Chongqing & the Yangtze Tour

China's Great River, from City to Dam

This 6-day itinerary combines two distinct experiences: a short stay in Chongqing, one of China's largest and most dramatically hillside cities, and a multi-night Yangtze River cruise through the Three Gorges, ending at the engineering scale of the Three Gorges Dam. It's a fundamentally different pace from a city-hopping China trip, with three full days spent aboard ship rather than checking in and out of hotels.

Arriving in Chongqing

Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG) is the arrival point, with the return journey departing from Yichang at the end of the cruise. Staying near Jiefangbei, Chongqing's central business and shopping district, puts travelers close to Hongyadong, a striking stilted building complex built into the hillside and lit up at night, an easy and atmospheric first stop for arrival evening.

Dazu Rock Carvings and Boarding the Cruise

Day 2 covers the Dazu Rock Carvings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring thousands of cliff-carved statues and reliefs spanning Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian traditions, created over several centuries and considered one of China's most significant collections of religious rock art. Returning to Chongqing in the afternoon leaves time to settle before boarding the Yangtze cruise ship that evening, with the first night spent simply getting oriented aboard before the journey properly begins the next morning.

Fengdu and the Gorges Begin

Day 3 brings the first shore excursion, at Fengdu, known as the "Ghost City" for its collection of temples and statues depicting Chinese folklore's vision of the underworld and the afterlife. It's an unusual and memorable stop, distinct from anything else on the itinerary, before the ship continues into the first of the Three Gorges.

Qutang and Wu Gorges, and the Shennong Stream

Day 4 covers the most dramatic stretch of the cruise. Qutang Gorge, the shortest of the Three Gorges at roughly eight kilometers, is also considered the most visually striking, with sheer cliffs rising directly from the water. A transfer to a smaller boat for the Shennong Stream tributary lets the ship's passengers move through a narrower, more intimate canyon setting than the main river allows, often accompanied by local boatmen singing traditional folk songs. The day continues through Wu Gorge, known for the twelve peaks visible along its length, each with its own name and associated legend.

The Three Gorges Dam

Day 5 covers the trip's engineering centerpiece: the Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydroelectric power station in the world by installed capacity. Sailing through its five-stage ship lock, a process that raises or lowers vessels roughly 113 metres in stages, is a slow but genuinely memorable part of the journey, and the shore visit to the dam's viewing platform gives a clearer sense of its scale than what's visible from the water alone. Disembarking at Yichang closes out the cruise portion of the trip, with a final night at a hotel before departure.

Getting Home

The final day is left simple, with a slow morning before checkout and transfer to either the airport or rail station in Yichang, depending on onward travel plans.

Best Time to Visit

March through May and September through October generally offer the most comfortable cruising weather, avoiding both summer's heat and the higher water levels that can occasionally affect river conditions, and winter's colder temperatures along the gorges.

Practical Notes for Nepali Travelers

Chinese Yuan (CNY) is the local currency, and mobile payment apps are widely used, though cash remains useful for smaller purchases at shore stops. Since three of the six nights on this itinerary are spent aboard the cruise ship, packing layers is worth doing given that river temperatures and onboard air conditioning can vary noticeably from the warmer city days in Chongqing. Comfortable walking shoes matter for the shore excursions, particularly Fengdu's hillside temple complex and the Three Gorges Dam viewing platform.