Shanghai to Beijing (WXY) - 15 days	For further assistance call 1-800-526-8539
Ship - Victoria Jenna
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Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in Shanghai, China

Welcome to China’s most populous city and center of trade and industry. Hotel rooms are available for mid-afternoon check-in.

Day 2: Shanghai

Your sightseeing starts at the YU YUAN GARDENS, dating back to the Ming Dynasty. Then, stroll along the Bund, the city’s riverfront boulevard lined with historic buildings, housing, banks, and trade houses. After lunch in a local restaurant, visit the CHILDREN’S PALACE, where talented children study music, dance, and theatre after school. This evening, meet your traveling companions for a welcome dinner followed by a spectacular ACROBATIC SHOW. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 3: Shanghai – Yichang (Embarkation) –Yangtze River Cruise

Visit the SHANGHAI MUSEUM and a SILK FACTORY before flying to Yichang. Board the Victoria Jenna for a 4-night CRUISE through the breathtaking Three Gorges of the Yangtze. (Breakfast, Dinner)

This morning, visit the THREE GORGES DAM SITE, where the Chinese progress toward building the largest dam of its kind in the world. After lunch, sail through the Three Gorges ship locks and the Xiling Gorge. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

This morning, disembark for a BOAT EXCURSION down either the Daning River or Shennong Stream, depending on conditions. After lunch, head upstream through the Qutang Gorge, the shortest but most dramatic gorge, and the Wu Gorge, known for its quiet beauty and forest-covered mountains. You can nearly touch the perpendicular walls rising from the riverbanks as your captain negotiates this narrow gap. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 6: Cruising: Wanxian or Shibaozhai or Fengdu

Depending on river conditions, one of the following shore excursions will be offered: Wanxian, “Gateway to Eastern Szechuan Province,” where you will see an acrobatic show, market, and possibly a school; Shibaozhai with its 400-year-old, 12-story, red wooden pagoda perched high on a cliff; or Fengdu, where you’ll visit Ghost City Temple. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 7: Cruising: Chongqing (Disembarkation) – Lhasa, Tibet

Bid farewell to your ship’s crew upon arrival in Chongqing, China’s capital during World War II. The city sits high on a hill overlooking the Jialing and Yangtze Rivers. Visit a local ZOO to see pandas before boarding your flight to the holy city of Lhasa, the capital of the mystical Buddhist kingdom of Tibet. The rest of the day is free to rest and adjust to the 14,000-foot altitude. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 8: Lhasa

This morning, take a brief city tour, then visit the SUMMER PALACE of the Dalai Lama, featuring the largest man-made garden in Tibet. Next, take a special trip to a TIBETAN’S HOME that includes lunch before visiting a typical TIBETAN MONASTERY. The final stop today is a TIBETAN HOSPITAL, where you will learn about traditional Tibetan medicine and therapy. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 9: Lhasa

Today, visit the imposing POTALA PALACE, once the center of the Tibetan government and the former winter residence of the Dalai Lama. Also, visit one of Tibet’s oldest shrines, JOKHANG TEMPLE, then spend time in the local BAZAAR. The rest of the day is at your leisure. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 10: Lhasa – Xi’an, China

Today, fly to the city of Xi’an in central China. This evening, enjoy the “Tang Dynasty” DINNER SHOW, featuring a colorful assemblage of classical performances. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 11: Xi’an

One of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world when China dominated the silk trade, Xi’an today is an archaeological treasure trove. Sightseeing begins with the nearby DAYAN PAGODA, built in 652 AD, followed by a LACQUER WORKSHOP. Next, visit the enormous tomb of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, accidentally discovered by local farmers in 1974. Marvel at the legion of TERRACOTTA WARRIORS that has been guarding the burial site for 2,000 years. During lunch, enjoy a NOODLE-MAKING DEMONSTRATION by a master chef and learn how Chinese noodles are made by hand. Then, visit the Xi’an City Wall South Gate and learn to write like a local during a traditional Chinese CALLIGRAPHY CLASS. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 12: Xi’an – Beijing

Today, fly to Beijing, China’s capital city. Enjoy a rickshaw ride through one of Beijing’s HUTONGS, the city’s ancient alleys. Experience life in this historic neighborhood as you are invited into the courtyard of a family’s home for tea. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 13: Beijing

Your full-day sightseeing starts with a visit to the FORBIDDEN CITY and its IMPERIAL PALACE, once the home of China’s great emperors. Nearby is 100-acre TIAN’ANMEN SQUARE, the largest public square in the world. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and continue to the former SUMMER PALACE, a complex of pavilions, temples, and galleries set among beautifully landscaped grounds and situated on Kunming Lake. Tonight, experience local culture at the PEKING OPERA, including a behind-the-scenes look at the colorful make-up being applied to the performers. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 14: Beijing

The GREAT WALL OF CHINA once stretched 4,000 miles across China’s barren northern terrain from the Bohai Sea to the Gobi Desert. Head north to a village where the Great Wall is well preserved and walk along the wall to enjoy sweeping vistas of this mammoth fortress. Then, visit a CLOISONNÉ WORKSHOP and see local artisans use the techniques of this ancient art form to turn pieces of copper into colorful decorative items. After lunch in a local restaurant, take a leisurely walk down the SACRED WAY of the Ming Tombs and marvel at the impressive hand-carved stone statues. This evening is the perfect finale to a great touring adventure as you’re hosted to a special PEKING DUCK FAREWELL DINNER in a local restaurant. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 15: Beijing

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)

Notes:

• A valid passport us required for travel. P lease check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.
• This trip is for travelers who are fit. You will visit regions reaching almost 14,000 ft. in elevation.

Prices Include: • 4-night Cruise from Yichang to Chongqing in selected cabin category • American breakfasts daily (B), 11 lunches (L), 12 dinners (D), including a welcome dinner in Shanghai and a Peking Duck farewell dinner in Beijing • 2-nights hotel accomodations in Shanghai at Westin Shanghai (or similar; hotel subject to change) • 3-nights hotel accommodations in Lhasa, Tibet at Four Points by Sheraton (or similar; hotel subject to change) • 2-nights hotel accommodation in Xi'an at Golden Flower (or similar; hotel subject to change) • 3-nights hotel accommodation in Beijing at Westin Beijing (or similar; hotel subject to change) • All intra-tour flights • Daily guided sightseeing program • Taxes Prices Do Not Include: • Individual arrival and departure • Travel insurance • Intra air taxes • Gratuities • Other personal expenses * For reasons of navigation and passenger safety, the cruise operator and the Captain of the ship reserve the right to modify the itinerary of the cruise.