Beijing, Yangtze Cruise & Shanghai — 10 Days

Arrive in Beijing and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to settle in and rest after the journey.

Start at the Forbidden City, the Ming and Qing imperial palace occupied by twenty-four emperors from 1420, then climb Jingshan Park for the panorama over the rooftops. In the afternoon visit the Temple of Heaven, where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties prayed annually for the harvest.

Drive to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, a Ming-dynasty section noted for its watchtowers and quiet restored stretches, then return to the Summer Palace, the Qing lakeside resort centred on Kunming Lake and the Long Corridor.

Fly to Chongqing and board your Yangtze cruise ship in the late afternoon. Settle into your cabin as the vessel departs, beginning the downstream passage through the gorges.

Visit Fengdu Ghost City, a riverside hillside town whose temples and statues dramatise traditional Chinese ideas of the afterlife and judgement. Your guide explains the folklore behind the 'ghost' imagery as you walk the steps and halls.

Stop at Baidi City, the hilltop fortress near the mouth of the Yangtze gorges where Liu Bei entrusted his son to Zhuge Liang in the Three Kingdoms era (220 to 280). Later ride a small boat up the Shennong Stream, a clear tributary known for its gorges and local boatmen.

See the Three Gorges Dam at Sandouping, the world's largest hydroelectric project, completed in 2006 to control floods and generate power. Disembark as the cruise ends, then fly to Shanghai for the final leg of the tour.

Tour Yu Garden, a 16th-century Ming private garden within the old town bazaar, then walk Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street and the former French Concession. Visit Tianzifang's lanes and end at the Bund for a Huangpu River night cruise.

Take a trip to Zhujiajiao Water Town, a canal settlement dating to the Ming dynasty with stone bridges and riverside houses. Back in the city, see 1000 Trees, the riverside complex on Changhua Road, and stroll Xintiandi's rebuilt shikumen lanes.

Transfer to the airport for your departure flight, ending the tour.