Luxurious Yangtze Cruise 

Day 1. Arrival to Canton, onwards flight to Chongqing to commence cruise
Arrival to Canton International Airport. Here you are met by your Albatros Travel representative for transfer to the next flight, the flight for Chongqing. The huge city of Chongqing is the starting point of our luxurious Yangtze Cruise. Upon arrival, you are met by your tour leader, who will escort you to the pier at the harbour and make sure that everything is ready for your great cruise. We embark in the evening and commence the Yangtze cruise.

Day 2. Yangtze Cruise: Fengdu
The first stop is made in Fengdu to visit the nearby Snow Jade Caves, which were only recently discovered by local farmers. These limestone caves, dating back over 50,000 years, extend over 1.6 kilometres. This evening we have the Captain’s Welcome Party, which includes a lively show given by the crew.

Day 3. Yangtze Cruise: Lesser Three Gorges
Today, after passing through the Qutang Gorge and the Wu Gorge - the most impressive of the three Great Gorges and also known as the Witches’ Gorge - we offer a spectacular trip on small boats through the shallow waters of the “Lesser Three Gorges”, through steep cliff and against a mountainous backdrop. The banks are lined with bamboo bushes, old trees and streams and in the background we have the huge rock formations. The evening sees our arrival at the Three Gorges Dam – nothing less than the world’s largest dam project. We pass through the five-stage lock to arrive at the foot of the dam. Back on board we are invited to the festive Captain’s Dinner.

Day 4. Yangtze Cruise: Three Gorges Dam, arrive Yichang, fly to Canton
This morning we have the chance to visit the Three Gorges Dam. The dam is 2.3 km long and 185 m high. It was put into operation on 20th May 2006 to fill the 600 km long reservoir. Over 1 million people in 13 cities and 1,500 villages had to be re-housed. 26 huge turbines produce 18 million KW/h of electricity annually – equal to the output of several nuclear power plants. After this, we continue our cruise through the Xiling Gorge to Yichang, where we finally disembark.

In the afternoon, we fly from Yichang (or Wuhan) to Canton, where we will check-in at our 4-star hotel, situated in the heart of the city.
 
Day 5. Optional full day sightseeing tour of Canton (Guangzhou)
Today, an optional sightseeing tour in Canton is offered (not included in the program) – unless you just want to relax or do some serious shopping. We start with a walk on the Shamian Island - a sandbank island in the Pearl River. The name literally means "sandy surface" in Chinese. The territory was divided into two concessions given to France and the United Kingdom by the Qing Dynasty government in the 19th century. The island is a gazetted historical area that serves as a tranquil reminder of the colonial European period, with quiet pedestrian avenues flanked by trees and lined by historical buildings in various states of upkeep. The island is the location of several hotels, restaurants shops selling curios and souvenirs. After visiting the huge food market we will eat a real Cantonese style lunch.

We continue to the Chen Clan Temple and later to the famous Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. It is an ancient Buddhist temple built in 537 in the Liang Dynasty. The temple's proximity to foreign consulates in Guangzhou has made it a regular destination for families participating in the international adoption of children from China. Typically families receive blessings for their newly adopted children at this temple.

Day 6. Canton - departure
Departure Canton - transfer to Canton International Airport, for commencing your homebound journey.