Explore remarkable cultures with an intriguing tour of Asia, travelling from China's Beijing and Chengdu to Lhasa, the heart of Tibet and highest city on earth, before embarking on a Yangtze cruise.
Arrive in Beijing, China’s capital and cultural hub, where you are transferred to your luxurious hotel.
This morning, walk or ride a cable car to the top of the well-preserved Mutianyu section of the Great Wall for sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. Later, gather with fellow guests for a welcome dinner.
Start the day with a tai chi class taught at the Temple of Heaven, one of the iconic sites of Beijing. Ride Like a Local on a pedicab through a hutong, a neighborhood of small winding alleyways. After lunch, explore Tiananmen Square and then walk in the footsteps of emperors in the Forbidden City, seat of imperial power for some 600 years.
Fly to Xian, made famous by Marco Polo. Once the last stop on the Great Silk Road, Xian is a melting pot of Asian and Middle Eastern influences. Explore the Yangling Museum, site of Han Dynasty tombs. View the Great Mosque and Muslim Quarter on a fascinating Market Visit.
Today, view the incomparable Terra Cotta Warriors. Lost to the world for two millennia until accidentally discovered by a farmer in 1974, you explore them with an archaeologist at your side. Later, enter the Ancient Gate of Xian’s City Wall and cycle along its ramparts.
Fly to Chengdu to visit the Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center and come face to face with pandas roaming free in their natural habitat.
Today you travel off the beaten path to the relaxed riverside city of Leshan, where a private boat ride brings you before its 1,300-year-old, stone-carved Buddha. At 233 feet tall, it is the largest stone Buddha in the world. Hike to the summit to enjoy the vistas before lunch.
Fly to Lhasa, the heart and soul of Tibet, one of the highest cities on earth at 11,450 feet and your home for the next three nights. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure to relax and acclimatize.
Visit the vibrant Ani Tsangkung Nunnery and reveal the spiritual heart of Tibet at the sacred Jokhang, a 1,300-yearold temple housing Tibet’s most revered golden Buddha. After lunch, wander Lhasa’s Barkhor Bazaar and visit renowned Sera Monastery to witness lively “monk debates.” Discover the Dalai Lama’s former summer residence at Norbulingka, where the Dalai Lama escaped in 1959.
Visit Sanggye Dhunghor, where some 200 statues are carved into a dramatic rock face. Next, venture beyond the towering walls of the awe-inspiring Potala Palace. A 13-story architectural masterpiece replete with 1,000 rooms, it was the former winter residence of the Dalai Lama.
Fly to Chongqing to board your boutique luxury river cruiser for a three-night journey through the Three Gorges region. Tonight, view a documentary on the Three Gorges Dam Project in the ship’s Tang Theatre.
Disembark for a shore excursion to Fengdu where you visit a village relocated by construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Meet a local family, visit a kindergarten and take in a kaleidoscope of images at a farmers market. Attend the Captain’s Reception, followed by dinner.
Early this morning, ‘Yangzi Explorer’ navigates the Qutang and Wu Gorges before anchoring at Badong, where you board a private ferry and travel up the Shennong Stream. Disembark to board local “pea pod” boats poled by Tujia boatmen and view the picturesque scenery of Bamboo Gorge. The Tujia are members of a local minority culture famed for their boat-building skills and keen knowledge of the Yangtze River’s many currents and eddies.
Fly to Shanghai and transfer to your elegant hotel, located on the city’s historic Bund. Enjoy a rooftop Scenic Sundowner while taking in the panoramic views of Shanghai’s Bund and treelined Pudong districts.
Explore Shanghai, visiting Zhujiajiao, a water village evoking China’s past. Stroll its centuries-old lanes and board a sampan (wooden boat) to glide along its main canal. Tonight, attend a Shanghai Acrobatic show.
Wander through the streets of Old Town and visit the 16th-century Yu Garden. Later, stroll the Bund, Shanghai’s most popular promenade. Explore artist studios and galleries in the M-50 Contemporary Art District, and then gather for a festive farewell dinner.
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home.
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