14-Day China Heritage & Scenic Tour: Buddhist Mountains, Lushan & Yangtze Three Gorges

Upon your arrival at Shanghai Pudong or Hongqiao International Airport, your private driver will be waiting for you at the arrivals hall, holding a welcome sign for easy recognition. After a warm greeting, your driver will assist with your luggage and escort you to your private vehicle. Enjoy a comfortable transfer to your hotel. After check-in, the rest of the day is free to relax after your journey or take a leisurely walk around the neighborhood.

Spend a day discovering old Shanghai with your private guide, who brings the city's history and culture to life through engaging stories. Visit the City God Temple (Chenghuang Miao), a Taoist temple rebuilt in 1924 in glazed-tile pavilion style, then explore Yu Garden, a Ming-dynasty garden dating to 1559, with rockeries, dragon walls and ponds. Your guide explains the symbolism of traditional garden design and its cultural significance. Continue along Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street before reaching The Bund, where historic bank and trading-house facades face the modern Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River, revealing Shanghai's transformation into an international metropolis.

Optional Excursions

Four Staples Lane Breakfast Experience

Start the day like a true Shanghainese with the iconic Four Staples (Si Da Jin Gang) - dalengbing (sesame flatbread), cifan (glutinous rice roll), youtiao (fried dough), and doujiang (soy milk). The early-morning immersion begins with a short culture class on Shanghai's breakfast heritage, then dives into the lively Anshan Road Market to taste freshly made classics straight from the vendors, finishing with a basket of soup dumplings and a crash lesson in Shanghainese phrases you can use right away.

+$0.00

Advisor quoted

World’s Largest Starbucks Reserve Roastery Experience

Visit the world’s largest Starbucks Reserve Roastery located on West Nanjing Road, Shanghai – bigger than the original Seattle flagship. This one-of-a-kind venue functions like an exclusive coffee museum, showcasing the full coffee roasting process, rare global coffee beans and exclusive limited-edition merchandise. Your experience includes one signature in-store coffee drink to enjoy while exploring this iconic landmark before wrapping up your Shanghai trip.

+$15.00

Advisor quoted

Qipao Fitting and Traditional Chinese Photography

Experience the elegance of traditional Chinese fashion with a qipao fitting and photography session. Choose your favorite style and enjoy professional styling before taking photos in a traditional Chinese setting. Your local guide will assist with communication, help you understand the different styles, and recommend suitable photography locations to make this a memorable cultural experience.

+$108.00

Advisor quoted

Haipai Qipao Bespoke Experience (paid on site)

Try the Haipai (Shanghai-style) qipao, an intangible cultural heritage that blends Western tailoring with Chinese silhouettes. Visit the workshop to learn its hundred-year history, pick your own fabric, and have a tailor measure and make a qipao for you. You can also try making frog buttons and preview the fit in a digital mirror; bespoke cost paid on site.

On request

Advisor quoted

Shanghai Evening River Cruise

After daytime sightseeing, join an optional evening Huangpu River cruise. Glide past the lit colonial buildings of the Bund and the towers of Lujiazui, and watch the city shift from day to night from the water.

+$64.00

Advisor quoted

Take a morning high-speed train from Shanghai to Nanjing, a city with a rich imperial and modern history. Begin at Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum on Purple Mountain, where your guide introduces the 1911 Revolution and its role in shaping modern China. Continue to Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, walking the tree-lined Sacred Way past stone elephants, camels and generals while learning about the burial customs of the Ming emperors. Later, visit Confucius Temple, dedicated to Confucius, whose teachings on education and learning shaped China's long tradition of scholarship. Finish with an evening stroll along the Qinhuai River, enjoying the lantern-lit waterfront and its painted boats.

Optional Excursions

Night Cruise on Qinhuai River

Sail an antique boat along the Ten-Mile Qinhuai River after visiting the Confucius Temple. Pass old buildings trimmed with red lanterns and stone bridges whose shapes reflect on the water - the riverside night view Nanjing is known for.

+$45.00

Advisor quoted

Fragrant Sachet Crafting Experience

Fragrant sachets are auspicious traditional Nanjing handicrafts. You may pick aromatic herbs and delicate fabrics, then sew a custom sachet by hand. Bring your unique handmade sachet back as a lovely souvenir.

+$23.00

Advisor quoted

Hanfu Photoshoot by Qinhuai River

Dress in traditional Hanfu for a professional photoshoot along Qinhuai River near the Confucius Temple. Pick costumes, hairpieces and accessories, and shoot among the lantern-lit lanes and riverside buildings for retro portraits to take home.

+$31.00

Advisor quoted

Visit the Presidential Palace, where your guide introduces key events and figures from China's modern history as you walk through its historic offices, courtyards and former government halls. Then head to Niushou Mountain, a striking cultural and Buddhist site known for its grand architecture and serene surroundings. Explore the Foding Palace, with its impressive domed interior and elaborate Buddhist artwork, and learn about the site's connection to the relic of the Buddha's skull. Take time to appreciate the intricate details and peaceful atmosphere before returning to the city.

Travel by high-speed rail to Chizhou, then drive into the hills to Mount Jiuhua, one of China's Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains and the earthly abode of Ksitigarbha (Dizang), the bodhisattva who vows to help beings in the lower realms. Your guide introduces the mountain's Buddhist traditions and its importance as a pilgrimage destination. Start at Qiyuan Temple, then continue to Huacheng Temple, regarded as the birthplace of Buddhism on the mountain. Visit Flesh Body Hall, associated with the revered monk Kim Qiaoque, believed to have been an incarnation of Ksitigarbha. Further along the ridge, reach Baisui Palace via a long flight of worn stone steps. During Buddhist festivals, its terraces fill with incense smoke and the sound of chanting.

Drive to Mount Lushan, a cool, forested plateau above Jiujiang in Jiangxi, once a popular summer retreat and now a UNESCO-listed cultural landscape. Its cloud-wrapped ridges, waterfalls and hillside villas make a refreshing change of scenery. Explore the western scenic area, beginning at lotus-covered Ruqin Lake, with its pine-framed shores and zigzag bridge. Continue to Huajing Garden, where your guide shares the story of Tang poet Bai Juyi and his famous poem inspired by the mountain. Follow the cliffside paths of Jinxiu Valley, passing small cascades and old rock inscriptions, before reaching Xianren Cave, a natural grotto steeped in local legends, with sweeping views across the valley.

Optional Excursions

Taste Local Tea in a Mountain Setting

Relax after a day of sightseeing with a 60-minute Lushan Cloud Mist Tea (Yunwu Tea) ceremony and tasting experience in Guling Town. Visit a local tea venue and learn about the characteristics and brewing techniques of this famous mountain tea while enjoying its fresh aroma and delicate flavor. Surrounded by the peaceful atmosphere of Lushan, this experience offers a relaxing way to discover local tea culture after a day of exploration.

+$18.00

Advisor quoted

Enjoy Sunset Views Over Lushan’s Mountains

End your first day on Lushan with a sunset from Longshou Cliff. As the sun drops, the peaks and valleys below go gold and the sky changes color - a good spot for landscape photos in clear weather.

On request

Advisor quoted

Continue exploring Mount Lushan's eastern scenic area, where dramatic viewpoints, forest trails and cascading water reveal another side of the mountain. Stop at Hanpokou, a cliffside lookout with sweeping views across Poyang Lake and the Yangtze River on clear days. Follow the shaded mountain trail to Sandiequan Waterfall, where three successive cascades plunge through a granite gorge. Your guide shares the natural features behind this famous waterfall and how its changing flow varies with the seasons. Return to the ridge to visit Meilu Villa, once used by Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling, and see its preserved interiors. Finish at Lushan Conference Site, where your guide introduces the major political meetings held here in 1959 and 1961.

Optional Excursions

Witness Lushan’s Famous Sunrise Landscape

Start your second day early at Hanpokou, one of Lushan's best-known sunrise viewpoints. In clear conditions the rising sun lights the peaks while clouds move through the valleys - the sea-of-clouds view Lushan is known for.

On request

Advisor quoted

Take a high-speed train south to Wuhan, the river city where the Yangtze meets its Han tributary. Visit Yellow Crane Tower, where your guide shares the famous Tang poems of Cui Hao and Li Bai, along with the legend of the immortal crane. From the upper floors, enjoy sweeping views over the river. Continue to Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, opened in 1957 as the first road-and-rail bridge across the Yangtze, and take in the meeting of the city's two waterways. Finish at nearby Hubu Alley, where you can sample Wuhan favorites such as hot dry noodles, doupi bean-skin rolls and sesame congee from lively street stalls.

Your journey continues to Yichang, the gateway to the Three Gorges. On arrival, your driver transfers you to Maoping Port, where you board your Yangtze River cruise. Settle into your cabin and enjoy your first views of the river as the ship begins its journey through the Three Gorges region. The cruise staff will assist with boarding arrangements and introduce the days ahead, including dramatic gorges, riverside landscapes and cultural shore excursions. Join the onboard safety briefing before enjoying a welcome buffet dinner. Later, relax on deck and watch the scenery unfold as the city gradually gives way to steep green hills and open water.

On your first full day aboard, go ashore to visit the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydropower station by installed capacity. Your guide explains how this vast project transformed flood control, electricity generation and river navigation. See the impressive ship lifts and five-stage lock system up close before returning to the cruise. Continue through Xiling Gorge, the longest of the Three Gorges and once a challenging passage for river boats. From the deck, watch the cliffs rise on both banks, with old boatmen's carvings etched into the rock faces along the way.

Turn into the narrow Goddess Stream (Shennongxi), winding between green canyon walls, where small boats glide across emerald waters beneath towering peaks. Your guide shares stories of the area's local culture and the legends behind its dramatic landscape. Then sail through the deep, quiet Wu Gorge, framed by twelve peaks including the famous Goddess Peak, followed by the short but dramatic Qutang Gorge, where the river squeezes between the cliff gates of Kuimen, featured on China's 10-yuan banknote. At the far end, take a launch ashore to White Emperor City (Baidicheng), a Three Kingdoms historic site associated with Liu Bei's deathbed entrustment and a famous poem by Li Bai.

Today, go ashore at Fengdu on the north bank of the Yangtze to visit its famous hillside Ghost City, rooted in traditional Chinese folklore. Your guide introduces the ancient beliefs about the afterlife as you climb past the Memorial Arch, Child Goddess Hall and Bridge of No Return to a series of terraced temples depicting the underworld and its judges. Along the way, discover how Taoist beliefs and local legends shaped these unusual traditions, with sweeping bends of the Yangtze stretching out below. Return to the ship in the afternoon and enjoy a relaxing day on deck as the river scenery drifts by.

Arrive in Chongqing, a dramatic mountain city built across steep hillsides and riverbanks, and disembark from your Yangtze River cruise. Head to Jiefangbei Square, the lively downtown pedestrian district, where the Liberation Monument stands among modern shopping streets and skyscrapers. Continue to Hongyadong, where traditional stilted buildings climb the cliffside above the river in tiers of red and gold. Wander through its terraces and narrow walkways, then stay until dusk when the lights illuminate the waterfront against Chongqing's striking mountain-city skyline.

Optional Excursions

Linjiangmen xiuniang Chuan Chuan Xiang (Chongqing Main Branch)

Start your night tour with a local favorite! Enjoy authentic Chongqing Chuan Chuan (skewers in spicy hot pot) at a highly recommended local spot near Jiefangbei Commercial District — a true “must-eat” favorite on Dianping. Your guide can take you there or suggest nearby alternatives.

+$25.00

Advisor quoted

Chongqing Local Nightlife & Bar Street Cultural Experience

See Chongqing after dark in the neighborhoods locals actually use. Walk popular bar streets, casual rooftop bars and late-night blocks favored by young residents, and get a read on the city's modern leisure scene away from the standard tourist strip.

+$0.00

Advisor quoted

Your China journey comes to an end in Chongqing today. At the scheduled time, your driver will meet you at the hotel and take you to the airport for your departure. The transfer is arranged to fit your departure schedule. As you leave, look back on two weeks of contrasting landscapes, from historic cities and Buddhist mountain temples to the dramatic scenery of the Yangtze River and Three Gorges. Safe travels!