandas
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Shangri-La Hotel, Chengdu
Visit the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center and observe giant pandas roaming in their natural habitat. Then, enjoy an afternoon at leisure to relax or explore Chengdu, a city renowned for its thriving music scene and nightlife.
Day 8: Lhasa | Gateway to Tibet
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Shangri-La Hotel, Lhasa
Fly to Lhasa, the heart and soul of Tibet, one of the highest cities on earth at 12,000 feet and your home for the next three nights. Relax and acclimatize.
Day 9: Lhasa | Buddhist Treasures and Monk Debates
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Shangri-La Hotel, Lhasa
Visit the vibrant Ani Tsankhung Nunnery and experience the spiritual heart of Tibet at the sacred Jokhang, a 1,300-year old temple. Wander Lhasa’s Barkhor Bazaar, and visit the Dropenling Tibet Handicraft Development Center. Continue to renowned Sera Monastery to witness lively “monk debates.” Then, discover the Dalai Lama’s former summer residence at Norbulingka, surrounded by trees, ponds, gardens and pavilions.
Day 10: Lhasa | Footsteps of the Dalai Lama
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Shangri-La Hotel, Lhasa
Visit Sanggye Dhunghor, where some 200 statues are carved into a dramatic rock face. Next, venture beyond the towering walls of the awe-inspiring Potala Palace, former winter residence of the Dalai Lama.
Day 11: Chongqing | Board ‘Yangzi Explorer’
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Sanctuary 'Yangzi Explorer'
Fly to Chongqing to board your river cruiser for a three-night journey through the Three Gorges region. Tonight, view a documentary on the Three Gorges Dam Project.
Day 12: Cruising the Yangtze | Asia’s Great River
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Sanctuary 'Yangzi Explorer'
Disembark for a shore excursion to Fengdu where you visit a village relocated by construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Meet a local family, visit a kindergarten and take in a kaleidoscope of sights at a farmers market. This evening, attend the Captain’s Reception.
Day 13: The Three Gorges | China’s Ultimate Scenery
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Sanctuary 'Yangzi Explorer'
Early this morning, ‘Yangzi Explorer’ navigates the Qutang and Wu Gorges before anchoring at Badong, where you board a ferry and travel up the Shennong Stream. Disembark to board local “pea pod” boats poled by Tujia boatmen and view the scenic Bamboo Gorge. The Tujia are members of a local minority culture famed for their boat-building skills and keen knowledge of the Yangtze. Tonight, gather for a “Taste of China” Dinner experience.
| Meals: B L D
Day 14: Yichang to Shanghai | Disembark ‘Yangzi Explorer’
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: The Peninsula Shanghai
Explore the Three Gorges Dam Site and Exhibition Center this morning. Then, disembark and fly to Shanghai. On arrival this evening, transfer to your elegant hotel, on the city’s historic Bund.
Day 15: Shanghai | Exhilarating Metropolis
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: The Peninsula Shanghai
Explore Shanghai, visiting Zhujiajiao, a water village evoking China’s medieval past. Cruise its main canal in a sampan (wooden boat). Enjoy a Scenic Sundowner at the House of Roosevelt, taking in skyline views of Shanghai. Then, attend a Shanghai Acrobatic show.
Day 16: Shanghai | Thriving Waterfront
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: The Peninsula Shanghai
Stroll the Bund, Shanghai’s popular promenade. Then, wander the streets of Old Town and visit the 16th-century Yu Garden. Later, explore the M-50 Contemporary Art District, and gather for a festive farewell dinner.
Day 17: Depart Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home or to depart for a post-tour extension.
Availability
- Single Supplement: $ 1,348
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Abercrombie & Kent.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click
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56 Abercrombie & Kent Travel Reviews & Ratings
China, Tibet & the Yangtze
Company Reviews
Overpriced, too much crammed into each day, and important aspects of the trip dropped....with no advance notice
Exceptional Tour of Italy's Treasures
COMPANY IS IN REAL FINACIAL TROUBLE
We are just returning from our African safari and it was amazing!
This trip should be on everyone’s bucket list and I would highly recommend A&K and encourage you to request Ngochi and Ngige.
Covid threw us a few curves (mandatory Covid tests, masks, etc) but it is a great time to travel. We felt completely safe and were on our own private safari!
WARNING. DO NOT USE ABERCROMBIE AND KENT
Allow trip rescheduling
Details
Ship Name
Sanctuary ‘Yangzi Explorer’
Ship Stats
- 38 deluxe cabins, 20 suites and four specialty suites
- Private balcony in all cabins and suites
- Viewing lounge with bar
- International restaurant offering a wide array of menu options
- Double-decker theater area with bar
- Spa and beauty salon
Ship Description
With luxurious staterooms and public areas, expert onboard guides and a peerless staff and crew, ‘Yangzi Explorer’ is ideal for cruising the mighty Yangtze.
Yangzi Explorer’s’ spacious and elegant staterooms range from a roomy Deluxe Cabin — at 333 square feet, the largest cabin of its kind on the river — to the palatial Imperial and Celestial suites at 1,183 square feet. Some suites feature a private sun deck/balcony, king-size bed and separate lounge with panoramic views. All cabins and suites include private balconies with al fresco sitting area, private bathroom, minibar, air conditioning and flat-screen TV.
All Deck & Cabin Plans (affiliate link)Flight & Transport Inclusions
All internal ground transport
Group Size
Small Group - 24 max
Maximum Number of People in Group: 18
Limited to 18 guests.
Cancellation policy
Cancellation fees per person
Luxury Small Group Journeys, Marco Polo Journeys, Connections Land Journeys, and related Group Pre- and Post-Tour Extensions
- If 91 days prior to departure or more cancellation fee is $500
- Is 90-61 days prior to departure cancellation fee is 20% of program price
- If 60-31 days prior to departure cancellation fee is 50% of program price
- If 30 days prior to departure or less cancellation fee is 100% of the program price
Age Notes :
Min. Age: 10
Additional Information
- Extend Your Journey | Enhance your journey with a pre-tour extension to Mongolia (5 days from $3,995) and a post-tour extension to Guilin & Hong Kong (4 days from $1,995).
Pre-Tour Extension: Mongolia, Days: 5 | From: TBA
Internal Air Routing: Ulaanbaatar/Gobi Desert/Ulaanbaatar/Beijing
Available to add to select departure dates. See Dates & Prices tab for details.
Day 1
Accommodation: Shangri-La Hotel Ulaanbaatar
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and transfer to your hotel.
Day 2
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Three Camel Lodge
Fly to the vast Gobi Desert, visit scenic mountain gorges lined with glaciers, and enjoy a welcome dinner.
Day 3
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Three Camel Lodge
Stop at Bayan Zag, where dinosaur egg fossils were found amid the Flaming Cliffs. Visit a camel-breeding family and ride a Bactrian camel.
Day 4
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Shangri-La Hotel Ulaanbaatar
Return to Ulaanbaatar. Tour Gandan Monastery and visit Zanabazar Fine Art Museum and Sukhbaatar Square.
Day 5
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, fly to Beijing, China.
Post-Tour Extension: Guilin & Hong Kong, Days: 4 | From: TBA
Internal Air Routing: Shanghai/Guilin/Hong Kong
Available to add to select departure dates. See Dates & Prices tab for details.
Day 1
Accommodation: Shangri-La Hotel, Guilin
Fly from Shanghai to Guilin and transfer to your hotel. Visit Reed Flute Cave, Fubo Hill and Elephant Trunk Hill.
Day 2
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: The Peninsula Hong Kong
Enjoy bamboo rafting from Yangdi to Xingping, transfer to Yangshuo, ride a bicycle or golf cart in the country. Fly to Hong Kong.
Day 3
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: The Peninsula Hong Kong
Depart for Sheung Wan, visit a local herbal medicine market and Man Mo Temple. Ride a sampan to a floating village in Aberdeen. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner with fellow guests.
Day 4
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, transfer to the airport and depart.
- 5 Things That Will Surprise You in China | From Beijing to Shanghai, ancient and modern still collide in five magical places.
- Suite Upgrade Package | Upgrade to suites at all hotels throughout your journey from $1,765.
- Take This Journey Private | This itinerary is also available as an independent journey, Signature China, Tibet & the Yangtze, with A&K local guides.
- Customize This Journey | If you would like to customize this itinerary and create a Tailor Made Journey just for you and your companions, click here to inquire, or speak to your travel professional.
Trip ID#:
chitibabe
What's excluded
- International Flights
- Passport and Visa Charges
- Personal Expenses
Meals Included
16 Breakfasts,13 Lunches and 9 Dinners
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