12 Days China Family Yangtze Cruise with Panda Volunteering Experience from $1674

Ni Hao, welcome to Beijing, the iconic city as well as the capital of China!

You will be met by local tour guide at the arrival hall of Beijing Airport and escorted to check in your hotel in downtown by a private comfortable vehicle. The rest of today is on your own to relax. If you want to explore nearby, feel free to get some practical suggestions from your tour guide.

After breakfast, start to explore the historical face of Beijing with a brief visit to Tiananmen Square, now the largest city plaza in the world. Tiananmen Gate on the northern side of the square was the site where Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the People's Republic of China. Stepping into the Tiananmen, you will see one of the world’s five most important palaces – the Forbidden City, a huge palace complex of more than 9,000 rooms where 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties lived. Pass through various doorways in this magnificent structure to admire the beautiful and well preserved buildings decorated with yellow-glazed tile roofs, white marble bases and splendid colorful paintings.

After lunch, drive to the outskirts of Beijing to spend an enjoyable time in the Summer Palace, the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China. Stroll around ancient pavilions, mansions, temples, bridges and corridors while feasting your eyes on the vast lotus in Kunming Lake and the colorful paintings in the Long Corridor.

Family-friendly activities: 1) leisurely boating on the Kunming Lake of Summer Palace; 2) watching a Chinese Kungfu Show to get a sip of Chinese martial art culture in the evening.

After breakfast, drive about 70km to witness one of the Seven Wonders of the World – Great Wall. It is once in a lifetime trip to visit this man-made wonder with your family. Beijing has the best masterpieces of all sections of Great Wall, such as the Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling, Simatai, Jiankouk, etc. The less-crowded Mutianyu, a well-preserved segment of Great Wall built in Ming Dynasty, lives up to all of your nice expectation. Take cable car to set your feet on Great Wall. Then you can take some leisure walking, climb up the rising towers to enjoy scenic views as the wall wriggling along mountain ridges, and take some family-memory photos with the Great Wall. The Toboggan ride from the Mutianyu Great Wall is very popular with both adults and kids. It is an exciting and safe ride from the upper location of Great Wall to the lower place. After the Great Wall visit, drive back to the city for a good rest.

Family-friendly activities: 1) enjoying a leisure walking on the beautiful Mutianyu Great Wall with your family; 2) treat yourselves a great dinner to taste the famous Peking Roasted Duck at Quanjude Restaurant in the downtown Beijing.

After breakfast, drive to the imperial site of the Temple of Heaven. Originally a site used to pay homage to Heaven and pray for good harvests, it is now a bustling place where locals take part in traditional activities such as Tai Chi, dancing, kite flying, water calligraphy, and others.

Then get back to the central city to hop on a rickshaw to experience the Beijing Hutongs - small alleys made by neighboring quadrangle dwellings. Shuttle among different Hutongs to get a feel of the old Beijing life style, visit various antique shops and small boutiques, and truly feel the historical changes of Beijing. Here in the Hutong, an interesting Chinese Calligraphy Course will be offered for your family to experience this magnificent Chinese traditional art which has lasted for more than thousands of years.

Your Beijing tour is now about to end. Your tour guide will see you off at the airport for your flight to Chengdu (about 3 hours). You will be picked up by your tour guide after arriving at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, then escorted to your hotel in downtown. 

Family-friendly activities: 1) taking an interesting rickshaw tour in the traditional old alleys of Beijing Hutongs; 2) experiencing an interesting Chinese Calligraphy Course.

After breakfast, take a meaningful visit to Jinsha Site Museum. Constructed on the Jinsha ruin site which reveals the unique bronze civilization of the mysterious ancient Shu Kingdom (approximately 2900 – 3200 years ago), Jinsha Site Museum conserves the original expansive site for sacrifice as well as numerous ivory tusks and gold artifacts, including the symbol of China Culture Heritage – the Gold Sun and Immortal Bird. Next, you will be taken to a hidden spiritual Buddhist temple in hustling downtown Chengdu, Wenshu Temple, where you will marvel at the exquisite Buddhist architecture, soak in the reverent atmosphere, and wander on the temple’s peaceful paths.

Chengdu is famous throughout China for its relaxing and leisurely pace and lifestyle, which will be demonstrated by a visit to the City’s Renmin Park. Sit down, order a pot of Chinese tea, have a casual chat with your friends and watch locals indulging themselves in different kinds of folk entertainment - napping, playing mahjong, disco dancing, and giving neck massages! Next will be an impressive visit to the famous Jinli Old Street. Time will steal away as you quietly walk on the lively streets full of delicious local snacks, delicate artifacts, interesting folk shows, and other activities.

Optional activity: In the evening, watch a wonderful performance at the Sichuan Opera which includes folk opera, face changing, fire spitting, rolling lights, and other delightful entertainment.

In the early morning, our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel in Chengdu around 07:00 am and drive 1.5 hours to Dujiangyan Panda Base to fulfill your once-in-lifetime panda volunteer work.

There are more than 40 giant pandas and 5 red pandas in Dujiangyan Panda Base. During this one-day panda volunteer program, you’ll experience some activities including honorary keepers to clean up bamboos, pick up droppings, wash the enclosures, observe and understand the panda’s status and living conditions; prepare food for the pandas and also experience the fun of making the “Panda’s Cake”;  understand panda’s feeding habits; watch a panda documentary that shows scientific facts about pandas, to understand how humans protect them, and how we may live in harmony with them; plant bamboos and trees, as well as set up nametags and some more interesting and meaningful activities. After the panda volunteer activities, you’ll receive an official certificate from CCRCGP that proves your love for giant pandas, as well as souvenirs, like a panda badge, a panda T-shirt or a panda club magazine.

After the whole days’ volunteering experience, you will transfer back to Chengdu.

Please Note:

1. The above arrangements will be adjusted according to the specific situations.

2. Dujiangyan Panda Base can accept up to 50 volunteers in one day at the age between 12 and 65. Being a volunteer, you should apply it a week in advance with your Application Form and Health Examination Form (valid medical certificate and signature which could apply it in your county or in China).

3. Requirements & Limitations:

(a) Health Examination Form: To do the panda volunteer program at Dujiangyan Panda Base, you need to have a valid Health Examination Form (valid medical certificate and signature which could be applied in your country or in China). Feel free to contact our travel consultant for more information or let them register for you. (This form is to ensure that you are not carrying the infectious diseases or other illnesses which endanger the health of pandas.)

(b) Age & Number Limitations: The center can accept up to 30 volunteers (aged between 12 and 65) at any one time.

(c) Avoid Using Strong Smell: For pandas have keen sense of smell, volunteers should avoid using perfume or other odorous articles like mosquito repellent liquid, nail polish, skin care products, makeups, etc. on the volunteer work day.

(d) Dressing Code: During the panda volunteer program, you are required to wear comfortable shoes, like sports shoes, that are suitable for the work. Try to avoid sandals, slippers, high-heels, and so on. Besides, wear trousers, avoid shorts and skirts, etc. (during the program, the panda base will provide working jumpsuits in spring and winter, and T-shirts in summer and autumn for you.)

(e) Healthy Bodies: To well protect giant pandas, volunteers are required to be healthy, and people who are suffering from illness, like a cold, fever, influenza, and other infectious diseases are not suitable to do the panda volunteer programs.

4. If you have got more questions and ideas, please feel free to contact our professional travel consultants.

Today is free time for your family to relax until your tour guide and driver escort you to take a high speed bullet train to Chongqing (about 2hrs).

After stepping out the train station, you’ll be transferred to Chongqing Chaotianmen Port to board your cruise ship between 18:00-20:00 that evening. Your once-in-a-lifetime Yangtze River cruise sails at 21:00! (Please note: the boarding time and departure piers change based on the ship line, water level, season, weather, and other factors. Your travel consultants will ensure you have the actual departure time and boarding pier before your boarding.)

In the morning, wake up leisurely and enjoy the gentle sunshine shining over the tranquil and beautiful Yangtze River. It will be colorful and interesting whether you decide to stay onboard or go ashore at river stops. 

Onboard you will enjoy different kinds of activities, like practicing Tai Chi on the boat’s sundeck, drinking a relaxing morning coffee, attending a Yangtze River history and culture lecture, or taking part in the Captain’s Welcome Party and evening shows. 

Next follow a local guide and make a shore excursion to Shibaozhai Pagoda, one of the “Pearls” of the Yangtze River. A gem of Chinese architecture, this 12-story, 18th century red wooden temple on the northern bank of Yangtze River is an architectural delight full of legends and beautiful stories. (Note: Comfortable shoes are highly recommended since there will be lots of stairs to climb up!)

Optional Excursion: Take a shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City for an extra fee. Called the “City of Ghosts”, it is endowed with mysterious stories about underworld and cruel tortures and different kinds of devils and Chinese demons. Entering this ghost city, you will find many statues of demons and vivid scenes of their perfidious activities. (Note: Once again, the visit to Fengdu Ghost City requires much walking and comfortable shoes are again highly recommended!)

Today you will sail through the spectacular Three Gorges while relaxing on the sun deck and soak up the breathtaking gorge scenery passing by as you drift through Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge respectively. 

In Wu Gorge you will take an enjoyable adventure to primitive Shennv Stream (Goddess Stream). Switch to a smaller boat to sail down this beautiful stream running in a narrow side gorge where you will have close-up views of high mountain peaks and hanging coffins on the steep cliff faces. After watching an entertaining music and dance show of local Tujia ethnic minority, sail back to your ship.

In the evening, you will firstly enjoy the Captain’s Farewell Party with all your mates onboard, and then watch the fascinating process of passing the ship through the Three Gorges Dam Five-stage Ship Locks at 23:00 PM.

Optional Excursion: Take a shore excursion to White Emperor City for an extra fee. Located at the entrance of Qutang Gorge, this excursion offers the best viewing spot to appreciate the magnificent Kuimen Gate. 

After breakfast, you’ll begin to check out and disembark at Maoping Port. Today’s highlight is a morning excursion to Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydropower project, located at the middle of Xiling Gorge near Yichang. You will marvel at this gigantic dam from different angles, learn more of the background history of the Three Gorges Dam Project and enjoy the surrounding beautiful landscape and scenery. If you like, you can take an optional experience to sail through Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift, the largest and the most sophisticated ship lift in the world, which takes only 40 minutes with fresh insight into the dam project.

After the dam visiting, you’ll take the bus arranged by the cruise company heading to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal for leave. Here you will be picked up by our local guide be transferred to Yichang East Railway Station for a high speed train to Shanghai.

After arrival in Shanghai, our local tour guide will pick you up at the train station, and escort you to your hotel for check in. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this cosmopolitan and lively city.

You will take a full day of sightseeing to explore both the past and present of Shanghai. The first stop is the interesting Yu Garden, a shining star among all the ancient Chinese gardens in Jiangnan. This garden fully embodies the traditional design of Chinese architecture with jagged pavilions with elegant decorations, glittering pools with roving fish, and pine trees sprouting to the sky, all designed to refresh your mood and spirit. Adjacent to the garden is the Yuyuan Bazaar where you can savor tasteful local snacks and explore elaborate traditional Chinese handicrafts and art works. Next, you will drive several kilometers to enjoy a panoramic view of the modern face of Shanghai from the 100th floor (474m) of “the Eye of Shanghai” Shanghai World Financial Center. 

You will then be transferred to another popular landmark of Shanghai, Nanjing Road, a shopping paradise as well as a great place to take a wonderful walk to experience the modern atmosphere of the City. Lastly, you will stop at the Bund, originally a simple towpath for transporting goods but now transformed into a feverish trading district. You will stroll along the Bund, seeing and feeling the perfect fusion of Chinese and Western cultures while at the same time taking in the stunning Shanghai skyline with your own eyes! 

Optional activities: take a relaxing Huangpu River night cruise to see the city’s most significant edifices and streets sparkling under the atmospheric cover of darkness (about 50 minutes).

Today, we will not arrange a guided itinerary for you so that you have some flexible time to explore several places of your own interest. Feel free to get recommendations from us or your tour guide. Generally speaking, if you are seeking for those old alleys of Shanghai, you can go to Tianzifang(田子坊) or Xintiandi(新天地). If you are interested in Buddhist culture, the peaceful Jade Buddha Temple awaits your visit. If you want to learn more about the history of Shanghai, you are suggested to visit Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center. If you want to follow the trace the colonial period of Shanghai, take a visit to the French Concession. If your flight departures at later afternoon, you can even go to have an exciting family adventure at Shanghaii Disney Resort.

At last, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport, railway station or port to catch your flight/train/ship to your next destination or home.