Upstream Yangtze Cruise from Yichang to Chongqing
5 Days Yichang - Yangtze River Cruise - Chongqing
Tour Type: Premium Yangtze River Cruise aboard a luxury vessel
Guide: Expert cruise staff and local guide for onshore excursions
Dining: Full-board meal plan, with select ships offering late-night refreshments
Code: YR02
Guide: Expert cruise staff and local guide for onshore excursions
Dining: Full-board meal plan, with select ships offering late-night refreshments
Code: YR02
.jpg "Upstream Yangtze Cruise from Yichang to Chongqing Itinerary Map")
- Itinerary
- Prices
- Reviews
Trip Highlights
- Board a premier luxury vessel to escape from the bustling city and soak in the serene mountains and waters of the Three Gorges.
- Experience the charismatic folklore nourished by the flowing Yangtze River.
- Feel the majesty of one of the world’s largest dams – the Three Gorges Dam.
- Moved by the craftsmanship spirit of the builders of the dam by viewing the remained working fields at the Closure Memorial Park.
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Day 1 Cruise Boarding in Yichang
Yangtze River Cruise
► FYI：
1. The cruise company offers both luxury and standard ships, while the later one does not include dinner tonight, so we recommend filling your stomach before boarding. Additionally, the activities included may vary depending on the class and the specific vessel. To book the ship best matching your interest, please contact us for more details.
2. Included activities and onshore excursion may be changed due to water levels, weather conditions and government regulations. For final itinerary, please refer to the exact schedule provided onboard.
► Transport Reference:
1. Yichang East Railway Station → Maoping Pier:
Bus takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes, costing USD 2.5. Walk 10 minutes from the railway station to the Yichang Bus Terminal Station to take Bus 809 and get off at Maoping Port Bus Station. A 10-minute walk will finally lead you to the pier. Taxi is much faster and more convenient, taking only half of the time, and costs approx. USD 30.
2. Yichang Sanxia International Airport (YIH) → Maoping Pier:
For public transportation, you need to first take the airport shuttle bus to the Yichang Bus Terminal Station and then take Bus 809 running to the pier. The total journey takes about 3 hours, and costs USD 6. Taxi takes only 1 hour, but costs USD 40.
● Should you require airport or station pick-up, please just let us know and we are very glad to assist you at additional fees.
Meals: Buffet dinner on board
New Century Cruises: Century Glory, Century Oasis, or Century Victory (5 stars)
Day 2 Admire Three Gorges Dam
Visit Three Gorges Dam. Return to the ship and enjoy onboard activities while cruising through the Xiling Gorge, the first section of the Three Gorges. (B+L+D)
Refresh your day with a cup of coffee and stretch your body doing Chinese traditional shadowboxing exercise led by a professional master onboard. Then, prepare to be awed by the gargantuan Three Gorges Dam. With a length of over 2,000 meters (6,562 feet), the dam lies across the Yangtze River like a mighty dragon. More than just a dam, it is also the world’s largest hydroelectric power station, whose daily power generation could supply all of the New York City for over 4 days. Even more impressive, the dam functions like Transformer, with ship locks that can lift vessels up to 113 meters (371 feet), equivalent to the height of 38 floors, reducing the original 3-hour crossing time to just 40 minutes. Standing on the viewing platform, you can not only take in the panoramic view of the dam and the Yangtze, but also witness the entire ship-lifting process.
Afterwards, enter the Three Gorges Project Museum, where you can learn how this colossal structure was built and how it tamed the turbulent Yangtze. Leaving the museum, let’s step into the Three Gorges Dam Closure Memorial Park. Here, you’ll be moved by the spirit of the workers, whose figures are frozen on the huge relief wall. Their safe helmets, work logs, and the construction site itself are the best storyteller of that arduous period.
► FYI: For passengers on the standard package, today’s onshore excursion includes only the Three Gorges Dam, while luxury package also covers the Project Museum and the Closure Memorial Park.
After sightseeing, return to the cruise ship for lunch. The remaining afternoon is free for you to enjoy at your leisure. You can lie back in the chair on your balcony admiring passing mountains and flowing waters, or participate the onboard activities, such as kite-flying or lecture about the Three Gorges. As the daylight fading, we’ll enter Xiling Gorge, the first section of the Three Gorges. Don’t miss the golden hour of the Yangtze, when the sunset tints the water surface orange and gilds the contours of the mountains.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
New Century Cruises: Century Glory, Century Oasis, or Century Victory (5 stars)
Afterwards, enter the Three Gorges Project Museum, where you can learn how this colossal structure was built and how it tamed the turbulent Yangtze. Leaving the museum, let’s step into the Three Gorges Dam Closure Memorial Park. Here, you’ll be moved by the spirit of the workers, whose figures are frozen on the huge relief wall. Their safe helmets, work logs, and the construction site itself are the best storyteller of that arduous period.
► FYI: For passengers on the standard package, today’s onshore excursion includes only the Three Gorges Dam, while luxury package also covers the Project Museum and the Closure Memorial Park.
After sightseeing, return to the cruise ship for lunch. The remaining afternoon is free for you to enjoy at your leisure. You can lie back in the chair on your balcony admiring passing mountains and flowing waters, or participate the onboard activities, such as kite-flying or lecture about the Three Gorges. As the daylight fading, we’ll enter Xiling Gorge, the first section of the Three Gorges. Don’t miss the golden hour of the Yangtze, when the sunset tints the water surface orange and gilds the contours of the mountains.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
New Century Cruises: Century Glory, Century Oasis, or Century Victory (5 stars)
Our Guests at Three Gorges Dam
Welcome Party on the Cruise
Day 3 Yangtze Three Gorges Highlights
Admire the other two gorges of the Yangtze River in sequence: Wu Gorge and Qutang Gorge. Take a sampan drifting through Goddess Stream. Enjoy an onshore excursion to White Emperor City or Three Gorges Summit. (B+L+D)
The elegant scenery of Wu Gorge will award early birds! If you rise up before the first sunlight breaks the dawn, don’t hesitate to the deck, where you will see the silhouette of the surrounding mountains soaking in the blue-ink like sky and water. As sunlight brightens, mists and clouds rise, shrouding the peaks with some like drifting spray against the hillsides while other like flying silk veils wrapped around the summit.
Here, we’ll transfer to a small sampan and drift into the Goddess Stream. Birdsong will fill your ears and you may see fishermen beginning their daily labor. Sunbeams piercing through the gaps of the canopy create a Tnydall Effect, casting holy lights onto the water. Some cruise ships may offer excursions to Shennong Stream or the Little Three Gorges instead.
Then, return to the cruise ship and let’s process onward. As the channel narrows and the cliffs grow steeper, we enter Qutang Gorge, the most dramatic section of the Yangtze Three Gorges. The cruise seems to slow down and you’ll understand the old saying, “Once you enter Qutang, panic sets in, for nine out of ten ships will be damaged by the waters.” Before engine-powered vessels emerged, 200 boatmen could barely tow a wooden cargo ship upstream about 200 meters (220 yards) per day.
Here, depending on your preference, you can disembark to visit the White Emperor City or Three Gorges Summit. If you are physically up for it, the Three Gorges Summit offers a bird’s eye view of Qutang Gorge, the very scene printed on the back of the 10-yuan banknote. Bring one along with you and try to find the perfect angle for that once-in-a-lifetime photo.
● Please note that these two attractions are not included in standard cruise package. If you’re interested, tickets can be purchased on-site.
Return to the cruises ship by dusk and enjoy a buffet dinner, followed by an artistic performance put on by the crew.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
New Century Cruises: Century Glory, Century Oasis, or Century Victory (5 stars)
Here, we’ll transfer to a small sampan and drift into the Goddess Stream. Birdsong will fill your ears and you may see fishermen beginning their daily labor. Sunbeams piercing through the gaps of the canopy create a Tnydall Effect, casting holy lights onto the water. Some cruise ships may offer excursions to Shennong Stream or the Little Three Gorges instead.
Then, return to the cruise ship and let’s process onward. As the channel narrows and the cliffs grow steeper, we enter Qutang Gorge, the most dramatic section of the Yangtze Three Gorges. The cruise seems to slow down and you’ll understand the old saying, “Once you enter Qutang, panic sets in, for nine out of ten ships will be damaged by the waters.” Before engine-powered vessels emerged, 200 boatmen could barely tow a wooden cargo ship upstream about 200 meters (220 yards) per day.
Here, depending on your preference, you can disembark to visit the White Emperor City or Three Gorges Summit. If you are physically up for it, the Three Gorges Summit offers a bird’s eye view of Qutang Gorge, the very scene printed on the back of the 10-yuan banknote. Bring one along with you and try to find the perfect angle for that once-in-a-lifetime photo.
● Please note that these two attractions are not included in standard cruise package. If you’re interested, tickets can be purchased on-site.
Return to the cruises ship by dusk and enjoy a buffet dinner, followed by an artistic performance put on by the crew.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
New Century Cruises: Century Glory, Century Oasis, or Century Victory (5 stars)
Fengdu Ghost City
Yangtze River Cruise Tour
Day 4 Fengdu Exploration
Take an onshore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City or Xiaoguanshan Folklore Culture Park, and then enjoy your leisure time or participate in cultural activities onboard. (B+L+D)
After an overnight sail, the ship will dock at Fengdu County around noon. You can join an onshore excursion to either Fengdu Ghost City or Xiaoguanshan Folklore Culture Park, depending on your interests. Different ships may also offer alternative visits to Fengdu Mingshan Mountain or Snowy Jade Cave.
At Fengdu Ghost City, you can learn how Chinese underworld operates. In traditional Chinese belief, those who commit grave sins in life are condemned to hell, where they will face trial and punishment. Vivid sculptures here depict a range of gruesome penalties: slanderers have their tongues torn out, those who wasted food are ground under a stone mortar, and anyone who mistreated animals is trampled by wild oxen. The sculptures are deliberately grotesque and terrifying to recreate the horrors of hell, and to remain the living to watch their words and deeds, lest their souls suffer torments after death.
While the Ghost City portrays the imaged underworld, the Xiaoguanshan Folklore Culture Park displays how people actually live along the Yangtze River. The majestic city wall separates the ancient world from the modern. Passing through the gate, your eyes will be treated to a cluster of traditional dwellings dating back about 600 years. Proceeding along the grey slab stone-paved paths, you’ll see blue-brick walls, wooden tablets, pillars inscribed with Chinese calligraphy, delicately caved window frames and red lanterns, forming a 3D puzzle waiting for your exploration. Inside the exhibition hall, you can admire local traditional wheat-straw paintings and leaf-vein art. For more unforgettable experiences, just join NPCs to experience a local wedding ceremony, witnessing each step from welcoming the bride, to crossing the threshold, serving tea to the parents, and drinking from crossed cups.
After the excursion, we’ll return to the ship for the final night on board.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
New Century Cruises: Century Glory, Century Oasis, or Century Victory (5 stars)
At Fengdu Ghost City, you can learn how Chinese underworld operates. In traditional Chinese belief, those who commit grave sins in life are condemned to hell, where they will face trial and punishment. Vivid sculptures here depict a range of gruesome penalties: slanderers have their tongues torn out, those who wasted food are ground under a stone mortar, and anyone who mistreated animals is trampled by wild oxen. The sculptures are deliberately grotesque and terrifying to recreate the horrors of hell, and to remain the living to watch their words and deeds, lest their souls suffer torments after death.
While the Ghost City portrays the imaged underworld, the Xiaoguanshan Folklore Culture Park displays how people actually live along the Yangtze River. The majestic city wall separates the ancient world from the modern. Passing through the gate, your eyes will be treated to a cluster of traditional dwellings dating back about 600 years. Proceeding along the grey slab stone-paved paths, you’ll see blue-brick walls, wooden tablets, pillars inscribed with Chinese calligraphy, delicately caved window frames and red lanterns, forming a 3D puzzle waiting for your exploration. Inside the exhibition hall, you can admire local traditional wheat-straw paintings and leaf-vein art. For more unforgettable experiences, just join NPCs to experience a local wedding ceremony, witnessing each step from welcoming the bride, to crossing the threshold, serving tea to the parents, and drinking from crossed cups.
After the excursion, we’ll return to the ship for the final night on board.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
New Century Cruises: Century Glory, Century Oasis, or Century Victory (5 stars)
Day 5 Departure from Chongqing
Disembark from the ship and your cruise ends at Chongqing Chaotianmen Dock. (B)
Today, the ship will dock at Chaotianmen Dock of Chongqing around 9:00 AM, marking the end of your cruise. Please disembark and connect to your onward journey on your own. If you’d like to extend your stay and explore Chongqing further, we’d happy to tailor the itinerary for you. For those needing to reach Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG) or high-speed train station, here are some transport references:
► To Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG):
1. Taxi: About 30 minutes, USD 8.
2. Subway: Walk about 20 minutes to Chaotianmen Subway Station → take Line 1 to Qixinggang Station → transfer to Line 10 to the airport and get off at Exit 4. The enter journey takes about 1.5 hours and costs USD 0.9.
► To Chongqing North Railway Station:
1. Taxi: About 25 minutes, USD 3.
2. Subway: Refer to the way to the airport, but get off 7 stations earlier at the North Railway Station (Exit 3). It takes about 1 hour and costs USD 0.5.
► To Chongqing West Railway Station:
1. Taxi: About 30 minutes, USD 7.
2. Subway: Walk about 20 minutes to Chaotianmen Subway Station → take Line 1 to Shiqiaopu Station → transfer to Line 5 and get off after 4 stops at the railway station. The trip takes about 1 hour with a fare of USD 0.9.
► To Chongqing East Railway Station:
1. Taxi: About 30 minutes, USD 7.
2. Subway: Walk for 25 minutes or take a 12-minute taxi (USD 2) to Xiaoshizi Subway Station → take Line 6 to Liujiaping Station → transfer to East Section of Line 6 → get off at the railway station (Exit 3) after 3 stops. The subway takes about 1 hour and costs USD 0.7.
If you need a private car transfer from the dock to the airport or station, simply contact us, and we’ll be delighted to arrange it for an additional fee.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
► To Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG):
1. Taxi: About 30 minutes, USD 8.
2. Subway: Walk about 20 minutes to Chaotianmen Subway Station → take Line 1 to Qixinggang Station → transfer to Line 10 to the airport and get off at Exit 4. The enter journey takes about 1.5 hours and costs USD 0.9.
► To Chongqing North Railway Station:
1. Taxi: About 25 minutes, USD 3.
2. Subway: Refer to the way to the airport, but get off 7 stations earlier at the North Railway Station (Exit 3). It takes about 1 hour and costs USD 0.5.
► To Chongqing West Railway Station:
1. Taxi: About 30 minutes, USD 7.
2. Subway: Walk about 20 minutes to Chaotianmen Subway Station → take Line 1 to Shiqiaopu Station → transfer to Line 5 and get off after 4 stops at the railway station. The trip takes about 1 hour with a fare of USD 0.9.
► To Chongqing East Railway Station:
1. Taxi: About 30 minutes, USD 7.
2. Subway: Walk for 25 minutes or take a 12-minute taxi (USD 2) to Xiaoshizi Subway Station → take Line 6 to Liujiaping Station → transfer to East Section of Line 6 → get off at the railway station (Exit 3) after 3 stops. The subway takes about 1 hour and costs USD 0.7.
If you need a private car transfer from the dock to the airport or station, simply contact us, and we’ll be delighted to arrange it for an additional fee.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
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Tour Prices 2026 & 2027
| High Season (Apr/ May/ Jul/ Aug/ Oct) | Shoulder Season (Mar/ Jun/ Sep/ Nov/ Dec) |
|---|---|
USD709 | USD659 |
- Prices are per person on twin sharing.
- Above prices are not valid on Chinese holidays.
Price Includes
- Yangtze River cruise with full board
- The cruise shore excursion in groups
- The service charge recruited by the cruise company
- Entrance fees to tourist sites
Price Excludes
- Any train or air fare
- Entry visa fees
- Personal expenses
- Gratuities
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