There are four Yangtze Cruise routes (in order of popularity):
- From Chongqing to Yichang (downstream) takes 3 nights and 4 days.
- From Yichang to Chongqing (upstream) takes 4 nights and 5 days.
- From Chongqing to Shanghai (downstream) take 6 nights and 7 days.
- From Shanghai to Chongqing (upstream) takes 8 nights and 9 days.
2. The Best Times for a Yangtze River Tour
Yangtze River cruises are possible all the year round. The high season is from April to October, when the prices of cruise tickets are a little higher than in colder months.
The middle season months (April, May, September, and October) are often recommended for the most comfortable temperatures and gorgeous gorges scenery of flowering hills or fall hues.
July and August are the rainy season months. The water level is highest and the water color could be yellow. However, in this season, the view from the Three Gorges Dam is more spectacular because of the awesome flood discharge.
As the passenger capacity on cruise ships is fixed, the Yangtze River cruise ship experience will not be affected by crowds, even on public holidays in China (particularly Labor Day and Chinese National Day), though there may be many more tourists at shore excursion sites.
3. How to Connect a Yangtze Cruise with Your China Tour
Chongqing, Yichang, and Shanghai are the port cities for Yangtze River cruises. Chongqing and Shanghai are the major cities of China. They can be reached easily by flights or bullet trains.
Chongqing is not far by flight or bullet train from Xi'an, Chengdu, and Guilin, which are popular China tour destinations. Shanghai is normally is the last stop on a China tour, so that's ideal if you want a long downstream cruise.
Yichang is a small city. There are fewer flights and bullet trains to and from it. It is more difficult to connect with other popular destinations, except Zhangjiajie by 5-hour train.
Don't worry about the connections if you travel with Travel China. Just tell us the places you would like to include in your tour and leave the logistics to your travel advisor. Whatever else you want in a China tour, we'll ensure you can enjoy a well-designed once-in-a-life-time Yangtze River tour.
