Compare Chongqing to Yichang to Chongqing - Winter Special by Victoria Cruises vs Walking the Great Wall by Exodus Travels
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| Trip |
4.5 | Great
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 8 days | 9 days |
| Price From | $ 840 | $ 1,860 |
| Price Per Day | $ 105 | $ 207 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | River cruise | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Standard |
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| Countries Visited | ||
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included |
7 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches and 6 Dinners |
All breakfasts, 6 lunches and 6 dinners are included. Food is cheap in China and you can avoid the spicier regional food if you wish. The cuisine on this trip is fantastically varied with lots of new flavours and 'things' to try. Gastronomically the trip can be divided into two parts: 'tourist hotels' and 'local hotels'. In tourist hotels the breakfast is normally a buffet, with a huge spread of Chinese and western food, including coffee, juice, breads, cakes, fruit, eggs, bacon and a wide variety of noodle and stir fried dishes. Dinners are normally taken in the hotel or local restaurants, serving rice with assorted vegetables, pork, fish, chicken and duck dishes with flavours roughly approximating those you would find in a Chinese restaurant in the UK. In the local hotels, breakfast includes rice porridge, dumplings, eggs, noodles, etc, however, we tend to augment this with fruit and cakes where available. Dinners are taken in local restaurants where the food is heavily flavoured with ginger, garlic bamboo shoots and chilli. Lunches are taken in local village restaurants and will normally consist of noodle soup or stir fried vegetable noodles. Expect an audience most lunches as the locals crowd around to watch the 'big noses' trying to master the use of chopsticks! Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests. Please note that in China the availability of certain specialized products for restricted diets, e.g. gluten-free or dairy-free, is minimal or non-existent and we strongly recommend you bring these specialized dietary items from home. Strict vegetarians may find the diet rather limited to stir fried vegetables and eggs as all the soups are made with meat stock. |
| Description |
This tour” Chongqing to Yichang to Chongqing - Winter Special” explores the areas from Chongqing to Yichang especially sailing through the Three Gorges, the largest project of its kind in the world is one of nature’s most extraordinary sculptures. |
Stepping out across the peaceful semi-ruin of a section of the Great Wall is like walking in the footsteps of the past. Far from the tourist crowds we are able to get a great sense of the scale and majesty of this remarkable piece of engineering without rushing through in a big group. We trek along various contrasting sections of the wall, both dilapidated and rebuilt stretches. The old portions have a romantic feel, but the new ones may look odd to people who are used to seeing their ancient monuments in a poor state, though since the wall was constructed over a 2000 year period, the new sections are just a continuation of that process. We will get closer to day-to-day life in rural China before returning to Beijing, a city steeped in history yet plunging headlong into modernity.Walk one of the seven wonders of the world |
Day 1
Depart Chongqing - 9:00 pm: Sail from picturesque Chongqing, the “Mountain City”.
Day 2
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Shibaozhai - Take a shore excursion to Shibaozhai, with its impressive wooden pagoda, appropriately named “The Pearl of the Yangtze”. Depending on river conditions, an alternate excursion may be substituted to Fengdu, visiting the new relocation village built for families who have moved as a result of the Yangtze’s rising waters brought about by the Three Gorges Dam. Additional optional Shore Excursion to Fengdu’s “Ghost City” (river conditions permitting), known for its statues of ghosts and devils on Mingshan Hill.
Day 3
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Enter the Three Gorges/“Small Gorges”/Shiplocks
Enter the Three Gorges, one of nature’s most extraordinary sculptures. Pass through Qutang Gorge, the shortest (5 miles), narrowest (500 feet), and most dramatic. Enter 25-mile long Wu Gorge, known for its quiet beauty, forest-covered mountains, and sheer cliffs. Transfer to another vessel for a relaxing ride through the attractive gorges of Goddess Stream. Later enter Xiling Gorge, the longest (41 miles), and the deepest - its cliff walls rise to 4,000 feet. In the evening, sail through the Three Gorges Dam ship locks.
Day 4
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Three Gorges Dam - Morning visit to the Three Gorges Dam at Sandouping, the largest project of its kind in the world.
Day 5
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Tribe of the Three Gorges - This excursion offers an interesting glimpse into local life in the Xiling Gorge region.
Day 6
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Shennong Stream “Small Gorges” / Wu Gorge / Qutang Gorge - Take an excursion through the Shennong Stream Small Gorges, which are narrower than the Three Gorges, but very impressive. Pass through Wu Gorge/Qutang Gorge.
Day 7
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
White Emperor City (Baidi Cheng) - Shore excursion to this ancient site overlooking the western end of Qutang Gorge. White Emperor City has long been a refuge for would-be kings and poets who have traveled here to be inspired by its majestic views. Legend has it that in 25AD, white vapor in the shape of a dragon rose from a well here, and Gong Sunshu, a soldier who had his headquarters here, declared himself the White Emperor. Remains of the city wall can be seen on the hill behind Baidi Mountain, and a temple built to commemorate Gong's reign dates back over 1,950 years.
Day 8
Meals: Breakfast
Arrive Chongqing at 9:00am
Day 1 Arrive Beijing; free afternoon and Beijing duck dinner
Day 2 Drive to Huanghuacheng Great Wall section; afternoon begin trekking.
This morning we leave the capital and head into the countryside to the Great Wall, a 2-2.5 hour journey to the north west of the city. We reach the lesser-visited section at Huanghuacheng, which has an incredibly picturesque location by a lake. The name Huanhuacheng translates as ‘Yellow Flower City’, as during the summer the surrounding mountains are swathed in yellow as the local wild flowers come into bloom. The walk today is relatively challenging and with uneven topography, but the views are worth every effort! We will spend the night in a guesthouse close to this section of the wall. Accommodation: Fengfuyuan Guesthouse, Huanghuacheng (or similar)
Day 3 Morning trek at Mutianyu, passing many watchtowers.
Today we take a short drive (1-1.5 hours) to Mutianyu. At this lesser-visited section, the Wall is an impressive sight indeed, snaking off across mountains and valleys into the distance. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, the Mutianyu section used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs. There are 22 watchtowers (20 of which are open to the public) on this 2,250-metre-long section. After Mutianyu section, we transfer to Jiankou village to enjoy the hospitality of a local guesthouse. Accommodation: Mr Zhao Guesthouse at Jiankou (or similar)
Day 4 Trek at Jiankou's "Wild Wall"
The Jiankou wild wall section was built along a mountain edge and remains completely wild, with towers clinging impossibly to the steepest of ridges. Highlights of the day include “Spiderman Wall”, or “Sanshibadeng” in Chinese; an optional short vertical climb to the top of the wall for a panoramic view (those who are not a fan of climbing/heights can walk around and regroup at the viewpoint). This area is the most photographed section of the Great Wall due to the unique construction style combined with stunning scenery. We walk along this portion for approx. 4 km in the morning, returning to the guesthouse for lunch, then walking about another 4.5 km in the afternoon. We have the option of seeing sunset from the wall. Accommodation: Mr Zhao Guesthouse at Jiankou (or similar)
Day 5 Transfer to Jinshanling; Hike the Great Wall Jinshanling section.
Day 6 The most challenging walk today along the Gubeikou section
Today we hike from Zhuanduokou Tower along the Gubeikou section of the wall to Panlongshan. This portion keeps the original essence of the wall and will transport us back to the time of the Han Dynasty. We will pass many watchtowers until we reach the unique 24 Window Tower (three level tower). Accommodation: Yeshufang Guesthouse at Gubeikou (or similar)
Day 7 Panlongshan section of the Great Wall
We will walk from Panlongshan north gate to the main entrance. Following our walk along this part of the wall we’ll drive for about three hours back to Beijing. Accommodation: Dong Fang (or similar)
Day 8 Beijing city tour visiting hutongs, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
We take a morning walking tour of the city's hutongs (narrow alleys) to see what is left of old Beijing and its traditions. We also visit Tian’anmen Square; the largest in the world and able to hold over a million people. Later in the day, we visit the Forbidden City with its innumerable courtyards and temples. This evening, recommended optional activities include the amazing Beijing opera or a Kung Fu show, or you may prefer to opt for a foot reflexology treatment to sooth your weary feet! The leader will also arrange a farewell dinner (optional). Beijing is a fantastic place to explore at your own pace; if you wish to add on any additional time please speak to your sales consultant at the time of booking. Note Following the Covid-19 pandemic, maximum numbers of daily visitors to the Forbidden City have been significantly reduced, impacting availability of tickets. Our local team aim to secure tickets for the Forbidden City, but if unable to do so, we’ll visit the Ancestral Temple (used during the Ming and Qing Dynasties to offer sacrifices to ancestors, and architecturally quite similar to the Forbidden City) and the Summer Palace (a complex of lakes, gardens and palaces from the Qing dynasty) instead. You will be advised at the start of the trip if this change needs to be made. Accommodation: Dong Fang (or similar)
Day 9 End Beijing
Our trips ends today in Beijing after breakfast. Free departure transfers are available for all customers departing from either Beijing’s Capital airport (PEK) or Daxing airport (PKX). Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts.
