Pandas, Warriors & the Yangtze

Starting in Shanghai, formerly known as the Paris of the East, we sail through historic China with a cruise down the legendary Yangtze River, and travel overland to see some of the country's archaeological wonders. In Shanghai, we visit the city’s main sights and take a cruise on the Huang Pu River. Then it’s time to relax as we cruise along the Yangtze River, with a shore excursion to the Ghost City of Fengdu, a tour in the Shennong Lesser Gorges, and a look at modern China at the Three Gorges Dam Project. We visit the Dazu Grottoes take a tour on Emei Shan Mountain and then see the Giant Buddha at Leshan. Next stop Chengdu and the Panda Breeding Centre. Then we fly to Xi’an, where we travel back in time and see the two thousand year old Army of Terracotta Warriors, one of China's top historical sights. We also visit the Wild Goose Pagoda, the City Wall and the vibrant Muslim Quarter. Another flight takes us north to Beijing, where we visit the Temple of Heaven, and explore the small traditional alleyways of the Hutongs. Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace are yet more highlights, and of course a walk along the spectacular Great Wall of China.