Yangtze Sampler By Small Ship

Our guests arrive in Beijing today and will be met at the airport and chauffeured to our city-center hotel to enjoy their pre-tour overnight in China's exciting capital.

After breakfast at the hotel, our guests have this entire day to enjoy and explore as they wish in China's vibrant capital. Our other travelers will be arriving today.

Then explore by rickshaw through the narrow lanes of a Hutong, one of the city's few remaining enclaves of traditional, centuries-old courtyard homes. After lunch, tour the resplendent Summer Palace. Set on wooded hills surrounding a tranquil lake, this assemblage of pavilions, palaces and gardens offers a fascinating look into Imperial life long ago. From April to November, our tour of the Summer Palace includes a boat ride on Lake Kunming, a delightful and tranquil way to experience the palace's architectural landmarks and sublime natural beauty. Tonight's festive Peking Duck banquet is accompanied by wine and local beer.

The Great Wall stretches for nearly 4,000 miles across a vast expanse of northern China — its oldest sections dating back more than 2,000 years when various states and dynasties first began to build these defensive walls. A few centuries after these earliest sections were constructed, Emperor Qin Shihuang consolidated them into a single, massive fortification to guard his vast empire against Hun invaders from the north. Succeeding emperors maintained, reconstructed and built anew, and much of what is seen today is the result of work that was done during the Ming Dynasty. As a result the wall is not uniform throughout its length; situated farther from the capital than other sections of China's most famous landmark, the Great Wall at Mutianyu draws fewer visitors and is heralded as one of the most spectacular sections. Ascending by cable car, you'll walk atop the Great Wall here at Mutianyu as your expert guide shares dramatic stories of its past. For lunch today, we'll take you to the famous Brickyard Restaurant, conveniently located nearby. Back in the city, the rest of your afternoon and evening are free to enjoy as you wish.

After sightseeing, we'll take you to the airport for your included flight to the river city of Yichang. On arrival, you'll be escorted to the pier to board the Yangzi Explorer, China's finest river ship. Settle in to your balcony stateroom and refresh before dinner is served in the Explorer's elegant restaurant. Choose from a tempting array of international and regional Chinese dishes, accompanied by free-flowing wine.

Back onboard, the Yangzi Explorer will navigate through Xiling Gorge, the longest of the river's Three Gorges. Then as the river widens and sweeps through groves of orange and pomelo trees, you'll experience the tranquil side of life along China's mightiest river. Tonight's Captain's Welcome Reception is followed by dinner and then entertainment in the Tang Theater.

After lunch onboard the Yangzi Explorer navigates Wu Gorge, renowned for its massive cliffs rising sharply from the river. Later, our ship cruises through spectacular Qutang Gorge, the narrowest of the river's Three Gorges. If you wish to join this afternoon's optional excursion to the White Emperor City, it has been specially pre-paid for our guests.

Today's morning at leisure and your choice of an included afternoon excursion applies to cruises from May to September. Guests on our other sailings will visit the 816 Underground Project in the morning and the White Crane Ridge Underwater Museum in the afternoon.

Disembark the Yangzi Explorer after breakfast and transfer to the airport for your included flight to Xi'an, China's capital for 13 dynasties. On arrival, you'll be escorted to our hotel ideally located within the ancient defensive walls of the city.

Join staff at the Xian Museum this morning for our exclusive Touch Antiquity experience. Donning white cotton gloves, you'll handle and examine priceless ancient objects as museum staff offer insight into their provenance and cultural significance. Next, you'll visit the Terra Cotta Army. Discovered in 1974 by local farmers who were digging a well, this site is still regarded as China's greatest archaeological discovery. It has been estimated that more than half a million laborers and craftsmen worked for nearly 40 years to complete the tomb and the thousands of terra cotta soldiers, horses and chariots that were buried here to serve the Emperor in the afterlife. By special arrangement, you will meet with a local archaeologist — a great way to gain deeper insight into the history and discovery of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our cultural culinary experiences today include a noodle-making demonstration at lunch and savory dumplings for dinner!

We include today's flight to Shanghai, regarded by many as one of China's most cosmopolitan cities. On arrival, you'll be met and escorted to our luxury landmark hotel. After time to refresh, join your expert guided for a guided walk along the elegant Bund Promenade, home to impressive architectural landmarks that reveal the city's rich mercantile history.

Then fast forward to the 21st century as you continue your sightseeing in Pudong, famed for its ultra-modern skyscrapers like the Oriental Pearl Tower and the 128-story Shanghai Tower. Tonight, you'll thrill to the daring feats and graceful artistry of the Shanghai ERA Acrobatic Show, a multimedia extravaganza that blends traditional Chinese acrobatics, martial arts, dance and music with spectacular costumes and cutting-edge technology.

Traveling westward from Shanghai, today's excursion takes you to Suzhou: an ancient city revered for its centuries-old canals, graceful bridges, historic structures — and, most notably, the exquisite gardens which have earned Suzhou its place on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. With your informative guide, you'll explore the Garden of the Master of Nets. Originally laid out 1,000 years ago during the Song Dynasty, this classic Chinese garden is one of the city's most refined with landscaped waterways, pavilions, meandering pathways and a delicate footbridge a mere 12 inches wide! Indeed, the diminutive Inner Garden was the model for the Ming Hall Garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Then explore other facets of Suzhou's architectural legacy at the impressive Panmen Gate. Before returning to Shanghai, you'll visit a local workshop to see and learn how silk is made. This evening, you'll enjoy a congenial farewell dinner.

After breakfast, you'll be escorted to the airport for your onward flight.