Code: YR-06

Excursion around Yichang

Yangtze Three Gorges cruise tour
Itinerary: 5 Days of Yichang - Liantuo - Sandouping - Maopingxin County - Kongling Gorge - Lianzi Cliff - Bingshu Baojian Gorge - Xiangxi Stream - Lepingli - Yichang

After making full preparations both physically and psychologically, you can then set off on the first day of your adventurous hiking. It is our advice that you to take the bus to Liantuo from Yichang bus station. En route, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Xiling Gorge. It is about 40 minutes' drive from Yichang to Liantuo. Around 3 hours is needed if you plan to hike from Liantuo to the Three Swords Peak. Pitch a camp for an overnight stay.

On the second day, you will pay a visit to the site of the Three Gorges Dam, the Immigration City and Maoping New County. It takes about half a day if you hike from the Three Swords Peaks to the Three Gorges Dam. Much time will be saved if you take the bus there, only half an hour is needed to reach the dam. It takes 2 hours for you to hike from the dam to the Immigration City. Have a good rest at the local hotel and ease your fatigue. 
You will be taken to Kongling Gorge by a 40 minute bus journey on the following day. Kongling Gorge is the most dangerous part of Xiling Gorge with a length of 2.5 kilometers. It was once compared to the gate of hell, so you should take great care when trekking there. It is about an hour's hiking from Kongling Gorge to Jiuwanxi Bridge, opposite to which is the Niugan Mafei Gorge. Then continue to hike from Jiuwanxi Bridge to Lianzi Cliff in Xintan, taking about 3 hours. It takes another 3 hours to get to Bingshu Baojian Gorge from Lianzi Cliff. Stay overnight in a camp pitched on your own and recover from the fatigue.
Shennong stream excursion
On the fourth day, you will need to take the boat to reach Qili Gorge. Then hike for about 2 hours to reach Lepingli which is the hometown of great poet Quyuan of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Visit the Quyuan Cave - the former residence of Quyuan, and the Quyuan Temple. The admission fee for the Quyuan cave is ¥60.00 and it is ¥15.00 for the latter. 3 hours is enough for the visit. Afterwards, take the bus back to Yichang in the evening.

Before leaving for your next destination, we recommend one day's hiking to Chexi. It is a newly developed tourist site near the Three Gorges, about 18 kilometers away from Yichang. It is the only site there that you can experience the local folk-custom. You can take the bus at Haitong Bus Station located in Dongshan Avenue, the phone number is 0717-6909821. It is about 45 minutes' drive there. Take the 15 minutes walk from the gate and you will come to the Shixian Valley. Continue to walk to Bachu Gutu garden taking about 30 minutes. En route, you can also visit the Mingu village, the waterwheel museum, the queer stone gallery and the Tianlongyun grotto. It is about 2 hours' walking for you to return to the outside gate. Take the bus back to the city and your pleasant hiking ends here.
 Recommended Tours with the Visit to Yichang:
China Essence Tour: 12 Days, Beijing - Xian - Chongqing - Yangtze River Cruise - Yichang - Shanghai
China Soul Tour: 15 Days, Beijing - Xian - Guilin - Yangshuo - Guilin - Chongqing - Yangtze River Cruise - Yichang - Shanghai