avalon waterways river cruise - mv victoria jenna

Magical China and the Yangtze River Cruise

12 days Shanghai to Beijing
2 nights in Shanghai, 4-night cruise from Yichang to Chongqing, 2 nights in Xi’an & 3 nights in Beijing

All inclusive prices starting at: $3839

Discover China’s ancient history and fascinating culture on this delightful holiday. Sightseeing with a Local Guide shows you the highlights in Shanghai, Xi’an and Beijing, with inside visits that include the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors, Yu Yuan Gardens, Dayan Pagoda, the Forbidden City, and the Sacred Way of the Ming Tombs. Also attend an acrobatic show, calligraphy class, lacquer and cloisonne workshops and a noodle-making demonstration. You’ll tour the ancient Hutongs by rickshaw, experience a performance of the Peking Opera and “The Tang Dynasty” dinner show, enjoy and authentic Peking Duck dinner, and see the impressive Three Gorges Dam site on your 4-night cruise along the majestic Yangtze River.

Itinerary

Day 1 ARRIVE IN SHANGHAI, CHINA. Welcome to China’s most populous city and centre of trade and industry. Hotel rooms are available for mid-afternoon check-in.
Day 2 SHANGHAI. Full day of sightseeing. Stroll along the Bund, the city’s riverfront boulevard lined with historic buildings, housing, banks, and trade houses. You’ll visit a SILK FACTORY and experience the YU YUAN GARDENS. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant and visit the CHILDREN’S PALACE, one of China’s famous kindergartens. Your Tour Director will host a welcome dinner tonight as you meet your travelling companions. This evening, you’ll be amazed at the fabulous ACROBATIC SHOW.
Day 3 SHANGHAI – YICHANG (EMBARKATION) – YANGTZE RIVER. Visit the SHANGHAI MUSEUM before flying to Yichang. Board the Victoria Jenna for a 4-night CRUISE through the breathtaking Three Gorges of the Yangtze.
Day 4 CRUISING: THREE GORGES DAM SITE. 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.
Day 5 CRUISING: SHENNONG STREAM OR DANING RIVER. 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.
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 Snow Jade Cave.
Day 7 CRUISING: CHONGQING (DISEMBARKATION) – XI’AN. Bid farewell to your ship’s crew upon arrival in Chongqing, China’s capital during World War II. The city is high on a hill overlooking the Jialing and Yangtze Rivers. Visit a local ZOO to see pandas before boarding your flight to the city of Xi’an in central China.
Day 8 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 TERRACOTA 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. This evening, enjoy “The Tang Dynasty” DINNER SHOW, featuring a colourful assemblage of classical performances.
Day 9 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 neighbourhood as you are invited into a daycare centre and into the courtyard of a family’s home for tea.
Day 10 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.
Day 11 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 CLOISONNE 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.
Day 12 BEIJING. Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning.

 

Departure Dates and Prices

April 2010

Ship Start Date End Date Land Price (per person – twin share)
MS Victoria Jenna 26 Apr 2010 7 May 2010 $3979 AUD

 May 2010

Ship Start Date End Date Land Price (per person – twin share)
MS Victoria Jenna 17 May 2010 28 May 2010 $3979 AUD

 June 2010

Ship Start Date End Date Land Price (per person – twin share)
MS Victoria Jenna 7 Jun 2010 18 Jun 2010 $3839 AUD

 August 2010

Ship Start Date End Date Land Price (per person – twin share)
MS Victoria Jenna 30 Aug 2010 10 Sep 2010 $4019 AUD

 September 2010

Ship Start Date End Date Land Price (per person – twin share)
MS Victoria Jenna 6 Sep 2010 17 Sep 2010 $4019 AUD
MS Victoria Jenna 13 Sep 2010 24 Sep 2010 $4019 AUD
MS Victoria Jenna 20 Sep 2010 1 Oct 2010 $4019 AUD
MS Victoria Jenna 27 Sep 2010 8 Oct 2010 $4019 AUD

 October 2010

Ship Start Date End Date Land Price (per person – twin share)
MS Victoria Jenna 4 Oct 2010 15 Oct 2010 $4019 AUD

 

About The Avalon Waterways River Cruise Experience