Grand China & The Yangtze with Uniworld

Note: The itineraries presented are subject to modification due to water levels, closures because of public holidays or other uncontrollable factors. Every effort will be made to operate programs as planned, but changes may still be necessary throughout the cruise. This day-to-day schedule is subject to change. Your final day-to-day schedule will be provided onboard on the first day of your cruise/tour.

DAY 1: Beijing

Arrive at the Beijing airport and be greeted by a Uniworld representative who will escort you to the opulent Ritz-Carlton, Beijing.

DAY 2: Beijing

Your adventure begins with two quintessential experiences in China’s capital of Beijing. Off limits to commoners for 500 years, the Forbidden City was once considered the cosmic center of the universe (and for good reason, as you’ll see for yourself). Peking Duck is another cultural gem you’ll get to experience today, a complex dish originally prepared for Chinese emperors. The political and cultural capital of China and home to more than 20 million people, Beijing exemplifies everything visitors find most intoxicating about China: Spectacular ancient monuments contrast with ambitious modern high-rises, and traditional crafts flourish alongside booming international businesses. Exquisite art, stunning UNESCO sites, serene parks and teeming streets all contribute to the unique flavour of this astonishing city.

Featured Excursion:
The Imperial heritage of China’s capital—Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Peking Duck lunch with afternoon Temple of Heaven visit and Tai Chi class

DAY 3: Beijing

Today is a Bucket List Moment kind of day, as you stand at last atop the ancient stones of China’s most iconic site—the Great Wall. The views are spectacular! You’ll also take a rickshaw ride through the city’s ancient hutongs—historic neighborhoods that date back to the 15th century—where you’ll have lunch with a friendly local family at their home.

Featured Excursion:
Culture, history and intrigue—hutongs and teahouses and the Great Wall

DAY 4: Beijing, Fly to Xi’an

Leave the hustle and bustle of Beijing behind today and head north to the serenity of the Summer Palace, home to one of China’s most beautiful classical gardens. From there, plunge into the past in China’s first capital, Xi’an, where you’ll be treated to a traditional (and incredibly labor intensive) dumpling banquet. You have one more special excursion to enjoy in Beijing this morning, then you’ll fly to Xi’an for the next leg of your Chinese adventure.

Featured Excursion:
Grace and art—Beijing’s Summer Palace and Xi’an’s traditional dumpling banquet

DAY 5: Xi’an

Xi’an’s famous terra-cotta army has been called the 8th wonder of the world, and it’s certainly the most extraordinary archeological find of the 20th century. Prepare to be amazed! You’ll also visit one of the holiest Buddhist temples in China and enjoy a traditional Tang Dynasty dinner show with fabulous food, music and flamboyant costumes. The imperial capital for 10 ancient dynasties, Xi’an achieved its greatest renown under the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), when it was a great international metropolis and the eastern terminus of the legendary Silk Road. Today it is the capital of Shaanxi Province and most famous for a museum devoted to the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses.

Featured Excursion:
China’s first capital—Terra-cotta Army and Tang Dynasty dinner show

DAY 6: Xi’an, Fly to Hangzhou

Intrepid explorer Marco Polo called Hangzhou the greatest city he’d ever seen, but don’t take his word for it—judge for yourself as you get your first glimpse of this ancient Chinese capital today, celebrated throughout the centuries for its extraordinary natural beauty.

Featured Excursion:
Jade Factory visit

DAY 7: Hangzhou

China’s classically designed gardens and landscapes are a cultural treasure revered around the world, and you’ll see one of the best examples today at Hangzhou’s idyllic West Lake. Another highlight: Lingyin Temple, one of the country’s oldest Buddhist sites, providing an intriguing glimpse of the serenity and grace of the 5,000-year-old Middle Kingdom.

Featured Excursion:
Poetic vision: Lingyin Temple and Enduring Memories of Hangzhou show

DAY 8: Shanghai

After days of iconic sites and timeless Chinese landscapes, Shanghai and its futuristic skyline can be something of a shock to the system. Yet beyond the building boom and the avant-garde architecture, you can still find traces of Shanghai’s colorful and fascinating colonial-era history. Enjoy a taste of both old and new today, including the city’s famous delicacy, dim sum. Today you’ll head to Shanghai, China’s largest city. An international economic hub, it has drawn entrepreneurs from all over the world for 150 years. But while Shanghai may be the “city of the future,” you can still find remnants of its history in Old Town and the area known as the Concessions, which were controlled by European interests in the 19th century.

Featured Excursion:
Glamour, skyscrapers, art deco gems and famous dim sum

DAY 9: Shanghai

Today you have the luxury of an entire day to explore Shanghai however you wish. Tonight, experience yet another cultural highlight of your journey—a thrilling performance by the dazzling and gravity-defying Shanghai Acrobats. Spend the day exploring Shanghai on your own. If you have a taste for heights, step out onto the Oriental Pearl Radio and TV Tower’s glass-floored observation deck— some 1,100 feet above the Pudong district. Browse through the shops on Nanjing Road or see what China’s modern artists are creating at the China Art Museum.

Featured Excursion:
Spectacular Shanghai Acrobatic Show

DAY 10: Shanghai, Fly to Yichang (Embark)

From Shanghai you’ll fly to Yichang.

Featured Excursion:
School Visit

DAY 11: Cruising the Yangtze River

The Three Gorges Dam was a hugely expensive and controversial undertaking, a project that involved relocating entire villages threatened by the rising waters of the Yangtze. The dam itself is an engineering marvel that you can see from a breathtakingly up-close perspective today. The Yangtze is the third-longest river in the world (only the Nile and the Amazon are longer), and the days you spend onboard your ship will show you some of its most beautiful sights. Limestone cliffs, sheathed in greenery, loom above the water; mountains, wreathed in mist, tower in the distance. The river itself, deep and powerful, busy and serene, will work its enchantment as it carries you past bucolic fishing villages, hillside rice paddies, ancient cliff carvings and historic temples. Relax and prepare to be dazzled.

Featured Excursion:
Powering China’s future—Three Gorges Dam

You are invited to a Captain’s Welcome Reception before dinner. Later, enjoy evening entertainment.

DAY 12: Cruising the Yangtze River, Shennong Stream

Today is destined to be a highlight of your journey—a full day cruising the Yangtze River’s mystical, beautiful and completely mesmerizing Three Gorges, with scenery that has captivated artists and poets for thousands of years.

Featured Excursion:
The magical Shennong Stream

DAY 13: Cruising the Yangtze River

Today you will visit the 816 Underground Project nuclear installation near Fuling.

Featured Excursion:
Fuling—816 Underground Project

This evening enjoy a Farewell Dinner onboard.

DAY 14: Cruising the Yangtze River, Chongqing (Disembark), Train to Chengdu

Today, you will disembark in the busy port of Chongqing, where you’ll be transferred to the train station to board a First Class bullet train to Chengdu.

Featured Excursion:
People’s Park and Kuanzhai Alleyway

DAY 15: Chengdu

Today in Chengdu, you will visit the Panda Breeding Research Base and Sanxingdui Museum.

Featured Excursion:
Panda Breeding Research Base and Sanxingdui Museum

DAY 16: Chengdu, Fly to Hong Kong

Today you’ll board a plane to fly from Chengdu to Hong Kong.

DAY 17: Hong Kong

Hong Kong presents a dizzying juxtaposition of East and West, ancient and modern. This bustling, glittering, multicultural city is famous for its soaring skyscrapers, fabulous shopping, Star ferries crisscrossing Victoria Harbor and the lingering traces of its British colonial past. This vertical city, with its hundred-story skyscrapers clinging to the shore of the deep harbor that first attracted international merchants, blends East and West, modern and ancient, in truly unique ways.

Featured Excursion:
“Pearl of the Orient”—Hong Kong’s highlights

DAY 18: Depart Hong Kong

You’ve been on the adventure of a lifetime with your grand China tour; today, you will be transferred to the Hong Kong International Airport for your flight home, carrying marvelous memories with you—and perhaps some wonderful souvenirs as well.