4 Night Cruise sailing from Yichang to Chongqing aboard Century Legend. Hotel stays pre-cruise in Beijing, Xian and Shanghai. Hotel stays post-cruise in Guilin and Hong Kong.

Experience the best of China, from its bustling cities to its breathtaking natural wonders, all in one grand journey.
From thriving modern cities (Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong) to monumental manmade marvels (the Great Wall and Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses) to glorious landscapes (Suzhou, the Yangtze, and Guilin), this extraordinary expedition is the perfect introduction to the grand sweep of ancient and modern China.

Walk along the Great Wall. Visit Guilin's Reed Flute Cave, where stalactites and stalagmites flaunt dazzling colors. Take a cruise down the bucolic Li River. Wander around the exquisite, UNESCO-designated Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou. And sail the magnificent Yangtze River, with its spectacular gorges, mist-shrouded shrines, and fanciful weather-shaped rock formations. Along the way, enjoy a plethora of cultural pleasures, including a thrilling Kung Fu show in Beijing, a Tang Dynasty folklore performance and dinner in Xi'an, and an acrobatic extravaganza in Shanghai.

Who will enjoy this cruise: Those thirsting for a real understanding of both old and new China will encounter the legacies of the land's ancient dynasties while also discovering the dynamic changes taking place throughout China today.

Day 1: Beijing (China)

Make your way to your hotel, the elegant Sofitel Wanda Beijing.

Day 2: Beijing (China)

Featured Excursions: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, foot massage, and Peking duck Welcome Dinner with wine

Begin your exciting discovery of China with a visit to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. You'll stroll through the square and enter the 100-acre UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its characteristic red walls and green tile roofs. After your tour, relax with a traditional foot massage; later, indulge in a Welcome Dinner of succulent Peking duck with wine. BB L Welcome Dinner

Day 3: Beijing (China)

Featured Excursions: The Great Wall; Kung Fu show at Beijing's Red Theater

There is no sight in China more iconic than the UNESCO-designated Great Wall, which stretches thousands of miles along the northern border of the country and was originally built to stop invaders from the north. You'll drive out of Beijing in the morning to one of the most interesting access points to the Great Wall, where you'll marvel at the great slabs of granite towering above you. Enjoy lunch at the foot of the wall, amid the lovely pine and cypress forests. Back in Beijing, your eventful day continues with a spectacular show that combines kung fu prowess with acrobatics and dance at Beijing's famous Red Theater. BB L D

Day 4: Beijing (China)

Featured Excursions: Temple of Heaven, hutongs tour with home-hosted dinner, and boat ride on Shichahai Lake

The Temple of Heaven is a UNESCO-designated site, completed in the 15th century, that symbolizes the relationship between heaven and earth-and the emperor's place within that cosmography. A masterpiece of architectural and landscape design, it influenced architecture throughout China for centuries. Next, you'll take a rickshaw tour of the hutongs, the old neighborhoods where you can still see traditional Beijing quadrangle houses built around courtyards. You'll be invited in to share a traditional dinner with one of the families. In the evening, relax on a magical rowboat ride on Shichahai Lake as a musician serenades you. BB L D

Day 5: Beijing, fly to Xi'an

Featured Excursions: Welcome Ceremony and Tang Dynasty dinner show

Fly to the ancient Tang Dynasty capital of Xi'an, where you'll be greeted with a special Welcome Ceremony at the city gate; then breeze through your check-in at the deluxe Westin Hotel and enjoy a hot pot lunch, a Sichuan speciality. In the evening, indulge in a wonderful dinner and cultural performance that re-creates the music, folk dance, and historic costumes of the Tang Dynasty. BB L D

Day 6: Xi'an (China)

Featured Excursions: Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum, and traditional dumpling dinner

One of the most astonishing archaeological finds of the last century, the life-size Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses were made nearly 2,500 years ago to guard the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. About 8,000 of these figures have been excavated, and some are displayed at a museum dedicated to the incredible find. At the end of your marvel-filled day, discover the delights of a traditional Xi'an dumpling dinner, where
each dumpling is a delectable work of art. BB L D

Day 7: Xi'an, fly to Shanghai, Tongli, Suzhou

Featured Excursions: Tongli tour and evening performance

Fly to Shanghai, and then tour charming Tongli, where elegant homes and enchanting teahouses line the many canals. Continue to 2,500-year-old Suzhou, famous for its beauty, and settle into your room at the Shangri-La Hotel. This evening, experience a music and dance performance in one of the city's world-renowned gardens. BB L D

Day 8: Suzhou, Shanghai

Featured Excursions: Humble Administrator's Garden and Embroidery Research Institute visit

Today, you'll tour a UNESCO-designated prize of Ming landscape design before marveling at the intricate designs of over a hundred in-house experts at the Embroidery Research Institute. Return to Shanghai in the afternoon and relax at the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel or venture into the city. BB L D

Day 9: Shanghai (China)

Featured Excursions: Shanghai city tour, dim sum lunch, and Shanghai Acrobats performance

Enjoy a tour along Shanghai's famous waterfront promenade, the Bund, followed by a delicious dim sum lunch in Old Town; then ramble on your own through the scenic old district. This evening, you'll be astonished by the Shanghai Acrobats. BB L

Day 10: Shanghai (China), fly to Yichang (embark)

Featured Excursion: Shanghai Museum

Visit the Shanghai Museum before your flight to Yichang, where you'll board your luxurious ship, the new Century Legend. BB D

Day 11: Cruising the Yangtze River

Featured Excursion: Three Gorges Dam

Visit the world's largest hydroelectric project, the Three Gorges Dam, and set sail along the most scenic section of the storied Yangtze, the Three Gorges. BB L Captain's Welcome Reception D

Day 12: Cruising the Yangtze River

Featured Excursion: Lesser Gorges riverboat cruise

You'll get a close-up view of the enchanting landscape as you board a small boat and cruise along a tributary to the Yangtze to explore the exceptionally beautiful Lesser Gorges. BB L D

Day 13: Cruising the Yangtze River, Shibaozhai

Featured Excursion: Shibao Pagoda

The red walls and yellow gate of Shibao Pagoda stand amid the rising waters of the Three Gorges Dam. Built into the side of a hill, the temple has now become a colorful little island of its own. Make a wish and climb the stairs toward the temple at the top; legend has it that the higher you climb, the better the chance of your wish coming true. BB L Captain's Farewell Dinner

Day 14: Cruising the Yangtze River, Chongqing (disembark), fly to Guilin

Featured Excursions: Chongqing city tour, zoo, and Reed Flute Cave

Disembark in Chongqing. Visit the giant pandas at the zoo before flying to Guilin. You will marvel at the rainbow colors of the stalactites in the Reed Flute Cave. Afterward, you'll settle into your deluxe room at the Shangri-La Hotel Guilin. BB L D

Day 15: Guilin, cruising the Li River

Featured Excursion: Li River cruise

Time seems to stand still along the banks of the serene Li River, where farmers tend to fields of rice paddies that are a world away from modern-day hustle and bustle. BB L

Day 16: Guilin, fly to Hong Kong

Featured Excursion: Tea farm visit

Visit a tea farm before you fly to Hong Kong, where you'll check in to the five-star Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel. BB L

Note: The Tour Manager will not go to Hong Kong. You will have the services of a local expert instead.

Day 17: Hong Kong

Featured Excursion: Hong Kong city tour

See the best of the island-Victoria Peak, the Aberdeen Fishing Village, and Stanley Market-on your guided tour of Hong Kong. BB

Day 18: Hong Kong, CB/BB